Hari Mari Partners with Big‑Footed Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowler Zack Martin
When he hangs up his cleats for good, Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Zack Martin will leave big shoes to fill. Size 14 shoes, to be precise. So when Dallas-based Hari Mari scouted someone to promote its "Grande" sized flip-flop line, the future Hall of Famer seemed the perfect fit.
Hari Mari Co-Founder Jeremy Stewart said rising demand for larger sandals has "really intensified" from the brand's retail and wholesale customers over the last several years.
"'The Grande' represents Hari Mari's first foray into the space, and we could think of no better partner to help promote and highlight this important push than one of the greatest NFL offensive linemen of all time in Zack Martin," Stewart added in a statement. "He's an avid flip-flop wearer, who, like many of our customers, often struggles to find sandals that fit his feet."
"Our thinking was pretty simple, if our Grande flip-flop can comfortably accommodate Zack Martin, I think we've solved a similar challenge for many of our bigger-footed friends."
Made with an extra-wide foot bed and larger-volumed straps to accommodate bigger feet, the Grande line includes the brand's patented MemoryFoamToe, "which reduces toe irritation and abrasion, helping to ensure a pain-free break-in period," the brand says. Grandes are also made with "buttery-soft Nubuck leather, thicker footbeds to handle more wear, memory foam-lined straps, and rubber outsoles for greater grip on slippery surfaces."
They seem to work for Martin, helping him chill a bit before what many see as a make-or-break 2024 season for the 'Pokes.
"As you can imagine, it's not always easy for guys of my size to find comfortable footwear that fits, and especially flip flops," Martin said in a statement. "These are comfortable from the first step, and you can tell these guys really thought about how to make a sandal for larger feet. It's not just about making the straps wider, it's also about making a thicker flip flop to absorb more impact from guys of my size. I think bigger guys are really going to like Hari Mari's Grande. It's a sandal made just for them."
Hari Mari said it's already kicked off the partnership with a digital ad campaign featuring the Pro Bowler offensive lineman.
Hari Mari raised $10M last spring to fuel growth
In March, Hari Mari announced it had raised $10 million in an investment round led by financial services entrepreneur Landon Smith, founder and former CEO of Dallas-based Riveron, a national business advisory firm. Additional participants included Montgomery Capital Advisors and DWBI Investments. Hari Mari said at the time that after closing, Method Bank would serve as its primary banking facility, while also providing the business with a working line of credit.
"We're ready to start scaling the brand," Co-Founder Lila Stewart told Dallas Innovates in March. "Our growth over these past 12 years, for the most part, has been organic—which is great, but we're really excited to start advertising, as well as our upcoming and new marketing initiatives in the pipeline."
The Stewarts launched Hari Mari out of their garage in 2012, and at one time had a brick-and-mortar store on Knox Street in Dallas.
You can check the Grandes out on the brand's website, where Martin is now prominently featured .
