"It doesn't matter how great your shoes are if you don't accomplish anything in them"

 

Welcome back aspiring entrepreneurs. It’s Brendan from the SellerSmith team, here to provide you with your weekly dose of inspiration along with a mildly uncomfortable amount of shoe and foot puns - just run with it. I’m sure you have guessed the topic for the week by now.

That’s right, it’s all about sneaker, boots and leather loafers. If you didn't catch last weeks issue, check it out here.

Let’s converse a bit about the history and culture behind shoes, and discover how you can capitalize on this global phenomenon.

Shoes are truly fascinating. A massive culture has been built around this industry in recent times thanks to endorsement from social media and notable hip hop influencers. But shoes have a much richer history going back 40,000 years. Fast forward from feet wrapped in animal hides to today. We now see a booming industry with shoes varying hugely in design, color and material.

It’s not uncommon to see youth lining up outside shoe stores for sneaker launches to stock up and flip them (resell). They understand the demand is high, therefore they can make a viable living doing this. Gotta respect that hustle - it’s always nice to see kids entering the entrepreneurial game early. Sneakerheads live and breathe this stuff and have grown their own special form of community.

 

Trends are constantly coming and going, and even being born again. Before it was Yeezy’s, it was Jordans. Before that we watched the Hush Puppy epidemic, which revived an old, boring shoe into a cultural phenomenon thanks to a select few trendy kids from downtown Manhattan.

Shoes, much like watches, also remain a symbol of status in many parts of the world. Some people even believe they give insights into personality characteristics - an unlikely way to find your sole mate.

It’s fair to say we won’t stop wearing shoes anytime soon - until we invent some type of Iron Man-esque nanotech that wraps around our feet on command - so why not try your hand at selling shoes online?

 

Revenue in footwear is making strides. But don’t take my word for it. Let me hit you with some insights into the current state of the shoe industry:

• Global footwear market was valued at approximately USD 246.07 billion in 2017
• Global footwear market will reach USD 320.44 Billion by 2023: Zion Market Research
• User penetration is 30.2% in 2018 and is expected to hit 39.0% by 2022 according to Statista

 

Even if you don’t fully understand these statistics, I’m sure those big numbers excite you. So let me introduce you to the fastest, easiest way to start selling shoes online today - Shopify.

Shopify has everything you need to build an online store and is used by +600,000 merchants worldwide. Create a stunning storefront (no coding needed), accept payments and start making revenue all with the click of a button. Shopify also offer many themes for fashion stores to wow your customers.

For a more detailed explanation check out this post all about Shopify and it’s capabilities.

So should you choose shoes? We know great online stores are more than just products. The story behind a brand is sometimes the most compelling aspect, so we’ll be including some great tales of success from these merchants.

Let’s look at some inspirational Shopify footwear stores already built with this awesome platform.

 

Inspirational Shopify Shoe Stores

Lighting Shoes

While we usually feature stores heavy on aesthetics and visuals, we can’t help but love this store for its simplicity. A shoe company promoting art, dance and fun. 

What makes it great:

• Simple layout
• Neon elements
• Amazing reviews
• Unique product
• Fun, conversation style language used
• Shoes for all ages and genders

There’s an interesting story behind this brand. Dan Rusu actually bought this Shopify store on Flippa - an online business marketplace. Knowing nothing about the business, Rusu was able to double its revenue. To read more about this unique success story click here.

Is luminous footwear the future?

 

Blu Kicks

 

Fresh beach kicks with an emphasis on blue and denim - always a crowd favorite. 

What makes it great:

• Instagram integration
• Consistent colour theme
• Review carousel
• Press features displayed on site
• Comical brand story
• $1 donated from every pair to environmental efforts

It all started on a boat in Hawaii after mistaking a humuhumunukunukuapua’a fish for a sneaker swimming through the water. I mean we’ve all been there, right? OK maybe not but, if you would like to read more about this funny success story click here.

 

A Fine Pair of Shoes

The name really says it all. We couldn’t find anything but fine pairs of shoes throughout the site - promising to say the least.

What makes it great:

• Shop by brand, size and design
• Video content - embedded video content of the shoemaking process
• Sizing and shoe care guide
• Extensive info menu - shoe care, sizing, FAQs, contact etc in a drop-down menu
• Interactive product pages
• Trustpilot reviews
• Massive choice of currencies

This really is a great website filled with useful information and features. The simple design along with cursive font gives it a regal feel while remaining reasonably priced.

