Ones to Watch: BucketFeet

Fancy feet

Although Aaron Firestein (pictured above, left) studied political science in college, he always had an artistic flair. In his spare time he’d draw various designs on canvas sneakers, and, thanks to the newfound popularity of photo sharing, Firestein garnered a lot of attention from posting his creations on Facebook. However, it wasn’t until he met Raaja Nemani (above, right) that he realized how to turn his hobby into a business.

The two met in Argentina while volunteering at a children’s organization outside of Buenos Aires. After backpacking around the world and meeting all sorts of talented artists, the concept for BucketFeet was born. BucketFeet (named after Firestein’s nickname Bucket) is an artist-designed men’s and women’s canvas shoe collection. Along with Firestein’s own designs, he seeks out emerging artists to contribute their visions to each season’s collection. “We’re giving artists a platform to showcase their work and tell their stories,” says Firestein.

BucketFeet launched for spring 2011 at retail stores like The Bay in Canada, Leaders in Chicago and Urban Research in Japan. Men’s styles retail for $65. Currently, there are eight artists designing 26 styles, with plans to increase the number of artists and SKUs every season.