We live in a digital world, and nowadays a lot of both marketing and sales takes place solely online in various ways. One online shoe retailer who have successfully used many of the digital possibilities is Kostas Mandilaris of The Noble Shoe. In this episode we talk about the benefits and challenges with selling relatively expensive quality shoes only online, about how to work with digital marketing in various ways, and much more.
This is actually the first episode that’s been recorded after the coronavirus has turned the world upside down, and since one can’t travel like normal and I very much prefer to do these podcast interviews in person, we will likely see some more local Nordic folks represented the coming months. Luckily, we have lots of interesting shoe people up here.
Kostas Mandilaris at the London Super Trunk Show 2019, an event that sort of drew him into the shoe business. Picture: Misiu Academy
One of them is Kostas Mandilaris, who is from Greece but have lived in Sweden for a few years. A bit over a year ago he started his webstore The Noble Shoe, selling mainly shoes from Carlos Santos, but nowadays also Paolo Scafora and Crockett & Jones. It has quickly gained traction thanks to Kostas excellent customer service and successful use of various digital channels, about 700 pairs have been sold since the start.
Listen to the episode below, or in your preferred podcast player. All episodes of the Shoegazing Podcast can be found here. If you like the podcast, please give it a good rating or comment in your podcast player.
Great to hear Kostas here 🙂 The Noble Shoe has caught my attention. I’m an admirer or Vladimir Riche; I’m learning loads from Shoegazing/Jesper’s sharing his knowledge. I got to see the Paolo Scafora shoes from Wisconson Shoe Guy on youtube. There are very good people out there (you guys included) and I’m so pleased to see that quality shoes and shoe makers who care are being championed. Yes, there are the ‘Paul Evans/Parkman’ shoes; There is a market for quality and if someone cares about the shoes they make or sell – I’m in!
Thanks Kostas and thanks Jesper
Tony
Anthony Jones: Glad you enjoyed the episode!
Kostas is one of my favorites in the shoe business. He’s incredibly hard working, kind, and gracious, and as he noted in his talk with you, he aims and suceeds at making his customers feel cared for, supported, and informed. He does not force sales, and in many cases, has pushed me away from products that he felt were not appropriate for my needs. He could have easily pushed for the next sale, but he’s in it for the long haul. He’s become a trusted ally as I navigate my purchases in this arena.
Ashwin Rao: Nice to hear you have a good experience shopping from Kostas!