 

The Heat Check

 

Justin Ashby - know as Justin Amazing among his peers - started flipping sneakers 12 years ago.  He now runs The Heat Check, a comprehensive sneaker store with a large community following.

What makes it great:

• Huge product range
• Limited edition items
• Consignment option
• Shop by size
• Multiple payment options

This is a perfect example of capitalizing on limited edition products. Demand is high, therefore so is the price tag. Justin’s story is an inspirational one. From collecting shoes to collecting cash. Read more about his journey here.

 

Manitobah

Indigenous owned, Manitobah take pride in their cultural heritage celebrating it through traditional footwear. Their vision is to build a vibrant, global brand that makes a significant impact in Indigenous communities.

What makes it great:

• Beautiful handcrafted products
• Ethical vision
• Storytelling throughout site
• Authenticity certificate with every purchase
• Aesthetic long form landing page

More than just a brand, this is a touching story about a rich but often forgotten culture. The Indigenous artists receive 100% of the proceeds from their designs. Scrolling through this site is an informative and authentic experience. We particularly like the long form landing page - if you want to build one like this for yourself PageFly is the best app to do so. Just drag and drop! Check it out.

 

kigo

 

kigo is eco-friendly, lightweight, minimalist footwear. Perfect for those with active lifestyles looking for everyday comfort. An entirely virtual company, they believe in leveraging technology to expand their business while helping to protect the environment.

What makes it great:

• Minimal design
• Pop up customer reviews from product page
• Gift certificates
• Recycled materials
• Clearance section
• Featured articles section

kigo was born on a mountainside at the close of a long day of skiing. Sore feet, tucked inside heavy boots highlighted the need for an affordable, lightweight, durable shoe. Run by a husband and wife team, kigo are saving the planet one shoe at a time. Read more about their success story here.

 

soleRebels

Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu founded soleRebels in 2005 in hopes of increasing employment in her community. She hails from one of Addis Ababa’s (Ethiopia) most impoverished neighborhoods. There’s a unique product displayed on site with a story to match.

What makes it great:

• Origin Trade Certified products
• Handcrafted
• Large, crisp photography
• Shop by materials
• Vegan products

Bethlehem has grown soleRebels into an internationally recognized eco-fashion brand. It’s being touted as the world's fastest growing African footwear brand. A true rags to riches tale, we imagine Bethlehem is a bit of a local legend around her parts.

 

Soxfords 

While these are not strictly shoes, we appreciate that they go on the feet. We realized that we probably wouldn’t be doing an inspirational sock series anytime soon so we decided to throw this wildcard in. Because every great pair of shoes needs great socks to match.

What makes it great:

• Clean font
• Longform collection page - once again look to the PageFly app to build cool pages like this
• Extensive product collection
• Photo gallery
• Fun themed product

It all started when Ryan Kent struggled to find fish decorated dress socks for his father. Disappointed that he couldn’t find socks to convey his father’s passion, he soon realized that he would probably have to make such items himself. And Soxfords was born. Read more about his success story on his website or by clicking here.

 

If there’s one thing I would like you to take away from this article, it’s the importance of mobile compatibility. These stores all rock awesome mobile sites and so they should. Since the invention of smartphones, mobile eCommerce has been steadily rising. As more people purchase through their phones, the demand for streamlined mobile integrated websites increases every year.

 

Google research showed that 73 percent of consumers will switch from a poorly designed mobile site to an alternative mobile site that makes purchasing easier.

Using Shopify gives you the added benefit of being able to make your online store mobile friendly. Whether it’s on a tablet, phone or computer, you have the option to make the experience as enjoyable as possible for the buyer.

Looking at all these stores, it may seem like you have big shoes to fill. But this is your chance to take action. Starting an online shoe store has actually never been easier, especially with Shopify offering a risk-free 14 day free trial of their platform. It only takes 5 minutes to register so go ahead and give it a try.

Did we mention that there are also tons of Shopify apps to help you build a high converting page, gain traffic, manage analytics and much more? These apps are revolutionizing the way we do business online.

Leveraging technology for the highest possible output in all aspects of your business comes down to using the right apps. Luckily we made a comprehensive list of some of the best apps for increasing sales on your Shopify product page.

As usual, we hope this list has informed and inspired you in some way. Great things can be achieved in this digital era with innovative software emerging every day. We truly believe anyone can be successful in eCommerce.

All it takes is a little tenacity and the right mindset.

 

If you’re ready to take the next STEP in selling shoes online but still have questions, comment below and we’ll get right back to you.

P.S congratulations if you caught all my shameful puns.

P.P.S scratch that. I know they toe-tally blew you away.