Athletic Propulsion Labs
Athletic Propulsion Labs is a privately held Beverly Hills-based luxury performance athletic footwear brand that designs and sells premium running, training, basketball, lifestyle shoes, and slides via direct-to-consumer e-commerce and wholesale to affluent global consumers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersBeverly Hills, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Athletic Propulsion Labs does
Athletic Propulsion Labs (APL) is a privately held US-based luxury performance athletic footwear brand founded in 2009 and headquartered in Beverly Hills, California, operating as an LLC. The company designs, markets, and sells premium athletic footwear for women, men, and kids, organized across running, training, basketball, lifestyle, and slides categories. Its core technical differentiator is the proprietary TechLoom woven upper technology, which is deployed across more than ten product lines including the TechLoom Zipline, Pro, Bliss, Breeze, Dream, Phantom, Wave, Tracer, and Traveler lines, and is described as providing a breathable, sock-like fit with performance support.
APL operates a primarily direct-to-consumer model through its Shopify-hosted e-commerce storefront, augmented by wholesale distribution to retailers. Products are sold at premium price points ranging from approximately $130 for slides to $350 for top-tier running shoes such as the TechLoom Zipline and APL Veil, with the lifestyle Riviera line at $295 and accessories like APL Lux Logo Socks at $18. The company offers Afterpay installment payments, a tiered loyalty/rewards program, and runs multi-channel marketing including email/SMS, affiliate, and paid social/search. The brand ships globally with multi-currency checkout across more than 100 markets, with free USA shipping and exchanges, and maintains a small team (11-50 employees) under founder co-leadership by Adam Goldston and Ryan Goldston, with NJ Falk serving as managing partner.
Athletic Propulsion Labs firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Athletic Propulsion Labs
- Legal name
- Athletic Propulsion Labs, LLC
- Website
- https://athleticpropulsionlabs.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Athletic Propulsion Labs is a privately held Beverly Hills-based luxury performance athletic footwear brand that designs and sells premium running, training, basketball, lifestyle shoes, and slides via direct-to-consumer e-commerce and wholesale to affluent global consumers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Athletic Propulsion Labs industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Luxury Athletic Footwear
- NAICS
- Shoe Retailers (45821), Shoe Retailers (4582), Footwear Merchant Wholesalers (42434)
- SIC
- Retail-Shoe Stores (5661), Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Athletic & Performance Footwear (CRAAACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Athletic Footwear & Sport Apparel Retail (CRAMABAC), Performance Footwear (Running, Training, Court) (CRAAAEAI), Athletic & Performance Footwear Retail (CRAAADAA)
Keywords
Where Athletic Propulsion Labs is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Beverly Hills
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Athletic Propulsion Labs business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Direct E-commerce Sales: APL generates revenue primarily through direct-to-consumer sales via its e-commerce platform athleticpropulsionlabs.com, selling footwear and accessories at premium price points ($130-$350 for shoes).
- Wholesale Distribution: APL sells products through wholesale channels to retailers, as indicated by the Wholesale page in the footer navigation.
- Afterpay Installment Payments: APL offers Afterpay payment option allowing customers to pay in interest-free installments, supporting higher-value purchases.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Premium Running Shoes (TechLoom Zipline, Veil, TechLoom Pro) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Lifestyle/Slides (TechLoom Slides, Lusso Slides) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | APL Riviera Lifestyle Line |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Apparel and Accessories (Socks) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Athletic Propulsion Labs product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Athletic Propulsion Labs designs, manufactures, and sells luxury performance athletic footwear for men, women, and youth across running, training, basketball, slides, and lifestyle categories, centered on its proprietary TechLoom knit upper technology. The brand sells primarily through its direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform at premium price points of $130-$350 per pair, with supplemental wholesale distribution.
