Gales® Is An Honoree in Fast Company’s 2022 Innovation by Design Awards

We are thrilled to announce that we have been selected as an honoree in the Pandemic Response and Small Business categories in Fast Company’s 2022 Innovation by Design Awards!

Now in its 11th year, The Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Awards recognizes businesses that are striving to solve some of the most pressing and complex problems facing consumers and industries today. The annual competition features a range of tenured companies, emerging startups, and innovative talents, and those included in the prestigious line up of winners and honorees are touted as being on the cutting-edge of their industries.

Gales® has been selected as an honorable mention in the Pandemic Response Category, which highlights businesses that have gone above and beyond to deliver a product or service that can solve a problem relating to the pandemic today as well as make a lasting impact for the future. 

“The #1 unaddressed issue in healthcare in terms of protection and comfort, as communicated to us by Rebecca Love, RN, MSN, FIEL, was footwear, and when we learned about the need, we were happy to be the first to step up and create a solution. Our healthcare professionals give so much to everyone else, we thought it was time to give something back to them!”- Gales® Founder & CEO Rob Gregg said of being honored on the 2022 list. 

Fast Company breaks down its accolades into 46 distinct categories, each meant to represent every single facet and element of the design process. While there are a number of categories, companies are judged on what The Fast Company calls “the key ingredients of innovation: functionality, originality, beauty, sustainability, user insight, cultural impact, and business impact”.

"Judging these awards is a serious process for Fast Company’s writers and editors that requires months of work each year” said Mark Wilson, Global Design Editor for The Fast Company. “ I found 2022 to be a particularly strong year for submissions, proving that designers and companies alike have begun to think more holistically and long-term about their impact on the world. I hope to see this trend only grow into 2023”.

Gales® is honored to be featured alongside companies leading the charge in the healthcare space. Other honorees include Betterlab, a hand sanitizer that uses UVC light to eradicate pathogens and reduce environmental waste, GoodRx's COVID-19 Antiviral Pill Tracker, and Walmarts Covid-19 Vaccine Scheduling App. 

Over the years, the list of categories included has evolved to meet the current business landscape, with the Pandemic Response category being added in 2021 as a result of the global19 pandemic. After a truly unprecedented two and a half years, Gales® is humbled to be recognized as a brand that is helping solve an every day and very serious problem facing all healthcare workers; shoes that can protect, provide comfort, and are kind to the wallet. 

The annual list of companies going above and beyond to serve both consumers and industries alike has some pretty impressive alumni; Uber was selected as a 2013 winner in the Transportation category, and Casper was named a finalist on the 2015 list. 

Being chosen to appear on the 2022 list among such other fantastic companies is truly an honor for us and a motivation to keep innovating our product to ensure our footwear continues to meet the needs of our customers. We are also very excited to have been featured on Business Insider today! Our Founder Rob chatted to BI about our seed round closing, new product categories, and the future of Gales®! Check out the interview here, and don’t forget to follow us on IG!