You wouldn't necessarily think that California would be the best spot for shoe manufacturing. The reality is that many shoe companies are based in California, though few actually manufacture their products in the U.S. However, their corporate offices and marketing jobs are based in the Golden State, which generally equates to better paying, service-oriented positions that are believed to help the economy. And of course, there's that name recognitions that a particular items came from cool California.
Here is a list of shoe design & manufacturing firms and as you read about them, you discover several trends: shoes for sports, action sports, and celebrities. From Goleta to Santa Barbara, San Clemente to Carlsbad, and Los Angeles to San Diego, there's something about California that makes entrepreneurs want to launch concepts and sell shoes in this West Coast leader of fashion-forward thinking.
AND1
Type Private corporation
Industry Sporting goods, footwear
Founded 1993
Headquarters Aliso Viejo, California,
United States
Founder: Seth Berger
CEO of American Sporting Goods: Tom O'Riordan
and1.com
AND1 is an American athletic shoe company specializing in basketball shoes and apparel. Founded in 1993, the company's headquarters were located in Paoli, Pennsylvania before being relocated to Aliso Viejo, California. Products Athletic shoes, apparel, sports equipment, accessories
Bearpaw
Founded 2001
Founder: Tom Romeo
Headquarters Citrus Heights, California, U.S.
Area served Worldwide
Products Footwear
bearpawshoes.com
Bearpaw is a brand of footwear founded by Tom Romeo in 2001. Bearpaw products are made from sheepskin, best known for producing ugg boots, as well as slippers and casual footwear for men, women, and children.
Bearpaw entered the market in 2001, and is based in Citrus Heights, California. Their signature product is sheepskin boots The main brand competitors are UGG Australia and EMU Australia, both of which produce sheepskin boots and other similar footwear. The UGG Australia brand has been a popular fashion trend among young women since the early 2000s. Bearpaw footwear was introduced to the market as an alternative to the popular UGG brand. Bearpaw products are more cost effective than UGG Australia products as they use sheepskin lining which is either glued or sewn onto a leather outer. This is a different material than twin faced sheepskin which is just sheepskin with the wool still attached.
Charles David of California
Type Private
Genre Retailer
Founded 1987
Founder: Charles Malka
Headquarters Culver City, California
Products Shoes and Handbags
charlesdavid.com
Charles David is an American designer of luxury leather goods and shoes. The family-owned company began U.S. distribution of European shoes in 1987. Their first retail store opened on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, CA in 1988. In 2005, they had 25 retail stores across the U.S.
Circa
Circa Footwear
Founded 1998
Headquarters San Clemente, California, U.S.
131 Calle Iglesia, Suite #200
San Clemente, CA 92672
United States
Phone: (949) 369-8730
Products Skateboard shoes, clothes, hats, accessories
c1rca.com
Circa is a skateboard footwear and apparel company that started in 1999 and is based in San Clemente, California.
It was started by Four Star Distribution along with Chad Muska as its first professional rider.
Deckers Outdoor Corporation
495-A South Fairview Ave
Goleta, CA 93117
Main Telephone: (805) 967.7611
Founded Goleta, California, United States
Founder: Doug Otto
deckers.com
Deckers Outdoor Corporation is a footwear manufacturer based in Goleta, California, United States, founded in 1973 by Doug Otto, a University of California, Santa Barbara student. In 1975 the company was incorporated in California under the name Deckers Corporation. Deckers manufactures brands UGG, Teva, Sanuk, Tsubo, Ahnu and Mozo.Deckers Outdoor Corporation conducts operations in over 9 countries.
etnies
Type Subsidiary of Sole Technology, Inc.
Founded 1986
Headquarters Lake Forest, California, United States
Founder: Pierre André Sénizergues
Products Shoes, apparel
etnies.com
etnies is a footwear brand based in Lake Forest, California, United States (US), and is owned by Sole Technology, Inc. The company sponsors professional skateboarders and releases signature shoe models.
Five Ten Footwear
Industry Sportswear
Founded 1985
Headquarters Redlands, California, United States
Key people Charles Cole, Founder and President
Products Athletic shoes
fiveten.com
Five Ten Footwear is a manufacturer of outdoor and athletic footwear. Founded in 1985 by Charles Cole, Five Ten is one of the top-selling climbing shoe manufacturer worldwide. The company's headquarters are located in the city of Redlands, California
K-Swiss
Industry Sportswear
Founded 1966
Headquarters Westlake Village, California, United States
Products Athletic shoes
kswiss.com
K-Swiss was founded in 1966 in Los Angeles, California, by the two Swiss brothers Art and Ernie Brunner who became interested in tennis after immigrating to the United States, where they introduced the first leather tennis shoes.
