The Universal Design of BILLY Footwear.
What is BILLY Footwear?
BILLY Footwear is an innovative shoe company that features a flagship Universal Design. Its charismatic co-founder is Seattle native, Billy Price. Billy suffered a spinal cord injury and became paralyzed from the chest down, losing the ability to move his fingers. Daily tasks became difficult, but using his creative mind and unyielding spirit, he never gave up.
Billy continued on, facing life's challenges with tenacity and determination. Born out of a need, BILLY Footwear was founded on the principle of inclusion and perseverance. Along with co-founder, Darin Donaldson, Billy strives to add value to the lives of others and make a measurable difference in the world one foot at a time.
Billy Price
What Makes BILLY Footwear Different?
First, let's explore the concept of Universal Design. It is described as "The design of buildings, products, or environments to make them accessible to all people, regardless of age, disability or other factors "(Wikipedia). An example would be curb cuts, these wedged ramps facilitate the transition between road and sidewalk. They give wheelchair users access to outdoor spaces and are also beneficial to those with visual impairments, parents pushing strollers, and individuals using assistive devices. Here we see traditional design initially reworked as a solution for a specific user but found to make sense, in my opinion, for the efficiency and ergonomics of most.
BILLY Footwear Key Design Elements
BILLY Footwear
The one daily task that eluded Billy after his rehabilitation was putting on his shoes. His engineering skills led him to find some creative alternatives:
1)A zipper around the toe box to allowed him to place rather than "stuff" his foot in his shoe. This modification provided a solution to those with limited hand dexterity and for those who want an efficient way to put on their shoes without frequently tying laces. This is another example of universal design.
2) Removable show inserts to add more volume without the need for upsizing or possibly buying two pairs of shoes. This is beneficial for orthotics/brace users.
I would encourage you to hop over to billyfootwear.com(10% coupon code below) to check out the online store to fully appreciate the Beauty of BILLY Footwear. These shoes look good and any brand-conscious fashionista would be proud to don a pair of shoes with soul!
Disclaimer
Below is an affiliate link which if used with your purchase will give you a 10% discount and donate a small percentage of that sale without any cost to you to keep the Raising Kellan Blog and Podcast going!
10% Coupon of your Billy Footwear Purchase is KELLAN___10
Tell us about your experiences with BILLY Footwear in the comments below.
Transcript
Marsh Naidoo (00:14):
Hi guys. Welcome to the Raising Kellan podcast. For those of you listening in on for the first time, my name is Marsh Naidoo. I am a physical therapist and mom to my eight-year-old son Kellan who has a diagnosis of cerebral palsy. We blog at raisingkellan.org where we curate resources that help us in our journey, as well as the Raising Kellan Podcast where you can listen into work being done by other friends in this community. On today's episode, episode number 40, we chat with Billy Price, co-founder, together with his business partner Darren Donaldson of Billy Footwear, an innovative shoe company which features a flagship universal design. Billy himself is a wheelchair user after a spinal cord injury. In today's episode, Billy shares his journey from those early rehabilitation days, entrepreneurship, as well as the launch of the Billy Footwear brand and so much more. This is a jam-packed, impactful, and motivational podcast. So guys, sit back, relax, enjoy, and please share. Here we go!
Marsh Naidoo (01:44):
It's not often that we get a chance to let folks know such as yourself, Billy, what an impact your design has made in our lives and how we value your product. And I know this is something you started off as a prototype for yourself, but it is actually, I mean, you read the market and you provided a solution for not only months, such as myself, but for the 1 billion people across the world that actually do have a disability. So thank you sir.
Billy Price (02:22):
<laugh>. Well, it's my absolute pleasure. I mean, it really is. It's interesting how it was just a small little idea to overcome a personal challenge that I had and we were able to come up with a solution that garnered success for me. And then the moment was really so special when it occurred that we had to share it and we didn't know what was gonna happen from there. And we wanted to be able to go into the market to be able to have both a functional need or a functional solution, but also something that would resonate in the fashion industry. So try to bridge those worlds. And unbeknownst to us, there was a big gap out there in the market and we just happen to drop our product right in the market. And it's been just wild to see everything grow and all the success stories that have come from it.
