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Cult women’s footwear brand Frankie4 has expanded its presence in the US with a permanent store opening in Seattle, Washington, following a strong performance over the past two years from its first pop-up store in the country.
Founded in 2010 by Australian podiatrist Caroline McCulloch, Frankie4 has made inroads into global markets on the back of securing a niche market described by McCulloch as 'healthy fashion shoes'.
After taking the concept to the US with its first pop-up store at Bellevue Square shopping centre in greater Seattle, Frankie4 has made the move to establish a permanent retail presence in the city.
The move comes on the heels of Frankie4 securing wholesale partnerships with luxury US department store group Nordstrom and women’s apparel chain J.Jill.
Frankie4 products have been described by McCulloch as providing women with a healthier option to standard fashion shoes, and the brand has grown significantly on the back of celebrity endorsements.
Among the most recent is US music and talk-show star Kelly Clarkson who says wearing the brand's boots is like 'walking on clouds’.
The shoes have also been worn by the likes of Nina Dobrev, Jennifer Garner, Aubrey Plaza, Emma Roberts and Naomi Watts.
“Most women consider some kind of pain in their feet to be normal,” says Franki4’s group CEO Hilary McMillan.
“Heel pain (plantar fasciitis) is extremely common in women and can be debilitating. Frankie4 exists because living with painful feet is not 'normal' and making the change to good-for-you, supportive footwear is a simple solution for so many.
“Our footwear has helped hundreds of thousands of women, and we look forward to helping many more women in our flagship US store."
Frankie4's new Seattle store comprises 171sqm of retail space and includes curated coffee table books by renowned Australian photographer Karen Rosenlund.
The company says the clean, modern interior combined with live plants and greenery is part of the brand's design concept globally aimed at inspiring the notion of wellness.
"We spend a lot of time educating our team on the materials we use, why we use them, what are common foot pathologies that women will come into store with, and how our shoes can really change a woman's life,” McMillan says.
Frankie4 currently has 10 stores in Australia and opened the pop-up store in Seattle in January last year, marking the company’s first move into the US.
The company also has a strong online retail presence, boasting more than 100,000 five-star reviews.
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