A lot has changed since I first started Shoegazing almost ten years ago, things that both makes it easier and more difficult to run a niche blog like this. Here’s a reflection covering things like how to keep integrity, on handling threats of being sued, on finding topics to write about, and much more.
First sort of a disclaimer or warning for “sensitive” readers. This article will be all in navel-gazing, and I will pat my own back quite a bit, even if I’ll also be more critical towards myself in cases as well. Focus will be on how this sphere with online quality shoe coverage in various ways and my thoughts on this, views on how I work today on various matters, but also some outbursts into neighbouring topics. And note, this is my personal view on things, I can still have understanding of other views, even in cases I don’t agree with them. Starting off with one of the more difficult areas, which is integrity.
If you look at the online influencer world and various expert websites, youtubers or strong forum members within shoes and menswear in general, there has been a massive change over the past 5-7 years or so. The numbers of people doing this is way more today (which also has the backside that the amount of persons with less knowledge spreading info like they know what they talk about are way more, making it more difficult for people to know what is correct and not), and the amount of money spent and free products given from companies is in turn way more. Unfortunately, the openness and clear information when this is the case has not gone in the right direction – quite the opposite. It’s often very difficult for readers, viewers and followers to know when things stated about products are totally unbiased and fully honest, or when the content producer has gotten paid from the brand or been given stuff for free. This despite most countries having recommendations and regulations on how any type of sponsored posts should be marked, especially on social media.
The current trend seems to be arguments like “the company didn’t pay me specifically for this post/video/article so I don’t see it as sponsored content”, even if the mentioned recommendations and regulations in most cases clearly goes against this. In the menswear sphere there’s plenty examples of this, sites who have advertisers getting coverage in both articles and social media where it’s only rare exceptions that it’s mentioned that the content covers a company paying the content creator, or some of the larger shoe youtubers who I know for a fact charge thousands of dollars for brands to be featured, without ever mentioning this to the viewers.
I can understand content creators want to earn money on their work, and can get why smaller players are happy to get free shoes and stuff like that, but it is indeed problematic when it’s all a blur to followers/viewers/readers of what is what. As I’ve written before here on Shoegazing, my personal situation being employed by the shoe and shoe care retailer Skolyx is a bit complicated in a way, although I try to be as open as I can about this fact, I of course do promote our stuff in a way I’m sure some find annoying, even if the feedback I get is that I do it in a good and open way (and hopefully most would have seen by now that I do highlight and praise many direct competitors to Skolyx brands). Otherwise, as I write on the About section here on the blog, the only way companies can pay to be featured on the blog is in banners on the site or in my newsletter, or ads in the podcast. I do not accept any type of paid content on Shoegazing or in my other channels (there’s a huge amount of companies contacting me, usually through agents, and usually to in various ways get in affiliate or sponsored links, since this also is so important for SEO to have relatively large sites like this link to ones website. I decline all), when I get shoes for free for reviews I state that this is the case, and the companies never have any influence over what I write (with a Bachelor degree in journalism from university and working as a journalist for many years, this is highly important to me). Many think I should monetise more on Shoegazing and don’t be afraid to be a “sell-out”, but I’m not in it for money, and I hope that both credibility, usability for visitors (for example, who like to have their reading interfered by constant Google ads?) and me doing things out of interest and not out of profit will be beneficial in the long run.
When it comes to shoes that I review or do buyer’s guides about, it could be good to know that I’m rather selective here. I get contacted by a large numbers of brands every year asking if I want to receive a pair for review, or just want to give me shoes to test (obviously with the hope of me writing about them or at least featuring them on my Instagram etc.). I say no thanks to almost all of these enquires, either because it’s footwear that don’t have the quality or style I’m interested in, because it’s brands that are already well-known meaning that I don’t think I can add much by covering it, or simply because I have too many shoes lined-up to write about that I don’t feel I have time for it (also, I of course never review shoes from brands that Skolyx work with, no point in doing reviews when you are completely biased). And I have never, not a single time in the almost ten years that I’ve run Shoegazing, contacted a company and asked for free or discounted shoes. It’s my view that if I’m not prepared to pay full price for something, why should I expect my readers to be prepared to do it? With that said, it has happened that I have been given discounts or sometimes even a pair for free when I’ve approached as a customer, and I don’t say no thanks to this. If I’d be really serious, I guess I should turn this down and still pay full, but, well, I’m not. If I was after free shoes though, I would not have been going all in on Japanese bespoke shoes, those familiar with Japan know that in their culture one basically always charge the set prices, all customers are treated the same way.
