Think! founder Martin Koller - Interview

Who’s really behind Think!? What makes the brand founder tick, what is important to him and what is his approach to work? 

We met Martin Koller and in this personal interview, he gives us the answers to our questions. He explains what inspiration means to him, why he likes his job so much, what shoes he wears himself and what Indians have to do with it.

Who are you and from where do we know you?

I hope the public doesn’t know me at all. (Laughs charmingly)

I have always avoided being in the public eye. That’s why the company is called Think!, not Martin Koller Shoes. I’m not a star, just the founder of the Think! brand; the company itself I took over from my parents.

What do you stand for?

The original idea of Think! was born at the end of the 80s, start of the 90s with the question: why do comfy shoes have to be ugly? There were really ever only two types of shoes: pretty and terrible to wear or hideous and comfortable. Comfortable shoes were always ugly shoes. Grey, beige, for Aunt Erica to feed the pigeons in the park.

Personally, I always wanted comfortable shoes, but they had to look better than was normal at that time. Short-term lifestyle fashion never interested me, I always wanted something of my own, something quirky, something special. With Think!, it’s about principles like being free from harmful substances, sustainability, our own signature, the small, exceptional details.

Do you have a mantra?

There’s no mantra that I’ve pinned on the wall, but I like the phrase: “Love is not a feeling, love is a decision.” That applies to all areas of life, there’s a lot in it. Thinking about it, I just like to use philosophy in everyday life.

“Love is not a feeling, love is a decision."

Are you ambitious?

My energy goes into my own aspirations for my product. I can never finish a collection just because I have a deadline or just say “that’ll do”. I work down to the last second because I want to be able to say to myself: I have given everything to reach my ambitions. I don’t want to have the feeling of having made it easy.

What are you particularly proud of?

I don’t like the word “proud”. I like being happy, lucky, grateful. I can only be proud of things that I have achieved by myself, without help, chance or happy coincidences. But there is barely anything that I have achieved without other’s input and support. The right thing at the right time always happened with the right people. Without the basis of the company from my parents, the credit extensions from my bank back then, my employees and suppliers I would not be where I am today. So much teamwork goes into the Think! brand, it’s not a one-man show.

What would you do differently, if you could?

Looking back I can’t undo anything, but of course I could stop anytime tomorrow. But: do I want that? It makes no sense to think about what would and could have been. Life is in the here and now. There’s nothing that I truly regret. It’s always been that way for me. On the whole, I would do it all again.

 "Life is in the here and now."

What’s the most important part of your job?

That’s a difficult question. I know what the best part is, but not the most important. The best part is when something works exactly as it was meant to, when I can implement ideas from A-Z. I have the basic idea, the material, the colour of a shoe in my head. When it turns out exactly as I wanted, when the fantasy becomes reality, when a shoe doesn’t just look good on the shelf but on your feet too, that is priceless. That is a special moment of happiness, when I say: yes, that’s cool.

Where do you find inspiration?

I believe that you have to be interested in lots of things, then you will be inspired. You have to have an open mind. In life, if you are interested in something, pursue it. I am interested in art, architecture, interior design; I read the strangest magazines.

Inspiration finds me. I see something and think: “Wow, cool”. I am very hands-on. I tinker around with ideas, my desk looks as if a bomb has hit it! I’ll consider something or have something sewn as ideas for what we could do come to me. There is no magic place, no special source of inspiration.

"To get good results you have to try lots of things out, redo or change a lot. How do you make 10 great shoes? You need 100 great ideas and have to discard 90 of them."

How many pairs of shoes do you own?

Five identical pairs of shoes. All of them black. Add to that a pair of sneakers, hiking boots and garden slip-ons. I work with fashion and colours the whole day, discuss shades of blue with my team for half an hour, so privately I like to keep things as simple as possible.

What does quality mean to you?

Quality is incredibly hard to define. Lots of people define quality by durability. Of course a shoe has to last, but at the same time, robustness is not the only feature. Yes, maybe fine suede shoes are not exactly suited to collecting mushrooms in a damp forest. A cheap cotton shirt form a discount store lasts longer than a shirt made of pure silk. But does this mean it is better quality? There is this concept of the “premium-look”: what is that? Either something is of premium quality, or it just looks like it is. At Think! we use leather in our shoes even where no-one will see it. For me, quality means no compromises.

That’s why we try to make the best possible shoes according to our criteria. But it might not be for everyone. Maybe the shoe doesn’t fit your foot. There’s no such thing as “the” best shoe in the world.

"For me, quality means no compromises."

What does sustainability mean to you?

Sustainability is buying less shoes. Throwing less away. It sounds radical, but I believe that we need to move away from fast consumption. As a company we are careful what materials and methods we use. Sustainability is more than a clean conscience, it is an attitude.

What is your favourite pastime?

Professionally: making shoes. Privately: travelling and discovering new things.

Where do the names of Think! shoes really come from?

20 years ago they were names of Indian tribes, then came the names of spices, until they had all been used, then operas and idioms. There isn’t a system. It’s rather spontaneous.

Why is Think! called Think!?

When the brand began, I was basically a young man who had never worked with an agency before, I’d only ever made shoes. I was 23, and while coming up with advertising material for the founding of Think!, I needed a name. The deadline for printing a trade fair product was in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the production process. Between discussions about ecological sewing thread, the right leather or the use of felt instead of synthetics, the radio was playing in the background. Phil Collins: “Oh think twice, it’s another day for you and me in paradise”. There it was, the name. Think!

Are Think! shoes a luxury?

A good question! For many people they are. But how do I define luxury? I know that our shoes are not cheap. But we are not a luxury brand. I want our shoes to have a fair price, for which you get real value.

"I am no artist, but I see myself as a creative craftsman,who makes good shoes for real people."

How long does a Think! shoe take to develop?

A brand new shoe? Or a new cut of one of our existing designs? The last is the be-all and end-all, for technical reasons the lead time is very long. Development – from the initial idea to the prototype – requires at least 6–8 weeks.

This is because everything has to be right. I am no artist, but I see myself as a creative craftsman, who makes good shoes for real people.

And how long does a Think! shoe last?

It depends on how it’s cared for, the sole thickness and individual wear and tear – the key word is scuffing – but definitely longer than the average shoe. Apart from steel-capped work shoes.

And what are the best?

When things that you imagine, that only exist in your head and one day stand in front of you, work. “That’s how I wanted it and that’s how it turned out” is the greatest moment of happiness.

Thank you very much for this detailed interview!