SwiftVets.com

[GenrXr]

Do you like Motorcycle Boots?

Around two years ago my sister called from South Africa and talked about a new boot her hubby was designing and discussed the failure of their first boot and apprehension over the name of the new company. Paul Issa is the owner of South African shoe company Buccaneer and decided he wanted to make something other then affordable shoes for kids and safety boots for people working the African mines. After doing some market research he discovered no South African shoe companies made a motorcycle boot and a lack of cycle boots by companies such as Harley Davidson with safety features he had become expert at designing with his mining boot line. Furthermore, South Africa is a motorcycle haven with their long stretches of safe riding road making the form of transport very popular. Thus, the Vixen line of boots was formed. “Vixen?” I asked my sister, “is Paul crazy? Has he gone European? This is not a name Americans will warm to.” My sister agreed and said what’s worse is Paul over designed the safety features on the boot and it looks like something an astronaut would wear on the moon as opposed to a biker taking a comfortable ride.

That was two years ago and Paul decided although safety would still be his main concern compromise was made to make the boot more aesthetically pleasing to both eye and comfort. About six months ago he revealed his first full scale production model and the company was selling boots.

Within months of selling the new boots Paul received a call from someone fresh out of surgery at a local hospital. This person was in a very bad accident where his legs got pinned between the bike and another vehicle and decided to call Paul and inform him the doctors said his legs were saved because of the boots he was wearing. He also told Paul he needed a new pair of boots and how he was now a customer for life.

Damn, what a testimonial.

Paul’s company is different from most companies which sell shoes. When you buy a Harley Davidson boot, it is a boot which was designed, made, labeled and shipped to Harley shops by companies other then Harley. This is understandable in that Harley is a bike company as opposed to an apparel company, yet when Harley advertises their FXRG safety clothing such as jackets and pants, which are made in America, why have they out-sourced the boots to China? I would argue boots are the second most important item where safety should be stressed.

Vixen has their own tanneries, so the actual process of design, tanning the leather and assembly takes place at their factories in South Africa. Only a few shoe companies are left in the world, which do design to final product within the company and Paul’s company is one of the last remaining. Take a look at the Vixen boot and go down to your local Harley store to view their offering and amazed you will be. There is no comparison, the Harley line-up is weak.

After viewing the final production model and the companies name and logo, Vixen makes sense to me. It was a brilliant strategy by Paul and the boots look better then anything else on the market.

Good luck Paul and if you decide on entering the American market start with setting up shop in Sturgis, South Dakota during bike week. Hire a couple of beautiful models and bring a few thousand pair of Vixen boots, because you will sell them.


The following links are two advertisements for his boots. Vixen does not have a website and operates solely through magazine marketing methods. (South Africa is not wired to the net like we are, so Paul had his marketing agency send me pdfs of the ads) Thought you might enjoy this and if you are interested in getting a pair of these boots let me know and will see if Paul is shipping to the US and if not whether other possible arrangements can be made. This is not an attempt to sell boots, rather thought this was a good story to tell and wish Paul and his new venture all the best.

http://photos.genrxr.com/albums/userpics/10001/Vixen-Ad.jpg

http://photos.genrxr.com/albums/userpics/10001/Vixen-Ad-2.jpg
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"An activist is the person who cleans up the water, not the one claiming its dirty."
"All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to stand by and do nothing." Edmund Burke (1729-1797), Founder of Conservative Philosophy

[dusty]

Those are good looking boots GenrXr. If I could still ride I'd probably have to have a pair of those if I could get em.

But I just thought I'd volunteer to do the beautiful model interviews if he decides to do the Sturgis thing.

Dusty

P.S. I think you are correct. he would need to bring a pile of boots cause these will sell. Maybe some distributer here will pick them up.
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Left and Wrong are the opposite of Right!

[GenrXr]

[shawa]

That IS a nice boot, GenXr.

I owned and operated a western store until a couple of years ago, western apparel, saddles, cowboy hats, boots, etc. Closed it up to become a full time grandma, though I still sell leftover inventory out of my home and E-bay. I also carried leather motorcycle jackets, chaps, and boots. I sold Harley boots in both the western and harness (cycle) styles. They were made in the USA by Double-H Boot Co. I know Double-H is now making the Honda Goldwing boot, so I don't think they still do Harley. It may be Harley has gone to another bootmaker in recent years.
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“I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. ‘Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.” (Thomas Paine, 1776)

[GenrXr]