Radical News
Read articles, watch videos, learn more about our products past and present.
Yes! Journal
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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5 Minutes with the Radical Yes Eyewear Designer
Meet Our Eyewear Designer, Alana Van Ewyk. A long time friend of our brand, Alana has worked in eyewear for over 20 years, including more than 10 spent as the head designer for Karen Walker Eyewear after starting her early career honing her skills on Disney branded product. A long time friend of our brand, Alana has worked in eyewear for over 20 years, including more than 10 spent as the head designer for Karen Walker Eyewear after starting her early career honing her skills on Disney branded product. “It was very intense for a junior designer. I recall possibly shedding some tears when the angle of Winnie’s honey pot was off. Everything after Disney felt much easier, but it really instilled in me that the devil is in the detail, and I love that comes so naturally to me today but may annoy others!” Many of our long time customers will remember we released a small range of eyewear back in 2016. But with only a limited product development budget we decided to take a break from this category to fully focus our efforts into our footwear R&D. Then Alana became available to help us create an entirely new level and direction for our eyewear. A collaboration which would mean we could execute our eyewear with the same approach and quality level as the shoes - working with best-practice manufacturers and exploring new and innovative materials. We spent some time chatting to Alana about her thinking behind her first collection for Radical Yes. Alana, We asked you to respond to Radical Yes 'the brand' in an eyewear capsule - what were some of the immediate considerations / values that came to mind when thinking about how to translate the brand into this category? The best part of working with brands is when they have a very precise customer, focus, and brand DNA. For me, Radical Yes already had all the parts ready to make the machine. Your philosophies around the end use, how the customer is going to wear it, its practicality, comfortability all these things really help any designer think about how best we can wear this, even down to how useful we can make the sunglass case, all these questions had to be answered in the product. The existing branding was so easy for me to pull from and create concepts for hardware, it has an element of fun and joy but must be sharp and considered. I loved those important key points about the brand, it helped really nail down on a concise collection. And the last part of the magic is colour, RY is known for its incredible use of clashing colour. Pallets that aren’t necessarily the ‘norm’ but RY has a way of pulling them together and making them a must. This was fun, working with some colours and finishes I’d personally not worked with in eyewear in the past like a solid lavender and a milky lime, this feels totally on brand but so fresh to the sunglass world. A selection of coloured frame samples from our factory. Let's talk about the collection itself. Tell us about the shapes you have picked for the launch range and how they relate to our customers IRL end use? We never really started this collection with a final range plan in terms of size. We just designed and created and then worked out who and how each shape would be worn. Radical Yes has an incredible customer mix so we were able to be really specific with our shapes and sizes, and even our branding detail. For example, we have a spinning disc we created for the temple, we were torn on colour and how it would be worn. Do we go black and keep tonal to the frame, so it’s very classic or do we have fun and go for our brand colour yellow? We decided we could do both, let the customer choose how they want to wear it, feeling classic keep it on the black side, want to stand out and have some contrast, just spin to the yellow side. All very fun, but still from an end use POV had to be smooth and really clean. "We also had the opportunity to do gender neutral styles, we have some beautiful cat-eye shapes, but then some classic rounds that are so perfect for so many faces" A universal range, with each pair feeling (hopefully) like it’s made specifically for you. Fits, materials, componentry are all very important to the durability and comfortability on your face when wearing for long periods of time, so we made sure to focus on those points in design. We do hope that our customers find the perfect fitting frame for their face and their personality. Like the shoes, we have approached the new collection with lots of colour pops. What advice would you give to our customers about picking the best palette for their face? Any advice on how to wear a statement shade? Eyewear is so great to completely change your mood and your outfit. Just like shoes and bags, so approaching this collection with the Radical Yes colour DNA was fun and easy. I’m totally of the mindset that you can really pull off any shape and colour. There are a few rules for me I believe should never be broken, one of those is fit. It must fit, your nose bridge, cheekbones, and temple lengths. If it isn’t comfortable, it doesn’t fit and you’ll never love wearing them. That’s my first, and my second when it comes to colour always wear something that makes your skin tone pop. Ensure you’re not being washed out, that usually means wearing a frame colour that is too close to your natural skin colour. And have fun! Eyewear