Today’s Killer Startup: Skwag
Elevator Pitch:
Skwag is an “iPhone shoe app that allows you to upload your shoe collection and swap with other owners close to you.”
Why It’s A Killer Startup:
Two things I love: fashion and recycling. I’ve been rocking vintage finds since I discovered my mom’s stash of authentic hippie outfits from the ‘60s and ‘70s in the fourth grade. I was in the local vintage/thrift shop so often in high school that the owner became a friend who would ask me to cover the store for her while she walked her dog. She even gave me a recommendation to get a real job in a New York City vintage store when I moved there after college.
While I must admit that my original draw to secondhand clothing was the retro styles, the reason I’ve stayed so long has as much to do with two other things: price and environmentalism. I think it’s super important in this age of fast fashion to reuse items rather than throw them away, and I’m always pretty close to broke.
Which is why I’m loving the Skwag shoe app.
Skwag is all about solving your “very first world problem” of having too many shoes but not loving any of them. We’ve all been there, staring into the closet and thinking, “Ugh! I hate all of this!” The shoes might be totally fine, just not what you’re into anymore.
As the saying goes, one woman’s trash is another woman’s treasure. (Quite literally, sometimes. My sister-in-law found a pair of mint condition Frye boots on a stoop in Tribeca a couple years ago and is still rocking them.) If you’re not loving your collection but can’t stand to spend more money on more shoes, put up your unwanted lovelies on Skwag!
Each shoe has “profile” that you can browse in search of someone to trade with. If you find a pair you like, you can let them know in-app and give them the chance to check out yours. If they like yours back, you can arrange a trade.
And those of you who hate shipping as much as I do? Skwag lets you filter for only shoes near you.
Tweetable:
When you look in your closet, do you see hundreds of #shoes but not a pair to wear? Trade ‘em up at @SkwagShoes
