Kinis is expanding the definition of what footwear can look and feel like by exploring a product line that emphasizes the foot's natural movement.
After the success of their debut product, the Barefoot Sock, Kinis customers proved there was market demand for a more casual-style shoe that featured their same movement-focused design. Last month, following a year-long development phase, the company released its new "minimalist shoe," the Lucy.
"The first product (the Barefoot Sock,) we felt, was for a small, niche group of people," CEO and founder Vincent Vu said. "We think the Lucy could be positioned to be sold to a wider range of audiences looking for a comfortable shoe to wear to the gym, the office or out to dinner."
Kinis was selected to participate in Lighthouse Labs' Summer 2020 session. Vu said the company hopes the experience will give them the chance to really step up its digital marketing strategy and leverage the network of marketing experts available to participants.
As a direct-to-consumer business, Kinis does not sell its shoes through any retail distributor, although Vu said they hope to pursue a flagship brick and mortar store in the next few years.
An important emphasis of Kinis and the development of their product line is creating high-quality, movement-focused products that go through a rigorous design and testing process, Vu said. Because of this, the company plans to focus efforts on developing a new product from scratch every year or two, rather than developing a large line of products and styles.
Vu also emphasized the importance of developing these products at a more attractive price-point, compared to the trainers from Nike or Adidas that can range from $200 to $300. The Lucy is $99, and the Barefoot Socks range between $55 and $65.
"We like to think of ourselves as a movement company, not a footwear company," Vu said. "We believe in keeping the product simple so that the feet can move naturally.
"People are spending money on minimal footwear, but when you look at such a product at a price that most people would spend on a minimal shoe, it's not on the market. We feel like there is an opportunity for us to go after that customer."
As the company continues to identify opportunities for product expansion, Vu has his eye on one immediate opportunity: wearable technology in footwear. He said the company plans to use its team of podiatrists and the knowledge its gained over the last three years to design and launch a line of smart footwear products by 2021 or 2022.
"Wearable technology is the future ... Right now, there is all sorts of wearable technology on the market like watches or bracelets that track things like your sleep, walking distance or blood pressure," he said. "There is a lot of opportunity for us to get into designing a smart footwear product with sensors embedded in the bottom of the shoe."
