A few years ago, Mustafa Syed walked out of his house wearing custom, light-up shoes that he’d created. Over the course of that one night, not only were people constantly asking him where he bought them, but everyone wanted to be his friend. The shoes were just a form of self-expression, and they had the power to instantly connect strangers. Realizing this potential, Mus decided to launch his own shoe company, REZA, to build a community for people who--as he puts it--Light Their Own Path. After multiple trips to Asia, years of development, and teetering on the verge of failure, he has created beautiful, exclusive shoes that light up to give everyone the magical feeling he felt that first night out on the town. Today we chat with Mus, the founder of REZA about

👟 An upcoming collab with a huge car manufacturer

👟The insights he learned after locking in the designer of Crocs as his first investor

👟 How the brand exploded in popularity after Steve Aoki wore them while performing at a Vegas club