FootwearNews.com : Simple Shoes Relaunches for Fall ’15 With Kickstarter Campaign
6.12.15 – By Barbara Schneider-Levy
Casual footwear brand Simple is making a comeback for fall ’15 through a Kickstarter campaign set to debut on June 15.
The brand was founded in 1991 by a group of California-based footwear designers. It was later acquired by Deckers Outdoor Corp., which ceased distribution of the line at the end of 2011.
The fall relaunch is being spearheaded by Denis Ryan, who acquired the Simple trademark and its intellectual properties in late 2014 from Deckers. He restructured the brand under a new corporate identity, known as KTSimple LLC (Keep Things Simple) in Rumson, N.J.
According to the company, Ryan partnered with M Studio, a branding-and-communications agency, to launch the Kickstarter campaign that would give Simple’s former fan base a preview and access to the product.
After the Kickstarter rollout, Ryan will work with sales partner and licensee Harbor Footwear Group in Port Washington, N.Y., to bring product back to market. Included are such signature looks as the Barney, the Cali and the OS-91. Those are slated to be released on Aug. 15, with additional styles to follow.
Visitors to the Kickstarter campaign page will find a video about the company and its future plans and be encouraged to contribute pledges of $15 to $350. Rewards will include stickers, T-shirts and totes, as well as signature shoes.