Looking at the advertisers on Shoegazing, I do occasionally write about many of these when it comes to topics where they are of interest or suitable. However, it’s never as part of the advertisement deal, and I don’t use any campaign links or affiliate links in the articles on the blog. Can people trust me writing objectively about advertisers then? It’s a complicated thing, cause I’m sure I’m affected in some ways in not wanting to bash on those who pay me, at the same time when I write critical about things I usually do it without mentioning any brands or companies. I mostly feel it’s not necessary to point fingers directly, and unlike some others I don’t see a self-purpose in being overly critical, it doesn’t make me more credible. The difficult thing is that in todays day and age, brands paying a content creator definitely expect positive things to be said about them, and when this isn’t the case they often react strongly. In fact, a previous advertiser threatened to sue me when I said a negative thing about them, and they quickly withdraw their advertisement.
Companies threatening to sue is, sadly, another thing that has become more common. It has happened to me several times. Instead of taking it constructively and actually change what I criticise, or a least reach out and have a talk about it, the immediate action nowadays seem to be to go to attack, demand immediate withdrawal of the negative content and often threaten with legal actions (in one case something I had said was wrong, which of course is more of an issue and this part was corrected straight away, yet one still can think that it would be better ways to go about it than immediately threaten to sue). Now, no one has actually went forward with these threats, and I can’t really say that I’ve been too nervous about it, since I work according to journalistic procedures and know where potential lines are drawn, but it’s of course not pleasurable experiences. In a way, I think I’ve done worse things on for example forums or social media, where I have a tendency to sometimes end up in rather heated discussions on things. I’d like to think it’s because I do care about this industry for real and have some strong yet sound opinions, but I also know that sometimes I get carried away and that in writing things can come out more harsh than intended. This likely has hurt the view of me and in turn Shoegazing for some in some cases, which of course isn’t a positive thing.
Looking at the actual work with the blog, for me, the most difficult part is friendship. I’ve been involved in this industry for many years now, hosted events with loads of shoe companies participating, travelled a lot and visited stores, factories and workshops, and met a lot of great persons, some of whom I consider good friends today. It’s a lovely thing about running this blog and organising the super trunk shows and world championship contents and similar. However, of course it clashes with my journalistic integrity. I’m definitely affected by friendship, and in cases probably become biased even if I try not to. Especially since I have indeed lost some friends after writing critical, even if my experience is that in most cases people can see my point of view and even if irritated can leave it behind after a while and continue have a relationship.
Another given challenge after posting two articles a week for almost ten years (first three only in Swedish, since 2015 in both Swedish and English) is to continue to find new, interesting content to write about. When you’ve written 900+ articles, you’ve covered quite a lot of topics already. Then, today I have a much greater possibility to gather content, both since Shoegazing is known so folks from the industry and you readers give me tips on things to cover, and most of the money I make on advertisements and all I so kindly receive from the Patreons supporting me, goes to travels to gather more content. This far, in total, I’ve been to over 50 factories, workshops and tanneries on three continents, not including stores, cobblers, shoe fairs etc. I’ve done shoemaking courses, sat together for weeks with bespoke makers making shoes, spent long days in shoe factories, and so on. This results in reports, interviews, podcast episodes and of course huge amounts of photos, but also to a large extent is what gives me knowledge which I can continue to share here. It’s also indeed the blog that have made it possible for me to have an everyday job in the industry, with Skolyx, and through this job I also continue to learn, I develop products with our factories and get an insider insight to an even larger extent.
I definitely know more about shoes today than I did five years ago, and much much, more than I did when I started the blog. One of my bad consciences is that I know that there are some misinformation still up on Shoegazing, mainly from old articles, things I’ve learned is wrong later on, even if I go back and change things I’m sure there’s still errors there. Another thing I can feel bad about is that with more knowledge, I tend to write a bit less accessible for newcomers to the quality shoe world. I try to think about this, but definitely could get better at it and it’s something I intend to work on going forward. Cause the aim with Shoegazing is not only to educate shoe nerds, also bring in new people and make the interest for this fine industry grow. Today Shoegazing reaches almost 50 000 unique visitors a month, most come to the English site which is growing year by year, and on Instagram I currently have 134 000 followers. It’s a privilege and honour that so many people think what I do is worth following, and I hope to continue doing this for many more years. Thank you for your support, I couldn’t and wouldn’t do this without you!
