35 Profitable Shoe Related Business Ideas (Ultimate List!)

Updated: July 24th, 2023

If you are looking for shoe related business ideas to begin your path to entrepreneurship, you are in the right place.

With starting a shoe related business, there are plenty of opportunities that can help you follow your dreams and build a successful career. 

In this post, you will discover profitable business ideas, perfect for those who want to have a flexible job, capable of multiplying the average income, while becoming your own boss.

Check out the full list below to help you find your next idea!

Here they are:



1. Start a shoe brand

Starting a shoe business can be very lucrative - you can make money by selling shoes, but you can also make money by buying shoes and then reselling them at a higher price.

It's an industry that's been around for hundreds of years, so it's well-established and has plenty of room for growth—especially if you can get in at the ground level. It's also easy to start with minimal investment: even if you only have enough money for two months' worth of inventory, you can still get started right away.

How much you can make: $1,000 — $83,300,000/month

How long does it take to build: 455 days (?)

How I Started A $80K/Month Luxury Shoes And Accessories Brand

16-year-old entrepreneur founds KASA, an online luxury shoe and accessory boutique with over 270 luxury shoes in the collection, generating $80k in monthly profits and exploring expansion into lower-end shoes and custom shoes for the poor.

About
Kartik started KASA over 5 years ago
Revenue
Kartik grew the business to $80K/month
Read by 20,296 founders

2. Start a shoe brand

Starting a shoe business can be very lucrative - you can make money by selling shoes, but you can also make money by buying shoes and then reselling them at a higher price.

It's an industry that's been around for hundreds of years, so it's well-established and has plenty of room for growth—especially if you can get in at the ground level. It's also easy to start with minimal investment: even if you only have enough money for two months' worth of inventory, you can still get started right away.

How much you can make: $1,000 — $83,300,000/month

How long does it take to build: 455 days (?)

How I Started A $80K/Month Luxury Shoes And Accessories Brand

16-year-old entrepreneur founds KASA, an online luxury shoe and accessory boutique with over 270 luxury shoes in the collection, generating $80k in monthly profits and exploring expansion into lower-end shoes and custom shoes for the poor.

About
Kartik started KASA over 5 years ago
Revenue
Kartik grew the business to $80K/month
Read by 20,296 founders

3. Start a youtube channel

For anyone looking to start a successful YouTube channel, there are plenty of YouTube channel success stories that can be used as inspiration and encouragement. In addition, YouTube has an established monetization system and boasts incredible popularity, making it a potential platform for revenue generation.

In this article, we'll look at different approaches you can use to help promote your channel and grow your viewers. While there's no quick and easy way to success, you can take these tips to build your own YouTube Channel Success story. If you love content creation, you can capitalize on YouTube's popularity to earn extra income.

If you want to join the Youtube partner program to monetize your channel, you will need to reach a minimum of 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the previous 12 months.

How much you can make: $800 — $4,500,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $500 (?)

How long does it take to build: 48 days (?)

Time commitment per week: Min. 5 hours/week

How This Couple Makes $5K/Month Generating Content About Ways To Make Money Online

Learn how this entrepreneurial couple made $5-7k a month by helping others find legitimate work from home jobs and creative ways to make money online through their blog and YouTube channel, as well as offering two flagship products designed to help beginner freelancers and new bloggers accelerate growth.

About
Chhavi started Mrs Daaku Studio almost 6 years ago
Revenue
Chhavi grew the business to $5K/month
Costs
It cost Chhavi $500 to start the business
Read by 13,571 founders

4. Start a bikers customized boots manufacturing business

5. Start a shoe gum manufacturing business

6. Start a safety boots production business

7. Start a military footwear manufacturing business

8. Start a shoe soles production and supply business

9. Start a shoes wholesaling supply business

How much you can make: $4,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $700 (?)

How I Started A $3.5K/Month Business Helping People That Want To Start Shoe Brands

Susannah Davda explains how she started a niche consultancy business helping people start shoe brands, earning $3.5k per month through personalized services and a highly successful online course.

About
Susannah started The Shoe Consultant Ltd about 9 years ago
Revenue
Susannah grew the business to $4K/month
Costs
It cost Susannah $700 to start the business
Read by 8,808 founders

10. Start a riders shoe manufacturing business

11. Start a rain and snow boots production business

12. Start a shoe buckles production business

13. Start a rock climbing boots manufacturing business

14. Start an used shoe consignment store business

15. Start a shoe craft school business

16. Start a children shoe store

17. Start a shoe repair business

A shoe repair business focuses on replacing worn-out heels and soles to restore high-quality footwear. The cost of shoe repair is often lower than that of purchasing a new pair, hence why people demand shoe repair services.

