John Peters is the Founder and CEO of Amberjack, a men’s footwear company that sells modern and comfortable dress-casual shoes. John formerly worked at McKinsey before starting the company in 2019 alongside the former CEO of Cole Haan.
Amberjack uses proprietary athletic technology to make men’s dress shoes and boots that look as good as they feel. The brand is one of the fastest-growing footwear companies in the last 20 years and our favorite dress shoe brand for comfort and style.
In this interview, you’ll see how and why John Peters created Amberjack. We’ll go deep into the company’s approach to premium shoe craftsmanship and its approach to modernizing the traditional dress shoe industry.
At Luxe Digital, we’re big fans of the brand, and we’ve had the pleasure to put most of their shoes to the test over the past few years. You can learn more about the Amberjack shoe brand here, and check all our Ambjerack shoe reviews below:
- Amberjack The Original review
- Amberjack The Boot review
- Amberjack The Chelsea review
- Amberjack The Loafer review
- Amberjack The Slip-On review
Luxe Digital: Hello John. Thank you for taking the time to speak to us. Let’s start with your business. How would you describe Amberjack?
John Peters: In the simplest sense, it’s comfort and style. We try really hard to offer the best of both worlds – a dress-casual shoe that looks amazing but also feels amazing on your feet. And we do that at a value/price point that is hard to beat for the quality of materials we are using.
I always had a bug for entrepreneurship, and the truth was that I thought it was the right time to take a risk personally. I wasn’t married at the time and did not have kids, so the only question was what to do. I loved the consumer work I did at McKinsey, and I also hated wearing dress shoes every day. So I figured, why not make a cool men’s brand that’s as comfy as your sneakers?
The key to Amberjack’s success was finding the right tannery. You’d think that’s a material that’s been used since cavemen would be simple by now, but ironically, leather is the most complicated and most important component in a pair of dress shoes. We partnered directly with one of the world’s best tanneries which created a tremendous business advantage for us getting started. We were blown away by the quality of leather and craftsmanship that goes into every shoe. Once satisfied with the leather component, we went back to the drawing board to innovate new materials for the soles. They had to be soft but structured; comfortable but dressy.
This goes back to the brand’s heart and soul—cool and comfortable dress shoes redesigned for the modern man.
Luxe Digital: Who is Amberjack for? What are your customers seeking when buying shoes from Amberjack?
John Peters: Our customers are typically professionals who want to look good but aren’t fussy. They want a pair of shoes that’s versatile, high quality, and comfortable after a long day on their feet.
We send an automated email to every single customer who buys Amberjack shoes that includes my personal email address for anyone who wants to share feedback, positive or negative. The absolute best part of my job is reading emails from customers who love our shoes and understanding how it’s impacted their day to day. There’s nothing more rewarding. We even had one customer send pictures of his daughter’s wedding and their father-daughter dance, and how happy he was wearing the shoes. That was really special for me.
It’s incredible to see how many of our customers come back for second, third, and yes—even fourth pairs. The most common feedback we receive usually refers to the quality of our leather and craftsmanship. Most customers have said that our shoes—whether it’s The Chelsea, The Loafer, or The Original— didn’t require a break-in period at all and were comfortable straight out of the box. We’re also overjoyed to read about all the people who say we’ve completely changed their work days.
It’s why we started Amberjack in the first place—to empower professionals through comfortable-but-cool dress shoes. According to our customers, they’re the best shoes for standing all day.
Luxe Digital: Amberjack focuses on bringing modern technologies to classic designs. How do you think men should build their essential wardrobe?
John Peters: My personal style is simple and functional. Clothing-wise, I like wearing neutral colors from high-performance brands that can be equally dressy and casual. At work, I’m usually wearing Lululemon pants, a Buck Mason or Peter Millar shirt—and, of course, Amberjack slip-ons.
It’s also great to see more and more men moving away from fast fashion and investing in quality, elevated basics. It’s something Amberjack has always been passionate about—creating quality, comfortable shoes with a long lifespan. When building a capsule wardrobe, you want versatile essentials that complement each other. Bearing this in mind, our goal was to create timeless dress shoes that you could wear every day without thinking twice or growing tired of the look.
Luxe Digital: At Luxe Digital, we champion conscious, elevated living. How does Amberjack embody this definition of luxury?
John Peters: Our hybrid dress shoes are different from other comfort brands in that they are made to last (in fact, we have a 2-year warranty and will gladly replace/cover any wear issues). We also work with some of the best suppliers in Portugal to produce our shoes.
When it comes to quality, though, the number one most important ingredient is the leather. You really can’t hide from bad leather—customers know it. Conversely, good leather is like a work of art. It’s natural, beautiful, and has character. We only source the highest quality full-grain leather from Portuguese and Italian tanneries. The leather is natural with minimal ‘coating’, and every pair is hand-finished, which means the final product you receive is truly unique.
Quality and longevity aside, we also strive to use sustainable materials wherever possible. All our leather is sourced from ISO-certified tanneries, meaning that they reduce energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and harmful chemicals. We only partner with suppliers that pay employees fairly. We also only use plastic-free packaging and 100% carbon-neutral shipping. For us, it’s just the right thing to do.
Luxe Digital: What trends do you think will have the most impact on the premium shoe industry in the next five years?
John Peters: I think the definition of “dress” will continue to evolve, and you will see more and more variations of “dress shoes.” This trend has been occurring for some time now and will only continue as consumers demand the comfort of sneakers but still need more formal shoes for work, church, meetings, etc.
In the next five years, I think that sustainability and ethical production will significantly impact the dress shoe industry as consumers increasingly demand eco-conscious and transparently sourced materials.
The blurring of casual and formal footwear will likely lead to more versatile designs. Modern technologies will emerge, omnichannel strategies will become more prominent, and digital customization will improve.
These trends will shape the industry’s evolution, highlighting the importance of adaptability and innovation for premium shoe brands. Our goal is to remain one step ahead.
Luxe Digital: What does the future reserve for Amberjack?
John Peters: We have a really incredible new product line coming out in the Spring which we designed with Aaron Rodgers. It’s a first-of-its-kind product made from a revolutionary new sustainable manufacturing process. Stay tuned! 🙂
A few words that say a lot:
- A book that influenced your life: The Mindbody Prescription: Healing the Body, Healing the Pain by Dr. John Sarno
- Luxury in one word: Comfort
- The future of digital in one word: Shopify
- If you were to pick only one color: Navy
