For our latest edition of ‘start-up stories’ we connected with to Rod Foley, Dave Lambert, and Greg Newman, founders of 5AM Brands, to hear about their story and how they’re looking to disrupt the tennis footwear category with a new challenger brand Frank Works. Here’s a look our conversation:
your origin story?
RF: The three of us have known each other for over 20 years. From early on in our friendship, we knew someday we would be starting our own brand. The road to Frank Works is long and windy, full of stops and starts, but what underlies all of our efforts up to and including Frank Works is a love for making products that people use in their athletic pursuits. For many, the time they spend at their sport, is their favorite part of their day. To have the opportunity to make products that make that best part a bit better is a privilege. After many years in the sport of running, we looked around and noticed that a lot of the new thinking and innovation that has made running shoes more enjoyable was not present in tennis. There are certainly differences in the demands on footwear between running and tennis, but everyone wants to feel more comfort in the products they put on their body. We have learned a lot about making comfortable shoes, and now we want to bring them to tennis players.
What’s in a name?
RF: Picking a name is one of the trickier parts of this entire endeavor. The cutting room floor is littered with some beauties. That being said, one of the words that we always liked, and kept coming back to was ‘Frank’. We like the way it sounds, the monosyllabic aspect of it, and we especially like the meaning: straightforward, direct, honest. We like dealing with brands that behave in a frank way, and we aspire to be one. The ‘Works’ part of the name is a nod to how we see ourselves, more shoemakers than whizbang marketing folks. Making great products that deserve to exist because they solve a problem and bring more joy to people.
Who’s your Audience?
“ We exist so tennis players don’t have to settle for performance or comfort only. Now they can have the best of both.”
DL: We have spoken to a lot of tennis players who love the sport yet are frustrated with the choices they are given when it comes to shoes. Some have settled because they believe that’s just the way tennis shoes are. There are those who don’t wear tennis shoes at all when they play. They wear a shoe that feels comfortable but settle for the fact they may not perform at their best and get to every shot.
Our consumer is intuitive. They love the game they play so they naturally gravitate towards equipment, environment, and conditions that feel most natural for them to perform at their best. They are smart so they are not afraid of advancements that can help them be better. However, our consumer is also tough. So, they tolerate the shoes that have been offered to them. Frank Works is for them because it celebrates everything they are and allows them to play the game they love more enjoyably.
your brand’s soul?
DL: We have been making shoes for the bigger brands for decades. The tragic story behind the curtain is the industry is saturated with waste from over-sampling, over-constructing, and over-producing. Athletic shoe companies make many more options than will ever be well received or even purchased. While it may not be obvious to our consumer, we hope to change the philosophy of how shoes are produced and that our competition will take notice. We design and produce only our very best options with the understanding that we may not be for every player. But, it will be for most. Our commitment is that everything we produce comes from our experience, expertise, and passion to this craft. Our consumer only deserves our best, and that is what we will give.
“a staggering number of shoes get made only to go from factory, to warehouse, to landfill, never having been on a consumer's foot. We intend, in our small way, not to contribute to this problem.”
RF: Talk to almost anyone that has been on the creating side of the footwear business long enough and you will eventually hear them mention the psychic weight of making too much stuff. Too many quantities bought in advance of knowing what real demand would be, or making too many color options to make your brand or product look bigger than it is. Tactics that most brands have tried (or continue to pursue) end up meaning that a staggering number of shoes get made only to go from factory, to warehouse, to landfill, never having been on a consumer's foot. We intend, in our small way, not to contribute to this problem. That starts with only making our best option. We aim to make The Most Comfortable Shoe in Tennis. Implied in that statement is that we intend only to make one tennis style. The most comfortable one. The cadence of shoe "updates" is another source of unnecessary waste. Often updates to models are being created when the concerns to be addressed in the current model are not yet even known because it has barely been in the market. So when the update comes out, all those previously current shoes become closeouts, some of which end up on people's feet, others simply go the landfill. So having a more considered update calendar and only bringing out replacements when we have a meaningful improvement, not just because the calendar page turned.
What encourages you?
GN: Knowing that everything we have done up to this point is a result of our decisions. When working for other people, it is easy to think – “if only I could do things my way…” Then, when you start something for yourself, the opposite thoughts can sometimes take hold – “what makes us think we can do this ourselves?” As you start to build and create you realize, “oh yeah, if not us, then who?” We have found that to be a self-fulfilling and momentum building pattern.
What frustrates you?
GN: Making shoes is not for the feint of heart or the impatient. It is a long development cycle, especially when dealing with a sport as demanding as tennis. Ideas have to be tested, refined, remade. Luckily after all this time, the act of opening a box with a new prototype is just as thrilling as it was 20 years ago.
risk-taking?
“Minimize risk, maximize learning.”
RF: We are still early days in our journey. We have tried to live the advice to learn as much as we can while spending the least amount of time and money. Minimize risk, maximize learning. So far so good. Placing more significant bets around how we spend our resources is coming fast down the pike.
One Word to describe your brand?
We aim for it to be FRANK. Honest, direct, clear.
The Desired Experience?
"The One" by Frank Works.
GN: We believe sport is not simply a distraction from the important things in life, but is in itself one of those important things. We are trying to make the time players spend more enjoyable. And we know from experience, that when you do it right, the mere sight of a well-designed shoe, sitting on (or near in my family’s case) the shoe rack can inspire action. Beckoning the viewer to rearrange their schedule and make time for sport. That’s what we hope people experience with Frank Works.
Challenges?
GN: This will be the first time in our careers that we will have built a shoe without a single visit to the factory. We have all likely had the realization over the last few years that most meetings can be done with the aid of technology. Yet trying to build a shoe, and one that breaks orthodoxies, without being able to sit with the pattern maker, material suppliers or mold shop has demanded a level of communication and patience unlike anything we have experienced in the past. We are blessed with incredible partners who luckily have even deeper wells of patience than we do.
What’s Next?
DL: Onto the next sport where player’s shoes have been neglected… Somewhere over the years, shoes for athletes became more about endorsements, imagery, fantasy and fashion than a crucial piece of equipment. However, we still believe this and we also believe the best equipment creates the best sports experiences. Sport makes life more enjoyable. And we can bring shockingly comfortable shoes that bring even more enjoyment to the game so you play even more. So, we will always see that as a pretty fulfilling mission.
RF: We will be launching our Kickstarter in April. Feeling all the mixed emotions of anticipation, excitement, doubt, that comes with putting something new into the world. Yet there is nothing like a stranger purchasing something you made.
<end>
Affiliate Sponsors:
LOGO DESIGN
FREELANCE CREATIVE
DIY GRAPHIC DESIGN