A concept pop-up store featuring 135 shoes – each one representing one of the lower limbs amputated in England every week due to diabetes. The store was promoted with flyers and posters offering 50% off every pair (acknowledging that only one shoe is needed due to amputation). Posters had tear-offs forming toes, and an A-Board was constructed out of a pair of refashioned crutches. Customers entered the store looking for a discounted pair of shoes, but were instead greeted by two assistants explaining the serious consequences of diabetes. Every customer was offered a free Type 2 Diabetes risk assessment in a specially constructed consultation space concealed behind the wall of shoes. Hidden cameras captured the reactions of customers as they discovered the shocking truth about diabetes. The resulting film was shared on YouTube and Diabetes UK websites to raise awareness amongst a much wider audience.

Amp Shoes, created in partnership with fashion company Eley Kishimoto, was dressed as a real shoe store and launched within an area known for pop ups to lure in passing traffic. Customers entered the store looking for a discounted pair of shoes, but are instead greeted by two assistants who explain the serious consequences of diabetes. Hidden cameras capture the reactions of customers as they discover this shocking truth. Every customer was then offered the opportunity to discover their personal risk score with an assessment in a specially constructed consultation area in the back of the store. An online version of the store featuring a live Periscope feed of the real store, whilst open, helped the campaign live on after the physical shop closed. The #oneshoe selfie helped drive the message across social media. The store opened for three days from 22-24th April 2016 at 8 Dray Walk, London.

Over the three day’s of opening the store attracted over 800 customers through its doors, and a social media feed displayed the #oneshoe selfie campaign, which reached over a million people on Twitter and 300,000 on Instagram. The campaign was picked up by the press. And within months, the concept store was being recreated by the BBC for a documentary; helping to further raise awareness around the world. But most importantly, the shop contributed to more than a million people taking their risk score online. A significant step towards Diabetes UK’s aim of preventing the 5,616 unnecessary amputations every year.