For over 50 years, Fluevog Shoes has been a trailblazer in the world of fashion, creating shoes that are not just footwear but works of art. The eponymous brand, known for its innovative designs and distinctive flair, has captured the hearts of shoe lovers around the globe. What many may not know, however, is that its founder, John Fluevog, faced personal challenges related to dyslexia on his path to success.
John and his family don’t see dyslexia as a barrier. Even though John has struggled with dyslexia his entire life, an important feature of his products is the written messages included on the soles of his shoes or hinted at through their design.
“Being dyslexic, I don’t have a problem with language—I have a problem with the form or structure of the language. But, in a way, I’m freer with language. I have my own form of grammar, and I think it’s quite interesting because I’m seeing it from a different point of view and have the freedom to be able to do it.”
Dyslexia runs in the Fluevog family. His son Adrian, the current CEO of the company, explains: “My father has it. I have it, and it was pretty much undiagnosed through school. My eldest son, who is in Grade 6, just got diagnosed with it. So, it’s definitely running through our family genes right now.”
John Fluevog remembers struggling in school: “And it was, ‘Oh, John doesn’t try hard enough. John needs to put in more effort.’ I thought I was stupid. What else can I say? I didn’t think I was very smart, and I didn’t feel I was good, as good as, and I felt insecure. So I acted out.”
He didn’t graduate from high school, eventually getting his equivalency later in life. “I just got into a profession where what I thought emotionally and artistically was important, and how I got rated, or whether I could transfer information or remember numbers, wasn’t as important. Because obviously, at the end of the day, I hired people to do that,” John shared.
Adrian also struggled in school, and like his father, dyslexia influenced his career path. Instead of pursuing university, he joined the shoe business.
“Even though, you know, I’m at a disadvantage in many ways, I feel that my dyslexia pushed me to do things I never thought I could do.”
Regarding his son’s recent dyslexia diagnosis, Adrian says, “It’s really interesting going through this with my son and learning how those different levels of dyslexia process information differently. As I’m going through this with my son, I’m thinking, ‘That’s me. That’s me.’ You know, everything they’re saying, it’s me. It’s very interesting.”
To listen to John and Adrian Fluevog’s story, tune in to Dyslexia Canada’s Spotlight: Mark it Read series, available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you typically access your podcasts.