S03.E18: Inkkas Shoes

[Tara Ariano]

A Brooklyn-based shoe company is committed to fair-trade principles and features products made in Latin America, but business is lagging following a series of rash decisions by its founder.

[Primetimer]

Can the CEO of a Brooklyn sneaker company avoid getting a Lemonis foot thrown up his ass?

Read the story

[Cranky One]

The CEO looked like Jason Segal. I have my doubts that he will be able to stay focused and will be back to having a gazillion SKUs.

[Drogo]

Those were easily some of the ugliest shoes I've ever seen. And OMG, that friggin' nodding.

Nobody wants to be a CEO when he grows up.

When I was a kid, I wanted to to be CEO. Of Wayne Enterprises.

[Corgi-ears]

I...kind of liked the brown-and-blue jogger.

[seacliffsal]

Marcus is way more patient than I would be working with this CEO. The CEO would not listen to Marcus and did not want any limitations on his 'creativity'. Does Marcus purposefully look for difficult people to invest in? This shoe seems like it would be limited in appeal as many people may want a shoe that works with different outfits and looks. I could see it as a fun one time purchase.

[peppergal]

There must be a market for "artistic" shoes like that, otherwise a place like Bucket Feet wouldn't have survived as long as they have. But personally, I agree, in my life they'd see limited use because I could/would only wear them in a casual setting. 

 

I do see that the Inkkas price point is slightly lower though, so maybe they'll be able to successfully compete with the more established vendors in the market.

[Josiah Bounderby]

This was, sadly, an episode about shoes that told me very little about designing, making, and marketing shoes.

[Gregg247]

I think there's definitely a market for those kind of designer shoes, especially among the skinny-jeans-wearing crowd, who love having a story to go along with all of their accessories.  The basic idea itself is actually kind of cool.

 

I liked the CEO, but he was so into his own head that he just couldn't seem to register that he was doing everything wrong.  His older brother told Marcus that he was trying to really impress him (Marcus) by WAY over-delivering, not realizing that THAT was his biggest problem.  I think the CEO is actually a good guy who probably needs a boss to keep him under some kind of control.  He certainly is well-traveled, and he seems to thoroughly appreciate his adventures.

 

I think Marcus is going to have to keep a close eye on this company, more than many of his others, because this guy is going to continually run off the rails with his wanderlust and good (if wrong-headed) intentions.

[citychic]

I have a question. Didn't Marcus as the guy initially to come up with four ideas representing North America, yet in the final presentation they represent the four larger areas.

Either Marcus gave up on getting what he needed or I missed a meeting where there was a new plan.

I felt a lot was left out of this episode too.

[BusyOctober]

OMG! That guy was so freakin' annoying! I would have punched him in throat after listening to his "I'm a businessman" speak. What a dolt. He obviously was told all his life he was a smooth talkies and had good sales skills-probably by people who just wanted him To. Shut. UP already...but not so much in real life.

I didn't get why fabrics from other regions his hook. So what? The GAP and Old Navy can say that too. Wouldn't it have been more inline with what's hot right now by focusing on "Fair Trade" sourced fabrics? Be able to show the villages or factories in Africa, India, South America where local tradespeople hand dye/weave the fabric? Explain these artisans earn fair wages, no child labor etc. That kind of back story helps sell and makes customers (who care about such things) feel good about purchases. All I got from this joker was he liked to travel and buy fabrics.

I didn't see any cross over potential for Marcus' other businesses either. Unless he plans to make the employees at his other places wear them as part of required uniforms?

[Amarsir]

I have a question. Didn't Marcus as the guy initially to come up with four ideas representing North America, yet in the final presentation they represent the four larger areas.

Either Marcus gave up on getting what he needed or I missed a meeting where there was a new plan.

I felt a lot was left out of this episode too.

There was the instruction to "pick 5 fabrics representing America" for which he returned with 14. However, there was also a subsequent discussion about 4 regions: North America, South America, Europe, and Africa. And then they seemed to have different fabrics for the same regions and 4 styles in 5 designs or something for a larger array than was implied. All quite confusing.

Which actually makes me wonder if the designer guy wasn't quite as confused as the editing made us think. If they did have a plan for 5 cuts for 4 regions in multiple patterns, maybe he wasn't completely in left field by thinking he needed 40 pairs. I believe Marcus only expected to see 4, but I bet there was enough conversation about alternatives that the guy genuinely thought he was delivering the fully requested line.

[toodles]

This was about pretty shoes?  File me under so what.  There was nothing different about these shoes.  

 

My local grocery store recently went out of business because they sent pretty stories with the flyer about the people who grow the food.  And they jacked up the prices for everyday stuff to match the stories.  Save the story.  I don't care that the tomatoes are watered with an eye dropper and the farmer sings a lullaby to the plants when the sun goes down.

