Babson Student Startup: OneGround Direct To Consumer Shoe Company
Babson Graduate Student Eamon Walsh is cofounder of OneGround, a direct to consumer shoe company providing handmade, designer quality footwear, starting at $99.
About OneGround
We bring beautifully crafted, handmade, designer quality shoes, direct to the consumer. Customers receive a personal and unique experience like they have never felt before. We connect each customer directly to the artisans who make their shoes, giving a fully transparent and intimate look into the entire production process.
OneGround
Handcrafted footwear, made with high quality materials, is traditionally the territory of designer shoe brands. These brands keep their prices artificially inflated at hundreds of dollars per pair, leaving consumers with limited choices. They mark-up their actual shoe costs 10-12X to pay for the middlemen, the retailers, the big advertising budgets, and the shoes that they don’t sell. Even at hundreds of dollars per pair, these brands give little to no visibility on the who, where, and how their shoes are being produced.
OneGround is the first shoe company to bring you phenomenal quality, amazing experience, and full transparency – direct to the consumer, starting at $99. People often ask us the question, What does the name OneGround mean? It’s very simple. We all stand on the same ground in one way or another. We believe that everyone has an equal right to have access to amazing shoes, that will last them a lifetime, and not have to pay a fortune for them. We worked for the last year to develop our very first collection. We were inspired by the most iconic shoe designs from the last 10 years. We took these designs and combined them with our own to create our first collection, all with the finest attention to detail. Our goal is to provide footwear that is timeless and classic, withstanding seasons and trends, never going out of style. This collection features 3 athletic styles of casual designer shoes, which will be available for both men and women. Our shoes are practical, functional, and above all extremely comfortable.
What we stand for:
Phenomenal Quality: Each shoe is handmade with the world’s highest quality materials, including 100% genuine calfskin leather, hand-stitching, durable rubber sole, padded & suede interior, and individual gold numbering. Our goal is to provide shoes that match and surpass designer labels, ensuring that each pair will last you for many years to come.
About OneGround
Fair Prices: Traditional shoe companies mark up their shoe costs 10-12x by the time it reaches the customer. We bring beautifully crafted shoes direct to the consumer, starting at $99. Amazing Experience: We connect customers directly with the artisans who make their shoes in our factory. This provides a step by step look into the production process. Our team of artisans have been making shoes for over 50 years. This level of expert craftsmanship goes into every single shoe.
Why and Who?
We started OneGround because we absolutely love shoes, quality products, and amazing customer experiences. We were sick and tired of overpaying for designer shoes and decided it was time for a change. We are looking to redefine one of the oldest and most traditional industries in all of fashion. We are a team of 3 friends, who are highly dedicated creators. We have worked in fashion, ecommerce, technology, digital media, manufacturing, marketing and footwear for over 25 years combined. OneGround calls three of the world’s most innovative and disruptive cities home. We are based in New York, Boston, & Istanbul, Turkey.
What’s Next
We’ve launched a Kickstarter Campaign in order to raise funds to bring OneGround to the mass market.
Visit www.OneGroundShoes.com to learn more and sign up, to ensure you are the first to know when our first collection will be available. We hope to create the next generation of shoes, and change the footwear industry forever.