Small businesses have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, and though many are finding new ways to drum up business – including offering free shipping and curbside delivery of products – rent demands, nonexistent foot traffic and and tightening consumer spending is leaving many shops in a precarious position.
Two Toronto businesses – skate shop Blue Tile Lounge and menswear destination Lost & Found – have teamed up with Vans as part of an initiative called Foot The Bill to create a signature shoe.
The sneaker company has asked 80 small businesses across North America to design a shoe that will be available for further customization and ordering through the Vans site, with all profits going back to the small businesses. Currently, the roster also includes skate shops in Halifax, Vancouver and Montreal.
You can get Blue Tile’s logo-patterned slip-ons or Lost & Found’s “LOVE” laceups, and tweak them to your liking, via the Vans site. But only 500 versions of each shoe will be made – so if you want ’em, act fast.
@nataliamanzocco
