Wolf and Shepherd (styled Wolf & Shepherd) is a men's dress shoe company. The company designs and sells Italian leather dress shoes using technology found in running sneakers. Wolf & Shepherd was founded in 2014 in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. In early 2017, Wolf & Shepherd relocated its headquarters to Los Angeles, California, where the company continues to operate.
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2014 |
| Founder | Justin Schneider |
| Headquarters | , U.S. |
| Products | Dress shoe |
| Website | wolfandshepherd |
History
editWolf & Shepherd was founded in 2014 by footwear designer, Justin Schneider. Prior to starting the company, Schneider was a decathlete competing for the University of Notre Dame.[1] After retiring from competition, Schneider spent five years designing performance shoes and technology for footwear companies such as Adidas,[1] Reebok and New Balance.[2][3]
The idea for Wolf & Shepherd came when Schneider wanted to update traditionally uncomfortable dress shoes.[4] A friend of Schneider made complaints about the discomfort his wood and nails dress shoes caused him on his commute to work.[5]
Schneider began designing prototypes and experimenting with different technologies. Wolf & Shepherd shoes are designed using high-density ethylene vinyl acetate (HDEVA) cushioning, found in running shoes, a proprietary blend of memory foam and a carbon-fiber arch to provide stability and reduce the weight of the shoe.[6] Schneider took the $25,000 grand prize at the McCloskey Business Plan Competition sponsored by the Mendoza College of Business at Notre Dame.[7]
In 2016, the company competed in the Cupid's Cup Entrepreneur competition in Baltimore, hosted by Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank.[8]
In June 2016, 23-year-old Juris Silenieks won the 'Hotline Half-Marathon', in Atlanta, Georgia, wearing a pair of Wolf & Shepherd Honey Cap Toe Lace-Up shoes.[9] Sileniek's finishing time was named "The Fastest Half-Marathon Won in Dress Shoes".[10][11][12]
Founder Justin Schneider was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2017 in the category of Retail in E-commerce.[13]
Products
editWolf and Shepherd shoes are designed and crafted using Italian calf-skin,[14] Parisian waxes and running shoe technology developed in Los Angeles, California. The shoes are hand-sewn in Porto, Portugal.[4] Wolf and Shepherd offers various dress shoe styles including lace-ups, loafers and boots.[15]
References
edit- ^ a b Hixon, Michael. "Former Adidas designer puts sneaker technology into men's dress shoes". The Beach Reporter. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
- ^ "Runner Sets Fastest Half Marathon Record In Dress Shoes". Men's Journal. 14 June 2016. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
- ^ "A former Adidas designer has reinvented the dress shoe to be as comfortable as sneakers". Business Insider. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
- ^ a b Bhola, Sachin. "Wolf & Shepherd Shoes - Our Favorite Pieces For Fall". AskMen. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
- ^ Neuman, Phoebe (12 October 2017). "Why Wolf & Shepherd's Wear-Everywhere Shoes Need to Be on Your Style Radar". Robb Report. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
- ^ Miller, Kirk. "These Italian Leather Dress Shoes Are as Comfy as Sneakers". InsideHook.com. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
- ^ "Shoe shines". Mendoza College of Business. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
- ^ "Shoe venture moves into finals of Kevin Plank's Cupid's Cup competition". Mendoza College of Business. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
- ^ "23-year-old runs half marathon in world record time … in dress shoes". USA Today. 18 June 2016. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
- ^ "Runner Sets Fastest Half Marathon Record... In Dress Shoes". Men's Journal. 14 June 2016. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
- ^ Buteau, Mike. "Wall Street's Fastest Performance Dress Shoes Set Half Marathon Record". Forbes. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
- ^ "Runner sets record for half marathon in dress shoes". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
- ^ "30 Under 30 2017: Retail & Ecommerce". Forbes. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
- ^ Lacina, Linda (12 October 2017). "How This Entrepreneur and Shoe Designer Went From Cold Calls to 500 Percent Growth". Entrepreneur.com. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
- ^ "Save on the most comfortable dress shoes we've worn — and more of today's best deals". Business Insider. Retrieved 27 March 2018.