How to sell a Swarovski-encrusted P15,000 footwear

Selling a pair of shoes is one thing. But selling a Swarovski-encrusted pair of footwear that cost P15,000 is a whole different story.

Many people might find the footwear's price tag outrageous. After all, that same amount can very well buy several pairs of shoes. But Fitflop, the company behind the launch of the pricey footwear, maintains that customers get the value of what they pay for.

The bedazzled sandal—called the Special Edition Rock Chic Ice White—owes its equally stunning price to the dozens of Crystallized Swarovski Elements that dot the footwear.

“Footwear should be an investment. After all, it carries our whole body the whole day so choosing the proper shoes or sandals is imperative,” said Melody Nubla, Fitflop's brand manager.

As for how they market these more expensive pair of footwear, Nubla said it's all about tapping and touching base with their most loyal customers, many of whom have several pairs of Fitflop in their collection.

“Rock Chic has become a collector's item of some sort because we only produce 100 pairs every year,” Nubla said. “Because it's a limited edition release, it becomes more coveted to have it in the collection as opposed to models that are mass produced for everyone.”

Because this is the third year that Fitflop has launched this limited edition release, many of its more loyal customers have been waiting for this year's installment since the start of the year. They wouldn't have to wait much longer, Nubla said, as the sparkly pair of sandals debuts in July.

“Many of our customers have emotional attachment to the brand. For them, it's not just a purchase of a material thing,” she said.

Aside from the glitzy look of the sandals, what sets it apart is its muscle-activating, leg toning Microwobbleboard midsole that makes every FitFlop sandal unique. In a nutshell, it's a technology that helps people stay fit (thus the name of the brand).

“We're confident that the 100 pairs would sell out in no time,” she said. “Last year, when we launched it, half of the stocks were gone in the first day.”

According to Nubla, a big factor that helps the brand launch any of its new products is its online presence. Fitflop's fanpage in Facebook now numbers some 150,000.

“We encourage the brand's followers to upload their pictures. It's an avenue for fans to interact with each other,” she said.

With three stores now—SM Mall of Asia, SM Cebu, and SM Southmall (which opened two weeks ago)—they'll have more venue to market the footwear. Fitflops opens its 4^th store at the end of July in SM Annex. Fitflop is exclusively distributed by Primer Group of Companies.