A Marketable Design: Foldable Flats

Image from http://www.thestylishchick.com/blog/deal-of-the-day/

Flats are always a welcome relief after a long day of wearing heels.  Recently, however, it seems the amount of brands that make "foldable flats" and the amount of stores selling them is increasing, indicating their popularity is growing.  This made me ask myself, what about "foldable flats" makes them so popular?  Most flats are pretty small as it is, is it necessary for them to be foldable?

Upon closer examination, however, it became apparent that some clever design elements that make them easily marketable were behind such growth.  

The two main elements of design in these "foldable flats" are their styles and scale.  They come in many colors and patterns, are light weight, and can be rolled up and stashed away in a pocket or purse easily.  Furthermore, each brand advertises a unique design feature.  For example, "Dr Scholl's For Her Fast Flats Foldable Black Flats with Stylish Wristlet" is made with the Dr Scholl's cushioning that is supposed to soothe sore feet, while "Fit in Clouds" brand come in 3 different designs (silver sequin, royal gold, and black patent) and advertise that they "are wearable outside and can be reused over and over again."

The different styles, specifically, provide an avenue to reach a versatile market of buyers because they provide for different types of women.    The wearer gets the choice about whether they want to emphasize their flats with a patterned shoe, or if they want to create unity in their outfit (through repetition of colors) and have their flats be discreet.  This undoubtedly contributes to their popularity.

Their scale which is the other major design element present here, allow them to be conveniently tucked away until they are needed.  Due to the need for "smaller scale", however, most of them only come in limited sizes which is unfortunate and may force them to miss out on a number of potential customers.  Despite this fact, their small size and ability to easily fit into small pockets or bags remains a major selling feature and a main contributor to their continued growth in popularity, so seeing as it is obviously not hurting their sales, it is unlikely this will change in the near future.  One drawback of the smaller scale is that it requires thinner fabric and soles meaning they are likely less durable, but for women that don't expect to use them over and over, this is not a problem.

The fact is that though these "foldable flats" aren't necessary, they are convenient for the occasional night out.  This alone seems to be the element that is the most responsible for their success.