If you intend to start a shoe repair business, research the target market and estimate the demand for shoe repair services. Target opening a shoe repair shop within residential areas, as that’s where more customers are likely to come from.

Decide what shoe repair services are in demand in the region, and invest in the necessary tools.

18. Start a rubber and latex distribution business

19. Start a footwear store

How much you can make: $102,000/month

Opening A $102K/Month Boutique Business

This case study showcases an entrepreneur who created a thriving boutique store for both men's and women's clothing, footwear, and accessories, with renowned brands such as Nike, Billionaire Boys Club, and Herschel available under one roof.

About
They started Urbanity Shop over 14 years ago
Revenue
They grew the business to $102K/month
Read by 807 founders

20. Start a shoe making business

How much you can make: $3,333 — $83,300,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $700 (?)

How I Started A $3.5K/Month Business Helping People That Want To Start Shoe Brands

Susannah Davda explains how she started a niche consultancy business helping people start shoe brands, earning $3.5k per month through personalized services and a highly successful online course.

About
Susannah started The Shoe Consultant Ltd about 9 years ago
Revenue
Susannah grew the business to $4K/month
Costs
It cost Susannah $700 to start the business
Read by 8,808 founders

21. Start a shoe designing business

How much you can make: $1,000 — $83,300,000/month

How long does it take to build: 30 days (?)

How I Started A $50K/Month Business Customizing Sneakers

Meet Blake Barash, a custom shoe painter who grew his business from his bedroom to now making $50k per month and employing six people.

Revenue
Blake grew the business to $60K/month
Costs
It cost Blake $1000 to start the business
Read by 16,349 founders

22. Start a handmade shoe cottage business

23. Start a leather shoes manufacturing business

24. Start a flip-flops manufacturing business

25. Start an online shoe store business

How much you can make: $3,333 — $83,300,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $1,500 (?)

How long does it take to build: 240 days (?)

How I Started A $50K/Month Business Customizing Sneakers

Meet Blake Barash, a custom shoe painter who grew his business from his bedroom to now making $50k per month and employing six people.

Revenue
Blake grew the business to $60K/month
Costs
It cost Blake $1000 to start the business
Read by 16,349 founders

26. Start a shoe polish manufacturing business

27. Start a retail sports footwear business

How much you can make: $140,000/month

How long does it take to build: 90 days (?)

How I Started A $840K/Year Business Selling Limited Edition Sneakers [Italy]

Founder Kola Tytler managed to build a profitable business, Dropout, worth over $2.5 million by selling limited edition sneakers and streetwear, despite having no prior experience and juggling medical school; the company saw over 50,000 in-store visitors and over $100k in sales in December 2021 alone and raised €750k via equity crowdfunding in 6 days.

About
Kola started Dropout SRL over 5 years ago
Revenue
Kola grew the business to $140K/month
Costs
It cost Kola $120000 to start the business
Read by 3,591 founders

28. Start a rubber shoes mass production business

29. Start a shoe lace business

30. Start a synthetic leather supplying business

31. Start a babies shoe store business

32. Start a men's shoe store business

How much you can make: $3,333 — $83,300,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $1,000 (?)

How long does it take to build: 180 days (?)

How We Started A $50K/Month Family-Run Men’s Footwear Business

WALK London Shoes, a family-run footwear brand, launched their own brand in 2013 and today they sell over 100,000 pairs a year with a focus on creating high-quality, fashionable products at affordable prices, from a sweet spot range between £55-£95.

About
James started Andiamo International LTD about 11 years ago
Revenue
James grew the business to $50K/month
Costs
It cost James $1000 to start the business
Read by 4,342 founders

33. Sell sandals

34. Start a football boots production business

35. Start a sneaker line production business

How much you can make: $140,000/month

How long does it take to build: 90 days (?)

How I Started A $840K/Year Business Selling Limited Edition Sneakers [Italy]

Founder Kola Tytler managed to build a profitable business, Dropout, worth over $2.5 million by selling limited edition sneakers and streetwear, despite having no prior experience and juggling medical school; the company saw over 50,000 in-store visitors and over $100k in sales in December 2021 alone and raised €750k via equity crowdfunding in 6 days.

About
Kola started Dropout SRL over 5 years ago
Revenue
Kola grew the business to $140K/month
Costs
It cost Kola $120000 to start the business
Read by 3,591 founders

meet the author
Pat Walls

I'm Pat Walls and I created Starter Story - a website dedicated to helping people start businesses. We interview entrepreneurs from around the world about how they started and grew their businesses.