Our journey to create Backdoorshoes® began back in 2007, when an idea inspired by personal experience set us on a path that has led to the business we are today.
We asked our founder, Stephen Avery, to explain…
As far back as I can remember, there was never a time when our family wasn’t dashing in and out of the house to enjoy the garden, fetch stuff from the car, take out the recycling and more. An assortment of old, otherwise retired shoes sat by the back door, and we all seemed to put on whatever was there, including each other’s, regardless of fit, and in all weathers. Sometimes, in a hurry we just ran out in our socks. “Whose muddy prints are these?” was a frequent cry in exasperation at the marks on the kitchen floor and carpets.
To make matters worse I had started to work from home and had created an office in an old shed at the top of my garden. I was now walking back and forth across the grass multiple times every day and I was making a mess!
A solution didn’t seem that complicated to me. I just needed a sensible pair of waterproof shoes to sit by the threshold of the back door that I didn’t have to lever my foot in to, or need lacing up, and could easily be slipped on and off. I wanted them to be really comfortable and I wanted them to be washable.
A friend suggested I try some medical clogs - the kind that Doctors and Dentists wear, so, he lent me a pair. They were white (for a few days!), heavy and not very comfortable. I’d always worked with consumer products focusing on items that offered great solutions to common problems, so me being me, I decided to create my own ideal clogs.
The next 2 years saw prototype after prototype as I explored different solutions. My requirements were very specific. I needed lightness. I needed comfort; not just the fit and feel around my feet but in the softness and bounce in the shoe to balance comfort with support. And I wasn’t just designing them for me. What about people with foot and joint problems. Could we create clogs that were comfortable around a bunion, worked for people with plantar fasciitis, and actually responded to the shape of a foot - moulding to feel like the most comfortable clog you’d ever tried? I wanted to show that an outdoor clog is not just a space to put your foot in. It’s a proper shoe that should support your arch and provide a great wearer experience.
It also occurred to me that clogs in general all looked quite similar. Dull colours for men and feminine colours for women. Design seemed neither particularly imaginative nor inclusive. Surely, we could do better? It never occurred to me that we would have to create our own unique printing method to create the vibrant, photographic designs you see on our website today!
We officially launched our first collection of Backdoorshoes® in 2007, at BBC Gardeners World Live in Birmingham. We had created four original designs; Tomatoes, Root Vegetables, Strawberries and Grass. We really didn’t know what to expect or our how customers would react. No one had seen designs quite like these and when people started to feel the weight and try them on the enthusiasm was clear. In fact, so clear that we sold out with two days of the event still remaining!
Attending events with Backdoorshoes® became the hall mark of our activity. It gave us direct face to face opportunity to talk to our customers and receive quality feedback on our designs, comfort and how our products were being used. Over the years we’ve attended over 1000 live events and have become a regular participant in RHS shows across the UK.
We’ve continued to extend the range of patterns and sizes we offer, listen to our customers and work hard to offer outstanding customer service.
Through this website we’ve been able to reach a much wider audience and build a loyal following of fans who eagerly await the next new designs we release; and use Backdoorshoes® for gardening, dog walking, camping and more.
The feedback we receive from our customers puts a huge smile on our faces and we are extremely grateful for it. We’ve had so many incredible comments that you can read on our live reviews here.
When I look back today, I don’t think I ever expected Backdoorshoes® to become such a phenomenon. We have customers all over the world, from all walks of life. We have many celebrity fans, including some that live in very large ‘palatial’ homes who we can’t officially mention!
We remain focused on creating inspirational, original leisure & lifestyle footwear. All Backdoorshoes® offer comfort, practicality, creative, original design and long-lasting premium quality. In fact, we’re so confident of our quality that we now offer a 5-year no-split guarantee on all Backdoorshoes® Garden Clogs; and no one else does that!
I also recognise that our customers are our greatest asset. We work really hard to provide you with customer service that treats you like a member of our family, and we don’t ever take your loyalty for granted.
Thank you for taking the time to read our story.
Stephen
