John Fluevog Shoes

A show by John Fluevog isn't just a shoe, it's a style and an emotion. Learn more about the brand that was voted as one of the most innovative fashion company on WatchMojo.

John Fluevog Shoes John Fluevog: I like putting my messages on the shoes and my stories. The message actually probably last longer maybe than the shoes do. Mihaela Coman: These shoes getting notice for their unique soles. Hi, I’m Mihaela Coman with watchmojo.com. And today we’ll be speaking with John Fluevog. John Fluevog: Fluevog’s is -- it like -- it means a lots of different things. It’s the shoe, it’s the style, it’s a feeling and it’s an emotion. So it’s all of those things as I adjust to shoe I think. Mihaela Coman: And what type of person would you say wears the shoes? John Fluevog: Mostly the thinking people or artistic people, maybe they’re in graphic cards, maybe they’re in education even, entertainment industry. But really everything you can be a secretary and be into Fluevogs and wear them. If you wear them you’ll get compliments. You’ll get people noticing you, yeah for sure. Mihaela Coman: In your opinion, what are shoes to an outfit? John Fluevog: Shoes are the outfit, come on. You start with the shoes and anything you build the open around them. Why go the other way around? That’s like so lame. Mihaela Coman: So you’ve recently been named one of the top ten most innovative fashion companies in the world. How did you do that in a field that is ever changing? John Fluevog: If I really knew that, I’d be a lot smarter. I think we as people and as individuals are very powerful. We have our own ideas our very good ideas. In order to stay on top of things, I’ve just learned to be more in myself. Mihaela Coman: Have you always been a shoe designer? John Fluevog: This is my 40th year of being in business. I started up being a retailer and then part working my career, I began to move into design and then to the original things. I went through a time when in the -- probably the mid ‘80s when I’ve got into sort of alternative kind of punk styles and you’d go -- I go to Europe or go to Italy and you just couldn’t find anything like that. So I started to do my own, look on my own feeling that. And I think as well it was to be able to stay in business, just chasing fashion is like trying to catch a soap in the bathtub you know you can snap or catch it because when you catch it it’s gone. So I like the idea of being a little further ahead and thinking further ahead now. Mihaela Coman: So when you design your shoes, what is more important, the look or the comfort level? John Fluevog: I have to admit, it’s more the -- for me, I start with the look. Yeah, and then I’m kind of comfortable. I’m also -- we want my footwear to be repairable and reusable. I have new soles, I have new heel lifts. I have parts and pieces so you can keep them going. Mihaela Coman: I heard that in order to work for you, the person has to believe in their heart and soul that you are the handsomest man alive, is that true? John Fluevog: Absolutely. It’s that little facts they have to check off. Mihaela Coman: Wow. John Fluevog: No, that’s just a story. No. But if I think it is good huh, I think the most important thing to me in my business is to have a good energy around me and good people. If I see people saying bad things about somebody else or backbiting in my office or negative things happening, unloving things, I stop it. It’s very important to me. Mihaela Coman: Well thank you very much. It was a pleasure speaking with you. John Fluevog: It’s been great, thank you.