Tip Toe specializes in making handcrafted baby shoes. From design to creation, it takes roughly three weeks to finish a pair of shoes.

The company is not new, however, they need to refresh and differentiate the brand in the face of new competition. How do we then communicate handcrafted baby shoes?

We started with the logo – a pair of hands forming the shape of an iconic baby shoe. The logo then became the design idea for a range of collateral materials, from website to stationery and packaging.

We started from the basics. Our communication is simple; handcrafted baby shoes. We took the long and complicated way to arrive at the simple logo.

We immersed into the process of handcrafting a pair of Tip Toe shoes. From the embroidery, to the laces and soles, we studied the entire production. It is indeed a meticulous process, made with tenderness and care.

Knowing how parents want quality products for their babies, we arrived at the logo, a simple pair of hands forming the shape of a shoe - the essence of the brand itself.

We started communicating the message internally. We created a range of corporate collaterals for internal use. However, the real challenge lies in making parents aware of the brand.

That’s why we adapted the logo for all our external communications. Think paper bags, shoeboxes, booklets, in-store displays, product tags and more.

Awareness of the brand improved. Parents now know the brand as being authentically handcrafted. But more than that, our retail communications caught the eyeballs of passersby. This in turn leads to an increased goodwill for the brand.

At the time of writing, sales rose a modest 5% compared to the same period the year before. Employees were motivated because they could see the spirit of the brand displayed internally and externally.

Maurice Zhang and Edwina Boleg, both designers by nature and mothers by design started TIP TOE in 2010. They opened their first store in Shanghai, targeting the expat community.

The philosophy of TIP TOE is simple: Shoes that are handcrafted with care and tenderness. Each pair of shoe must meet two criteria - Beauty and Comfort.

It is important for Maurice and Edwina to provide each customer with a pair of custom-made baby shoe at fair cost. Therefore each pair of shoes receives the best of design and care - all handmade with love.