In 2009 my friend Pete and I were experimentally modifying shoes.
At the time, most of the shoes on offer had too high of a “heel,” as the “barefoot shoe” market hadn’t really popped.
So, we started taking shoes that we liked the “feel” of, and hack-sawing out part of the heel. We would cut into the sole of the shoe from the back, in a flat direction, then re-glue the sole back together.
This would effectively reduce the height of the heel, and we would have a completely different running experience.
Eventually, we sourced some shoes over from the States that would work (although these needed modifications too) and we could put the hack-saw away.
Of course, we weren’t the only ones, and a year or two after that the big brands caught up, and the market exploded in this sub-niche.
Any change is disorganised.
It’s uncomfortable and even frustrating. It’s filled with hack-saws, glue and a lot of parts thrown in the bin.
It has to be, because we don’t know if it’ll work.
And even if it’s likely that the slow-moving organisations will catch up eventually, it’s often worth spending time in the disorganised chaos not only to get what you want, but to see what you can create, and to fuel the next idea.
