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Selling happiness, not shoes.
Deckers X Lab is an experiment in feeling good from the ground up. Well, that’s what today’s guest would say anyway. He’s the former CEO of Salomon, the Founder of Hoka One One, and the creator of this workshop of ideas called the Deckers X Lab. Now, as part of the Decker’s family, the X Lab develops innovations in comfort for its label, with its sights set on feeling good from foot to head. That went on purpose. The lab doesn’t keep its best ideas to itself, though. What happens in the lab also influences product development for its cousins like UGG, Hoka, Sanuk, and Teva. The X Lab is on the heel of some of its biggest launches, having just released some of the most genre-bending footwear designs the industry has ever seen, let alone in this decade. It’s with utmost excitement that today, on The Crux, we are excited to introduce Jean-Luc Diard. Hope you enjoy today’s show.
Key Points From This Episode:
- An introduction to Jean-Luc Diard and Deckers X Lab
- Jean-Luc on whether it’s the brands or innovation that comes first
- Their focus on looking beyond footwear and considering multiple different perspectives
- Hear about the thread that runs through all the Deckers brands: continuous evolution
- The innovation that went into Hoka; ushered in a new era of lightweight running shoes
- Selling shoes versus selling well-being to make consumers and shareholders smile
- Jean-Luc shares some insight into some of the projects he is excited about right now
- His drive to help people enjoy the activities they already do and discover new ones
- Improving not just consumer performance but experience too
- The importance of considering both elite athletes and the masses
- Some of the future innovations that Jean-Luc predicts in the footwear industry
- Jean-Luc shares the crux of his life: becoming aware of his limitations as an entrepreneur
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Jean-Luc Diard on LinkedIn Deckers X Lab Hoka One One Salomon Robert Reedy Kyle Duford The Crux Podcast
Previous Episode: Simon Mottram of Rapha
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