7 Footwear Business Success Stories [2024]

Pat Walls

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Updated: December 11th, 2023

Start A Footwear Business

Operating a footwear business entails a comprehensive process that encompasses the design, production, and distribution of shoes to customers through various channels such as e-commerce or wholesale.

To initiate the process, you need to ideate and supervise the creation of fashionable yet practical shoe collections that cater to specific target audiences, such as children, athletes, or working professionals.

Establishing a brand that revolves around superior quality materials and exclusive designs can help you establish a unique identity in the market and stand out from the competition.

Here are some real life success stories of starting a footwear business:

Learn more about starting a footwear business:

Where to start?

-> How much does it cost to start a footwear business?
-> Pros and cons of a footwear business

Need inspiration?

-> Examples of established footwear business
-> Marketing ideas for a footwear business

Other resources

Part of

Starting A Footwear Business: Everything You Need To Know

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1. Xero Shoes ($48M/year)

Steven Sashen, co-founder and CEO of Xero Shoes, came up with the idea for his business after experiencing the benefits of barefoot running. He designed his own "barefoot sandals" based on ancient designs and started selling DIY sandal making kits. Through online marketing strategies and identifying target customers, Xero Shoes quickly grew into a successful business.

How much they make: $48M/year
Current team size: 67

Xero Shoes: Growing A Shoe Brand to $460K/month

Xero Shoes, co-founded by Steven Sashen, is a minimalist shoe company that has grown at a rate of 80-102% per year since 2014, with 2017 sales of $5.53M, and has been repeatedly listed as one of INC. 5000’s fastest-growing companies, and has a projected $15M in sales for 2019.

About

Steven started Xero Shoes over 14 years ago

Revenue

Steven grew the business to $4M/month

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Read by 14,844 founders

2. Coddies ($1.5M/year)

How much they make: $1.5M/year
Current team size: 2

This 24-year-old saved $4,000 by escaping the UK’s winter to work remotely

Coddies, a footwear brand that launched in early 2018, is saving money and leading their industry by creating uniquely designed fish flip-flops and swapping continents for six months to establish their business.

About

Jack started Coddies almost 6 years ago

Revenue

Jack grew the business to $125K/month

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Read by 435 founders