Greats is a Chinese boot brand on Taobao that has quite a few fans and run for quite a few years.
From the product point of view, it is more on the side of workwear.
Brand concept, before I communicate with the founder ZHU Ke, I summarized that it is to imitate the classic style, but upgrade or replace the leather.
As long as it is not just copying, there are their own creations in it, I am in favor of it.
Later, I also saw that there are some formal styles in it, of course, across the click of the formal Alden is the object of imitation, if this is very natural.
Come along and learn the story behind this brand.
Please introduce yourself.
ZHU Ke, born in 1987, Pisces.
How did you start making shoes?
My father was the head of the development department of a large shoe company, so I grew up with classical Goodyear sewing shoes.
After graduating from college in my city I opened the first handmade custom shoes store, there was little experience, but because of the location, business was actually okay, surrounded by cadres of the municipal party committee, the customers are seasoned.
It was smoother than expected.
The official establishment of the online store was in 2009, first called Piggy Handmade Shoes Shop, and then in 2013 officially renamed Greats Handmade Boots and has continued to this day.
How was the brand envisioned? Is the current state consistent with the ideals that started it all?
At the beginning, I wanted to include coffee, shoes, and some classical elements in a collection of stores, but at that time, fund was limited, and social experience is relatively small, so this direction has not been worked, instead, the online store in the influence of the Internet has become the main pillar of the business.
I’m told there are a lot of horsehide shoes offered by Greats, can you give an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of horsehide? And the leathers Greats use, what are they and from which tanneries?
We use a lot of Japanese Miyauchi horsehide, the advantage is the ultimate imitation of shell cordovan on texture and aging, and the disadvantage is also precisely because it has the shell cordovan brightness and density, but not the toughness, so overwearing easily brings cracks.
There has been no way to avoid and solve the problem.
I’ve also been looking for alternatives and am currently considering Italian Maryam horsehide.
In addition to Japanese Miyauchi horsehide, most of the leathers we use are from American Horween tannery, including cowhide, shell cordovan and so on.
We use a few of Italian calf leather.
Do you feel that dress shoe lovers and workwear enthusiasts focus on shoes differently?
Regarding the classification of formal wear and workwear, I think the line between them is rather blurred.
Since I have been making shoes, my starting point has always been that they look good together!
Regardless of whether it’s workwear or formal wear, looking good and being comfortable is the goal I’m pursuing.
Leather-soled stitched shoes, as a higher level of existence in the footwear items, must have a clear difference with the ordinary cemented shoes, just like an electronic watch compared to a mechanical watch.
What are the best sellers?
The current best-selling style for the work class is Julian paratrooper boots, best-selling for decades has not changed much, this is probably the advantage of the classic style.
Then there are many styles alike Alden, which have been used in recent years for formal wear, such as wedding scenarios.
They are a great match with skinny jeans.
Horsehides are definitely selling more than shell cordovan, and for various reasons.
Shell cordovan is tightly available and expensive, but to be fair, Horween shell cordovan does offer good value for money!
Have any overseas customers ordered from you?
Before the epidemic, there were many overseas customers.
The prices of such hand-sewn footwear items abroad are scary, and foreigners still like the fact that the same kind of high-quality products are also available in China.
What do you think is Greats biggest selling point?
Greats biggest selling points are craftsmanship, materials, and more suitable for Chinese.
Then we have a mature production system, so we will not let our customers wait for a few months.
In order to ensure quality and volume (annually about 2000 pairs), I am introducing equipment to expand production.
What’s the plan?
In the last few years I have had the idea of opening a collection shop of the kind I started out with, but it has never come to fruition due to the epidemic.
I believe that after the epidemic, Greats will appear in the physical shopping areas of major first and second-tier cities to provide high-quality footwear for the people of China!
