Fini Shoes is a new sneaker brand that uses zippers to create modular footwear that is classic and versatile. The brand is the brainchild of Dami Adepoju, a hardworking Clarkson University graduate from Abuja, Nigeria.

“When you buy Nike, adidas, or Jordan, you always get the same style, one style — there’s no creativity. I want to bring creativity to the footwear industry,” Adepoju, founder of Fini Shoes told WearTesters. “With this one shoe you can customize it and truly make your shoes you.”

Fini Shoes offers a really interesting concept: buy one pair of shoes and get five different looks. The shoes come in a big box with different accessories that modify the shoe in different ways. Need something formal for an event? Zip on the laced hightop accessory. Chilling at home and need something comfortable? Fini sells a faux fur attachment, simply zip it on. Want something a bit more supportive to skate in? Zip on the included midtop attachment.

This idea came to Dami when he got to Clarkson University. “It’s in upstate New York, cold as s***. When I went back to Jamaica, I needed like ten pairs of shoes for the trip because it was flip-flops there but boots in New York. I needed something that I could take apart and make into different shoes.” So, he created his own concept, and developed it with the help of Clarkson’s Shipley Center for Innovation. After several prototypes didn’t make the cut, Dami finally created one that worked. Then, he got to work on the brand.

“I’m not going to lie to you, it’s very tough to build your own footwear brand in 2018,” Adepoju told WearTesters in an exclusive interview. Nike and adidas hold the patents for so many technologies, and working with factories overseas is difficult if you aren’t in China. Oh, and it’s far more costly than you might think. Building Fini Shoes has been an uphill battle, and one that keeps its founder working 24-7.

“I did it because I wanted to do it — and it took me a lot of time to get where I am today,” said Adepoju. “What makes me me is that I’m always pushing myself. If I want to do something I go after it — you can’t give up. There is no one way to do one thing, there are a million ways to do it. If you tell me I can’t do it I’ll find some other way.”

After a successful launch at NYFW 2018 that garnered tons of press attention, the brand has more coming. Expect a modular chunky dad shoe to hit market soon — and believe me, it doesn’t look like anything you’ve seen so far.

Fini Shoes offers four colorways — Snow, Panda, Panther, and Bread — for $129 each in unisex sizing. The classic style offers a fit that is true to size (make sure to get your correct size or the base shoe, without accessories, will be too big to wear comfortably) but for a 1:1 fit go down a half size.

You can check out this new brand at FiniShoes.com.

 

Images courtesy of Fini Shoes