Have you ever looked at a piece of fabric and thought “man, that’d make a great pair of shoes!” We do—all the time. We admit it’s mostly just a quirk of working in a shoe factory, however it’s a fun feeling we wanted to share. With the SO Me! Sneaker, you too have the opportunity to wander through the aisles of your town’s fabric store thinking “man, that’d look great for my shoes!”
A SO Me! with hearts and roses enjoys a nice drink on the beach
HOW SOM DOES CUSTOM SHOES
Our locals have known it for a while: the coolest pair of shoes is the one that is unique to you. SOM's seamstresses will tell you that it is a fun change of pace to gather around a brightly colored fabric and plan out the best way to place the pattern on the shoe. The choices of stitch and lace color complete the custom design process.
While it is a joy to have customers stop by the factory fabric in hand, you don’t have to be in Colorado to have your own pair of custom shoes.The SO Me! lets you have the perfect style in the right colors even from afar.
A bright SO Me! of our previous models enjoys the Uncompahgre River
Our custom shoes work best for those who have a pair of SOMs already on your feet—you know your size and enjoy the feel of our barefoot shoe. Any customized shoe is made to fit your style and is unfortunately not able to be returned. However, if you are smitten with your first pair being unique, we do have a sizing process available before you commit to your SO Me!
A pair of fruits and veggies SOMs joined Missy at a Juice Plus conference
At SOM, only the upper fabric and general color choices are customizable. We don’t make custom fitted shoes since our models are all built on the same set of lasts, or shoe molds. These lasts shape every pair that we produce and keep our sizing true. As we are shoe makers, not mold makers, we don’t create new lasts for someone who needs a differently shaped shoe. For us, the way we customize a shoe is all about the fabric—and the details.
YOUR OPTIONS ARE (ALMOST) ENDLESS
We’ve seen some fine fabric choices over the years: from rainbow party shoes, to a black and cream Queen Anne’s Lace pattern, to camouflage. An area artist is even considering using an old painting so she can actually wear her art!
The only guidelines we place on fabrics are to ensure easy sewing and durability. We steer clear of knit fabrics, as they fray faster than we can make a shoe. We also advise against anything that stretches; getting the right size is especially important for custom shoes and stretchy fabric can really affect the fit. Lastly, we encourage our customers to think about the durability of the fabric. A light cotton pattern can make a cute casual shoe, but shouldn’t be for heavy duty wear. Using upholstery or outdoor fabrics increases the overall durability of the shoe. Outside of these general guidelines, the sky’s the limit!
Bicycle SOMs on tour!
If you have ever wanted a shoe that matched your sense of style (or are just unhappy with the current color choices SOM offers), take a trip to your fabric store. When you see that pattern that just screams “make me into shoes!,” lay it at your feet and see how it looks from above. Then just reach out to us—we’ll take care of the rest!
Wonderful idea!!
Many years ago I bought a pair of SOM shoes with a black and white print. The shoes are the most comfortable I’ve owned. The fabric is what makes them fun! People frequently comment on my shoes.
The heels are wearing down so I may soon need to replace them. Excited to have the option to choose and provide my own fabric.