Radical News
Read articles, watch videos, learn more about our products past and present.
Yes! Journal
The Patience Boots Are Here
The Who Patience Tall Boots The What Internal Zip Bucket Boots The Why For warmth, contrast and a bit of winter outfit tension Introducing our first tall boot. We’ve spent time perfecting this style to ensure the proportions are pretty much perfect and well worthy of investment status in your wardrobe - hence the name. A special run of 100 pairs have been carefully crafted with the same flat shoe liberation and sheer style you expect from us. Leaning towards a classic riding boot, we’ve kept the zipper concealed on the inner side for a cool bucket boot mood at the calf. Ironic details, like the exterior RADICAL YES patch, add a moment of luxe gold foil drama - the conversational elements we know our customers love. But it’s all happening down under. The LUG sole, which is unconventional for this knee-high beauty, is thick yet bouncy to withstand any type of weather, while looking seriously good in your sustainable boots. Styling should be unpredictable for this edgy motorcycle boot meets preppy riding boot. We’re talking evening dresses and blazers. Feeling grounded, but feeling radical.Shop The Patience Boot "A special run of 100 pairs have been carefully crafted with the same flat shoe liberation and sheer style you expect from us." Shop our boot collection here.
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Meet The Tomorrow Boots
The Who The Tomorrow Boots The What Square toe Chelsea boots The Why To own the boardroom, studio or weekend gigs The Tomorrow boot speaks to the new ‘going out in the world’ energy that we have been mining for our winter ’23 collection. We wanted to create something that felt truly dressed up and sharp, with all the comfort you’d expect from flat shoes. Long time fans of Radical Yes will notice that these durable Chelsea boots pick up where our square toe Selkie boots left off. Details that give all the modern feels are the gently accentuated toe spring and more dramatic square toe. Accentuated by an extended rand at the sole edge, they’ve been designed with a thick yet bouncy EVA rubber outsole that has been cut using our new shoe last - seriously comfy, trust us. An elastic gusset and contrasting leather lining give these durable boots the stamp of approval for all-day escapades this winter. There’s a moodiness to the monochromatic Tomorrow boots that we can’t get enough of (it’s Melbourne, after all). They promise to add a kick to your ankle length pants and a toughness to feminine dresses. When it comes to an all black outfit, they’ll bring the drama. Shop The Tomorrow Boot “We wanted to create something that felt truly dressed up and sharp, with all the comfort you’d expect from a flat shoe” Shop our boot collection here.
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Where are Radical Yes shoes made?
In conversation with Elfy Scott. We invited journalist, writer and podcaster Elfy Scott to help us answer some of the questions we get asked most frequently about our brand. It's the question everyone wants the answer to, and we’re super proud of our flat shoe origins. We’ll admit, we’ve got pretty high standards - not just when it comes to shoes. That’s why we chose the award-winning journalist, presenter and producer, Elfy Scott, to talk all things, well Radical Yes, with our founder Kerryn Moscicki. In this video, the duo hone in on where exactly our shoes are made, why we produce there and what we look out for when choosing our makers. Since our flat shoes are made in small quantities with a focus on quality, it’s so important that we find makers with the same values. That’s not so easy today with the focus geared towards large-scale production, but we stay committed to our vision. Watch the interview... “All of our factories are small family-owned businesses.” Kerryn Moscicki Founder, Radical Yes See new arrivals here.
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Why do we make shoes in small batches?
In conversation with Elfy Scott. We invited journalist, writer and podcaster Elfy Scott to help us answer some of the questions we get asked most frequently about our brand. There are so many reasons why we choose to make our flat shoes in small quantities. It’s not just about sustainability, our community is also at the heart of this decision. But that’s not all. When Elfy Scott (journalist, producer and host of ‘Left Right Out’ and ‘The Green Canary’ podcasts) posed the question to our founder Kerryn Moscicki, there were several factors behind the decision. In this video, Kerryn talks about the significance of making women’s sandals and sneakers in small batches, why it’s important to Radical Yes and the “secret club” that exists. Are you in it? Watch the interview... “I love the idea of little and often both in my life and also in manufacturing.” Kerryn Moscicki Founder, Radical Yes See new arrivals here.
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Why flat shoes?
In conversation with Elfy Scott. We invited journalist, writer and podcaster Elfy Scott to help us answer some of the questions we get asked most frequently about our brand. Flat shoe liberation is what Radical Yes is all about. Ever wondered why? It piqued the interest of the wonderful Elfy Scott, one of our favourite journalists, producers and hosts on this side of the world. So, when she caught up with our founder Kerryn Moscicki, it was one of the first questions on her lips. In this video Kerryn reveals what the deal is with flat shoes. While the origins may be that bit alternative, you’ll thank us in the end - really. And no, it’s got nothing to do with age. Here’s what Kerryn and Elfy had to say on the matter… Watch the interview... “Literally, like who wants to wear heels - you’ve got to get your sh*t done!” Kerryn Moscicki Founder, Radical Yes See new arrivals here.
