U P C L O S E C O M F O RT
Tread Labs’ Million-Mile Premise Chaco founder’s insole company plays the long game.
MARK PAIGEN ALREADY knocked it out of the park once in the shoe biz as the founder of Chaco. The sport sandal brand, launched in 1989, went on to carve out a successful niche with watersport enthusiasts who swore by its now iconic Z/1 sandal featuring an adjustable pull-through strap design for a customized and secure fit along with a contoured arch footbed for all-day comfort. When Paigen sold the brand to Wolverine Worldwide in 2009 he thought his shoe dog years were behind him. But after some much-needed time off, he decided “even paradise gets boring” and, in 2012, launched Osmium, a U.S.-made men’s clothing line. A couple of years later, after his non-compete agreement in footwear ended, the lure of the shoe industry called again. “The pullback towards footwear surprised me and became irresistible,” Paigen says, who first developed a line of leather boots and shoes to compliment Osmium clothing. “The insoles I came up with for the line were more innovative and compelling than the footwear or the clothing, so I left both behind to develop the insole concept that became Tread Labs.” Paigen is an inventor at heart. That’s what 46 footwearplusmagazine.com • august 2021
and-fit comfort and outdoor specialty dealers. “The he loved about Chaco: fitting process is not complicated and provides a innovation that created great opportunity for store staff to develop trust utility, and he believed with customers,” Paigen says, adding that it’s a he’s struck gold again with substantial upsell opportunity. “Because Tread Labs Tread Labs insoles that margins start at 60 percent, a sizeable portion of feature a unique two-part that add-on sale goes directly to the bottom line.” molded construction with To reach wholesalers, Paigen says Tread Labs has interchangeable, replacerecently hired the UBER Group as its rep agency able top covers and are and will be launching a new B2B ecommerce website built to last 1 million soon as it would like to see the channel become 15 miles. The molded arch Margins on percent of total sales by year’s end. supports are guaranteed the Ramble As for potential consumers, Paigen says it’s a “forever,” while the top collection diverse audience, but the target is quite specific. “She covers can be replaced (SRP: $55) start at 60 is a 48-year-old trail runner whose athletic pursuits to make insoles like new percent. are as important as her career. She runs four to five again, which is better for times a week and loves being in nature. Plantar the wallet and the planet, fasciitis has sidelined her in the past and keeping Paigen says. Available in her feet healthy is as important to her as covering four arch heights (low, medium, high and extra ground. Distance is her grail, and she knows that high), the entry-level Ramble retails for $55, while Tread Labs can add miles to her day…She’s tried the best-selling Pace is firmer and retails for $65. many brands of insoles and has been fitted with The high-end Dash model (SRP $105) features expensive custom orthotics in the past. She’s not 100 percent carbon fiber arch supports that are afraid to spend on gear if it truly makes a difference uber-light and nearly rigid. “When insoles fit but loves to get value.” precisely, comfort, pain relief and As for the trail ahead for Tread performance are enhanced,” Paigen Labs, Paigen, once a shoemaker, is says. “They offer a level of support always a shoemaker. He’s currently unmatched in over-the-counter in the wear testing phase of a new insole products.” sandal concept—a process delayed Tread Labs launched on April by the pandemic but one that won’t Fool’s Day of 2016. Following a be denied. “I cannot escape the scrappy start, it gained traction in world of sandals,” he says. “I can’t 2018 and, last year, scored a big jump resist the pull to create another in sales that has only picked up in sandal icon. Chaco Z/1 is a strong 2021 as Tread labs is on a pace to seller to this day, and it’s the part double those sales. “We feel pretty of my career that I’m most proud solid about our DTC channel, and Mark Paigen, CEO, Tread Labs of.” The goal is to introduce a new now the challenge is developing our sandal icon that’s different from Chaco yet equally wholesale business,” Paigen says. compelling and attractive. “It’s been a super fun To this end, Tread Labs is targeting specialty puzzle to solve,” Paigen says. “I hope I’ve learned retailers with educated staffs that can tell the brand’s a few things in the 30 years since I developed the story and help customers find the right insole for Chaco Z/1.” —Greg Dutter their needs. Those primarily involve running, sit-
