Wanderlust: Bali

In January, Justine traveled to the island paradise of Bali – home to pulse-pounding surf, enchanting temple ceremonies, volcanoes and even the famous Komodo dragons. It was in Bali that Justine had her EUREKA moment for Poppy Barley.

Here Justine tells it all…

In January 2012, I traveled to Bali for a vacation. While shopping in trendy Seminyak, I found a pair of great boots – classic rider with a dark brown top. Sadly, the boots were not available in my size. The store owner said, "No problem, I can make them especially for you!", and he started measuring my feet and legs. Next my boots were crafted and shipped home to Canada. It was a cool and surprising experience. In North America, custom footwear has been unavailable for so long – it became extinct with the small town local shoe craftsman. It hadn’t occurred to me as an option or a possible solution to my fit issues (high arches). I couldn’t stop thinking about it. A few days later while observing Galungan, Bali’s most important recurring religious ceremony, I conceived the idea of bringing the art of custom boots to anyone with access to a measuring tape and internet. Hugely excited, I sent the longest email to Kendall to share my big idea. Read more about the story of Poppy Barley .