UnParallel is led by Sang Lee, a former long-time business, design, and manufacturing partner of Five Ten. In 2017 adidas closed Five Ten's California-based factory and moved willing employees to adidas' Germany headquarters. Other staff and partners of Five Ten weren’t inclined to uproot. “We didn't see a future with the larger corporation,” says Jason Jackman, who together with Joel Rocha handles North American gym sales for UnParallel. “We wanted to carry on the tradition of climbing in Southern California.” And so UnParallel was born, as a group of previous Five Ten employees.