Marsh Naidoo (03:06):
I know the moms listing out, they already know about Billy footwear, but in case there is anyone that doesn't, I just wanna kind of share what for me really works and obviously the zipper, which is unique to your guys design, and then the fact that Carolyn Small can just go ahead and pop in there. Now we have taken that insert out and the shoe more room to accommodate the smo. That's what I love about your shoes. Easy to get that SMO on. And it has give before we actually had to go to shoe sizes up. Oh right,
Billy Price (03:53):
Yeah. Well it was interesting because, so I'm a wheelchair user. Yes. It wasn't always the case had broke my neck when I was a teenager and a lot of things in my world changed and I was able to find solutions for a lot of things, figuring out how to continue about my day, how to dress myself. But the one thing that always alluded me was shoes. Cuz there really wasn't anything out there that I was finding success being able to put on independently. And the solutions that were out there, similar to what you were talking about, you had to buy a shoe that was so significantly oversized that it just didn't look good. It looked more like a flipper. And even if it was, I was able to put it on, it still didn't have really the fashion element to it that it looked different and I didn't wanna look different.
(04:41):
That's really what it boiled down to. But the challenge was, I mean I don't have very good hand dexterity, so because of that we needed to be able to have a solution where you know, wouldn't necessarily have to tie your shoes, but also it was the stuffing your foot into a shoe. I mean that's the big thing that brace users, the big challenge that we share, me being a wheelchair user, but also someone that uses a brace. So as a matter of creating something where the whole up could fold over and you could drop your foot in unobstructed and create that unobstructed entry and then to be able to conveniently close the shoe and pull it up. So the laces are functional. I mean they work, it's just a matter of we use the laces to really kinda get the fit. And then as you pointed out with the inserts, we made sure to have those removable to generate more volume if someone does need more volume.
Marsh Naidoo (05:31):
So I'm kind of curious, I think I have a pretty good understanding as to the original, what motivated you or inspired you to developing the shoe itself and the universal design you created it with. But what about your logo? I'm really curious about that goat.
Billy Price (05:51):
Oh my gosh, I love that you asked that question. That's something that oftentimes you don't get the chance to talk about. Yeah, so there's a play on words. First off, my name's Billy and by having a goat, having a billy goat, that seemed to be very appropriate. But really what we wanted to do as well is have some sort of logo that embodied a spirit of tenacity, grit, just determination. So if they were faced with any sort of challenge, they were just gonna blast through it. So I know that you have a logo of a mountain, I love that. Cuz essentially it's like, you know what, if we're gonna attack that mountain, we will climb it, but it's gonna take some time, it's gonna take some effort and it's take some work and it's gonna take a community around us to really scale that beast.
(06:34):
But if we're associated with the right people and we have the patience and the fortitude to continually taking the smallest steps, whatever it takes, we do have the ability to move forward. And that was really, that's also some of the branding elements that we have on our shoes is Chevrons. It indicates forward motion. So for example, on the out soles of our shoe, we have chevrons around the outside, the tread underneath has chevrons. And that's kind of rooted in my own story where when I was in the hospital going to rehab my mind, it really went to a dark place cuz all I could think about was the things I used to be able to do. And then focusing on now what I couldn't do. But something happened where there was some sort of a switch that flipped and I was able to start looking at the one I was still alive and really focusing on the things that I still had. So it was a matter of forgetting what was lost and really focusing on the now and then moving forward with everything that I could still do. So is that moving forward, getting past that initial shock of no longer being able to walk, but then also realizing that there was so much value that I guess I still had in myself that I could contribute. So that's really what our brand's all about, trying to add value, trying to make a measurable difference in the world. One for a time,
Marsh Naidoo (07:57):
You founded this company, whether you are a friend of yours, Darren Donaldson, What is your guy's vision for Buddy Footwear? What would your personal vision for the company be?
