Initial Impressions?
It didn't hook me to start with, but the further I read the more interested I became. Many people won't scroll down from the first screen's worth, and for me this lacked impact. The depth of field in the photo meant that the furthest pair of shoes looked blurry. I felt it needed more focus on the shoes, and less on the legs. I liked the look of the footwear. Stylish, but not screaming 'out of fashion almost as soon as you wear them'.
I think the project title lacks 'snap'. 'Eco Chukka' worked better for me, when I came to it.
Early on I found myself asking things like 'What's Bison Insulation? What's SOLE X USB? What are RSL substances?' OK, pretty much all of them became clear as I read on, but It doesn't take much for a possible backer to lose interest and move on.
As I said earlier, it got better as it went on, but by then you may have lost people. I liked the snappy later text - 'Bark to Bottle to Boot', 'Field to Footwear', 'Tree to Tread' etc.
I liked the detailed information on materials, but found myself wondering about Post Consumer Recyled materials including polyester, PET and silver coins. Silver Coins? After all the impeccable eco-credibility of the other materials, I started asking where this other stuff was used. How much of it? What was the cork binding agent, and how eco-friendly was that? If you are selling the product on its environmental credentials, you have to expect people to really dig into this stuff, and your credibility will be as strong as the least environmentally friendly material or process in your product.
By this time, I was working my way down to the nitty gritty of sizing. I don't have to tell you guys how important that is in footwear. Again, first impression was that the table didn't correspond to my experience. I take a UK size 7, but normally look for a metric 42. Your table didn't correspond to this, which would probably have meant that I wouldn't take the chance of them not fitting, certainly not at nearly $100. (Again, I know there is a good clear section later on how to decide what size you should order, but by that time I had already got the impression that they wouldn't fit. First impressions are seldom reversed.) Could I return them if they didn't fit? All of this to the background of shipping charges to the UK, and then the application of 20% VAT and a flat rate Ā£8 collection charge by the post office. At this point, the value proposition is weakening fast. Then the kicker: Oh. Don't they ship to the UK? I know, it says in the Rewards box 'Only ships to certain countries', but is that the first thing you want people to look at? I got all interested, and then found out I couldn't have them even if I wanted them.
Overall, I think your biggest issue is deciding what you are selling, and who to. Are you selling on style or recyclability? When I first looked at the dummy project page, I liked the look of the shoes. For a lot of backers, that immediate, gut feeling, made in a split second, is likely to determine whether they back the project or not. On the other hand, if the USP is their environmentally friendly materials, I was impressed by the innovative materials (I've already backed Huskee Cup on Kickstarter, which is a travel mug made from coffee husk waste) but found myself asking about the product end of life. This really was the elephant in the corner. The problem with the fashion footwear market, especially for trainers, is that the materials are unsustainable, the product is difficult to de-manufacture, and much of it is dumped as non-biodegradable landfill waste. Your project is great for the front end, but says nothing about end of life. Again, I found myself asking 'Are they biodegradable, or do they need recycling? If so, how widespread are suitable facilities?' With the whole concept of the circular economy gaining currency, I think this needs addressing in the campaign material.
I think this project could succeed, but that at the moment you are more likely to get the essential early traction and backer numbers from people who see the shoes and like the look of them. What I think of as 'retail backers'. In my experience of backing projects, mainly on Kickstarter, a lot of backers never read the Comments section before they back, and some projects that I have pulled out of because of concerns about things like reselling existing products have gone on to massively exceed their target funding. (These are also the sort of backers that can end up trolling the Comments section because their rewards haven't arrived exactly on time.) I end up backing more projects, a LOT more, on Kickstarter because that is where backers get involved in helping to bring innovative products to market. I find Indiegogo is more retail focussed, about neat products that you might not have been aware of, and couldn't buy through normal retail channels. Going back to my earlier point; I think you are trying to sell to two different markets at the moment, and need to ask yourselves why people would back this campaign. Is it because they are interested in helping to develop a more sustainable model for the footwear industry worldwide, and like the shoes, or because they like the shoes, fancy getting them at a discount on the hypothetical retail price, and don't mind easing their eco-conscience at the same time.
Hope all that helps. I didn't spot any glaring errors in the text, but if you want it properly copy edited I can quote my rates.
Good luck with the project, which I will watch with interest.
Chris