Taking footwear to new heights

FEET ARE in for some comfortable fun this summer thanks to the launch of innovative shoes by local brand Just In Case. Winner of this year’s Design Excellent Award from the Department of International Trade Promotion, the brand’s tailor-made shoe-in-shoe features a smart leather chunky heel and a ballet flat upper made from wool textile and leather and designed to be more flexible and durable for walking on any surface. 

The shoes are inspired by the habit most Thai office workers have slipping off their heels and encasing their feet in gaily decorated slippers as soon as they arrive at the office. 

Founded in 2013, Just In Case is the brainchild of Chalermkit Pokamas, who studied at Chulalongkorn University’s Architecture faculty then worked at a leading advertising and public relations agency for several years. 

“This is my first women’s collection. I want to bring comfort to feet and keep women looking beautiful all day. I notice my friends often take off their heels and change to plastic slippers. These don’t match their office outfits. I also plan to sell flats that customers can mix and match to other heels in the future,” Chalermkit says.

Short in stature, Chalermkit has always wanted to be taller so designing shoes that added the inches seemed the only answer. Interested in footwear since university, he quit his advertising job and enrolled a class in the United Kingdom then worked in a shoe factory in Thailand to learn the basics of the trade with experienced cobblers.

His first shop at CentralWorld offers an attractive collection of hand-crafted customised leather shoes for men that are padded with a 7.5-centimetre-high insole and come with a one-year warranty. 

 “Shoe making and construction are built around the same principle. I focus on a well-balanced structure and good layout to allocate appropriate space for the foot. My collection is a combination of craftsmanship and innovation and, I believe, good design,” Chalermkit 

 says. “I’ve receive excellent feedback from bridegrooms as well as from actors like Jesdaporn “Tik” Pholdee and Pichaya “Golf” Nitipaisankul. My shoes are also available at selected boutiques and online shopping stores in Hong Kong, Singapore, Italy and Russia. I’m teaming up with a new partner to open a flagship store in Hong Kong next month too.” 

Just In Case’s collection for men comes in more than 10 designs and 

 features different kinds of Italian leather in 20 shades of basic brown and black. The best-sellers include shoes with uppers in waterproof oil-coated grain leather, polished red leather that is coated in brown to give it a glossy texture, premium nubuck leather and soft chamois. Customers get to choose between rubber or leather for the sole. The prices range from Bt5,250 to Bt7,500. 

Particularly popular are the Tokyo Sunlight ankle boots, which are formal but playful with wool fabric and leather uppers and the brand’s Midnight Tokyo shoes, which boast a high-polish finish. 

Chalermkit recently launched the Threegether collection at the “Who’s Next” trade fair in France, and wowed visitors with his set of three oxford shoes in different designs and see-through plastic ankle boots with a printed sole.

 For women, the Black collection offers smart loafers and high-heels in a choice of different leathers.

“I plan to launch a new brand that targets the young next month. It will feature street-smart designs and combine leather with other materials,” Chalermkit says.

 

FOOTLOOSE AND FANCY FREE

Just in Case is on the second floor of CentralWorld. It’s open daily from 10am to 10pm. Call (083) 003 5287 or visit www.JustInCaseShoes.com or the JustInCase_Shoes page on Facebook.