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Radical Yes: the meaning behind ‘radical’
In conversation with Elfy Scott. We invited journalist, writer and podcaster Elfy Scott to help us answer some of the questions we get asked most frequently about our brand. Radical Yes is a female-founded brand that celebrates women and creativity. In fact, we created flat shoe liberation especially for women (thank us later). So when we had the opportunity to catch up with Elfy Scott, the incredible (award-winning, might we add) journalist, we couldn’t contain our excitement. In this video, the woman behind it all, Kerryn Moscicki, spills the tea on what the ‘radical’ in Radical Yes really means. It’s one of the most frequently asked questions about our shoes and the answer is really, quite radical, so we’re delighted to finally share it with you. To find out more, check out the video. Watch the interview... "Producing things much slower, working with less urgency, working in a more considered way." Kerryn Moscicki Founder, Radical Yes See new arrivals here.
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More Pockets Please? Meet 'The Messenger' Clutch
Meet 'The Messenger' Clutch Our new best selling 'The Messenger' Clutch is an evolution of our world famous North Star Clutch and a product of feedback from our customers for more pockets on their clutches! Because dreams come true in Radical Land we made The Messenger and then we made a video to show you what it's all about - and the message hidden inside. Find out more, watch the video below. See more clutches here.
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Earth Day 2022: Is Radical Yes A Sustainable Brand?
If you have been following our brand for a while you might know - our position is that we do not identify as a ‘sustainable’ brand. What we aim to be is conscious and responsible. Most importantly – what we are not - is a ‘fast fashion’ brand. Here are some of the things we have purposefully built into our business model from the start in the pursuit of being a responsible, community minded brand; From the beginning, we have designed our products with the idea of long term ‘every (other) day’* use in mind. We aim to make shoes that are highly wearable, useful items – in silhouettes that we believe can guarantee a minimum of 30 wears. This figure is not about durability (of course you can expect at least 10 times the amount of wear from our shoes), but prioritising function over fads. This figure is given even greater context in contrast with the built in obsolesces of fast fashion – where products “are actually designed to be worn less than 7 times.” (The Age, Monday 18th April) The 30 wears philosophy is central to our process and was inspired by a figure that 'True Cost' Film Producer Livia Firth demonstrated to be a tipping point in reducing the environmental impact of manufacturing in terms of water consumption, material waste and resource management. This is one of the many reasons we choose to only make flat shoes because of their every-other-day* usefulness and wearability. *Rotating your shoes is another important factor we advocate in increasing the lifespan of your products - which you can read more about here. We continually invest in research and development to improve the quality of our shoes. To date, the largest focus of this investment has been in opening our own proprietary designed outsole molds that we subject to the highest international abrasion testing standards (Intertek Certification). Opening our own outsole molds also means we have greater transparency on the raw materials used to pour the soles. We never ‘spec down’ our products and we never ‘barter’ prices with our makers. We maintain long standing relationships with our factory partners and do not move our production to find ‘the cheapest deal’ available. This is counter to my previous experience developing product for high street brands seeking the lowest price for the highest volume at the expense of the quality outcome. We manufacturer in small quantities and in quantities we feel confident we will sell everything we make. In contrast to a fast fashion 6 week sales cycle, we work off a 26 week seasonal cycle to try to keep discounting, end of line products and excess stock to a minimum. This approach creates less material wastage and reduces shipping, freight and transport emissions. These ideas form part of our ‘Hasten Slowly’ philosophy. We passionately advocate for care and repair of all products. In contrast to a fast fashion 6 week sales cycle, we work off a 26 week seasonal cycle to try to keep discounting, end of line products and excess stock to a minimum. This approach creates less material wastage and reduces shipping, freight and transport emissions. These ideas form part of our ‘Hasten Slowly’ philosophy. We offer ways for our customers to keep their worn products out of landfill. One of the ways we assist our customers with this process is through our ‘Toe Tapper’ trade initiative passing pre-loved shoes on to our Not-For-Profit partner Ready Set to either sell at their famous fundraising sales or to help dress long-term unemployed women looking to re-enter the workforce. We believe making better product that can be worn more often means more sustainable outcomes for both people and planet. We acknowledge that we are not perfect. That our brand exists on a passage of continual innovation and change and Radical Yes has a long way to go in being a truly sustainable brand. Styles for every (other) day wear.
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How to Wear It! Live Styling Session with Karinda & Kerryn.