What are your thoughts on the above? What is your experience of this sphere with bloggers/influencers/youtubers, do you find most credible or the opposite? What do you think I could do better? Share in the comments section below.
Hi Jesper,
First of all officially Happy Holidays and I wish you health (and many amazing shoes) in 2022!
This was a great article for many reasons and I had way too many thoughts to write them with structure in mind.
I totally agree with you when it comes to the difficulties. When I started my own blog, I realized how difficult it can be to write about niche things, when instead one can write a generic “top X List” that can rank and bring thousands more readers and viewers.
I did not know about the threats and legal implications of your work, but then again you are on a completely different scale. I have a good friend here, she is a lawyer and she is working with protecting “influencer rights” when they work with companies, so in an extension this would work as well when accepting some kind of pair or collaboration with a brand.
I also can understand about change of opinions, misinformation or things that should probably be altered in older articles, or viewpoints that are not true for you anymore. Especially if you have 900 articles what are you going to do, go back and change them all? I have “only” 185 and I struggle to find the time and motivation to do so.
While I am by far not an expert on anything shoe related, I have learned a lot over these 2-3 years and I am also thankful to you for your constructive criticism, every time I post something that is a mistake or could be clearer. I really appreciate those messages you send me, as it makes me think again before I type something. I have also learned (hopefully) not to speak much about things I am not 100% sure about. However I do hope that learning to be a bespoke shoemaker next year will help me become much better.
As for the sponsorships, ads etc it is very true. My policy is not to work with friends if I can avoid it, as I would rather not ruin our friendship. At the same time, I have also been threatened by certain companies that were just inadequate or did not want to take the criticism as well as just blocked or ignored. It might be an irrelevant comparison, but I see this behavior all the time in the computer industry and YouTubers. On the other hand, companies like Edward Green were commended for actually helping me identify what was wrong with my pair.
Last year with my fledgling shop I also did a lot of “reviews” of shoes in my shop and after feedback decided to stop doing that because I am obviously biased. I’d rather do a showcase and talk about the basics or just show to people new items. Your affiliation with Skolyx never bothered me one bit, I think you do it in an open, tasteful manner and never lied to anyone about the quality of their shoes.
As for ads, affiliates etc. I would also understand if you did something but at the same time I am glad you receive support from readers, patreon, the podcast and Instagram. Even though I am smaller scale, I get inundated monthly about paid guest posts, banners, affiliate programs etc. I decline them all. I do have a few, such as Cheaney, Spier & Mackay etc but only things I have worn, bought with my own money etc. What would I do promote things from Amazon? This is still a hobby for all of us that love shoes so much. To earn some support for the time we spend creating (hopefully) good content, it is important and keeps you motivated. However it is not the end goal.
I think as long as you disclose that you received a pair for free or got a discount for a personal purchase that is totally fine. I don’t think you are the person that would chew their words if something was not good enough.
Random thoughts to end the year that I hope are appropriate and make sense.
Let’s hope we can get the Super Trunk going again I missed this!!!
Mvh,
Kostas
Kostas: Thanks for your thorough comment, and the many kind words!
Just replying to a few of the things you mention:
– Think it’s great that you are positive with my feedback and correction of things. That’s how it should be. I’ve also been corrected many times through the years, more so before than now, but of course there is still always people who know more in-depth than me on all the things I write about. I want things here to be as correct as possible, so if something is wrong it’s only good if gets corrected.
– Good that you’ve quit reviewing your own stuff, I don’t think there’s any point doing that. You can highlight it in other more reasonable ways on the blog when viable.
– Yes, really hope for a super trunk to finally happen in May!
Keep up the great and important work that you do, we are many who appreciate it!
To say that I really enjoyed your blog is a severe understatement! I really like how you deep dive in your articles, leaving no stone unturned. Being a nerdy guy, I like going into the details and specifics of each topic to understand it as well as I can.
Our viewpoint and opinion changes over time, as with more knowledge and experience, we do tend to see things differently. Admitting that some things you wrote weren’t entirely accurate is commendable, as you know a sole purpose for the blog: to educate.
