BOA Technology – the “GORE-TEX” of Footwear and much more…
Dave’s Post-interview Analysis:
I was eager to speak with Mark Soderberg about how Boa went about replacing shoe laces, first on snowboard boots, now on performance footwear for golf, cycling, and more… including prosthetic limbs – awesome!
OK, here’s a really interesting part of the conversation. Think about GORE-TEX™ – how that brand became more important to the customer than the “host brand” (Columbia, North Face, etc). You might think that’s great for GORE-TEX™ – but the host brands aren’t so keen about being of secondary value. BOA has that opportunity/challenge too. Imaging how a snowboard boot brand using a Boa closure might feel about a customer asking for a “Boa boot.” This very tricky balance is discussed in my interview with Mark.