KEEN, Inc. is an American shoe manufacturing company founded in Alameda, CA, now based in Portland, Oregon. Founded in 2003 by Martin Keen and Rory Fuerst, their shoes are now available in more than a thousand retail locations in the United States, and are distributed worldwide
Key people Rory Fuerst, owner
Products Shoes and boots
keenfootwear.com
Koolaburra, Inc.
1220 State Street
Second Floor
Santa Barbara , CA 93101
koolaburra.com
(805) 962-6940
Koolaburra is a privately held American importer of authentic sheepskin footwear founded in 1991. They are based in Santa Barbara, California. Their boots are made in China, Spain, Portugal, or Australia. In 2005, they lost a lawsuit with Deckers Outdoor Corporation about the use of the term "ug" in reference to Australian sheepskin boots.
LA Gear (or L.A. Gear)
The American shoe company based in Los Angeles, California. It is owned by ACI International. One of the original athletes to endorse L.A. Gear shoes was NBA player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who ended a long association with Adidas to sign with the upstart company toward the end of his playing career.
lagear.com
Industry Skateboarding
Founded Torrance, California in 1999
Headquarters Torrance, California
Founders: Rick Howard, Mike Carroll
lakai.com
Lakai Footwear Limited is an American footwear company based in Torrance, California that creates shoes designed for and inspired by skateboarding. Lakai was founded by professional skateboarders and Girl Skateboards co-founders Mike Carroll and Rick Howard in 1999. Lakai Limited Footwear is part of the Crailtap Distribution along with companies Girl Skateboards, Fourstar Clothing, Royal Trucks, and Chocolate Skateboards.
Merooj
Industry Sportswear
Founded 2000
Headquarters Tehran, Iran
Covina, California, USA
Founders: Majid Saedifar, Khodadad Azizi
Products Football, Tennis, Running Cycling shoes, equipment, and apparel
merooj.com
Merooj (Majid) is a manufacturer of athletic wear and equipment based in Tehran and California. The company's products include goalkeeper gloves, football boots, shin pads, footballs, training clothes, and kits.
Osiris Shoes
Industry Skateboard
Founded 1996
Headquarters Carlsbad, California, U.S.
Products Skateboard shoes, clothes, hats, accessories
osirisshoes.com
Pony International
Founded 1972
Headquarters Los Angeles, California,
pony.com
Originally Pony was known for producing athletic footwear. The company expanded its offerings to include sport apparel, and it has more recently produced streetwear.
Rainbow Sandals Inc.
Founder: Jay Sparky Longley
Established in 1974 in Laguna Beach and now based in San Clemente, the company specializes in men's and women's leather, hemp, and rubber flip-flops.
rainbowsandals.com
Reef
Owned by VF Corporation of Greensborough, NC
Cofounded by two brothers from Argentina, Fernando and Santiago "Santi" Aguerre. Founded in La Jolla. With $4000 working capital, hard work, dedication and some savvy marketing ideas, the brothers built Reef into the #1 sandal brand.Offices now in Carlsbad, Ca.
reef.com
Rocket Dog
24610 Industrial Blvd.
Hayward, CA 94545
Rocket Dog is a women's shoe company based in Hayward, California. They were founded in 1997 in Southern California, and were named after one of the two founder's pet dog, who enjoyed running on the beach. Their initial product lines emphasized beach and casual wear, and now includes a full range of women's shoe styles. Their shoes are sold in Europe and Israel as well as the US. They expanded their UK business in 2012, starting from a base of about 120 retailers there.
rocketdog.com
ShoeDazzle
Ecommerce
Founded March 2009
Founder(s) Brian S. Lee
Robert Shapiro
M.J. Eng
Kim Kardashian
Headquarters Santa Monica, California, United States
Key people Bill Strauss, CEO
Brian S. Lee, Chairman
Products Shoes, apparel, accessories
shoedazzle.com
Skechers
Founded 1992
Headquarters Manhattan Beach, California, U.S.
Number of locations 193
Founders: Robert Greenberg, Michael Greenberg
Products Footwear, Apparel
Employees 4,698
Website skechers.com
Toms
Founded 2006
Founder: Blake Mycoskie
Headquarters Santa Monica, California, United States
Area served Worldwide
Products Shoes, clothing, eyewear
Website toms.com
Vans Inc.
Type Subsidiary of VF Corporation
Industry Apparel
Founded March 16, 1966
Founders: Paul Van Doren, Gordon C. Lee, James Van Doren, Serge d'Elia
Headquarters Cypress, California,
Products Clothing, Footwear, Accessories
vans.com