 

I'm not a shoe person and I only buy shoes when I need them.  I want my shoes to be comfortable and affordable.  I don't want a story with my shoes for a jacked up price.  

 

This episode was a dud in my opinion.  I can see Marcus getting in to the shoe business to go with his camping business or his other clothing businesses.  But these guys were a mess.  Walk away, Marcus.  Walk away.

[attica]

I think it would have helped to have a woman in any of those meetings, especially if women are buying the product. Such an inclusion might have saved the bags, which I thought were adorable -- and would be more likely to buy one of them than a pair of the shoes. (Although having a coordinating set might be fun!) If they're not selling, there might be a better way to market them. As it was, we only got the 'men only need 5 shoes' attitude shown. Which is fine, if you're not selling to women. I don't remember seeing any men at the DNA trunk show.

 

Eh, maybe that's just the edit. Not enough time to cover nuances.  

[califred]

I have no doubt the guy will be making extra stuff within the year. He could not rein himself in.

[pbutler111]

I have to admit that, right after I saw this episode, I went to their website and ordered a pair. The one style I really liked was one that, on the show, they held up as a true loser, so at least I got it at clearance price!

Edited January 21, 2016 by pbutler111

[attica]

Was it the brown sneaker? 

[pbutler111]

Was it the brown sneaker? 

 

Of the shoes they presented, I actually liked those brown ones the best!  But, no, I got these:  http://www.inkkas.com/products/2015-checker-brooklyn-chukka?variant=3697043141

[Kiss my mutt]

Are these shoes for men and women? Some of them seemed more feminine.

[Paws]

Maybe the entrepreneurial types are the most likely to have difficulty following orders, but I swear so many of the guys Marcus has to deal with like to intentionally do the opposite of what he says, like they're in some dick measuring contest. I've noticed that the women Marcus has done business with just generally take the advice and quickly turn around their businesses, because they're not caught up in the dick measuring.

Anyhow, I think there is definitely a market for that sort of sneaker in Brooklyn, where there are so many hipsters who "need a story" as mentioned above.

[tobeannounced]

And they plant a tree with every purchase.  How wonderful.  That kind of schtick just annoys the fuck out of me.

[pbutler111]

Are these shoes for men and women? Some of them seemed more feminine.

 

They all appear to be gender neutral.

[fivestone]

The CEO looked like Jason Segal. I have my doubts that he will be able to stay focused and will be back to having a gazillion SKUs.

 

 

Actually, if you look at the website, they've stuck with the basics just like they presented on the show. I was pleasantly surprised.

 

Those were easily some of the ugliest shoes I've ever seen. And OMG, that friggin' nodding.

 

 

I thought most of them were pretty ugly, too. Then I went to the website out of curiosity and was pleasantly surprised to see some styles I really like.

[pbutler111]

I like several of the styles, and I certainly like the look of the pair I bought (I'll let you know if I still like it once I receive them), but those print joggers!  They all look like something you'd seen worn by residents of a nursing home.

[nottopbravo]

I have to say something here about Sarah D. Bunting recaps of this show.  She puts in her own personal analysis of the episode which I think is great.  I wish some of the others who do recaps on Previously would do the same.  If I want to read a scene by scene detail of the show, I'll just watch the damn show. 

 

That being said, I like Marcus.  I think he's not just in it for the money.  But there is something strange about his gait.  I just can't put my finger on it.

[tehach]

What a terrible business. How that hot mess is worth $1.5M is beyond description. Run by amateurs, losing barrels of money, no professional design, chewing through cash like a drunken sailor....But when the Manhattan manufacturer explained to these idiots why their clown shoes didn't fit well, I thought I was going to fall out of my chair. The dude didn't know what a last was....Let me get this straight, a shoe company executive who doesn't know what a last is?

 

The show is up on water skis and approaching the shark pen. Marcus is steering directly towards some sort of therapeutic, interpersonal intervention-type show, wherein Marcus helps to incubate individual's business pipe dreams. The Dr. Marcus Show.

 

"I always wanted to be a CEO." That's fall on the ground funny right there.

[Amarsir]

But when the Manhattan manufacturer explained to these idiots why their clown shoes didn't fit well, I thought I was going to fall out of my chair. The dude didn't know what a last was....Let me get this straight, a shoe company executive who doesn't know what a last is?

To be fair Marcus is the one who didn't know what a last is, not Marshall, Ted, or Barney. However, the guy's critique was that they used the wrong last for the model, and along with their explanation of how they got into this it all sounds very amateurish.

[mojito]

 

I've noticed that the women Marcus has done business with just generally take the advice and quickly turn around their businesses, because they're not caught up in the dick measuring.

