My name is Marv and I am proud to be the Founder of LANX. In a nutshell; I’m thirty-something-years-old, fascinated by sumo wrestling, play rugby (although I can’t tackle), like my peanut butter crunchy, I once lived on a deserted Fijian island and my goal in life is to become Andrea Pirlo.

LIKE LANX, I AM ENGLISH

With international influence. I am proud to be a "Northerner". My family are from Blackburn, Bolton and Preston, all working class towns in Lancashire, except my grandfather, Alberto, who is from Italy.

BEING CREATIVE IS IN MY BLOOD

My Grandfather was born in a small village called Caprese Michelangelo, the birthplace of the renowned artist Michelangelo. He left Italy after the war in search of work and ended up in Lancashire. In 1971 my grandparents started designing and making furniture in their garden shed and during my school holidays I would help out.

SO WHY SHOES?

After Uni I got into events, then marketing. I was approached by a few footwear companies to assist with their own marketing activities, I enjoyed the projects and thought I’d give it a go myself. However, I quickly discovered that creating unique and quality footwear is a lot more difficult than it looked. It required a lot of experience and contacts to bring a project together. So to be very honest I gave the idea up.

But as I am an honest lad... Back in 2016, I didn’t have a clue how to make a shoe. My name’s Marv, and I’m the founder of LANX. On the 26th of July that year, I received a letter that changed everything. It pushed me to pack a bag, roll up my sleeves, and set off on a six-month adventure. The goal? To have the time of my life and learn everything there was to know about making Proper Footwear.

LANX was forged through hard graft, grit, and determination,
kicking off from humble market stalls across the North West of England
between 2018 and 2020. Long before we had shops of our own, the team was
out there every weekend, rain or shine, rolling up early, braving the
elements, and meeting customers face-to-face. These years weren’t
glamorous—there were cold coffees, frozen fingers, sideways rain, and
the occasional dodgy bacon butty, however, they were crucial in shaping
the brand.

Matt, Alex, Joe, Handley, Fittes, Jacob, Miles, Kiara, and Marco
poured themselves into selling proper footwear in outdoor markets,
sacrificing weekends, missing birthdays, and putting in the hard yards
to turn LANX from an idea into something real.

Those market stalls weren’t just a place to sell footwear, they were
where LANX truly connected with people, learning firsthand what they
loved (and what didn’t work). There was no hiding behind a website or
fancy shop, just face-to-face haggling, genuine conversations, and an
unrelenting drive to succeed.

The “market years” gave LANX
everything it has today: a deep understanding of its customers, a
commitment to quality, and an unshakable work ethic. They also built the
brand’s DNA — approachable, down-to-earth, and proudly Lancastrian.

Even now, with LANX stores open and appearances at the UK’s top
events, the spirit of those early market days lives on. Every pair of
footwear still carries that dedication to craft, and every customer
interaction still matters. LANX never forgets its roots—those cold
mornings and wet weekends are the foundation of everything the brand
stands for today.