Photo: Courtesy of Poppy Barley.
What inspired Kendall and Justine to create Poppy Barley?
"In January 2012, Justine was vacationing in Bali, where she purchased a pair of made-to-measure boots. She loved them because she had always struggled to find boots that fit due to her high arches and wider feet. Back in Canada, she started telling women about her boots and was surprised at how many responded with 'OMG, I can’t buy boots either because [fill in the blank]: narrow calves, bunions, large calves, wide feet, narrow feet, two [differently] sized feet, large feet, small feet, being tall, being petite, etc.' That’s when Justine conceived the idea of bringing the art of custom boots to anyone with access to a measuring tape and the Internet."
Where did the name come from?
"Our vision is for Poppy Barley to bring meticulous craftsmanship back for perfect-fitting footwear. We researched the origins of shoemaking and found that barleycorns were the original unit of measurement for footwear. In 1324, King Edward II decreed that three barleycorns would make the standard unit of measurement, known as an 'inch.' Shoemakers in England then discovered that the largest foot in England was 39 barleycorns, so that became size 13 and every subsequent smaller size was three barleycorns, or one inch. Poppy seeds were used as a smaller unit of measurement (four poppy seeds equals one barleycorn), hence our name, Poppy Barley. This is still the basis for the U.K. and U.S. shoe-sizing system."
Photo: Courtesy of Poppy Barley. What made them choose to manufacture the boots in Mexico?
"When searching for a community of craftspeople making custom footwear, our top priorities were talented artisans, high-quality leather goods, ethical manufacturing practices, and fair prices to our customers. We searched globally for the right fit. We found it still mostly existed in the functional spheres (for horseback riders, cowboys, and polo players). While looking for a cluster of talent in shoemaking, one city kept coming up: the city of León, Mexico. We decided to risk up to $5,000 to make Poppy Barley a reality and hopped on a plane to Léon. After days of fruitless factory visits, we connected with Lupita, the owner of a custom-footwear studio. It marked the start of a strong partnership.
"Yes! In addition to our custom pointed-toe ballet flats and our collection of flat boots, we are launching our first line of heeled boots this January and will be launching ankle boots and a rounded-toe contemporary ballet flat in the spring."
Are there any plans for future brick-and-mortar stores?
"Mortar stores and e-commerce are converging; both mediums are experimenting with new models to fuse the best of both worlds to create new shopping experiences for customers. At Poppy Barley, having a direct relationship with our customer is essential to us. Already we offer an in-person shopping experience in our hometown (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) and have toured with pop-up shops. In the future, there will be continued efforts to create in-person shopping experiences."
Do you have any measuring tips on how to get a perfect fit?
"Trust yourself! Women are generally brilliant when it comes to measuring themselves for Poppy Barley boots. Given that our legs and feet do tend to change size over the course of the day, we do recommend you measure yourself multiple times to confirm the right measurements. We also recommend that you measure yourself wearing the thickest pair of socks or jeans that you plan to wear with your boots, keeping in mind that leather does stretch over time. (Poppy Barley also offers a Fit Promise to make sure you love your handcrafted boots.)"
What is the largest/smallest calf size and shoe size you can make?
"Our flats and boots are available in shoe sizes five to 13. Our boots are available in calf widths from 12 to 20 inches (30 to 51 centimeters)."