Why It Took Nearly Two Years to Build the Shifter

When you see a new shoe, it's easy to assume the process starts a few months before launch.

In reality, the Shifter has been in the making for nearly two years.

From the very first sketches to countless conversations, redesigns and prototypes, every stage was driven by one goal: creating the widest, lightest and most comfortable shoe we've ever made.

Here's how we got there.

After months of brainstorming, sketching and refining ideas, we finally had our first complete design.

It was the first time the Shifter existed as more than just an idea.

Although the overall vision was there, we already knew it wasn't the finished product. There was still plenty to improve before moving into prototyping, but this was the milestone that transformed a concept into something real.

With the first design in place, it was time to put our assumptions to the test.

Before moving into production, we wanted to hear directly from the people who would eventually wear the Shifter.

We spoke with customers, gathered feedback from previous Kickstarter campaigns and looked closely at what people loved about our existing shoes... and what they felt was still missing.

One request came up again and again:

A wide toe box.

That feedback shaped the next phase of development.

Instead of pushing ahead with the original design, we went back to the drawing board and refined the proportions, fit and overall concept to better match what our community was asking for.

The months that followed were all about testing and refining.

Each new sample brought small improvements. The fit became more natural. The materials became lighter and more breathable. The step-in system became smoother. The outsole evolved to provide better grip without adding unnecessary weight.

After five different prototypes, we finally had the version we had been working towards.

The Shifter was ready.

More than two years after the first idea, it's finally time to share the Shifter with the world.

And in just 4 days, it will become our 8th Kickstarter campaign.

Every campaign we've launched has helped us improve. Not just our products, but the way we design them.

Today, more than 15,000 backers from all seven continents have been part of that journey.

The Shifter is the result of everything we've learned together.

Once the Kickstarter campaign is successfully funded, production begins.

This is where months of planning become reality.

Materials are sourced, manufacturing starts and every pair begins its journey from prototype to finished product.

We never rush this stage.

Building products that last has always been more important than building them quickly.

Our goal is simple:

To have every pair shipped before Christmas.

After nearly two years of planning, testing and refining, the Shifter will finally make its way from our workshop to your doorstep.

Looking back, it wasn't the timeline that mattered most. It was the decisions we made along the way.

Choosing to redesign instead of settling. Choosing to build another prototype instead of launching too soon. Choosing to listen before we built.

That's what the Shifter is really about.

Not just a new shoe, but nearly two years of learning, refining and improving to create the most comfortable shoe we've ever made.

In just a few days, that journey continues with Kickstarter Campaign #8.

Sign up before launch to secure 50% OFF and be among the first to experience the Shifter.

The next chapter starts very very soon.