Footwear Business

Footwear Business Success Stories [2024]

Updated: September 6th, 2024

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.

In this list, you'll find real-world footwear business success stories and very profitable examples of starting a footwear business that makes money.

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 money it makes: $48M/year
How many people on the team: 67

SMALLBORDER

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.

Read by 16,265 founders