The name Royal Albartross might not jump out and make you think of footwear yet, but it will. Understanding their simple, yet almost inconceivable goals is something that every golfer strives for: Perfection.
Royal Albartross was founded when they set out to create the world’s finest golf shoe. Design and craftsmanship meet modern technology, and comfort no longer has to sacrifice style, and neither have to sacrifice quality. Handmade from skilled artisans, Royal Albartross is not going to feel the same as picking up a big box brand. You are getting something special that is built to last because they are in the never ending quest for perfection.
Understanding this simple philosophy of not sacrificing starts with how their shoes are built. British designed and extremely proud of that, Royal Albartross isn’t having their shoes (and other offerings) made in the large factories you have seen in documentaries. They choose to work with reliable family-run businesses and invest in the highest quality leathers and components available.
But why? That is always the question we start with when doing a Brand Story as we look to uncover where the start took place. Why Royal Albartross and why leather goods? We asked Founder and Head Designer, Alex Bartholomew to explain.
“I received compliments on a mens leather brogue I designed for my graduate fashion show, in my 20s! It did look rather golf-like.
I had been brought up in golf rich South Africa and loved accompanying my dad to the country club in the sunshine, before moving to London to study. A few years later I was living out of a suitcase travelling between Florence and the UK working for Burberry- I was a frustrated designer stuck in the intricacies of production, and it was time for a change! Working for bigger brands in the luxury goods industry had given me fantastic leather and footwear experience, but no freedom. I decided to have a few golf shoe samples made by a local shoemaker in Florence because there didn’t seem to be anything on the market like the golf shoes I wanted to wear. I wanted to produce the world’s greatest golf shoe- in terms of quality, comfort and style and it became a sort of obsession to learn everything there was to make it a reality. Several years later, quality, comfort and style are an integral part of our brand story and I’m really proud we have survived and gone on to produce years of collections for golf lovers globally.”
The world’s greatest golf shoe. It sounds like perfection. It sounds like a pipe dream. It also sounds like what you hear from most companies, but Royal Albartross is different. It wasn’t about drawing up some designs, or worse, grabbing a catalogue from a factory and choosing what was available and having a logo put on them. This was about building something different, something special that was not only missing the from the market, but that golfers would gravitate towards once they learned more.
How was the original idea received? Alex Bartholomew shares her thoughts.
“Our first ever collection was made at a family run factory of shoe makers in the heart of Italy. They were primarily leather soled, handmade golf shoes. Although we had a way to go with regards to the weight of the shoes, and moving into more athletic type footwear styles, the concept of a golf collection and a brand offering something unique and of incredible quality out of Europe, was very well received. We are working hard to gain a larger footing in the US market.”
Hitting market at a time in flux is always challenging. Doing so at time when a handful of brands dominate the market share is crazy, right? Well, yes and no. Sure, there are some large brands that dominate the sales in the US market, but the search for perfection doesn’t have boundaries. The bigger question was how much has this specific category shifted from just a few decades ago.
Gone, or close to gone, are high quality leathers in exchange for plastics. Gone are metal spikes or even spikes in general. Nearly gone are the almost classic shoe in exchange for more athletic styles. Can a new company pivot without sacrifice? The answer is yes, sort of.
Royal Albartross launched their first collection, but rather than pivot from ideals, they added. Adding spikeless shoes to the lineup as well as slip-ons. Being a small brand means you can be dynamic and inventive to satisfy based on customer feedback and they took advantage of this. Sourcing from Portugal and Italy and reducing weight in a number of offerings.
The brand was on its way, but to make waves in the US market one question has to be answered. What makes them different from the common brands found in nearly every store? We asked Alex Bartholomew to share her thoughts.
“We have a loyal following of people who wear our products because we aren’t mass produced and are built to last. Royal Albartross shoes and accessories hold their value. Instead of stripping anything away from the product to reach a price point determined by big company strategy, we start with the customer experience and try to improve what is already available. We strive to accommodate any special requests from retailers or customers and think about all elements necessary to play with style- comfort, support, quality and service. You don’t get the quality of footwear RA produces from a thousands-a-day production line. We work with small family run factories in Europe and concentrate on sourcing the very best components and leathers for the task at hand. The devil is in the details. There is also a lack of politics on our side. We aren’t owned by anyone who tells us what to do. If we feel the market would benefit from an addition, change or new release, we launch it. It’s pretty simple really.”
