Written by Menswear Style in Interviews on the 21st February 2023

North 89 is a Stockholm based footwear brand, established in 2016 by Gustaf Secher. The brand grew out of a passion for sneakers that initially started at a young age. Today a lot of sneakers focus on looks and design but less on functionality. North 89 believe that functionality should be a given. Their goal is to take a functional approach on the classic and ever popular cup sole sneaker by combining innovative and classic materials with a touch of Scandinavian design aesthetics. In Scandinavia they have four seasons and they want to wear sneakers throughout all of them in style, without sacrificing functionality.

In a recent episode of the MenswearStyle Podcast we interviewed Gustaf Secher, Founder of Modern Functional Shoemaker North-89 about the founding story of the brand which combines fashion and function. Our host Peter Brooker and Gustaf talked about building a brand alongside a day job, using Instagram to promote the brand, newsletter design, material innovation, sneaker care, product photography, and growth markets.

“I've always had an interest for both fashion and business. I studied marketing, strategy, and branding and during that time I was also very interested in shoes. I decided to get a couple of years’ experience in the fashion industry and it was during that period that I started North-89. The idea is to combine fashion and function. I want them to be breathable in the warmer months and to have a technical focus with water resistant materials for the autumn and winter elements.”

This is a shortened transcribed edit of episode 194 of the MenswearStyle Podcast with Gustaf Secher, Founder of north-89.com. You can listen to the full version on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favourite podcast player.

We sit down with the founder of North-89, Gustaf Secher, and chat about Modern, Functional, and High Quality Sneakers.