This article is presented by the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Join Future Boston and the Startup Institute for Third Thursdays: Social Circles, a modern-day homage to Isabella Stewart Gardner’s cosmopolitan circle. Enjoy an evening of cocktails, conversation, and music this Thursday, July 17.
Frye Boots
When you think of Boston’s startup scene, you think big names in tech, and for good reason. Facebook, Dropbox, HubSpot…Some of the world’s most successful technology startups were born right here in the Hub. From Kendall Square to Route 128 to the up-and-coming Seaport District, the local ecosystem is bursting with companies innovating cutting-edge software and hardware that is transforming industries across the globe.
But if you limit the scope of Boston’s entrepreneurial legacy to tech, you’re not telling the whole story. While many associate Boston’s startup scene with hackers in hoodies, a more fitting image might actually be dapper dudes rocking Reeboks.
“Boston is the world capital of footwear.” Greg Selkoe, CEO at Karmaloop and founder of Future Boston Alliance, said at BostInno’s recent State of Innovation Forum. “I think we should celebrate that and that’s a real fashion anchor that no other city has.”
Boston is home to a thriving footwear industry, one that traces its roots as far back as the nineteenth century. In 1863, Frye Boots was founded in Marlboro, Massachusetts, launching the iconic brand renowned for its high-quality craftsmanship and timeless style. New Balance followed in 1906 and the global sneaker giant continues to call Brighton home. Stride Rite was born out of a converted Boston stable in 1919, and now reigns over a footwear empire including such massively popular labels as Keds, Merrell, Saucony, and Sperry Top-Sider.
These enduring brands planted the seeds here in the Hub for a dynamic, booming footwear economy to rival the fashion capitals of the world. Sneaker boutiques Concepts in Cambridge and Bodega in the Back Bay have gained international prestige as footwear fashion influencers. Local shoe designer Thom Solo‘s gravity-defying heels have outfitted the likes of Lady Gaga and Britney Spears.
Boston’s flourishing footwear scene has even compelled such global corporations as Converse, Reebok, and Puma North America to set up their headquarters in and around the city.
Converse World Headquarters at Lovejoy Wharf
And the industry’s innovation is only beginning; new footwear startups continue to pop up every day. Take two Kickstarter campaigns turned fashion phenomena: craft “micro-shoery” Boston Boot Company is taking the industry by storm, and Category 5 Boat Shoes have become a staple in every New England prep’s closet.
Our footwear cred is enough to debunk the myth that Boston is a city void of style, but the challenge to the Hub’s bad fashion rap doesn’t end there. In recent years, Boston has been slowly but surely chipping away at the disparaging stereotype and establishing a unique voice in the industry. Unsurprisingly, it’s at the intersection of fashion and technology that Boston truly shines. The web unlocked local potential in the fashion space, providing a platform empowering numerous companies to skyrocket to success.
Karmaloop is a case in point. Born in founder Selkoe’s Jamaica Plain basement, Karmaloop is now the largest online streetwear retailer in the world. Joining Karmaloop in the ranks of local e-commerce royalty is Rue La La, a members-only flash sale site that offers shoppers exclusive deals on the hottest brands. Boasting over five million members and $22 million in funding, the company is one of the most reputable to be headquartered here in the Hub.
Add to that nimble online innovators like Nineteenth Amendment and Ministry of Supply, plus major brick-and-mortar brand names like Ball & Buck, and it’s difficult to deny that Boston is a rising star in the industry; a leader even, spearheading the next era in fashion.
Next time you assume our city’s entrepreneurial legacy is a story of MIT graduates and an army of coders, think again. Take a look at the brands fitted on your feet and remember: Boston’s startup legacy might not be what you think.
Passion for fashion? Satisfy your style craving at the Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Muesum’s first fashion exhibition Carla Fernández: The Barefoot Designer: A Passion for Radical Design and Community, on view now.
Frye Boosts image via Swipelife
