Since their cover turn on FN’s Emerging Talent special issue, Adam Goldston and Ryan Goldston, the 28 year-old Co-Founders of Athletic Propulsion Labs®, based in Los Angeles, CA have been on one serious sneaker roll. And now comes news that they have been named to Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2016 in the Retail & Ecommerce category. Fellow footwear designer (and cover subject) Sarah Flint made the cut last year.
The list highlights entrepreneurial bright lights from various industries and looks for game-changers or disruptors who are having a noticeable impact on their respective fields. The selection process reportedly included thousands of names, which were whittled down by Forbes editors and guest judges.
“This definitely was a great was to start off the year,” Ryan tells FN over the phone from California. But that’s not all the brothers are celebrating. While accolades and press clout are important (Kardashian shout-outs don’t hurt either), they recognize that it’s the sales floor and retailer feedback that matter most in the hyper-competitive athletic market.
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“Our holiday collection has been huge for us,” he says. “We went from three doors at Intermix to all doors. And we’ve done amazing at Nordstrom and Revolve, selling out of a number of our styles in just a couple of weeks. These are just some of our results.”
The performance brand, which places an emphasis on unique upper treatments such as knitted metallics and a technologically-advanced Load N’ Launch® Propelium sole that claims to instantly increase vertical leap, continues to grown with key fashion retailers and gain new accounts such as Barney’s New York and Lane Crawford. It’s a sign that consumer habits are changing and people no longer believe they need to go to a sneaker speciality store in order to get a solid shoe. Plus, the same customer who wants, say, the latest Pierre Hardy pump, appreciates the convenience of picking up APL‘s Techloom Pro sneaker in one felt swoop.
Indeed, as fashion’s athleisure love affair sees no signs of dwindling, there is increased cred with wearing a shoe that is unique and (for now, at least) not as ubiquitous as APL’s much larger competitors. So, as everybody goes full-throttle with those new years resolutions, the Goldstons intend to be the discerning sportsman and woman’s star trainer. With that, check out their newest running shoe launch for men and women, the Prism, featuring 360 reflective touches, which bows tomorrow.
