How this shoemaker competes with luxury brands—at half the price

Less than three years after its launch, luxury shoemaker Larroudé has already claimed a place among incumbents like Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahnik. And now it’s ready to grow, thanks to its uniquely integrated supply chain based in Brazil, which allows it to monitor quality and maintain good margins while selling shoes at half the price of luxury labels. (Most Larroudé heels are priced between $300 and $500.)

In 2023, Larroudé opened its own factory in Brazil and makes shoes end-to-end there. That is unusual in the footwear industry, where many parts of the manufacturing processes are completed at third-party factories, often across many different continents. It currently manufactures 200,000 pairs of shoes a year, but has enough capacity to make a million.

The new factory means Larroudé can create its own patented lasts for shoes, which enables it to produce new designs at remarkable speed; it can also produce small runs of shoes to test market demand.

The brand, which sells directly to consumers as well as through stores like Nordstrom, Saks, and Galeries Lafayette, also recently launched Colléct, an online multibrand boutique with clothes, accessories, and beauty products.

Read the full article in: fastcompany.com