I'm gonna defend guys like this one (although there have been many--like that dude who was popping out of his shirt a few weeks back--whom I can't defend) and accuse him of selective listening. Not an irreparable flaw. Initially, some of these owners (male and female) seem to seek a lot of financial help and a little counseling. They think someone needs to augment what they're doing,not completely overhaul it. Marcus' changes were moderate and reasonable, and he didn't push back much. As for his selective listening defect, I think from this point on, Dan's brother and best friend will probably keep him reined in.

 

Using Chuck Taylors as an example of doing a lot with a simple style shoe, but Marcus, have you worn any since high school? Even shoes these days often have more comfort and support built into them than Chuck Taylors.

 

Kind of a dull show for me. While many of the shoes looked nice, I would probably add several dollars onto the cost of the shoe for some comfy insoles.

[pbutler111]

Well, I received my Inkkas.  And they're going back.  They're very pretty, but the forward part of the shoe is so flat, and so inflexible, that I can't actually get my foot into it.  It's almost as though they hadn't factored into their design that actual human feet would need to go into the shoes.  What a shame.

Edited January 26, 2016 by pbutler111

[citychic]

Well, I received my Inkkas.  And they're going back.  They're very pretty, but the forward part of the shoe is so flat, and so inflexible, that I can't actually get my foot into it.  It's almost as thought they hadn't factored into their design that actual human feet would need to go into the shoes.  What a shame.

That's frustrating after getting excited. Isn't that one of the things that was wrong in the beginning is that they were using a basic cheap shoe form and Marcus explained why that should change?

It made me start to think that Marcus buys these companies up left and right and he's always in charge but physically there aren't enough hours in the day to do that. He has to delegate and trust, maybe the process isn't as strong as it should be in that respect.

Well, I received my Inkkas.  And they're going back.  They're very pretty, but the forward part of the shoe is so flat, and so inflexible, that I can't actually get my foot into it.  It's almost as thought they hadn't factored into their design that actual human feet would need to go into the shoes.  What a shame.

That's frustrating after getting excited. Isn't that one of the things that was wrong in the beginning is that they were using a basic cheap shoe form and Marcus explained why that should change?

It made me start to think that Marcus buys these companies up left and right and he's always in charge but physically there aren't enough hours in the day to do that. He has to delegate and trust, maybe the process isn't as strong as it should be in that respect.

[pbutler111]

That's frustrating after getting excited. Isn't that one of the things that was wrong in the beginning is that they were using a basic cheap shoe form and Marcus explained why that should change?

It made me start to think that Marcus buys these companies up left and right and he's always in charge but physically there aren't enough hours in the day to do that. He has to delegate and trust, maybe the process isn't as strong as it should be in that respect.

 

Yes, I think these shoes were part of the pre-Marcus era.  The problem is, I don't actually like any of the styles in the post-Marcus era.  And thus ends my brief, bittersweet relationship with Inkkas!

[Amarsir]

It made me start to think that Marcus buys these companies up left and right and he's always in charge but physically there aren't enough hours in the day to do that. He has to delegate and trust, maybe the process isn't as strong as it should be in that respect.

That's why he's in the process of casting for an apprentice assistant. Apply now for his new show (The Partner) and you could be running these businesses for him!

[citychic]

That's why he's in the process of casting for an apprentice assistant. Apply now for his new show (The Partner) and you could be running these businesses for him!

Oh my gosh, I start business management college this summer. Who knows, maybe someday.

[jennylauren123]

But there is something strange about his gait.  I just can't put my finger on it.

 

Marcus himself has mentioned that he has a big butt. I think it was in the jeans bar episode. And I think he might be a little knock-kneed, too.

 

I find him extremely attractive.

[pbutler111]

That's frustrating after getting excited. Isn't that one of the things that was wrong in the beginning is that they were using a basic cheap shoe form and Marcus explained why that should change?

It made me start to think that Marcus buys these companies up left and right and he's always in charge but physically there aren't enough hours in the day to do that. He has to delegate and trust, maybe the process isn't as strong as it should be in that respect.

That's frustrating after getting excited. Isn't that one of the things that was wrong in the beginning is that they were using a basic cheap shoe form and Marcus explained why that should change?

It made me start to think that Marcus buys these companies up left and right and he's always in charge but physically there aren't enough hours in the day to do that. He has to delegate and trust, maybe the process isn't as strong as it should be in that respect.

 

To add insult to injury, the shoes I received 2 days ago were just marked down from the $77 I paid to $56.

[attica]

Well, 2 days ago, you posted your complaint. Coincidence? Hmmmm? :)

[sleepyjean]

It's kind of amazing that those guys were able to get anywhere at all, with zero knowledge about the footwear industry, and a CEO who thinks every idea he has is a great one. He must be charismatic, to have gotten the other two to quit their jobs, invest, and go along with it. I don't like the shoes though. And it was funny how Marcus was holding the Chucks up as the gold standard, when Chucks are some of the least comfortable sneakers I've ever worn.