INTERVIEW: JOHN BROTHERHOOD FROM FOOTPATROL
Rarely do the fruits of anyone’s labour end up in gaining a moniker such as ‘institution’; a word that suggests strength, respect and credibility, with the power to stick around whatever the weather.
Footpatrol is one of those deserved establishments that can genuinely trade as an institution, which is key to its relationship with a tight-knit community. With its unerring devotion to the culture, they’re only getting stronger on the journey, guided by the key currency of creativity and the fine-tuned ability to listen to both the market and their customer.
Back in the day when where there were only a handful of independent streetwear stores operating, in a SOHO-centric subcultural streetwear community - The Hideout, Bape, Bond International - Footpatrol as the brainchild of Michael Koppelman and Fraser Cooke, both industry luminaries, would be the store that commanded and borderline invented 'the queue’. This is now an omnipresent and almost universally accepted means to ‘copping’ the latest drop, seen regularly across central London as aficionados and fans get in the line to make certain of their access to the latest ltd edition and collaborative 'kicks n garms' from across the world.
I shared some time with John Brotherhood, Brand Manager and Head of buying & operations at Footpatrol to discuss creativity, the importance of being earnest, and listening to and stimulating the minds of your community, as we look to unearth what the key is to true staying power in a notoriously transient retail game and most importantly, where the future lies /
Soho has always been a subcultural hotbed via its no-holds-barred ability and willingness to welcome anything and anyone to its grid; would you say that the initial set up of Footpatrol, being led and guided by arguably two of the most important people in the subcultural game in Fraser Cooke and Michael Koppelman, has led to what we see now ? What they recognised and acknowledged is arguably what has made Soho what it is now… do you agree?
Fraser Cooke and Michael Kopelman amongst many others played a huge role in how Soho developed into what is arguably one of the most important and culturally diverse areas in London. Making the decision to open Footpatrol together, kickstarted the scene we know today. Without them, I don't believe it would have evolved into what we see now. At the time, there were only a handful of independent streetwear stores operating; Hideout, bape, Bond International. Similarly, across the pond, Alife opened up pretty much at the same time and we were just beginning to see the start of what we have today. When it comes to subcultures and influences, Soho has always been at the heart of it.
Following on from Acid house and Junior Boy’s Own and Duffer etc., there was no place quite like Soho. You would get your haircut in Cuts and look to Duffer or Hit and Run for imported streetwear; was this a factor in making the decision to open in Soho in the original identity of Footpatrol? Whilst everything seemed to move to East London, you as a business stood firm…
Duffer was just outside Soho in Covent Garden but was definitely on the checklist of stores. We wanted to stay in Soho, as we felt it's where we belonged. Granted, there was a period where retail and stores like Footpatrol went through a tough patch and ultimately, we closed for a short period, but once we'd decided the time was right to reopen, we wanted to stay close as possible to the original store. Our location plays a massive part in the identity of our brand. There’s a load of movement and culture in East London but for us, Soho is where we were born and bred.
Arguably you were, in your original inception, the precursor to the myriad of stores that have built their business around trainers and drop / ltd edition culture? In this aforementioned culture of ltd editions and drops you were certainly one of the first; was this intentional as a business model? Did you follow the model of bringing in what people could not initially access as a foundation to build into what you are now?
When Michael and Fraser first came up with the concept, they focused on offering a limited selection of sneakers from only a handful of brands - Nike, adidas and Vans, specialising in limited edition imports and products you couldn't find anywhere else. Hideout was the same - Supreme, Original Fake, Good Enough, Head Porter etc., none of which were easily accessible at the time. Back then, footwear brands weren't focusing on limited edition products, and it was only when stores like Footpatrol identified a market for it, brands like adidas began to take note. The consortium programme was one of the first top-level distribution models creates for footwear. As with anything that generates interest, the brands began to ramp up, from launching only a handful of products a month to the multiple weekly launches that we have today. We needed to evolve, so moving to a bigger space allowed us to offer a wider selection and ultimately keep up with the pace of the brands and consumers’ appetite.
Your respect for the sneaker culture and industry is clearly seen via your stalwart attitude to not really diversifying away from what has now made you a major player in a side of the industry that is notoriously governed by the need to be perceived as genuine and with integrity. What allows you to maintain this coveted position and how, for so long, have you managed to sustain a reputation? Is it your policy of hiring revered people as well as your buying power and powerful status?
We don’t see ourselves as having a big powerful status in the industry; however, we realise that we play an important role in its existence, and for this, we are always grateful as it brings opportunities and product access that is not easy to obtain. With this comes an obligation to create an environment which should feel welcoming to everyone, no matter who you are. Our teams are an important part of that environment and experience.
As the years rolled on, the drop culture arrived and the collaborative culture became hegemonic in the sportswear and trainer industry; how did you manage and control, or alternatively accept and fit in with this change in the way people consumed?
As a business, we have had to evolve with the current market, and unfortunately gone are the days of orderly queues. Over time we have had to adapt to fit into the digitally led world we're now living in and it's not been easy, as it changes so rapidly. Despite this, we'd like to think that however things change, we’d like to try and have fun with what we do at the same time.
The digital age, from forums like crooked tongues to hype sites like Slamxhype / hypebeast etc., made bricks and mortar difficult as it demanded more and wanted everything NOW. This was directed at a new consumer - a digital consumer. How were you able to accommodate/attract and maintain these people; was it relationships with customers or brands that allowed it; who did you put first ?
Footpatrol was niche but deeply ingrained in the community that resided within those sites and forums. Come 2010 when we reopened, we reconnected with those same people to inform and educate them on our intentions to remain true to the ethos of the original store. When the forums evolved into the faster-paced world of social media, we also adapted to not only stay connected with our community, but also to reach out to inform new consumers. As with the digital shift, we also saw a generational shift, so it was important to keep, and start new relationships by adapting with the consumer.
