For those who like their footwear fancy, fashionable and first-class, brands like Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana or Golden Goose are go-to labels. If Michelle Wray gets her way, so will Culture of Brave.
“The brand was grown out of our collective stories,” said Wray. “Everybody has a story.”
When Wray and her husband made the decision to move the U.S. from their native South Africa, they were already familiar with the Augusta area after frequent visits, usually for the Masters Tournament. By the time she launched Culture of Brave with her business partner Jaco Buitendag in 2017, that major change became one catalyst toward shaping the brand’s overall theme.
“Each of us have moments in our lives when we’re going to have to do something that you almost do everything it takes to put yourself on the line,” said Wray. “And that’s not an easy thing to do for anybody, to just decide they’re going to relocate their families, whether it’s from one city to another or one country to another.”
Developing the brand meant focusing on quality, Wray says. She and Buitendag connected with Roberta Grilo, a renowned designer based in Genoa, Italy, to develop a strong, sustainable, fine leather sneaker design that would appeal to Italians, as Italy is where they elected to initially distribute their product.
“We had the instant benefits and insights to that market from a veteran who’d been there,” said Wray about starting the brand in the Italian market, and about working with Grilo. “She was very excited about this opportunity to imprint her design flair into a brand that she absolutely aligned with. In her heart Culture of Brave was something that just struck a chord with her.”
Culture of Brave began distributing the sneakers in the U.S. near the end of May, 2021. Wray appreciated the formidable challenge of competing in the massive American luxury sneaker market. The finest leathers and manufacturing were paramount to maintain comparative quality with the likes of Versace or Alexander McQueen, but also maintaining a unique concept rooted into the brand.
Per its moniker, and Wray’s emphasis on personal narratives, the overarching premise of Culture of Brave is “courage,” and its creative marketing conveys it. The company’s website features “Brave Stories,” crafted and curated videos, “profiles in courage,” of individuals telling their personal stories of perseverance, overcoming obstacles and anxieties and achieving dreams—all of course, while wearing Culture of Brave sneakers. Four of the five Brave Stories videos star locals from the Augusta area.
“The Courage” is even the name of one of the brand’s highest selling low-cut tennis shoes, along with the Free Soul.
“The whole essence of culture of Brave is to honor that courage, when we put ourselves on the line” said Wray. “Because ostensibly what allows us to take that step is courage, regardless of what the outcome is.”
Wray’s official position at Culture of Brave is “Chief Evangelist.” Defining a brand as “pretty much all the intangibles that we associate to something that we know,” Wray says that human stories of courage, whether it be overcoming trauma, leaving a bad relationship, or starting a business, are central. For her, the brand and the journey to create and sustain it represent those stores of stepping out on a kind of faith and fearlessness.”
“On our shoes you will see everywhere you will see looks like a Y shape,” said Wray, discussing how the Culture of Brave’s theme is embedded even in the shoe design. “It’s our wings. The symbol of those wings is designed to look like two feet that are on the ground. And the wings really symbolize you. When you use your courage you will find true freedom. Because if you live in the culture of brave nothing holds you back. The only thing that really holds us back in our lives is ourselves.”
On March 17, Culture of Brave made its first steps toward seriously pushing the brand in its own backyard when its shoes were displayed in a Pop-Up Show in the Elston Shoe Truck at Lauren Robbins Interior on Central Avenue. Wray hopes that the shoes will be locally available in Augusta at Shoes at Surrey on Highland Avenue soon. In the meantime, find out more about Culture of Brave at its website at www.cultureofbrave.com.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering education in Columbia County and business-related topics for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
