Our Mission
Our mission is to be the foundation that empowers all towards a successful fitness journey. We exist to provide a fantastic warm-up experience every time & to immediately make the legs feel lighter and stronger for any workout after using our Haflete fitness equipment. Train at a high level to compete at a higher level.
Our Brand
Haflete LLC is an American company that designs and manufactures fitness equipment, Haflete Odyssey. Haflete produces and distributes footwear, knee brace, and resistance cables.
The Meaning Behind Our Company & Brand Name
The term Haflete is a blend of multiple words formed by combining the word Half (without the L) based on our Half-of-shoe design and the word athlete.
To us, Haflete represents all who can run and jump.
The term Odyssey means a long journey.
Jointly, Haflete Odyssey represents all who can run and jump throughout their long fitness journey. Our company prioritizes the performance and safety of our Hafletes.
Our Story
Roobens had participated in track & field during his junior and senior high school years. He mainly competed in middle distance events such as the 800 meters, 1-mile, and 4x 800 meters. After high school in 2011, he was determined to be a walk-on track athlete for Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU). He started attending FAMU in the Spring of 2013 and hoped to make the track team for the next three years. However, he did not come to realize that dream. Roobens failed to run the qualifying recruiting standard time for the 800m & and the 400m all three years.
Fueled by past failures of not making the FAMU track team and nagging knee injuries, he was highly motivated to find other ways to impact the running community. After graduating with his bachelor’s in 2016, Mr. Louis started to write down different product ideas in his journal. Later in 2017, Roobens took a long break from all running activities to find the mental passion he had for running before he started competing in high school. One night in December of 2018, Roobens identified the proof of concept for the Haflete Odyssey by cutting a pair of his favorite shoe, the Reebok Zig Tech, and placing a piece of paper in front of the shoes; he used an old pair of knee sleeves and hair scrunchies as the resistance cables. Immediately after that moment, Roobens began to pursue his entrepreneurship career.
Our Team
Roobens Louis
Founder/CEO
Roobens has seven years of experience working in the retail industry and two years of experience in sales. After he had filed for the non-provisional patent application for the Haflete Odyssey in 2020, he formally incorporated Haflete LLC on October 16th. Roobens received his B.A. in psychology from Florida International University in 2016. He also received his MBA in finance from the University of Arizona Global Campus in 2022. He is an avid runner and enjoys playing basketball occasionally.
Jasmen Perry
Social Media Marketing
Jasmen is an esteemed marketing and sales professional with over three years of experience. As an experienced powerlifter, she is well versed in the fitness industry. With wellness being the quintessence of her journey, Jasmen envisions meeting passion with utility. Jasmen received her B.B.S. from the University of Houston in marketing and sales in 2020.
Franco S. De Liguori
Intellectual Property/Business Advisor
Franco S. De Liguori is the Managing Member at DP IP Group, an intellectual property and business consulting company based in Tampa, Florida. Franco has been registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) since 1991 and has been working in the field of intellectual property since 1988 when he became a USPTO Patent Examiner. Franco is a key partner and has been providing intellectual property services for Haflete since our proof of concept stage. Franco has also been a business advisor and a mentor for Roobens after the two paired up through a Patent Pro Bono Program hosted by the Arts & Business Council of Miami and Dade Legal Aid. Franco will continue to function as an intellectual property and business advisor for the Haflete team.
Our Team
Roobens Louis
Founder/CEO
Roobens has seven years of experience working in the retail industry and two years of experience in sales. After he had filed for the non-provisional patent application for the Haflete Odyssey in 2020, he formally incorporated Haflete LLC on October 16th. Roobens received his B.A. in psychology from Florida International University in 2016. He also received his MBA in finance from the University of Arizona Global Campus in 2022. He is an avid runner and enjoys playing basketball occasionally.
Jasmen Perry
Social Media Marketing
Jasmen is an esteemed marketing and sales professional with over three years of experience. As an experienced powerlifter, she is well versed in the fitness industry. With wellness being the quintessence of her journey, Jasmen envisions meeting passion with utility. Jasmen received her B.B.S. from the University of Houston in marketing and sales in 2020.
Franco S. De Liguori
Intellectual Property/ Business advisor
Franco S. De Liguori is the Managing Member at DP IP Group, an intellectual property and business consulting company based in Tampa, Florida. Franco has been registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) since 1991 and has been working in the field of intellectual property since 1988 when he became a USPTO Patent Examiner. Franco is a key partner and has been providing intellectual property services for Haflete since our proof of concept stage. Franco has also been a business advisor and a mentor for Roobens after the two paired up through a Patent Pro Bono Program hosted by the Arts & Business Council of Miami and Dade Legal Aid. Franco will continue to function as an intellectual property and business advisor for the Haflete team.