Developing the Poppy Barley Flats Collection
Welcome to Part II of our four-part series, Creating Comfortable Shoes for Women, Pt. 1: the Poppy Barley Flats Collection. (If you haven't read it already, here's Part I). Let's talk comfort. We reached out to you, the Poppy Barley community, to survey the most common problems found in off-the-rack ballet flats, and what we heard was lots of feedback reiterating the importance of support, grip and comfort, in addition to requests for a rounded toe option following the release of our initial sketches. We also compiled a list of components that were crucial to shoes receiving the best reviews online, and interviewed our friends and family on their favourite brands and the reasons behind their adoration. Finally, we agreed upon the following six comfort objectives:- A soft, flexible leather upper
- A cushioned foot bed/well-padded insole
- A leather lining
- Arch supports
- A textured rubber sole for traction
- A small heel or a hidden wedge for a little lift

