Shoes

What about that company that when you buy a pair of shoes they give a pair to someone in need? Or the companies that let you custom design your shoes or the one that prints your designs on a pair of shoes? Those are creative ideas. They add value to a purchase. That puts them in a new category for me. I've never tried on their shoes, and I generally get my shoes used. However, even on my budget, if the shoes were amazing enough I might buy them.

You really only need three pairs of shoes, right? Four max. Something dressy, something to exercise in, something to wear on normal days, and maybe something for the summer. Ok, depending on what you do you might need more than that. Or less.

Still what if someone put together a company that:
1. Significantly increased the quality and longevity of the shoe.
2. Allowed for customization to your foot.
3. Allowed for customization of design.
4. Made a valuable charitable contribution as part of the purchase (one that makes sense and looks longer term).

Wouldn't it be way better to have one pair of shoes like that than 4 or 5 pairs that do the same thing badly? Not if we're driven by style, surely, but it seems to me that there must be a place for quality, innovation and generosity that doesn't change with the season.

Why do I suddenly care about shoes?
I don't that much. But I care about new ideas, potential, excellence, creativity. And it seemed like a good place to start when imagining how I to put feet to these ideas about creativity and the economy.