Carly: I don’t think there’s one single decision. For me personally, it was simply that we found a solution to a problem. There was a distinct void in the market – nothing out there was minimal, clean, and disappeared on your foot. Sixteen or seventeen years ago, the flip-flop was looked at like a shower shoe. It was either cheap plastic, heavily embellished, or incredibly expensive. There was nothing in between, which was crazy to me. I couldn’t figure out why no one was doing it; a flip-flop is an essential, like a white t-shirt. So we got really excited, and I dragged my husband in. Thankfully, he made it all happen.
Jesse: If I had to name the early turning point, it was a prominent New York retailer back in the day. They became our first major stockist, taking a couple thousand units that sold out completely in just over two weeks. They called us immediately for more, and as we rolled out to other doors, the customer reaction was identical everywhere. That was an incredible proof of concept – it told us that the product Carly had been dreaming up was really something.
And then we had to figure out how to actually build a business. Early on, there was a major debate about pricing and positioning. The retailer made it clear that a lower, more accessible price point would unlock massive volume and immediate visibility. So, we made the conscious call to sacrifice our initial margins just to get the brand into the right doors. It made the first years extremely difficult financially, but we ended up creating something elegant and accessible at the same time. If you look at our worldwide distribution now, we’re the most accessible luxury item in the most exclusive stores – and that’s exactly where TKEES belongs.
“We sacrificed volume and revenue to build the brand instead of the bank account. Perceived value comes from the company you keep on the shelf.” — Jesse Burnett
Carly: Honestly, the product spoke for itself. When you look at it, it’s so simple and pared back, but the craftsmanship is elevated. People think it’s just straps, an insole, and an outsole, but it’s actually more intricate to make something so simple, so well. You have less to work with, so the execution has to be perfect.
We didn’t really need to convince anyone; we were lucky to attract the right kind of customer from day one. Because we’d had a clothing company before, we had a strong PR contact and decided to seed the product out. This was before influencer culture; celebrity placements were the moment. The second they got the product, every celebrity you can think of was wearing them. That created instant demand with the higher-end customer. We wanted to be approachable but never pretentious, and we landed in that exact sweet spot.
Jesse: We were also very intentional about where we placed the product. Even early on, when bigger box stores came to us, we’d say no. For us, being in the best stores was the key to maintaining a great brand. At the end of the day, anyone can manufacture a physical product; what really matters is the brand name on that product, even if it’s the exact same item. Perceived value comes from the company you keep on the shelf. We built the business on the principle of curation over volume.
Jesse: Outside the US, Japan was one of our first major markets. Certain cultures naturally lend themselves better to our aesthetic—usually those with a deep, historical appreciation for minimalism.
What’s been fascinating over the years is watching our global community grow. We are seeing the consumer base in Russia, the CIS, China, and India expand significantly. It’s incredible to see that no matter the geography or climate, the appreciation for clean, intentional design remains universal.
Jesse: When we came up with the brand, we knew we wanted an entirely original, invented word. We needed something completely unique so that no matter what anyone else made, the name would remain entirely distinct to us.
We were sitting on the beach in St. Barths, and Carly was already dreaming up the shoe. We still have a photograph from that exact day. She said, “Wouldn’t it be great if there was a pair of shoes that disappeared on your feet, so you always looked barefoot?” She had a layer of sand on her feet, and we used ocean water to wipe away the sand except for two strap shapes, so it looked barely there. We looked down the beach, saw a tiki hut, and said, “We’ll call them tikis.”
Carly: Then we looked at each other and agreed we didn’t love the standard spelling—we wanted to make it our own. We originally wrote it T-E-E-K-E-E-S, decided that was entirely too many E’s, and cut it down. And that’s how we created a name that is impossible for anyone to pronounce correctly on the first try.
Coming Next to the AMBG Blog
In the second part of our exclusive conversation, we step inside the creative mind behind the brand. Co-founder Carly Burnett opens up about her personal design philosophy, why she still chases inspiration down city streets, and how a husband-and-wife team successfully shares lanes to build a global community from their kitchen table. Stay tuned.
AMBG is proud to be the official partner of TKEES across Russia, the CIS, and Central Asia.
Interview by Ekaterina Aleksandrova, Brand Marketing Manager, AMBG.