can make an outfit and is always front and centre when you’re taking photos! As a brand obsessed with function as much as form - can you share with us which frames are the best choice for our customers who want high level sun glare protection. And what about the old favourite 'are these polarised?' myth. Ahhhhh yes form and function, one of the reasons I initially choose eyewear to work on was because of this crossover. All our frames pass the mandatory and strict Australian/NZ standards. So, feel secure that whenever you purchase a pair of Radical Yes frames, they will never harm your eyes. Our lenses do have different categories that relate to how much glare reduction and protection they provide you with. Category 3 which offers the highest, is used in 95% of the range. We do have a CAT 2 lens as well; this just offers a lower form of sun glare reduction but still completely protective for your eyes. In the future we may try some lighter tinted lenses, but they too will always cover mandatory standards and reduce overall sun glare. “And polarised is kind of a buzz word. Super helpful if your sailing, fishing or always near or on the water but not so great for everyday IRL use.” We recognised that our customer didn’t want a performance lens, but they still require the maximum amount of protection so CAT 3 lenses meant our customers could wear near the water and while driving, so provided that multi use option opposed to changing glasses depending on what you were doing. Polarised lenses are not suitable for driving or looking at specific colours, so we decided to stay away from that as an option. “Polarised lenses are not suitable for driving or looking at specific colours, so we decided to stay away from that as an option.” One of the key driving forces on our decision to move back into eyewear category was the improved traceability we could have on the supply chain. Can you tell us more about the materials that have been used in the new collection and share more on the make process itself. How long does it take to make a pair of handmade frames? Yes! Sustainability and traceability is finally happening in eyewear. It’s not as progressive as some of the other categories in fashion but it’s happening, which is super exciting for the industry. In the Radical Yes range we use acetate, which is a handmade material, meaning each pair is cut, filed, and fit to a template design. Each part of the frame is filed down, tumbled, and polished with each of the artisans in eyewear working on one part of the frame. This means over 100 pairs of hands touch each frame, while they all work to the same design template, they are handmade so sometimes there will be some slight differences. The timeline for production is around 6 months, sampling 3-4 months so we take around 12 months to complete one range. We use acetate because of some of its special properties that include being hypoallergenic, malleable, and lightweight. This makes it comfortable and wearable for all day use. We now also have a bio-acetate that we’re using in the range which is essentially plant based, compared to the petroleum-based option, much better for the environment. Our cases are made from recycled nylon and our plastic pouches that protect our cases and eyewear are all 100% recycled materials. It was important to us that we keep this as a focus in the range, limiting our single use plastics where we can and hopefully improving on each range. See the entire eyewear collection here. “Each part of the frame is filed down, tumbled, and polished with each of the artisans in eyewear working on one part of the frame. This means over 100 pairs of hands touch each frame.” See more eyewear... sun-hero-sunglasses-in-tangerine, sun-hero-sunglasses-in-ice-blue, sun-hero-sunglasses-in-black, solar-queen-sunglasses-in-vanilla-bone, solar-queen-sunglasses-in-milky-emerald, light-lover-sunglasses-in-crystal-olive, light-lover-sunglasses-in-black, sun-worship-sunglasses-in-black, illuminate-sunglasses-in-black, sun-worship-sunglasses-in-milky-lime, illuminate-sunglasses-in-solid-lavender, sun-worship-sunglasses-in-milky-ocean,
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The Perfect Summer Sneaker
The Perfect Summer Sneaker We are back in The Fitting Salon taking shoes out of boxes and making videos (yes, it's been a long time)! And the new style we are unboxing and trying on is the Yes Mesh Sneaker in Tangerine. Our first super-lightweight, breathable, luggage-friendly sneaker. The perfect summer sneaker alternative to sandals. Find our more about how and why we made them and how we're wearing them. Watch the video below. See our full range of durable sneakers. See more here yes-mesh-trainer-in-tangerine, yes-mesh-trainer-in-cream, sporty-velcro-spliced, journey-3-0-velcro-trainer-in-silver-metallic-leather, all-in-shopper-marigold-pu
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The Radical Yes Guide To Summer Sandals
