As a discipline, fashion has had a long history of taking product that has a functional sportswear purpose and reinventing it to create the product that consumers require. Before the Second World War, men, on the whole, wore well-constructed sandals primarily in the summer time- at the beach. Dressing casually at this time might have consisted of removing one's jacket or rolling up one's sleeves. Specific sandals on the other hand, catered to leisure activities.
In modern times however fashion became the realm of the younger person and subcultures proliferated, each with its own look. Today' sandals seem to be trans-seasonal, with the consumer expecting to wear a garment for more than 6 months out of the year. Quality and longevity therefore have to be built in, and fashion cannot be as trend-led as we would like it to be. Modern style is primarily about detail, the fit and the materials. It most certainly can be tribal- exclusive. Today, the consumer is nothing if not a discerning one.
Another key aspect of designing sandals and footwear is drawing on technology of the brand in question. Within the parameters that define sandals, I say, ' there is so much scope for reinventing and reinterpreting what we have grown accustomed to over the years. On the theme of more general research, it is important to be artistically inspired while also placing importance on a particular market.
For forward-thinking brands, it is important to research an area that appeals to you. I believe that a brands inspiration forward is closely bound to their character. This is the one constant theme they have to offer and if they can identify and work with this progression, it will shape them into a force to be reckoned with for years to come.
Known for this signature bottle-opening Fanning sandals, REEF has mastered the art of blending both novelty and comfort to create standout styles that have staying power. REEF’s product innovation centers around fit, cushion and quality. In fact, the brand’s Cushion Bounce technology featured in some of their bestselling styles for both men and women is comprised of a high energy rebound footbed that provides a literal bounce in every step, plus anatomical arch support, heal cupping and a high-density rubber sponge outsole.
The fall 2019 product slate includes some exciting offerings include the Matey, a namesake surf loafer of the brand’s longtime Vice President of Marketing, Mike Matey, and the Heritage collection, updated versions of some of the REEF’s oldest styles. The Matey launches this August and pays homage to the surf lifestyle through a loafer style that easily slips on with a fold down heel, plus a cork topped, Cushion Bounce footbed and premium hemp fabric. The shoe was designed for the beach-loving dad that needs comfort and convenience, much like Mike Matey himself. The Heritage collection, launching in October, features multiple nostalgic styles, including the Original Stripe – the first sandal created by Reef in 1984. The updated style features a webbing strap made with 100% recycled plastic bottles. The Smoothy, a popular REEF flip flop from the 90’s with a super soft colorful webbing strap, will also be re-released as part of the collection.
This season, delivers a product assortment of stylish, fun and kitschy sandals. REEF is committed to ensuring everyone has fun on the beach by making it a safe, clean place by giving back in major ways. Last year they started a partnership with the Surfrider Foundation called the Better Beach Alliance in an effort to clean up the world’s beaches…because you can’t beach freely if the beaches are dirty. They are also innovating in the product space with sustainable sandal options, made from recycled materials.
The brand wants to educate consumers about the importance of the beach too. Through their work with stress expert, Dr. Heidi Hanna, REEF is researching the concept of what they call “Beach Brain” – the proven mental and physical health benefits that come from being at the beach. And if you can’t get to the sand, how to mimic the beach experience in your home or office to reap those same health benefits. The want to give everyone the freedom to express themselves too – REEF is petitioning Unicode, the governing body of emojis, to include a flip flop emoji to the keyboard (yes, there isn’t one!), because at the end of the day, the sandal is the ultimate symbol of the beach and summer freedom.
This month REEF launched their first-ever Pride collection, a line of shoes for men and women emblazoned with the movement’s trademark rainbow symbol in which 100% of the proceeds will benefit LGBTQ support organization, PFLAG. This initiative harkens back to the brand’s rallying cry for inclusivity, especially as it pertains to the accessibility and openness of the beach – where everyone is free. Their inclusive marketing efforts are also leading the charge among surf and beach brands.
REEF was founded in 1984 by two brothers from Argentina, Fernando and Santiago Aguerre, who wanted to share their love of surf travel and beach culture with the world. 35 years later, the Southern California-based footwear brand takes pride in encouraging people around the world to embrace the fun, freedom and spirit of the beach while living life by one simple rule: Beach Freely. This mantra has become a rallying cry for the brand and is embedded in the DNA of all that they do.