Here’s hoping that 2022 will be better times ahead for Shoegazing, and your family!
K. Landis and HW Yap: Big thanks for your kind words! It’s great to hear that the more in-depth approach often done is appreciated, especially since nowadays more focus is on quick bites, short films etc.
An interesting post, Jesper. I daresay you could apply the same logic to any niche blog – the central paradox seems to be the think dividing line in knowledge and experience between the writer and the reader. Most of the readers of blogs like this will be enthusiast level at least, whereas I think with a more generalist blog you might expect a reader to have less knowledge on some topics. But as you rightly say, there is an element of “a little knowledge is a dangerous thing” where people inflate their own understanding, even if they have never really worked in the industry. I try my best to avoid this with my own blogging!
The sadder thing that I think you are again correct in is the sense of burnout – not really exhaustion from writing, but having exhausted the actual topic of men’s shoes at a certain point. It always makes me sad when I find a great, well-written blog and go back to look at the archive and realise it ran for a couple of years fairly consistently then just tapered off and stopped. As a writer you want to write about interesting, substantial topics rather than “fluff pieces”, but blogs do rely on a consistent level of output to survive, and sometimes the fluff pieces are needed to make up the numbers. Again, I guess that’s potentially the fate of all niche blogs.
Anyway, best of luck for 2022. I know the analytics tell one story, but hopefully knowing there are people out there genuinely reading and enjoying your content helps to keep the motivation up.
Thanks,
Sam
I wish you would out those that threaten legal action.
Sam: Thanks for your comment! Yeah agree that many great blogs or sites have been started, but not many live on for a longer period of time. It’s obviously logical, but still a shame since we loose some great voices, IMO. Good luck in 2022 to you too!
Brute Force: Nah, don’t really see a point in doing that.
Very good post Jesper. I wish more blogs would follow the journalistic standards you mention. Also, I wonder if there is a code or anything as such for influencers to follow? This should include some of the journalistic practices you mention, making clear their affiliation to the brand they are reviewing/covering.
As a brand owner it has been my policy to never pay an influencer/ reviewer/ blogger. The most I would do is a send the shoes at my cost and hope they like it. I also get some requests to send a pair for free and they would write favourable reviews. I strictly decline such people. In the long run, just as a blog builds credibility, a brand too can build credibility by being associated with the right people and staying away from the paid types.
The part of topics was very interesting to read. I started a blog a year or so ago to cover topics from a shoemaker/ factory owner perspective. But the breath of topics you have covered on your means almost everything i think about writing you have already written about! So i shy away from writing about it lest I am seen as plagarising your work! This is not a criticism, more a testament to the amazing and broad work you have done on your blog.
Finally if I can make a suggestion about content. While I enjoy reading your blogs and listening to your podcasts, I understand a lot of the younger generation who want to learn about quality shoes don’t have the attention span for either! They are looking for videos both short or long. I got this feedback from my customers(some of whom i refer to your blog to acquaint themselves with the world of quality footwear) who want to learn but don’t want to read a blog. I too am contemplating how to work around this because i am not good with tiktok or insta reels but perhaps you can do a good job here to convert some of your written content to videos! In 2022 this will be one of my goals! Good luck with the year ahead and hope to see in London in May 🙂
Affan K: Cheers! Yeah I think most countries have these regulations/guidelines for how influencers/content creators should/have to act, they can vary a bit but in general it’s pretty similar.
It’s a good point there, that brands also have integrity to work with, both in how they market their products (where I as been obvious here on the blog many times are quite critical towards how many do things today) and in how they work with others.
On videos, I know it’s popular especially among younger folks, but personally I don’t really like watching videos as much and in turn not making them. I prefer writing, and as a previous radio broadcast journalist, sound. So I leave video to others who do it much better than me, and in cases do some stuff but mainly to complement my written articles.
Yes, fingers crossed for London in May!
I guess now is the wrong time to ask for a feature, lol. No worries I will do when we finally meet, haha.
What a nice article. It must be hard to NOT take the easy way and start asking for cash for reviews, I know it’s becoming extremely common for anyone who reviews products to get kickbacks that aren’t “paid reviews” so they don’t have to put out a disclaimer.
Keep up the great work.
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