#21 Rob Gregg | STAND+ CEO & Founder

How STAND+ Is Redefining Recovery Footwear

When Rob Gregg started Stand+, it wasn’t born out of Silicon Valley R&D or a lab of engineers — it was built from sore knees, 16-hour days on concrete floors, and an old-school Italian shoemaker who let him apprentice in exchange for labor.

“I just wanted to go to work, look good, and feel great,” Rob told The Playbook. “Shoes didn’t exist to solve that need.”

So, he made his own.

Eighteen years ago, Gregg crafted a custom pair of flexible, breathable shoes that felt like socks. The prototype caught attention, leading him down a long road of trial, failure, and reinvention — from luxury dress shoes to, eventually, the category-defining recovery footwear now known as STAND+.

💡 The Birth of STAND+

The turning point came during the pandemic. While volunteering with healthcare boards, Rob saw the physical toll nurses endured. “They’re on their feet all day, and shoes aren’t built for that,” he said.

Athletic shoes were great for performance — built to store energy and propel you forward — but they weren’t designed to dissipate impact. STAND+ flipped that formula, creating what Rob calls “the slowest shoe in the world.”

Originally made for nurses, the product quickly found a home among other “high performers” — chefs, baristas, teachers, and even pro athletes using them in the locker room for recovery.

⚡ From the Court to the Kitchen

Word of mouth has fueled STAND+’s growth. Rob shared a story about Billy Davis, President of NFL Alumni Health and two-time Super Bowl champion, who called the shoes life-changing:

“I’ve had 11 surgeries on my lower extremities. This is the first time I’ve been able to walk pain-free.”

That kind of testimonial echoes across industries. Whether it’s nurses finishing 12-hour shifts or athletes bouncing back from competition, STAND+ has become a quiet revolution in recovery footwear.

🩺 Standing for Those Who Stand for Others

The brand’s name stems from a deeper philosophy. “We stand for those who stand for others,” Rob explained. “There are so many people who make the world go round — and get very little gratitude for it.”

What began as a tribute to nurses has expanded into a mission-driven brand that celebrates service, recovery, and human resilience.

👟 The Lineup

STAND+ now features four core models — with a fifth on the way:

• Gales Frontline: Built for nurses; narrow fit, fluid-resistant, and antimicrobial.
• Proline: Wider fit with a durable rubber sole for industrial use.
• Anti-Grav 1: Lightweight and machine washable — a locker-room favorite.
• Anti-Grav 2: Same comfort, upgraded with a non-slip industrial grip.
• (Coming Soon): A slide-on silhouette inspired by his wife’s pregnancy — designed for effortless comfort and casual wear.

💭 Entrepreneurial Lessons

Rob’s advice to founders: seek discomfort.

“If it feels scary, that’s probably a good sign. When you’re outside your comfort zone, that’s when you find out what you’re really capable of.”

He compares it to a lion in a zoo — “its eyes glaze over when it stops being a lion.” For Rob, entrepreneurship is about keeping that instinct alive.

🧩 Flow Stack: Rob Gregg

Rob’s “flow stack” isn’t just physical — it’s digital.

He’s built personalized GPTs to act as virtual teammates — from a CMO to a family planner — each trained to handle specific tasks or optimize his daily flow. “It’s like hiring an intern that learns your habits,” he said.

Outside the digital world, Rob keeps it simple and intentional:

• Hydration: Mountain Valley Spring Water.
• Supplements: Seed probiotic and clean nutrition staples.
• Lifestyle: Cooking at home, minimal caffeine, maximizing recovery time.
• Gear: STAND+ recovery shoes (“the best shoes for the hours you’re not training”).
• Rest: “Put your phone down. Get sleep. That’s the real performance hack.”

His philosophy? Focus as much on recovery as performance. “What you do outside the gym matters just as much as what you do inside.”