Before going on, I have to share what started this journey. Those that follow me know I am a bit of a golf shoe nerd. Up until recently I had over 100 pairs and was always on the search for that offering that stood out in style, but more importantly comfort. Over the years I had started to come to the realization that those two things were what one had to decide. Either you chose style or you chose comfort, but they shouldn’t have to be mutually exclusive.
I then saw the shoe (in the picture above) which was a special edition from Royal Albartross for the Masters. While companies cannot really use the likeness of the tournament, they can draw from the iconic designs and colors and this one spoke to me. I had heard of the brand before and seen their designs a few times in passing glance, but had not really jumped in, but knew I needed to learn more.
I started to explore by asking experts at the retail level about what they had been hearing and learned that a few of the country clubs had them in FL as well as World Wide Golf Shops, one of the larger places in the US. So I asked someone there, why Royal Albartross? The answer was “because they make the best shoes on the market”. Interesting.
It does seem pretty simple, but at the same time a bit of a foreign concept. In golf, when speaking to equipment, small doesn’t necessarily mean better R&D, but there are a lot of different elements at play. To have equipment made in a timely manner, one must be designing and ordering in large quantities. In footwear and apparel, that isn’t necessarily the case. Unlike many of the golf equipment direct to consumer brands that are ordering already designed equipment and making aesthetic changes, in footwear, designing in house and working to achieve results can be done. Alex Bartholomew shares the insight.
“Fit is a beast. It’s all consuming when it’s wrong, and not always easy to get right, especially when you are working across a number of factories and countries- in our case Italy and Portugal. It’s more important in golf with the amount of walking/swinging that can go on, especially if you play golf like I do! Anyone who tries our shoes tells me they mould to their feet pretty quickly. This is due to soft linings and great materials which cushion your feet and allow you to wear them straight out of the box with no break in required. Our “last” shapes- which are the basis of all footwear manufacture, cater for every foot shape- wider or narrower. The toe boxes on most of our sneaker styles, like the Pontiac or Kingsman, are more generous to cater for swollen feet which happens with heat or lots of walking. The Soho Storm (March launch) and Richmond styles are slightly narrower, and good for a high instep. On the ladies side, the Annabelle and Fieldfox are very comfortable and fashion forward style for most women. We take great pride in offering a personalized customer care experience so if customers are ever in doubt, we have a helpful team to assist them. Generous toe boxes, padded collars and tongues, soft memory foam insoles..all mean we offer you as many elements as we can to cushion and comfort your feet round after round.”
Royal Albartross is set to expand in the US market. They have a fantastic new 2023 collection coming and will continue to have some favorites that we think more people are going to find in the near future. While viewed by many as a shoe company, it is important to note that is a bit flawed. They have a number of accessories including bags, gloves, and belts with more coming in the future. The heart of the brand is their amazing footwear, however, and where does it go from here? Alex Bartholomew explains.
“Most recently my husband has stepped in as CEO, which is a big milestone for us. His background in high level consulting for financial and retail institutions, as well as knowing the full history of the brand is invaluable. We finally have a no nonsense all-rounder at the helm, and I believe we will go from strength to strength.”
“Our plan is to expand the brand to encompass products for both golf and life with an emphasis on quality, style and weight.”
“On the product side, we have some exciting collabs, luxury golf bags, further small accessories, limited addition apparel, lifestyle sneakers and some exclusive small runs of sneakers that offer something for every golfer. Our new sole unit has been very popular, along with our all-suede lifestyle sneakers- so we look to keep these in the collection and offer further colour options. The Sanderson sneakers look, feel and SMELL beautiful! Our 2022/23 Soho Storm, in black and white colour options, are our first styles for inclement weather conditions. They look great and perform well in heavy dew or when the rain appears. All in the name of helping you play with style. Because there really is no other way!”
I genuinely believe I need new sneakers that smell beautiful. I say that not in jest, but as genuinely as I possibly can. With new releases on the horizon, Royal Albartross is poised to make a splash in the US market by sticking with their core principles of extreme quality, comfort and style in a shoe that is geared towards performance.
For more information on the company make sure you check out their website at us.albartross.com. Take a look at the collections they offer and let us know which is your favorite style.
