Cobian’s sibling co-founders, John and Claudia Cobian, are inspired by a generational heritage of sandal-making. John Cobian’s godfather founded Calzaletas, a Mexican brand famous for its durable yet affordable Fisherman’s Sandal, which was popularized in the USA by adventurous surfers. John improved upon the original Calzaletas design to create a unique DNA for Cobian Footwear, which draws upon the time-tested approach of ‘Form Follows Function’ to produce practical designs at affordable prices.

Travis Brown, Technical Project Manager at Cobian, explains that Cobian sought a footwear PLM solution to improve their product development process as the company continues to grow and be more agile to better respond to market trends.

“Like many growing companies, logistics is a regular challenge. We want to develop quality products efficiently and get sampling and quality control done in our factories overseas without relying on spreadsheets and shipping product samples around the world. Our goal is to combine work across teams in different locations, eliminate spreadsheets and maintain product development records with Centric PLM.”

“To keep growing and penetrate new product segments such as shoes and slippers, we need to take a leap forward. Transitioning product design to a stable digital environment is an important strategic goal,” he continues.

Cobian selected Centric SMB based on an impressive demo and Centric Software’s industry reputation.

“Centric SMB is set up specifically for growing businesses like ours,” says Brown.

“With a footwear PLM solution in place, we can run development cycles faster and at a lower cost, making it possible to develop and launch more products efficiently. We’ll be able to hire independent design contractors, as they can easily plug into a well-built system. We’ll be more agile and able to react effectively to demand on the sales side to start developing new designs.”

“We’d like to welcome our latest partner in the footwear industry, Cobian,” says Chris Groves, President and CEO of Centric Software. “Cobian is a fast-evolving company that combines heritage with innovation, and we’re excited to help them drive their digital transformation.”

(Except for the headline and the first para, this story has not been edited by Fibre2Fashion staff.)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (PA)