Billy Price (08:12):
Love the question. It's a great question and it's, it's been evolving for sure. Cuz when we first made our first prototype and all of a sudden I was able to have success putting my shoes on again independently. The goal beyond that was like, well, let's share this and let's see what happens. And then the next goal was, wow, this is really resonating well with lots of folks. And now as a matter of what, I wonder if we could actually turn this into a business and then we'd be able to step away from our day jobs and do this thing full-time. Well that came to pass and that was a real special day. And then it was a matter of just these testimonies of all these customers reaching out with just the most heartfelt testimonies going, I was never able to put my shoes on, now I can.
(08:58):
Or I'm able to get my child out the door faster than ever before. Or my child now has confidence in their ability to walk, or they used to have to wear huge shoes and now they don't. I mean they just go on and on and on. So really our vision is to keep fueling that fire and keep sharing and elevating the stories of others. And it's all rooted in adding value. It's just a matter of when I broke my neck. I mean, if you crunch, crunch the numbers when I fell outta a three story window, oftentimes people don't survive those kinds of falls. So for whatever reason I did. So it's really turned into a life goal of mine to just do everything I can to try to pay that forward and just make every day the best day possible and help people where I can. So that's a lot of words to say. We're just trying to add value, that's our mission.
Marsh Naidoo (09:52):
What is a typical day for you?
Billy Price (09:56):
Yeah, so I can answer that. So many different ways mean the way my days are now as compared to when I first got injured. I mean, there is significantly different right now. I mean, am married, I have a two-year-old son, we live in the Seattle area, we own a house, I drive a car and I own a business. So we were able to get up in the morning and my wife's a physical therapist, so this morning for example, she drove into work and we dropped our kiddo off at daycare. And we actually have a nanny, actually we have a nanny. He speaks Spanish. So he gets to speak Spanish with our son to, we're trying to encourage him to learn more than just English <laugh>. But anyway, yeah, so my son's with the nanny right now, my wife's at work, and then I came into the office and we have a growing team right now of about 12 people that are just fulfilling all the orders that came in from yesterday.
(10:58):
And then also working with the various retail partners in preparation to get their orders out with a new product that's coming in. So that's a typical day today. But boy, you go back in time when I was in college and I got injured and I was in rehab the way those days worked, it was just a matter of trying to just do something that day just to get outta bed. I mean, that would be just to get outta bed and to be able to push yourself across the floor, across the room to be able to put a shirt on independently, be able to brush your teeth. I mean those were major, major milestones. Just be able to achieve that kind of stuff. So it's been really interesting how now, 20 coming up on 25 years, how basically just reflecting back on where I was and reflecting back or reflecting now where I am, if you just keep moving forward and you keep just, I don't know, just keep grinding away, it really is amazing what you can accomplish.
Marsh Naidoo (12:04):
Yeah, it's difficult to see in that moment, but as you so aptly put, it's one kind of literally just one step in front of the other, just mentally, isn't it?
Billy Price (12:16):
It? I mean, very much. And the thing too is it's not just me. I mean,there's people, it takes a huge team. I mean, for example, the brand right here, I mean, I may be the face of the brand, but there's so many people working behind the scenes to be able to run this machine. And when I was in the hospital and things were really, really dark, I mean, yeah, I was the one kind of working to be able to go through this rehab, but there were so many people on the support staff. You have the doctors, you have the nurses, you have the occupational therapists, the physical therapists, you have the speech therapists, you have the nutrition therapist, I mean the whole Riga roll. And then the families and the friends. And if it weren't for their support and to be able to build this structure around me, this safe environment to be able to encourage me to make a choice to change, I would've been stuck in that darkness forever probably. So it's amazing how, you know, really gotta focus on the whole picture and the real supportive structure around you to really help someone grow.
Marsh Naidoo (13:17):
In terms of moving forward as far as adaptive fashion is concerned, what are your thoughts on that? How do you see the market sensing the needs of the community?
