FoamLife, a sustainability-focused footwear brand, is making its first foray into the Australian and New Zealand markets through an alignment with the Gold Coast-based Stokehouse.
FoamLife is an open-toe footwear brand founded in 2020 by a collective of creators and athletes.
Stokehouse, the owner of the Vissla and Sisstrevolution brands, has been working with FoamLife for the past two years and will manage the distribution of the brand in the Australian and New Zealand markets.
The existing Vissla and Sisstr sales team will be on the road with FoamLife as part of the Summer 2024 pre-book season.
Both Stokehouse and FoamLife are independent, rider-owned businesses focussed on creating sustainable products.
The FoamLife offer covers both mens and womens thongs and sliders, with retail price points ranging from AU$45 to AU$70. All product is made with eco-conscious materials and comes in 100% plastic-free packaging.
FoamLife founding partner Timo Mullen said the brand is a product of the founders’ mantra … to ‘live less ordinary’.
“FoamLife was born in 2020, but I think if we look back on our lives, both professionally and in the sports we enjoy, FoamLife probably started over 40 years ago,” said Timo.
“My co-founder Karl Read and I have grown up with an affinity for the ocean and enjoying the sports and lifestyle that surrounds it. My father owned one of the first surf and watersports shops in Ireland and Karl grew up as part of the underground surf scene on the South Coast of England.
“Our love of surfing and the ocean led us to study at the same University in Plymouth, right bang in the south-west of England and beside some of the best surf beaches in Europe. I studied Maritime Law and Karl studied design. We both eventually ended up working together for one of the biggest surf brands in Europe for over 15 years helping to take it to a turnover of over $70 million, with myself looking after sales and Karl heading up design and production.”
Timo said the pair were conscious of the ocean environment and felt there was insufficient focus on sustainability in the thong/flip flop/sandal category within the surf channel.
“We could find nothing on the market that ticked all the boxes and we believed there was demand and a gap in the market for a new brand.” He said.
“FoamLife was created to bring something new and fresh to the footwear industry, with a clear focus on sustainability and comfort, mixed with simple styling for a modern consumer that lives and breathes a beach lifestyle.
“Whether you are a surfer, windsurfer, kite surfer, SUP, sea swimmer, or just enjoy the van life, we wanted a brand that encapsulates it all and that’s essentially how FoamLife was born.”
In-store presentation options for FoamLife include a point-of-sale stand, which is also made from sustainable materials.
“We also try to carry over best-selling styles and colours for continuity in the range as it builds a following for key styles and stops needless discounting on end of season lines,” said Timo. “We do not discount our product. Our website is a showcase for our brand and we price our products to be competitive in the market without the need for discounting.”
Among the key marketing stories for 2024 is FoamLife’s ‘Earth Series’ line.
“Each season we strive to increase our sustainability credentials as best we can,” said Timo.
“Last year we introduced a sugar cane-derived foam to the range and for 2024 we have:
- Incorporated the sugar cane further into more sustainable materials on the uppers of our flip flops and sliders;
- Added a plant-based vegan bio-leather material to the range which will form part of our ‘Earth Series’ range;
- Further increased our hemp options;
- Included RPET webbing on the toe posts and use recycled polyester and thread in the lining of the padded strap for the majority of our range.”
Contact your Stokehouse sales rep for more information:
West Australia: Rob Goyen: rob@bobbyg.net.au
Vic/SA/TAS: Matt Drape: matt@evolveagency.com.au
NSW: Justin McMahon: nxtlevelagencies@gmail.com
QLD: Joel McCabe: joel@inspiredyouth.com.au
NZ: Troy Riley: troy@lor.co.nz
