My shoes are in and they are just fantastic, if I do say so myself. I love the iconically fat tops and the cool and smooth baby bamboo soles. I relish the soft foam that forms to your feet. I simply adore the fabrics picked out by the anonymous but beloved Saint of Los Angeles. And lastly, I just can't get enough of the soft feel of the velveteen just sitting on the tops of my feet. I could go on for days. Well, not really cause I have real responsibilities.. and mouths to feed and all that mess but you get me, right? Days.
Instead I will just show you a couple pictures of the work done so far and you can see for yourself how this lil' brand is comin' along.
Here's one of my last pseudo-protos I made on my own before we found a factory to take a chance on us.This is not the original shoe that Fat Rolls was designed after. (another post for another day, a post you may not get to actually see because its just. too. personal.)
This one's made out a stuffed cotton blend top and the bottom was made from a woven natural fiber or straw platemat, which clearly did not hold up and wasn't intended to. The choice of print is my humble homage to the classic and iconic checkerboard Vans slip on, cause you guys must know I am all about parody. (If you didn't know, well, now ya know). After lusting after (guys in) them as a pre-"tween" in the mid to late 80s, (the term "tween" was not used back then so we were a bit cooler I guess) I scrambled to buy the re-issue of it when I even thought it was over-saturated back in '95, too dumb to predict the virtual institution it has become as of today. God bless Vans and their branding mojo. Sheesh. But yeah, erryone loves a checkerboard print, so it was fine for a proto that didn't even make it past the testing phase.
It was just to give the flavor of the shoe, the shape, the feeling.
Cheesy, I know. But this is the only story I got so there you have it.
(My son clearly didn' t like wearing it, but what does he know?
He was like 1 year old at the time. He's totally changed his mind about them now that he's hit the ripe age of 3.)
What an adorable print. This little kitschy and colorful floral looks super cute when its fresh and new like this pair.
And strangely it also looks endearingly "vintage" and by the way, LEGIT as bleep(!) when they are dirty and worn, like my first sample pair of Fat Rolls is starting to look like since I've deliberately trashed them all year all in the name of product testing, doing wee fit runs in them for short intervals, completely submerging them in creeks and just generally running them into the ground. Yes, I am part of that secret cult of people known only as "Quality Control" and I do now consider "flip flop tester" as part of my skill set currently. Actually its been elevated to the level of a core competency at this point and nothing less.
I know, I know...I have such a bitchin' job, don't I? I do get it. I am to be hated, truly, deeply, and madly.
And this is my first attempt at a display case for my yummy treats (for feets, but still, work with me here, okay...) . I figured since the factory wrapped them all anyway, why not play off the clear plastic wrap and the silly brand name to give the illusion that its your tummy that is about to get the treat, but instead its your feet! (well, only if your feet are between a size 3/4 and a size 11. Everyone else has to wait til Gen 2 when maybe we can get more size offerings arranged. We're not thousandaires yet! Hold your horses already.)
Special thanks to my mom, Julia, my favorite artist and my coolest (and only) outside investor. (my previous version of myself is my primary investor, seeing as how I cashed in all of her retirement and savings from over a decade of non bad-a$$ work in order to pay for this seemingly odd venture. Stupid, right? We will see. But yeah, probably...) Anyhoo, also she scooped up the display case for me and it turned out to work perfect for my shoes, so thanks mom!! (I'll list some boots for you this weekend I promise.)
Check out her shop... http://www.etsy.com/shop/GrannysBootery
It is boot season after all! And Granny's got some good ones!
And of course my new shop for my newest babies... http://www.etsy.com/shop/FatRolls
I will be updating lots of the listings to show pictures of human beings actually wearing these rad flip flops. (Besides me and my immediate family and some friends). I consider them year round flip flops so please refrain from trying to call me out for launching a sandal at the end of summer and start of fall. I meant to do that. Really, I totally would never do something so unimaginative as to try to sell a flip flop in the spring and summer. I mean, for crap's sake, really?! How passe. Do other companies even do that anymore? This is too easy...
The birth of a flip flop mogul. There, I said it.
And of course I'm still here too http://www.etsy.com/shop/ReanimatedRags , so keep checking me out! And check out my Fat Rolls!