Billy Price (13:30):
Yeah, I mean in the fashion industry right now there, there's so much happening, so much exciting stuff. And there's a big spotlight on inclusion, which is very, very exciting. And really, I mean there's this, in the fashion industry, there's this big strides that are being made right now. I think that word inclusion's been around a long time, but right now it's getting a particular lot of attention, especially in footwear, but also just the fashion in general when it comes to adaptive apparel, there's a huge need. There's a huge need. I mean, you look at some of these projections in these studies, I mean it's a like 300 and some odd billion -deal when you start looking world across the world. Now adaptive, I mean that's a big word because I, it could be someone that has poor eyesight or someone that has dizziness or someone that has maybe struggles with depression.
(14:28):
I mean those all kind of get wrapped up in that same category. Mean oftentimes we think of adaptive, we just think of the wheelchair user or someone that has the brace, the stuff that really catches one's eye. But I mean, I don't know, diabetes, there's this so many different things that get rolled up into that same word and that same category. So having innovative designers out there, being able to have those that may have some sort of struggle or some sort of a need and they're able to rise up with their own solution and then to be able to share it with others. There's just a lot of cool things going on. But then of course you have the Nikes of the world that drop a new shoe and because of their marketing and because of their name, they're able to make a big impact and raise a lot of momentum. Gain a lot of momentum, even though their shoe may not necessarily work for everybody. It's again, moving the mission forward, which there's plenty of bandwidth for all of us to play in this, absolutely. Play in this sandbox of apparel. Absolutely. And I think we all do need to because the needs are so vastly different depending on the person.
Marsh Naidoo (15:41):
And I also think it has a lot to do with brand recognition. And I would encourage you guys to go ahead and look@billyfootwear.com because the blog on there for one Billy Footwear is Billy Footwear. I mean, you all have your own personal story behind that being, but they, intake will appeal to a lot of folks and parents, especially when they buy a product for their child. They wanna buy something that has meaning behind it firstly. And secondly, that child receiving a gift of a shoe that looks good is something that child is going to value as they get older and they're going to value that brand. And I mean, in my opinion, I would think be loyal to that brand as well. So
Billy Price (16:37):
Thank you. Yeah, you're absolutely right. And that's what we try to do. We definitely try to, we wanna build a relationship. That's really what it is. It's all about relationships, that's all about community. And we want to build a lifetime relationship with everyone that comes to our site and everyone that engages with our products. And if there's something that we're not quite meeting the mark yet in terms of if there's some sort of niche product, let us know. Know, I mean, we may not be able to address it immediately, but it definitely will be wrapped up into the queue of our long term. Our long-term goals. When we first launched, I mean it started with one prototype and then we did a kickstart campaign with two kids shoes, two women's shoes and three men's shoes. And we've come a long way since those days took some time. But to be able to have a full toddler line, full kids line, full adult line with widths now we've got some exciting things coming out this year with a rain boots and winter boots. That's been a really popular question that a lot of folks have asked about. And then also an athletic sneaker. So a lot of good things in the works.
Marsh Naidoo (17:44):
Well, Billy, we just appreciate your entrepreneurship, your design, your abilities as an engineer to put together this awesome product that just serves our kids so well. So thank you, sir. Any last words or anything or any message that you would like to put out there for those parents listening today?
Billy Price (18:12):
Oh boy, it's interesting. I do these weekly Facebook live streams and I ask a similar question to those that come to visit and it's such an easy question to ask, but oftentimes it can be so challenging to reply just because there's so many things out there that one could say. Well, first off, I really just thank you again for this opportunity. I mean, I really do. And it's really about celebrating these success stories. We've been very fortunate to have some successes on our end, but the reason we've been able to be successful is it's because of the successes of others. It's like, it's because we wanna elevate the stories of others, elevate those successes, and really root our brand in moving forward and just create this community to be able to tackle the challenges of the world, build those relationships, conquer those mountains. And it can be a long grueling process with lots of frustrations, lots of failures, but it's a matter of leveraging those failures as a starting point for the next success. So just keep moving forward and do the best you can and you'll do just fine.
Marsh Naidoo (19:27):
And so guys, just remember, check out billy footwear.com and as always remember, get to the top of your mountain and Billy, once again, Thank you Billy and this is Marsh Naidoo signing off.