The Flat Pack Active, Sharp & Everything in Between aka The Hybrid. If you’re like us, it’s time to put the cooler days behind you and embrace the arrival of warmer weather. As for which footwear rises to this occasion? The summer forecast calls for sandals. They quite literally can take you from the beach to the office with a cheeky stop-off on the dancefloor. All the while looking pretty damn fine. For SS22, we’re celebrating creativity and movement in true Radical Yes style. That means keeping things active and sharp. When we talk about active, these are durable sandals you gravitate towards because of their casual, laidback appeal that feels just as good as it looks. Think ‘on your feet at work all day’ followed by a cross-town commute. A supportive partner to dress down your tailoring. Sharp shoes are those toe-tappers that look polished and refined but provide just the right amount of cushioning and support. They allude to that dressed up feeling even when the rest of your outfit isn’t. And yes, you guessed it - with a hybrid you can have both at once. Not too active, not too sharp, but a healthy balance that can’t be labelled (no heeled trainers allowed). Of course, all three styles can be worn equally well with smart getups or chilled out track pants (because #covid), but each has a purpose to serve you better in real life. Now, let us introduce you to three stellar styles for summer that capture each mood. Active-Wear - The Space Jam sandals. More active, less sharp. For don’t care days. For getting it done days. This is a summer sandal alternative to your trusty sneakers. Our focus for the season has been lightness and ease of wear, creating commuter friendly sandals that women love to wear every other day. On that note, enter Space Jam. This athletic-inspired hiking sandal is designed for walking and cross-city commuting with serious style points. Inspired by movement, the 2-piece outsole is layered for comfort and durability, while ripple detailing provides grip for navigating a rainy day. The insole features a moulded footbed with arch support to help relieve pressure and add bouncy spring to the heel strike. Plus, it’s swathed in sweat-resistant microsuede for breathability. That’s not all. Three easy-to-adjust velcro straps give lots of wiggle room so they fit like a glove - exactly why they’re loved by all foot shapes, from wide to narrow, low and high arches. As for durability, each strap is finished with leather tabs and hiking-inspired accents. These chunky sandals are calling out to be worn on weekends and getaways. The thicker silhouette works with all hemlines from midi dresses to mini skirts and even short shorts. Play up to the active mood by pairing with printed tees tucked into denim minis or kick-flare jeans. A camp collar shirt and culottes with a silk sock will strike just the right balance of hiker meets city slicker. But we also love to use them to dress down a silk slip dress. The tangerine and aquatic colours evoke the playfulness, creativity and fluidity of the season which we’re also reminded of by the 'Daisy Dreams Forever' sentiment on the strap - your cue to stay forever young. Shop the range of Radical Yes Sandals. So Sharp - The Solstice Sandals. More sharp, less active. Solstice is the love child of our Olympia loafer and Arkestra sandal, giving it all the traits of a sharp and radical sandal. They’re shaped to a fisherman silhouette with a plenitude of straps à la rib cage style. This may be our summer guide, but the caged lattice-work offers the perfect amount of coverage for these sandals to be worn pretty much year-round. It covers the majority of the foot, making them seem more like a shoe even though they’re de facto sandals. Potentially the best part? If you’ve no time for a pedi, no worries, there’s a closed toe so we’ve pretty much thought of everything. Looks aside, bike riders especially love these long-lasting sandals because of their sole. The rubber LUG outsole is made using our bespoke mould, with indents for traction that can endure heavy abrasion wear (like pushing off on the bike). It bounces like a sneaker, making them fit for the pavement, dance floor or beach - all occasions, remember? The adjustable buckles work wonders for both wide and narrow feet and because the sandals are easy to slip into, you can happily weather a pair of socks (a look we love). Socks and sandals, sandals and socks - so wrong, it’s right. But you don’t have to wait for the first chill to hit your toes, merino wool socks are temperature regulating to keep you cool when it’s hot but warm when it’s cold. Alongside the soft and anti-sweat sheepskin lining of Solstice, there’s no convincing required: these are the summer sandals that aren’t simply for summer. And since you loved our ‘Ice Blue’ hue so much (AW22 vibes), it continues for spring/summer as the perfect way to wear serious clothes - think androngynous suits or feminine dresses - without them feeling too serious. Of course, classic black is also being served up. See all the sandals here. Hybrid Hottie - The Sophia sandal. Active meets sharp. The Sophia sandals are considered both active and sharp in equal measure. That means flexible and comfortable for all-day wear yet sharp enough for dress ups. These Roman-inspired sandals really flatter the foot. They have straps in all the right places with hidden elastic to suit any foot shape. Even the narrowest of feet can feel secure thanks to the buckle strap that protects fragile ankles from the pressures of urban life. These strappy numbers speak to our iconic Declaration T-Bar sandal. They’re moulded to the same design but raised slightly higher from the heel to the ball of the foot for a soft, cushioned landing. The sturdy ripple sole adds grip while feeling soft enough to pound the pavement with ease, taking you everywhere, from city walks to summer adventures. And that silhouette? Flat shoe liberation means we’re seeing these quietly elevated sandals as an actively sharp alternative to your heels this summer. “Wear them to parties, galleries and anywhere in between for an ‘OMG, THEY ARE SO COMFORTABLE’ gasp, every time.” They pair beautifully with feminine floaty dresses or man-style dressing aka blazers, crisp button-ups and black pants. View the Sophia black sandal here. See all the sandals here. See all the sandals here. More related products solstice-fisherman-sandaliceblue, sophia-strapy-sandal-in-black, space-jam-leather-hiking-sandal-tangerine, solstice-fisherman-sandal-black-leather,space-jam-leather-hiking-sandal-aquatic, declaration-2-0-t-bar-wedge-sandal-in-tangerine-nylon-vegan, declaration-2-0-t-bar-wedge-sandal-in-olive-nylon-vegan, radical-yes-declaration-t-bar-wedge-2-0-black-leather, double-happiness-2-0-black, double-happiness-2-0-chocolate, arkestra-2-0-fisherman-sandal-in-silver-tumbled-leather, arkestra-fisherman-sandal-black
