Brand Profile: FoamLife’s Flip Flops, Grounded in Surf Culture
FoamLife’s latest collection has resonated with the market, with many new distributors signed up in the last 12 months. Founders Timo Mullen and Karl Read update us on plans for 2025/26, including the addition of closed-toe footwear into their line.
What have been some of the highlights for the brand over the last 12 months?
Timo: The focus has been our international expansion, we have been strategic in the way we have positioned ourselves internationally for the future growth of the business. The partners we have selected to work with in both our Distribution and Wholesale are who we believe to be the best options to scale our future growth. Our partnership with Vissla/Stokehouse in Australia has been a real highlight for us; they not only stocking FoamLife in their retail stores but also distributing FoamLife to wholesale accounts across Australia.
Karl: It’s exciting to see how versatile FoamLife has become. Our products are found everywhere from surf shops, surf schools and retreats to lifestyle boutiques, premium fashion retailers, health clubs, and spas. That broad appeal shows the huge growth potential we have internationally.
Our team riders/ambassadors have had a good year too. In August 2024, surfer Lukas Skinner made history as the first UK surfer in 22 years to win the Newquay Boardmasters WQS, and the first ever to take both the Under 18’s and Men’s titles. His dad, Ben Skinner, has also been surfing well on the WSL Longboard Tour.
Zoe Smith joined the team recently after losing her left leg in a car accident in 2015, since then, Zoe has become an elite level para surfer on the world tour. In November 2024, Zoe took 1st place in the 2024 ISA World Para Surfing Championships, crowning her World Champion.
New to the team last year was windsurfer Marc Paré, he won multiple events on the PWA World tour and won the last PWA World tour Cup in Tenerife in August last year.
What are the major trends in the hanging shoe market at the moment?
Karl: Customers are seeking out products that fit a variety of occasions, footwear that works across multiple settings, whether that’s the beach, the city, or somewhere in between. We’ve focused on laid-back comfort, everyday wearability and sustainability focused designs.
Which new territories has Foam Life launched into recently?
Timo: Over the past year or so, we’ve added Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Belgium, South Africa, Mauritius, and the Philippines to our distribution network, bringing our total reach to 14 countries. Each of these markets brings its own unique opportunity, and we’ve been very deliberate in choosing partners who align with our brand values and understand the local lifestyle and retail landscape.
What are the hero men’s and women’s products in the 2025 range?
Karl: For Men’s, our new flip flop style “K Bay”, it’s crafted from BLOOM™ algae blended EVA foam, a padded vegan bio-leather strap, RPET materials from post-consumer plastic bottles and a branded gum rubber outsole with a recycled rubber fleck.
For Women’s, new styles “K Bay” and “K Bay Slide” are brand new women’s styles for 2025, both made from BLOOM™ algae-blended EVA foam and RPET materials, featuring a padded, Mediterranean inspired multi-coloured woven upper strap for a fresh summer look.
Other new standout styles are the updated “Goldie” style, which now features a new colourway with a top layer of natural cork over its sugarcane EVA foam footbed, accented with recycled EVA colour pops and a light blue denim upper strap. This also comes in a slider option, the “Goldie Slide”, offering the same stylish combination in an easy slip-on silhouette.
What’s next for the brand?
Karl: For Winter 2025 we will be launching closed-toe footwear into the collection. This marks a major step in overcoming seasonality and potential year-round revenue in Northern & Southern hemispheres. The concept came from Timo and I identifying the need for versatile footwear that we could slip on easily after a surf, the ease of a pair of flip flops or sliders but with the warmth and comfort of a sneaker. This solution is suitable for all watersports enthusiasts and cold-water swimmers but also anyone seeking versatile, cosy, functional footwear for outdoor adventures.
Timo: We’ve also launched our new B2B platform in 2025, designed to make it easier for retailers to place top-up orders and manage stock efficiently.
As the brand is gaining traction we are always looking at ways to increase brand awareness for us as a brand but also for stores. We recently installed two giant FoamLife flip-flop showers at the Santo Loco in Sagres, Portugal. They’re right by the beach and it’s a great way to engage with beach goers and the local surf community and create buzz. We’re now looking at rolling out similar installations in other key coastal hotspots around the world.
