DTC Kids’ Brand Jbrds Targets Run Specialty Channel for 2024 Wholesale Debut

Baltimore-based kids’ footwear startup Jbrds is taking a “blue ocean” approach to expansion, according to co-founder and CEO Mike Gugat.

Since launching in July 2022, Jbrds has been selling direct-to-consumer via its e-commerce site and building a following among parents through performance marketing programs. After securing $500,000 in private seed funding this year, Gugat said the children’s brand is ready to take the next leap into wholesale starting in 2024. And it’s tapping into the expertise of its founders to carve out a white space.

Jbrds is the brainchild of podiatrist and foot-and-ankle surgeon Dr. Jay LeBow, who developed the concept in partnership with top sporting goods merchant David Hirshfeld and Gugat, a sales and marketing executive with footwear experience at Adidas and Mizuno.

As Jbrds looks to forge wholesale relationships with retailers, Gugat is initially targeting specialty running stores.

After a successful first visit to The Running Event trade show in November, Gugat said the brand has signed on with Mid-Atlantic chains Pacers Running and Charm City Run, and is in talks with other accounts. Gugat said he is also discussing opportunities with international distributors in South America, Asia-Pacific, Australia and New Zealand.

In regard to run specialty retail, Gugat said, “We see it as an opportunity to have not just our direct-to-consumer business but also be able to responsibly grow in a channel that doesn’t really have anybody else in it. We can stand alone there.”

He noted that children’s shoes have long been an afterthought for running and sporting goods stores. “A lot of the big brands will never put the thrust of the brand behind a program that [retailers] can actually stay meaningfully involved with. So either the inventory is not going to be there or there are certain restrictions that prevent them from doing it,” said Gugat.

Jbrds offers kids’ shoes that are anatomically designed to support foot structure and activity requirements at four distinct stages of a child’s physical development.

Its first product, Stand2Walk, is designed for children ages 9 to 18 months old and features a unique construction that provides protective support while also mimicking a barefoot experience (the ideal scenario for first walkers). The minimalist shoes consist of an injection-molded cage built around a sock-like knit upper, with a suede, zero-drop outsole. The shoes retail for $48 and are currently offered in three colorways on Jbrds.com.

The brand’s second model, Walk2Run, is slated to launch in the summer and is made for kids ages 18 months to 3 years. That shoe also features an injection-molded cage and knit upper, though with the addition of an elastic forefoot strap to provide both security and ease of movement. Retail prices for the line are $60.

Gugat said Jbrds aims to roll out two more models over the next two years. These will include the Run2Play (ages 3 to 5 years) and GoPlay (ages 5 to 8 years) collections.

“The idea is to keep graduating with them as they grow,” said Gugat. “Our mission is to always be starting them off on the right foot.”

As is it seeks to build support among retailers and consumers, Jbrds has gained the backing of one important organization. This week, the brand received the seal of acceptance from the American Podiatric Medical Association, a recognition granted to products found to promote good foot health.

Jbrds is also working on a bridge round of fundraising through the WeFunder platform. Its campaign launched in early December and has so far raised $772,700 out of its $1.24 million goal. Gugat said the campaign will continue to April 29 or until fully subscribed. The funds will go toward marketing and production of its next two shoe models.

According to its financial reports posted on WeFunder, Jbrds sold 3,426 units in its first full year ended July 2023, for total gross sales of $182,854. It is estimating $100,000 to $200,000 in revenue over the next three to six months, contingent upon inventory.

Ultimately, Gugat said the brand wants to help kids establish a healthy, active lifestyle from the beginning, with the possibility of eventually creating specialized shoes for sport activities.

“If we’ve won you over in that sentimental moment of a baby’s first steps, then hopefully you’ll graduate with us and it will instill the trust that then [Jbrds] ought to be the baby’s first soccer boots or baseball shoe or running shoe,” he said.