How to Wear It Something we are always talking about in our design process at Radical Yes is the idea of ‘end use’. That is how you will really be using the products we make in your day-to-day life, and importantly how you can wear them. It’s at about this point that working with a skilled stylist who can give us a new lens and focus to the key styles in the range, helps us elaborate on our key end-use ideas. Introducing long-time friend and collaborator of our brand, Melbourne based stylist Karinda Mutabazi. Karinda has a long history in styling including work for stage performance, music artists as well as fashion styling. Karinda has worked all over the world including adventures in London, New York and Los Angeles and defiantly brings an international aesthetic to her approach. Most importantly, Karinda has a strong pull towards a sophisticated use of colour in her work which is what made our styling session idea with Karinda an obvious and seamless partnership. We asked Karinda to edit the collection, taking her pick of the shoes and showing us IRL ways our customers can easily wear them. Watch the video and see below our favourite tips to making flat shoes effortlessly chic. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Flat Shoe Liberation. (@radicalyes) Tip 1 – Go Colour On Colour with our Olympia Aquatic Left: Proenza Schouler Denim Jacket from @gracemelbourne, @elkthelabel Knit, @jacquemus Pants; Right: Pants stylist's own Karinda’s favourite way to wear the aquatic loafers is with other vibrant tones like her bright fuschia pink pants. The bright-on-bright idea though gets a relaxed twist with the casual Aries Arising ‘No Problemo’ sweat shirt layered over a pinstripe shirt to anchor things. It’s this kind of radical styling – bright mixed with classic elements / tailoring mixed with streetwear - that we love Karinda for as it draws a strong line to our own ‘intentional aesthetic. Our Olympia Loafer in Black Tip 2 – Use classic prints like pinstripe and checks to contrast the Olive Ophelia Pinstripes are a great way to bring calm and classic to any outfit making them a good pairing for many of our shoes. Karinda let me wear this brilliant 3.1 Phillip Lim dress which mixed 2 of my favourite garment situations – pinstripe and grey jersey – that we then match to our Ophelia Olive shoes. We both liked how this made the seriousness of the Ophelia shoes more playful. Layering a dress with jeans is another radical signature where in Melbourne Winter it’s normally a purely pragmatic decision. Outfit: @strateascarlucci Suit, @allsaints Grey Marle Sweater Tip 3 – Adventure Awaits Clogs can be dressed both active or sharp On queue from our customer questions, to explore the two different ends of our Active-Sharp spectrum Karinda presented us with 2 ideas for dressing everyone’s new favourite clog silhouette. First up, with more active ideas. We went ‘70s with a modern twist’ choosing printed flared leg pants mixed - to keep the feeling weekend and modern - with a @strateascarlucci satin bomber jacket. The Mango tone of Adventure Awaits really speaks into this 70s mood making it a good match to the more primary tones of the blue pants she selected from @arthurapparel We also explored ways to wear this shoe to work. Karinda selected a more structured blazer from @bulclothing as the bones for this idea and then used a bright yellow @mcintyre_merino knit as a sunshine party Left: @strateascarlucci Bomber Jacket, @arthurapparel pants; Right: @bulclothing Blazer, @mcintyre_merino Sweater, @designaspace skirt Tip 4 – Bananas Trainer speaks best to an Intentional Clashing energy Left: @mcintyre_merino Cardigan, LF Marley Dress from @somebuddylovesyou; Right: @sandroparis Jacket, @mcintyre_merino Sweater, Ellery Pants from @Secondo286 Use the Mango laces as a jump point for layering your outfit colours. Karinda showed us how she used elements of the pink palette in the shoes to speak to tones in the printed tones of both the LF Marley Dress and @sandroparis striped Jacket. Bananas Retro Trainer Tip 5 – Orion Skies in Dirty Cream works in larger sizes because of the black bumper we have used on the upper to contain the toe. Above Left: @ganni Cardigan, @cosstores_au shirt, @morrisonclothing jeans As a size 42 foot, Karinda showed us how the Orion Skies in Dirty Cream still works for larger sizes because of the optical illusion of the black bumper on this shoe. Orion Skies Boot in Dirty Cream Leather Cloud 2.0 Retro Trainer Above: Kara Liu Trench (Stylist's Own), @marimekkoaustralia Jumper, LF Marley Pants from @somebuddylovesyou Cloud 2.0 Retro Trainer in Navy Lucent Zip Boots show us how gold can be evening special or daytime neutral depending on what’s on top Left: Kowtow Jacket and Skirt from @somebuddylovesyou, @marimekkoaustralia Top One of the most popular looks from our live viewers was the mix of the Kowtow Latte toned Cotton Canvas jacket and skirt which speaks effortlessly to the gum-coloured sole on the Lucent boot. It somehow makes the gold just shimmer and pop effortlessly like a lake under a perfect sunset. Barbar Pink Boots have Easy Winter Weekend Commute Dressing written all over them. Left: Kara Liu Trench (Stylist's Own), @marimekkoaustralia Jumper, LF Marley Pants from @somebuddylovesyou; Right: @mcintyre_merino Cardigan, LF Marley Dress from @somebuddylovesyou Yes! There is such a thing ;> We love pairing our Barbar Chelsea boots with more relaxed weekend silhouettes like unstructured trench coats and oversized knits. Karinda showed us how to wear the soft pink tone with other neutral palettes – like creamy white and pastel blue on the one hand to give a really soft mood to this shoe. If you've read down to here, thanks for tuning in! Shop The Live Event!
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