I told myself when I was 20 years old that I’m going to dedicate myself fully to music for 10 years before I reevaluate. And if I’m not to a position that is conducive to continuing I will move on to something more lucrative

Interview with Alpha Wolfman Sneaker Brand CEO Anthony Turner

Written by Patrick B. Hill

    When it comes to sneaker brands like Nike, Jordan, Adidas, Reebok, etc. Each brand started with a vision and started from the ground up. Each brand in the sneaker industry grew overtime with efficient and persistent operation. Nike for example didn’t became a shoe empire overtime. Founders of the shoe sold the shoes from back of their car. Talk about humble beginning. It later grew into a major brand.  African American Anthony Turner 31, Tennessee native and CEO of Alpha Wolfman Sneakers is another humble beginning story. I recently sat down with the CEO of Alpha Wolfman Sneakers to talk about his brand, story, vision, plan and sneaker.

Anthony “Wolfman” Turner had envisioned himself designing clothes and footwear as a child. It was a dream of his and in fact; he talks about his time of designing.  “When I was in high school I redesigned my high school letter men jackets. During the same time, I found a seamstress who could help me make my own clothing. So, I made a few pieces while in high school. But I was just exploring then. It wasn’t until I was in my early 20’s that I decided to design and make apparel to sell as a business.”  Anthony at one time talk about being a music producer before taking on the fashion and sneaker industry. However, he had a deep passion for the fashion industry. When I ask him if he currently still doing music on the side, “No. And the reason why is; I told myself when I was 20 years old that I’m going to dedicate myself fully to music for 10 years before I reevaluate. And if I’m not to a position that is conducive to continuing I will move on to something more lucrative. And needless to say, I decided that it was best to pursue my true passion full time which is fashion. Because at that point it become what i really wanted to do.”

Moving ahead, I talk to him about his sneakers. In the discussion, he took me through the process of his sneaker brand. He explains, “the process for me was a difficult one because my first goal was to find a reliable supplier that could manufacturer my sneakers with my full vision and make them affordable for people to buy. The first manufacturer I was with was in Italy. I do admit they were good at what they did but the prices weren’t set up for businesses to make money off them unless they were a high fashion brand. Especially selling sneakers for $300 plus.” He also talks about his strategy for his brand as well. “For me I wanted to reach a more of an urban
demographic. And I noticed that the option for branding was extremely limited. So, I researched and found new suppliers. And I took the same mentality as far as design goes. But urban with an upscale taste.”

Within the discussion about his manufacturing and strategy, I got a chance to see his sneaker designs. Each sneaker had an imprint of a wolf paw tag on the side of the shoe. The wolf paw is the brand official logo. “So, I redesigned everything and added my logos and company name to come up with something new. Clear transparent soles, all gold soles, adding accessories etc. The series of sneakers are all named Lobo which stands for Wolf in Spanish. I have released all the way up to Lobo 5 currently.”

I ask him about what will it take for his brand to be in the same position with the other brands. “For me, I would say time. Because if you look at Nike in instance. They started out with the founding members being a track star and his coach. The first Nike sneaker was sold out the trunks of they’re cars. And over time with smart business moves, amazing designs, and determination now they are the #1 shoe company in the history of the world. So, for me I look at that as inspiration. They started out the same way I started out. I feel like within the next 5 years I could be a major competitor in the marketplace. I just would need to concrete my brand more.”

Time is always the essence of building a brand from ground up. The question is what will it take for such business to be in the same competition among other businesses who share the same idea and vision. Anthony knew what he needs to do for which he talks about his marketing strategy in the conversation. “My strategy for the next year is to advertise in more mediums and more marketplaces, such as TV ads, Billboard Ads, Internet ads such as social networks like Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest. Paid targeted ads. Reach out to as many people as possible. And also I’m working on getting placed in major outlets across the United States.” 

Alpha Wolfman Sneakers are doing quite well. Lobo sneakers are still selling and consumers are really liking his sneakers. When I ask him about the feedback from consumers who brought a pair of Lobo sneakers, they were positive feedbacks. He explains, so far everyone who has purchased the Lobo series sneakers has been happy with the purchase. I get good feedback on them as well. Everything has been positive so far. Because I wanted to make sure that the sneakers release is as good or better than the quality that they would get at any major outlet. I even buy the shoes myself ahead of release dates and test them out for full quality control. The embrace has been great.” He also talks about his plans to get the sneakers out to the public.“Currently I’m in talks with a few retail chains and even small shoe stores to have them available for the upcoming year. I will have announcements coming soon on where they will become available. And we are signed up for a few expos the second quarter of 2017. But for right now the only way to get them are from my website.”

As we come to the end of the interview, I ask him about any future projects as well as updates on his sneaker production. “I have taken the Lobo 1 and Lobo 3 off the market because I wanted to redesign them. The next shoe that will be released will be the redesigned Lobo 3. This will be sometime in February of 2017. With the redesigned Lobo 1 following. There needed to be changes made because of a change in manufacturing. Because of that change now i have more options as far as design goes. New clothing is still being worked on as we speak release date is TBA.”

 Anthony Turner is still working hard to get his brand in the right position. What I took from this interview is a man who is determine and passionate about his business. Even though the market hasn’t been more openly invested to indie sneaker designers due to consumer loyalty. However, that hasn’t stop Anthony drive to bring awareness to his brand. Consumers have brought a pair of his sneakers and had great experience with the quality of the sneakers. Anthony not only does sneakers. He has a clothing apparel as well as accessories. We need to continue to support small businesses like Anthony. By supporting small businesses, we can create an open market for those to explore.

If you wish to know more about his brand, follow his brand on these social media sites.

Facebook.com/AlphaWolfmanCo

Twitter.com/AlphaWolfmanCo

Instagram.com/AlphaWolfmanCo

Pinterest.com/AlphaWolfmanCo

You want a pair of Lobo sneakers and apparel, go to this site below.

www.AlphaWolfman.com