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Daisy Dreams Forever: The High Summer Collection
In breaking down the very essence of ‘What’s so radical about Radical Yes?’ we arrive at three fundamental things. 1. The first is our commitment to flat shoes. Highly wearable shoes. Well fitted shoes. Practical, but beautiful shoes. ‘Classic’ silhouette shoes. Shoes that say ‘I’m chic, but I need to get things done’. Our vision is to create go-to shoes you will wear on the (‘every-second-day’) daily. This is the space we design to – where the dreamy aesthetic elements are tamed by a boundary of practicality and usefulness. Our new Solstice chunky soled sandal. Photo by Ben Sullivan. 2. The second is our commitment to small batch quantity manufacturing. We like to make things in small quantities so that they feel unique, limited and special - because we like our customers to also feel unique and special in our products - like they are part of a secret ‘radical’ club. It’s a conversation we have a lot in store. We love owning the sales experience of every single shoe we make so we can transfer that end-use customer feedback straight into our design process. Choosing not to wholesale keeps us close to you. Making in small quantities gives us time to learn and grow with you. 3. The third is our commitment to the sophisticated use of colour. Accessories – especially footwear - are the best shortcut to statement making dressing with less of the commitment and short-term view of seasonal garments. Our high summer ‘Daisy Dreams Forever’ collection is the embodiment of each of these ideas. Classic flat shoe silhouettes – think Mary Janes made easy with Velcro fasteners and re-imagined ‘practical-party’ inspired Fisherman sandals – are dreamed up in dopamine inducing moments of lavender and ice blue. Athletic weekend sandals are elevated in full leather executions in our new Space Jam silhouette, to take you through summer work weeks with suits and toes-out sharper dressing. See the complete new Summer 22 collection here. The super lightweight Yes Mesh Trainer in Tangerine. Photo by Ben Sullivan. "We like our customers to feel unique and special in our products - like they are part of a secret ‘radical’ club.” This new drop also see’s a return to our recycled leather bag silhouettes, designed with the double-bag day situations in mind. We wanted to give you options for ‘sharper’ end use feelings in styles that we know will become your everyday best friends. "This is the space we design to – where the dreamy aesthetic elements are tamed by a boundary of practicality and usefulness." “We love owning the sales experience of every single shoe we make so we can transfer that end-use customer feedback straight into our design process.” Radical Yes in Conversation with Elfy Scott. We invited our Summer brand ambassador, author, journalist and podcaster, Elfy Scott to help us answer some of the questions we get asked most frequently about our brand. In this episode we discuss what the 'Radical' in Radical Yes means to us. Watch the video below. See the complete new Summer 22 collection here. More products from the Summer Collection solstice-fisherman-sandal-black-leather, yes-mesh-trainer-in-cream, solstice-fisherman-sandaliceblue, north-star-clutch-ice-blue-eco-pu, double-happiness-2-0-chocolate, grace-the-future-mary-jane-in-black, yes-mesh-trainer-in-tangerine, grace-the-future-mary-jane-in-lavender-with-tangerine-trim, space-jam-leather-hiking-sandal-tangerine, radiance-camera-bag-in-black
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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 messenger-pocket-bag, radical-yes-north-star-nylon-clutch-black-nylon, messenger-pocket-bag-in-racing-green, radical-yes-north-star-nylon-clutch-bronze-nylon, true-north-nylon-clutch-with-front-zip-nutmeg
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Radical Yes Reads Your Reviews: Journey Trainer
Radical Yes Reads Your Reviews: Journey Trainer Instead of us talking about shoes, we're letting you do the talking. In this new segment we read reviews from our customers to see what they think of our shoes. In this first episode we talk about our most highly reviewed shoe - The Journey Velcro Trainer. We even gave our favourite review a $250 gift voucher. Watch the video to see if it was you! See all of our shoes (and bags and sunglasses) and leave a review on your favourite style at Radical Yes and we might send you a gift too! Find out more, watch the video below. See more Journey trainers here journey-3-0-velcro-trainer-white-leather-and-gum-outsole, journey-3-0-velcro-trainer-in-silver-metallic-leather, radical-yes-journey-3-0-trainer-gold-leather,journey-3-0-velcro-trainer-aquatic-leather-with-monochromatic-outsole,journey-velcro-trainer-black-leather-on-black-outsole,
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