The brand’s ethos is best defined by their three main pillars – Product, Surf/Beach Culture and Impact. It’s through these lenses that REEF practices what it preaches. REEF puts product at the forefront of the brand with innovation, comfort and happiness in mind. All of their sandal and shoe styles are created to make you feel relaxed and free. Through the Surf/Beach Culture pillar, the brand stays true to their vision of the beach as an all-inclusive destination that celebrates diversity and accessibility. REEF views the beach as a destination for everyone and makes it their mission to spread this message. As a result, they have become a leader among beach and surf brands in embracing diversity in their marketing and ad campaigns, featuring people of all races, sizes and ethnicities to present the beach as a place accessible to all. It also informed their partnership with LGBTQ organization, PFLAG, in 2019, in which 100 percent of the proceeds of the brand’s first-ever Pride Pack, rainbow-inspired styles for men, women and children benefitted the organization and its efforts to unite parents, families, and allies with people the LGBTQ community.
Through the brand’s Better Beach Alliance partnership with the Surfrider Foundation, REEF has pledged to help preserve and restore beaches and oceans around the world so everyone has the opportunity to Beach Freely. In 2019 alone, internationally, REEF has helped remove 189,032 pounds of trash from the beach. Additionally, through the brand’s work with Urban Surf 4 Kids, they’ve introduced over 1,000 foster and at-risk kids to the beach for the first time in an effort to teach the positive benefits and healing properties of the ocean and the beach. The goal is to unite and empower the world under the umbrella of the beach and its amazing benefits, nurturing and protecting it along the way.
I recently had the privilege to speak with Mike Matey, Vice President of Marketing, REEF about REEF's competitive advantage in the industry, how technology aided in the development of the brand, both product make-up and e-commerce and why he believes you need to try this brand!
Joseph DeAcetis: Talk to Forbes about the history, launch date and DNA of your Reef brand? and your personal background?
Mike Matey: REEF was founded in 1984 by two brothers from Argentina, Fernando and Santiago Aguerre, who wanted to share their love for surf travel and beach culture with the world. They moved to San Diego, CA and created a high-quality sandal that could keep up with their active and fun lifestyle. Through an unrelenting focus on comfort, quality and fit (and of course great style), REEF has led the casual sandal category for 35 years. Authenticity, passion, irreverence and fun has been at the heart of the brand since the beginning and continues to drive us today. We are surfers and beach lovers at our core and this is reflected in everything we do in our quest to unite the world around the fun, freedom and spirit of the beach. There are lots of ways to feel free, but we have found the beach offers a sense of freedom you can’t find anywhere else, and that is what we stand for.
My personal background – I grew up going to the beach and surfing in Southern California, went to Journalism school in Missouri (and discovered humidity and freezing temperatures for the first time), moved to San Francisco to work in Advertising, then up to Seattle to work at Microsoft, then back to San Diego to join a digital music start-up company (and reconnect with my true passion for living at the beach), and continued to pursue my career in marketing, ultimately landing my dream job at REEF 5 years ago.
Joseph DeAcetis: In your words, what is your competitive advantage in the footwear market?
Mike Matey: REEF is a premium sandal brand that champions a beach state of mind by offering instant comfort through cushion, fit and quality. Instant comfort is our main competitive advantage. Our fit is the best, our comfort materials are the best, and there is never a “break-in” period with any of our products. From the minute you put your feet in our sandals and shoes, you are connected to a beach state of mind where freedom prevails.
Joseph DeAcetis: How do you intend to market to Millennial's (25-39yo) and Gen Z (up to 24yo) with advertising dollars?
Mike Matey: Organic and paid social media through our extensive network of surf ambassadors, influencers and advocates, strategic media partnerships, environmental and social cause initiatives, fun grass roots events (example: doing a beach pop-up in the middle of NYC), and an extensive retail distribution network is our approach to marketing to millennials and Gen Z.
Joseph DeAcetis: In your words, what are men seeking today in footwear sandals?
Mike Matey: First and foremost, men seek comfort in sandals (a functional mindset). Some prefer cushion comfort squishy soft footbeds, some prefer enhanced arch support, some are looking for leather sandals they can wear to work or dinner (when dress codes apply!). Some want to be the life of the party and crack open a beer with a bottle-opener sandal (which by the way is our all-time best seller). They expect their sandals to have good style, but they demand that they are comfortable.
Joseph DeAcetis: Talk to Forbes in detail about the current collection and why it is important for consumers to be aware of this brand?
