Shoes
Sneaker enthusiast group SoleSavy raises $2M, setting the stage for a community-driven commerce boom
SoleSavy, a community built around buying hot sneakers and related items that are increasingly hard to acquire at retail, raised $2 million in a round that closed late last year.…
Sneaker culture staple GOAT hits $1.75 billion valuation on new $100 million round
In this case, money, it really is the shoes. GOAT, the proprietor of online and physical retail locations for reselling the collectible kicks and kits that are the currency of…
Philadelphia’s Jenzy has a tool to size kids’ feet and a marketplace to buy them the right shoes
Of all the startup jawns that could possibly come from Philadelphia, perhaps none is as unexpected as Jenzy, the startup that provides an online marketplace and virtual sizing tool for…
Koio, the high-end sneakers brand led by Chris Wichert and Johannes Quodt, has today raised an additional $6 million in Series A funding, bringing total Series A funding to $9…
Atoms nabs $8.1M for shoes you can buy in quarter sizes for each foot
The direct-to-consumer trend in fashion has been one of the most interesting evolutions in e-commerce in the last several years, and today one of the trailblazers in the world of…
Nike launches a subscription service for kids’ shoes, Nike Adventure Club
Just in time for back-to-school shopping, Nike today officially announced its entry into the subscription service market with the launch of a “sneaker club” for kids called Nike Adventure Club.…
Startups in the AR space see a bright future for bringing retail experiences into the home, but there haven’t been a ton of convincing examples of companies carrying out this…
Featured Article
Nike’s auto-laced future
Why does the world need a self-lacing shoe? Haven’t you heard of Velcro? How will you tie your shoes when the Wi-Fi is down? That’s the gist of the instant response I got when I mentioned the new Adapt BB, a shoe from Nike with, yes, powered laces that tighten to a wearer’s foot automatically.…
No one has any trouble tracking their steps today. But how can you make sure people know you’re doing it? Ostentatiously checking your phone or watch every five minutes is…
Allbirds, the shoe startup that entered the unicorn club last month following a $50 million funding round, has unveiled its latest feet holders. Dubbed the Tree Topper, the high-top sneaker…
With $50M in fresh funding, Allbirds will open new stores in the US, UK and Asia
Allbirds’ wool runners have been a VC favorite since the beginning. Now, the company is worth $1.4 billion.
Shoes of Prey presses pause to select a business sale or pivot
Shoes of Prey, a Khosla Ventures-backed shoe retailer whose website let women customize footwear purchases by selecting the color and material of the sandals or pumps they wanted to order…
Good thing Carrie Bradshaw, the shoe-loving heroine of Sex and the City, wasn’t a footwear venture capitalist. The high-heeled, high-priced and hard-to-walk-in pairs beloved by the TV icon are pretty…
Sneaker market GOAT hires COO Lizzie Francis and makes a play for women sneaker shoppers
GOAT, the secondary marketplace for sneakers that recently merged with Flight Club, is announcing a new hire. Lizzie Francis will join the company as Chief Operating Officer, coming from Brilliant…
Step aside, Allbirds. Atoms come in quarter-sizes you can mix-and-match. Emerging from stealth today in a TechCrunch exclusive, this shoe startup’s obsession with satisfaction allowed it to replace my Nikes.…
Nike debuts its first SNKRS stash drop at a concert with Kendrick Lamar and SZA
On a mild Thursday night at the Los Angeles Forum, Nike’s public relations team and a group of journalists from some of the country’s leading lifestyle, tech, and general interest…
Nike just released its first shoe with an all-foam bottom
Nike just announced their first shoe with an all-foam sole powered by a new foam technology called React. The shoe is called the Nike Epic React Flyknit and is a running…
Running shoes and graphene were made for each other. One is always in search of the latest gimmick and the other has produced some of the most stunning in recent…
Asics is using microwave technology to create custom midsoles in as little as 15 seconds
It’s been a fascinating couple of years for high tech sneaker heads, between self-lacing Nikes and Adidas’ experiments with 3D printed midsoles and biodegradable yarn. Asics isn’t generally uttered in…
Allbirds plans to expand to new materials with $17.5 million in fresh funds
You can’t walk outside your door in San Francisco these days without seeing some tech worker or VC wearing a pair of Allbirds. The eco-friendly wool shoes have taken over…
Rothy’s, whose ballet flats are all over Facebook and Pinterest, has raised $7 million in funding
You’ve likely seen them plastered across your social media accounts, if not on someone’s feet in San Francisco, where the company is based: attractive women’s flats in bright red with…
Amazon gets into shoes and handbags with its new private fashion label ‘The Fix’
Amazon is again expanding its presence in the fashion industry with this week’s launch of yet another private label brand, The Fix. The new label for Prime members is aimed…
Today at TechCrunch Disrupt NY 2017 three startups took the stage to talk shoes with TechCrunch Editor in Chief Matthew Panzarino. Josh Luber of StockX, John McPheters of Stadium Goods…
Smart running shoes won’t make you faster, but they could help you avoid getting hurt
Altra’s Torin IQ were inevitable. Sensors integrated into articles of clothing have long been acknowledged to be the next step in wearable tech, and the Utah-based footwear maker just happened…
Adidas’ latest 3D-printed shoe puts mass production within sight
Adidas unveiled their latest 3D-printed shoe last night, the Futurecraft 4D. The shoe is a huge improvement on their last 3D-printed runners, which were more of a concept than an actual…
Pizza-ordering Pie Tops sneakers are as good a reason as any to question your existence
Pie Tops are not the future of sneakers. They’re not some cool prototype like the HyperAdapt that point to a shoe company finally realizing a long sought-after feature. They’re a…
If you’ve walked around San Francisco, you’ve probably seen them. An eco-friendly and comfortable wool shoe, Allbirds has already developed a cult following in the tech world. Venture capitalists, entrepreneurs…
If the shoe fits, keep it! That’s the goal of True Fit, which helps shoe and apparel businesses cut down on e-commerce returns.
How to grab attention in short bursts with Beme’s Casey Neistat
YouTube star and Beme co-founder Casey Neistat jaunted on stage slightly late and sporting neon yellow shoes at TechCrunch Disrupt NYC this morning to talk about his app and what…
[tc_aol_on code=”519592436″] I’ve spent a lot of time over the past few days with the folks at Nike, who were showing off a whole bunch of new and upcoming products…