Brands and consumers go hand in hand as one drives the other. We work closely with all brands to help them shape the direction of the products that are released. By feeding back on consumer appetite, buying habits and supply versus demand, we've become a bridge between the two. These relationships are as important as any other, as ultimately, we do what’s right for our consumers. It's also important to nurture these relationships so we can work on releasing exclusive collaborative products which ultimately is what we love the most. With all of this, we'd like to think that our attention to detail on product and the care we have for our customer rings true whatever the platform. But let's not forget that in the ever-evolving data-heavy world, bricks and mortar is the only true way to connect with our community.
The key to success in most industries now is to focus on the product first and foremost yet widen appeal via appreciation of the lifestyle that is led by your audience. As a partner and wholesaler to key brands, what lengths did Footpatrol go to ensure you were able to offer partners a credible outlet and identify with and provide something special to your customers in the advent of a busy marketplace?
We don't generally get drawn in or attracted by the overly forced lifestyle faux pas. As we cater for such a wide breadth of consumers with many different backgrounds, we don't try too hard and don't expect or try and force our customers to fit into or follow any either. We are just nice people doing a job we love, creating product we like, which hopefully resonates with our customers in an authentic way.
Within the industry that Footpatrol is a key and long-standing brand and trusted member of, and has been for many years, ‘community’ is arguably the key to your success and equally the most craved attribute to any brand; how did you create and sustain this network?
Our community is massively important to us. I think the most important factor to sustain a credible connection with them is respect. We don't make our consumers jump through hoops to be part of the Footpatrol family. We didn't make the sneaker community; it was there before us and will be there after us. All we can do to help it grow is listen to our community's needs, which in turn helps us shape our output, ultimately with them in mind.
Within the streetwear/sneaker subculture, there are always surrounding elements at play that feed into the zeitgeist and a key part of that is music. From the outside, your relationship to music over the years is clear and expressed and now more recently your Frequent Players platform seems to be ever-expanding on that side of things. What role does music play for you and how do you perceive expanding on that narrative between you, the brand, and the community, historically and going forward?
Working as part of a team brings together many genres of music, so it’s an important element in our stores, and can make or break the atmosphere. Frequent Players was introduced as a way of getting out the kind of music we’re into, and frequently play in the store. It’s a good way to bring our community together as music means something different to everyone and for us, we felt it has always been a key piece of the culture.
Most brands today have some form of musical endorsement, Kanye being the most notable. It’s a big deal for brands and really can make or break a product. The challenge is to partner up with the right one, and to get it right, then it can be extremely lucrative!
Continuing to discuss the surrounding elements that feed into the creative output of Foot Patrol, what other elements are key to the brand which help inform anything from marketing to co-labs, to the way in which you operate from HQ to online to shop floor level?
Unity - as a team we span a wide spectrum of age, experience, and influence. Harnessing this can help us focus our outputs. No matter what the project, everyone’s opinions and feedback are taken on board. By doing this, it helps us maintain an open forum and really can inspire and guide us to think in ways we wouldn’t normally.
Tribe mentality and community are often intertwined in these focused pockets of subculture that warrant a high level of knowledge, and a defined approach to how people express themselves through what they wear and how they talk. What often keeps them together is loyalty and passion. A lot of your core team have worked together for an extended period of time and have developed together as the business has grown; what have been the key traits, tools or like-minded approaches that have led to its success?
BALANCE - there were 3 people in the business when we reopened, and within 10 years, it's now grown to a team of 30+ people. None of us are the same person and we have all grown along the way, some of us have different opinions on different things but that’s what helps, it’s all about balance.
Looking to the future as the digital landscape evolves at a rapid rate and product releases and co-lab project frequencies increase, what do you value most in a co-lab project? How do you define what is the best way to communicate it and who do you think are some of the most exciting partners to work with?
We are a lucky position to be able to have fun with the product we love, it's a great way for us to try something different and tell a story via product. There is always a digital side with the campaigns but it's always fun that we get to do something physical for customers to take away and own. Every collab has a different story to tell and each one is unique with their own highlights. We try to make sure that in the end, our customers are going to want to see it and want to buy it, but to also tell those stories with authenticity as each relationship between the brands is different.
All brands are different and varied in the way we are able to work with them. We have the most fun when there are little constraints. It’s pretty easy to colour up and an existing product but being able to take that product and do something that’s never been done, that’s where the real excitement begins.
Your recent expansion, after 9 years of being only Soho based since managing the brand, saw a welcome addition to the pan-European sneaker scene and a sign of strength to the top tier of global sneaker culture that seems to go from strength to strength as other parts of the market diminish. What was the decision behind Paris as the first step outside of the UK? How has the first year of local integration with the community been achieved there? What future plans can you disclose that might involve replicating this model in different territories?
Paris is the biggest fashion city that is comparable to London, and one of the closest cities to our hearts. As for the integration, we brought in Clement from Black Rainbow who has been a close friend of mine and Jimmy’s for 4 years prior to the opening of the store. He was the natural choice for us to ask if he would like to run the store. You need to be able to trust someone to look after your baby and Clement has nurtured that baby into what it is today. He is working with a great team of local guys to make sure we make the right impression with the city and we are connecting in the most authentic way with our community. Future plans though, you’ll have to wait and see.
As a means to sign off, in true music fashion, and whenever you get a chance to jump on the mic, are there any special shout outs you want to give; who may have had the greatest impact on helping develop the brand in the last nine years?
We would like to thank and shout out all those who have ever passed through our doors, supported, and shopped with us over the last 9 years. It’s this steadfast community that drives us to do what we do! Without the support and encouragement, we certainly wouldn't be here today! Thank you.
