Footwear with feeling: a cultural approach to product development

ABSTRACT

Holt (2004) pioneered a change in marketing discourse by outlining how brands can become icons through tapping into cultural mythologies of the time. Yet, the theory has remained purely focused on branded consumption. This film extends the approach to the realm of product development and focuses on the transformation of a fashion trend into a consistent product category by examining the flatform shoe, a new shoe style that blends the height of a heel with the comfort of a flat. Through qualitative interviews and ethnographic analysis, this film argues that consumers are able to attach a strong postfeminist sensibility to the style. This helps to elevate the style to a mainstream category of its own through an adherence to cultural branding principles.