Mike Matey: We’re an authentic surf/beach sandal brand with 35 years of rich heritage, and our range of men’s, women’s and kid’s sandals addresses every need or want a casual sandal consumer could have. With our latest collection, we’re most excited about our Cushion Bounce sandals. They are the perfect blend of squishy soft and support with energy-return benefits, come in a variety of styles (3-point straps and slides) for any occasion, and are priced perfectly for a great value. And this year, we have really stepped up our commitment to keeping our oceans and beaches clean through our partnership with the Surfrider Foundation. Together, we formed the Better Beach Alliance and it’s a movement that all consumers can join to help preserve our beaches for the future generations of beach lovers to enjoy. An authentic brand with a great product line that is helping to keep our oceans and beaches clean – that’s why consumers need to know about REEF.
Joseph DeAcetis: If you could choose one celebrity to wear your brand, who would it be and why?
Mike Matey: The original Dos Equis “Most Interesting Man in the World” – “I don’t always wear sandals, but when I do, I prefer…”
Joseph DeAcetis: Talk to Forbes about how technology aided you in the development of your brand both product make-up and e-commerce? Details please.
Mike Matey: When it comes to product, REEF has a strong history with product innovation in three consumer territories – fun, comfort, and sustainability. Our most famous “technology” is the patented bottle opener on the bottom of the Fanning sandal. TQT, or thirst-quenching technology, definitely captured the fun-loving spirit of our brand. Everyone loves a cold beverage on the beach, and you don’t always have that opener handy. This idea lead to many others, including a stash pocket in the heel of sandals for valuables, and even a flask for sneaking adult beverages into concerts or sporting events. In terms of comfort, REEF pioneered what our founders called the 3-point revolution, which described the radical evolution of the basic flip-flop in the 80s and 90s. We pioneered several manufacturing technologies to dramatically improve the fit of flip flops. REEF was the first to use an airbag in a sandal, and has always featured cutting edge performance foam compounds for the top decks and midsoles. Our sandals use anatomical bottom technologies typically associated with running or walking shoes, so they fit and feel amazing. As surfers and beach lovers we’re compelled to protect our natural environment. That passion has driven over a decade of research in sustainable product design, both in terms of renewable raw materials and end of life bio-degradation. We screen all of our materials against a restricted substance list to avoid any toxins like PVC and we’re proud to say REEF is 100% PVC free. By Spring 2020, 100% of our webbing straps will be made from recycled PET. Approximately 10% of our products feature a bio-degradability additive, which dramatically accelerates bio-degradation in an active landfill. We’re currently researching and developing renewable foam compounds that are carbon negative, and working on more sustainable packaging. Finally, we’re exploring additive manufacturing because it uses less material, creates less waste, and allows us to mold new shapes into midsoles that aren’t possible with traditional molds.
On the E-commerce front, we have a digital mindset and a mobile-first mentality at REEF and take advantage of best in class e-commerce platform solutions to help drive our business. We are constantly pushing the boundary of brand storytelling and transactional commerce on Reef.com to find the right balance. Both sides of the equation are super important.
Joseph DeAcetis: What are your day-to-day responsibilities?
Mike Matey: Leading a team of talented and passionate marketeers who drive deep and meaningful emotional connections with consumers around the globe to inspire them to “beach freely” in REEF sandals and shoes.
Joseph DeAcetis: Where is the product made and why?
Mike Matey: REEF’s products are manufactured in Southeast Asia, primarily Vietnam, China, and Cambodia. We make our products there because the majority of the best footwear factories are located in that region. This region has several advantages over other areas. They employ a highly skilled workforce and have an efficient infrastructure in place to support manufacturing high quality, high value footwear products. We have a non-negotiable code of conduct that all of our factory partners must adhere to. We believe that real progress is made when factory management understand that a leaner, greener, more empowered workplace results in a more successful business model for all.
Joseph DeAcetis: You have the floor: Talk to my viewers about why they should try this brand?
Mike Matey: The REEF brand is a gateway to feeling free. Our sandals and shoes are the vehicles. If your viewers want to feel free, they should try REEF.
Joseph DeAcetis: If Reef were a song, which would it be and why?
Mike Matey: “Rockaway Beach” by the Ramones. It’s about escaping the stress in life by going to the beach. We couldn’t agree more.
Joseph DeAcetis: What are your future projections and growth strategy for the next few years?
Mike Matey: We’re focused on high quality, long term sustainable growth, and we see opportunity in the marketplace to achieve that through knowing the consumer and aligning with their values, designing the best product, and partnering with great retailers.
