Meet Michael Franz | Footwear Designer / Creative Problem Solver / Community Builder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Michael Franz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michael, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?
My morning ritual was/is detrimental to setting up my day for success every day. In writing every task for the day down, from making the bed and pouring a glass of green juice, to more work focused tasks, every time I finish something and get to cross off that item, I feel a sense of accomplishment that sets me up to be able to tackle bigger items as the day goes on. Doing those small things daily, mainly being writing them down, you can’t forget something or let it fall by the way side, because there it is sitting in your priority list. This ritual is what informed the first colorway of my debut silhouette. Another habit I picked up is doing 50 pushups followed by a line drawing. As I write this, I am on day 188, and look forward to the exercise daily. It is a practice learned from Tom Sachs, that pushes the idea, “Artists as Athletes,” meaning we do not only create when inspiration strikes, we strive for consistency in our practice.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
In the continued spirit of teaching this old dog new tricks, over the last month I have been teaching myself 3D Design with the goal of being able to handle quick photorealistic 3D renders of new colorways and variations of my debut silhouette, the Model 001. The only way for me to survive amongst the footwear goliath companies already in the market will be to continue to be nimble and adaptable in trying and changing current workflows. A month in and I now can confidently mock new colorways in 1-2 Hours that export cleanly as a file I can use in AR to share with potential accounts or collaborators, rather than wait 8-10 weeks for a sample to be ready to share with a client. Do the work, but be smart about your time management!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Man, ATL greatest hits by Franz. Ok, let’s start with shops. We would have to hit Versus ATL, Good Times ATL, Social Status, & A Ma Maniere. Loved hanging out in my old neighborhood at the Shops of Buckhead, RIP ATTOM Shop. Grabbing a drink at Le Colonial and maybe dinner at Taverna? Other food spot that is a must for me is Victory Sandwich Bar, I love sandwiches so a spot that makes them small and allows you to have 3-4 different ones for a meal is a dream to me. the Whiskey slushie is also dangerous, and should you stay till late night they offer a Vic Mac which is a slider version of a big mac and tastes way better. I was a member at the High Museum of Art when I lived in the city and that is definitely on my list too, the exhibits they tend to have are really high profile artists and the community of other members is a great networking opportunity.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Pursuing your purpose is not possible without people along the way who push you forward. One of the first human catalysts that sparked my creative drive was Senor Kaos. I met him at a Sticks and Kicks event held at Wish ATL in 2018, and sat front row to hear him speak about his experience working for Nike and the many shoes he got to work on in his time there. I connected with him on social and we became fast friends, two like minds who had a love for telling story through product. I am so thankful for him, bringing me to Nike events, advising me to apply to the Cultivator program, including me in Focus groups, I learned so much just being in the room and asking questions. On top of being an expert marketer and all around great person, Kaos has been making amazing music, take some time and give it a listen. Franz ‘N Family Footwear would not be a reality without him encouraging me to keep going over the past 5 years. Follow @senorkaos on socials!

Second human catalyst I want to shout out is Noel Bronson, without him I wouldn’t be a ‘student of the sport’ of fashion and footwear. He makes it a priority to daily post to his instagram stories books/articles/documentaries he is currently watching or reading. I found a new love for research through the rabbit holes he sent me down. He also taught me to break down the walls of who you think is/isn’t approachable. Create the pitch deck, find the person it needs to get to at XYZ company, and reach out to them, you never know the doors you will open. Noel is the living embodiment of ‘do the work, the results will come.’ Go follow him and his brand! @noelbronson & @pali.sadoes

The third human catalyst that deserves to be included here is Larry Tchogninou. Larry’s imagination and unrelenting optimism are contagious working on projects. There is no frontier he can’t tackle, from furniture to home goods to apparel, his design sense is unmatched. He recently worked for Nike on the Serena Williams Design Crew specializing in accessories, some of his work is still up on the site now. His newest reflection is a 3D Designed fruit peeler that looks like the skin of a mango. Follow Larry on socials @larrytchogninou.

And of course I need to shout out my supportive family for the constant encouragement and kind words, it would be a whole lot harder to do what I love if my family wasn’t on board. Thank you to all of the Franz’s out there, especially my parents! All love!

Website: franznfamilyfootwear.com (Password: goodmorning)

Instagram: @welcomemyfranz / @franznfamilyfootwear

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xgb7iqaF9F0

Image Credits
Image 1, Evan Luecke.