Richard Buckman would like you to walk a mile in his latest invention. Nyoshoos (pronounced ‘no shoes’) are about as close as you can get to bare feet Fashion on a shoestring

Its sounds like that tongue twister we’ve all heard before – he sells Seahearts by the seashore. But the Seaheart seller, who says he vends sanity, has now turned to fashion, and makes profit from vanity.

The fashion product in question goes by the name of Nyoshoos (pronounced “no shoes”). Aimed squarely at the world’s barefoot demographic, Nyoshoos are ornaments for the feet and ankles. The simple design, a beaded elasticized anklet joined to another string of beads that stretches over the foot and hooks onto the index toe, derives from similar accessories worn by Indian belly dancers.

The bands, available in 10 styles, with funky names such as Purple-Haze and Eve, come packed in cute li’l “shoe boxes” that look like baby sandals. Nyoshoos tap into the same ethnic chic that make Mendhi tattoos and nose piercings so popular.

Who’s toeing the line and lining their toes? Everyone from little girls who wear them under their socks to school, to fashion-conscious women who accessorize even at the pool, to dreamy hippies who want to touch the earth but still look cool.

Nyoshoos creator Richard Buckman says some customers even use them to beat “Nyoshoos, nyoshirt, nyoservice” policies. “One guy told me ‘I can run into a bar real quick wearing a pair of Nyoshoos – it’s worth it to me, because I hate shoes.’ ”

The Wall Street Journal reported that Buckman shipped 5,000 pairs of Nyoshoos this summer, but Buckman implied that the number was actually higher.

Buckman founded Seaheart, the Montreal-based company that produces and sells Nyoshoos, more than a decade ago. The company’s first product was Seahearts – heart-shaped seeds from the world’s biggest bean pods, which grow on an Amazonian vine called a Monkey Ladder.

Buckman still sells Seahearts, which he considers tokens of good luck, good mental health, and good vibes. But despite Buckman’s luscious packaging, his evangelical love for the seeds and his canny creation of Seaheart myths and fables, Seahearts have never done much that would please the bean-counters.

“I’ve always wanted to create a trend,” he said. But he found that most people were more concerned with looking attractive than the benefits of karmic legumes.

“Let’s face it, the conscious souls are few today,” he says. “Seahearts elicit the best in anybody, but in a fast-paced world, you’re going to notice vanity before sanity.”

People are nyoticing Nyoshoos. Buckman says his business is mainly through mail-order catalogues, the Seaheart Web site (www.seaheart.com) and his established distribution network of independent stores. And that could be only the beginning – Buckman says Walt Disney Corp has recently made inquiries.

He says, most of his business is in the States and tropical countries where people can more easily and more often go barefoot without getting frostbite. My sales efforts are not based in Canada. We’re in Jamaica, Costa Rica, the Virgin Islands, Florida, California. I look for warm climates because that’s ultimately where I want to live. And I want to do business where people are just having a good time and are happy.”

His “beach-oriented” philosophy isn’t stopping him from launching into “Orbit,” a new line of products due in stores this fall. Orbits are elasticized, beaded bands that circle arms, necks and tummies. They’ll complement Nyoshoos, but be more elegant, not to mention more suited to the Canadian climate.

Buckman, who spent several years in corporate advertising before striking out on his own, sees no conflict between his easygoing attitude and his savvy marketing and packaging efforts. He’s just glad he can make a living doing what he loves. “It’s so amazing to be in commerce and feeling this good,” he says.


Article: Patchen Barss
Photos: Wendy Longlade/National Post
article reproduced with permission from 13/09/99 edition