A few years ago while at practice, one of our owners (Thomas Filbert) noticed friend/drummer, Dylan, had cut his toes while playing drums barefoot. This sparked an idea that there should be shoes specifically designed to meet the needs of a drummer (while also looking good) and that could even be worn casually. From this point on, much research and development began going into designing a pair of shoes that could meet this criteria.

During this time, the Filbert family experienced, first-hand, the effects of a layoff. Using this as motivation, the family began looking into starting its own business. It was at this point that Thomas decided to pitch his idea of a brand that would provide quality shoes and clothing inspired by the needs of musicians. Over the next several months, the family would pool its funds together and begin laying the groundwork for Vratim.

The brand officially launched on December 6, 2013 and introduced its first Vratim Drum Shoe. From that point Vratim began seeking out a few artists to endorse. Over the next year and a half, Vratim would be run part-time and seek out more artists to endorse to further support the brand all while Thomas split his focus between Vratim, his band, and school.