WHAT we did
Drawing on the client’s extensive network of labor tradespeople, we talked to workers about what they really wanted out of their boots, what they looked for in a brand (if anything), what would keep them coming back for more, and what would turn them off for good. While we were gathering clues for brand elements, our client was using our findings to inform the actual design of the boots—product and brand emerging as one. Overwhelmingly, we found that the relationship between workers and their boots is purely transactional; it’s an average nine-month marriage. Boots work until they don’t, then they get tossed and replaced. They told us that boots are tools, so that’s what we’re telling them.
