Here's a great listen with Ryan, the founder of Amento Footwear.

https://youtu.be/VxrTlEon2rI?si=FWxje3ca-kuKhDhb

Ryan spent 20+ years in the footwear industry - Reebok, Teva, Timberland - before asking himself one question: What would I do if I knew I'd fail? His answer: start a footwear brand. That was Amento Footwear. In this episode, Ryan Erickson joins Matt and Jerry to talk about what it actually looks like to go from corporate to founder - the real costs, the tariff hits, the 18-month design grind, and why he believes the best adventures are the ones that suck while you're doing them.

We get into: How Ryan customized Nike Cortezes as a kid and ended up selling shoes to the Midwest for Reebok 10 years later The podcast quote that made him finally start Amento Why the sandal category was ripe for innovation - and how a carbon fiber window changed everything The Cactus to Clouds hike, Ironman training, and the "Type 2 Fun" mindset What it means to build something when you're not sure you have the runway to get there Amento Footwear is one of the founding brands on Off Trail Market - a platform built for small and founder-led outdoor brands just like this one.