FRANKiE4 footwear
FRANKiE4 footwear has been selected as an ABA100® Winner for Product Innovation in The Australian Brand Awards 2021. The Australian Brand Award for Product Innovation [PIA] recognises innovative products that offer a point of difference from their competitors.
“I’m very grateful and proud of FRANKiE4 being recognised for our innovative product designs in The Australian Brand Awards (Product Innovation) for 2021. My dream was to give women footwear options that were good for the sole, in fashionable styles they would love. As a Podiatrist, it was often a frustration not to be able to satisfy patients’ and customers’ footwear needs. Back in 2010, when I started first prototypes, I was hopeful that if I could make my footwear designs a reality, under the feet and available to all women, then I could help alleviate, cure or prevent foot pain for many more women. Ten years of FRANKiE4 on the market, and during this time our range has evolved and expanded. This is thanks to—not only the incredible team behind our brand—but also the overwhelming support from the thousands of women across the world who wear our footwear. Our customer reviews and this award recognition reassures me that we are changing the way women experience footwear.”
FRANKiE4 footwear is an innovative fashion label changing the way women experience shoes. Their mission is to take wellness to the next level with award-winning, Podiatrist-designed support for strategic cushioning and style in every step. FRANKiE4 footwear is taking women further by empowering them with the confidence that comes with comfort and style at home, work and play.
Before FRANKiE4 footwear, women used to have to compromise on comfort for the sake of fashion. All that changed in 2011, when Podiatrist duo Caroline and Alan McCulloch founded the brand with a collection of three styles after experiencing the gap in the market for fashionable footwear that complemented Podiatric therapy. A pioneer of innovation, the brand has since reinvented sneakers, flats, slides, boots, and even heels, to create a unique range of shoes that feel as luxurious as they look.
FRANKiE4 footwear is the modern alternative to the comfort shoe. Designed with high quality leathers, the exterior silhouettes of their shoes are streamlined and stylish, while their interiors feature insoles that cradle the heel, support arches and cushion the feet. These insoles are set atop Podiatrist-designed moulded soles to create a layered support and cushion system that aims to enhance lower limb alignment, create soft support and deflect pressure from areas prone to pain. Crafted by Caroline and the brand’s all woman design team with body mechanics in mind, their styles aim to alleviate and prevent forefoot, arch and heel pain caused by plantar fasciitis—a condition that accounts for up to 15% of foot-related doctors’ appointments.
FRANKiE4 footwear is designed to help meet every woman’s needs by providing exceptional comfort and a customisable fit in the majority of their styles. This is achieved with their suite of Podiatrist-designed innovations that includes their Sole Hero™ Footbed, Sole Hero™ High Heel Footbed, Sole Saver Pack™, Custom Control™ Pack, Podiatrist-designed moulded soles and gel forefoot cushions. FRANKiE4 footwear source modern technological materials like injected phylon for extra bounce; rubber treads for durability and improved traction; and polyurethane for recovery and shock absorption. They have also invented a unique tread that is sandblasted to increase traction.
FRANKiE4 footwear offers a tailored fitting experience both instore and online. Every member of their customer care team spends time fitting real customers in stores, stays up-to-date with training on Podiatrist-designed innovations and learns about foot conditions in order to help customers find the right fit for their feet and style.
FRANKiE4 footwear is committed to working towards a more sustainable future. Shoe packaging is made from recycled materials and is recyclable. Paper, cartons, cardboard and plastic are recycled at their factory and at FRANKiE4 footwear’s headquarters in Australia. Their supplier reuses sample trims and melts them down to make new trims, while excess leathers are collected and repurposed as lower-grade leather. FRANKiE4 footwear are members of the Leather Working Group and only use gold and silver rated leathers from certified tanneries.
They are also collaborating with sustainable initiative Save Our Soles to recycle unwanted customer shoes and footbeds into springy mats for playgrounds and gyms, thereby continuing their work to improve the health of the foot and lower limbs.
FRANKiE4 footwear has worked closely with their responsible supply partners for over a decade to ensure compliance with mandatory standards and regulations. FRANKiE4 footwear’s supplier does not use child labour, pays workers fairly and complies with local labour laws on salary benefits, working hours, conditions and insurances. SMETA audits are also carried out annually at their factory by SEDEX.
FRANKiE4 footwear invites customers to express their satisfaction with their range through verified buyer reviews that are posted transparently to their website and displayed on every product page. Since 2011, FRANKiE4 footwear has received over 64,273 verified buyer reviews with an average 85.9% five-star rating. 55.7% of their five-star reviews are from women with foot conditions (this includes plantar fasciitis, bunions, arthritis, flat feet, over pronation and post-surgery recovery). 23.54% of the five-star reviews are from women with plantar fasciitis or heel pain.
FRANKiE4 footwear currently have over 202K followers on Instagram and over 151K on Facebook. They also have over 168 stockists in Australia and 32 in New Zealand—as well as four concept stores in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne—and an online store in Australia. They are currently in the process of building their fifth store in Seattle, United States. The brand opened bespoke online stores in the United States and New Zealand to expand their reach and potential to improve the lives of more women around the world in April, 2021.