Product overview
Athletic Propulsion Labs (APL) is a luxury athletic footwear brand offering a comprehensive portfolio of performance running, training, basketball, and lifestyle shoes. The brand's core product lines center around their proprietary TechLoom knit technology, featuring shoes like the TechLoom Zipline, TechLoom Pro, TechLoom Bliss, TechLoom Breeze, TechLoom Dream, TechLoom Phantom, TechLoom Tracer, and TechLoom Wave. Premium lines include the APL Veil (lightweight runner with structured support) and APL Riviera (luxury lifestyle silhouette). Additional offerings encompass slides (TechLoom Slides, Lusso Slides, Big Logo TechLoom Slide), basketball shoes (APL Concept X, APL SUPERFUTURE, TechLoom Takeoff), training shoes (Ascend, Streamline), and lifestyle options (Jogger, Nostalgia '87). The brand also sells accessories including premium socks and offers services like gift cards and a loyalty rewards program. Products are organized into collections for Women, Men, and Kids + Youth categories, with core/bestseller items and seasonal Fall 2026 collections featuring new colorways.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- TechLoom Zipline Premium running shoe featuring seamless TechLoom knit upper for a sock-like fit and responsive cushioning, available in men's and women's versions.
- TechLoom Pro
Companies that use Athletic Propulsion Labs
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Athletic Propulsion Labs technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Athletic Propulsion Labs partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Athletic Propulsion Labs competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- New Balance: Traditional athletic footwear brand with premium lifestyle positioning (e.g., Made in USA, collab drops). Competes with APL for the premium crossover consumer.
- Lululemon: Broader premium athletic apparel and footwear incumbent. Overlaps with APL on affluent active consumers, athleisure aesthetics, and DTC-led retail; operates at much larger scale.
- Adidas: Global athletic footwear incumbent with premium and lifestyle lines. Comparable competitive set to APL across performance and lifestyle running/training footwear.
- Nike: Global athletic footwear and apparel incumbent. Overlaps with APL across running, training, basketball, and lifestyle categories; competes for the same premium athletic consumer with vastly greater scale.
Direct peers
- Nobull: Premium athletic training and lifestyle footwear brand. Directly comparable to APL on premium positioning, athletic-to-lifestyle crossover, and direct-to-consumer go-to-market.
- Allbirds: Premium DTC footwear brand with crossover casual/lifestyle appeal. Comparable to APL on direct-to-consumer model, premium price band, and brand-led positioning.
- On Holding: Swiss premium performance running and lifestyle footwear brand. Directly comparable to APL on premium price points ($130+), DTC-anchored model, and crossover athletic-to-lifestyle positioning.
- Koio: Luxury sneaker brand positioned at the intersection of athletic and lifestyle. Comparable to APL on premium price points, sneaker-meets-luxury aesthetic, and DTC-first distribution.
- Hoka: Premium performance running brand (owned by Deckers) competing head-to-head with APL in the premium running and lifestyle footwear segment, with similar price-band and DTC emphasis.
Emerging players
- Cariuma: Emerging premium sneaker brand focused on casual/lifestyle footwear with sustainability positioning. Comparable to APL on premium DTC-led go-to-market, though narrower in athletic performance.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Athletic Propulsion Labs social profiles
Digital presenceAthletic Propulsion Labs financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Athletic Propulsion Labs leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Athletic Propulsion Labs funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Athletic Propulsion Labs M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Athletic Propulsion Labs
What does Athletic Propulsion Labs do?
Athletic Propulsion Labs designs, manufactures, and sells luxury performance athletic footwear for men, women, and youth across running, training, basketball, slides, and lifestyle categories, centered on its proprietary TechLoom knit upper technology. The brand sells primarily through its direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform at premium price points of $130-$350 per pair, with supplemental wholesale distribution.
Is Athletic Propulsion Labs a public or private company?
Athletic Propulsion Labs is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Athletic Propulsion Labs founded?
Athletic Propulsion Labs was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Athletic Propulsion Labs based?
Athletic Propulsion Labs is headquartered in Beverly Hills, United States, in the North America region.
How does Athletic Propulsion Labs make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Direct E-commerce Sales are the primary driver. The others are wholesale Distribution and afterpay Installment Payments.
Who are Athletic Propulsion Labs's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are New Balance, Lululemon, Adidas and Nike. Direct peers are Nobull, Allbirds, On Holding, Koio and Hoka. Cariuma is listed as an emerging player.
Does Athletic Propulsion Labs have an API?
No public API is recorded for Athletic Propulsion Labs.
What industry is Athletic Propulsion Labs in?
Athletic Propulsion Labs's product category is Luxury Athletic Footwear. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAAACAA, Athletic & Performance Footwear, with a secondary code of CRAMABAC, Athletic Footwear & Sport Apparel Retail. Its NAICS code is 45821 and its SIC code is 5661.