Reebok founder helps launch new sneaker brand, Arcane

Arcane footwear, the new sneaker brand on the block with a goal to disrupt and evolve the footwear industry has been backed by Reebok co-founder, Joe Foster.

The UK-based brand was founded by and named after Glasgow teenage genius, Arcane, who at the age of 16 has developed a game-changing range of patented, performance-enhancing, Experiential FootwearTM.

Having read ‘The Shoemaker’, the autobiography of Joe Foster, the co-founder of Reebok, 16-year-old Arcane was inspired by the story of a British family firm that grew into a global brand, and a hopeful message on LinkedIn in March 2021 was met with a swift response. Fast forward to December 2022, Joe has helped Arcane to refine his designs, offered his business expertise and market knowledge, and put him in talks with footwear manufacturers to licence his technology.

Joe states “This innovation is exactly what the industry, including Reebok, is desperate for. Arcane is young blood with a fresh perspective and an ability to see things in a way that no one has before.”

Arcane then got to work ensuring he established the supply chain to provide his technology as stand-alone components. This allows footwear companies to integrate Arcane’s Experiential FootwearTM technology into their products, building better and more customer-centric products. With this achievement, he has set his sights on attracting brands who are determined to be at the forefront of innovation.

Arcane says “The ‘80’s was filled with exciting gadgets, gizmos and a real thirst for newness. The Nike air bubble and Reebok pump are both great examples of past innovation in footwear, but there hasn’t been much development since then. Arcane is here to bring back that thirst for footwear development with a tech edge and I’m thrilled that we have been backed by someone like Joe Foster.”

Arcane calls his answer Experiential FootwearTM. Through control mechanisms, software-enabled surfaces and tactile interfaces, it’s creating new interactions and functionality in footwear.

By bringing intuitive touch to everyday footwear, each interaction becomes an extraordinary tactile experience. From mechanical systems and magnetic catches to capacitive sensing technology that can be deployed onto any surface or shape. It's all about the use of touch to control any kind of experience. As a result, Arcane footwear technology leads to game-changing comfort, performance, and safety.

Arcane footwear expects to have up to 60 commercially viable patents within the next 24 months, with a 50/50 split between utility patents and design patents, taking inspiration from the Nike Air bubble IP protection strategy - using design patent protection for sneaker vis-tech.

With a hunger for the development of next generation of footwear that has not been seen since the ‘80’s, Arcane footwear has the potential to be a real catalyst for change in the market. Arcane states that he wants to bring his technology inspired footwear to the masses and is excited by the potential for licensing partnerships with leading footwear businesses. Having benefitted from his partnership with Joe, The Shoemaker, young Arcane is hoping that Joe’s rich history in footwear design will soon have a need for a new chapter.