Recently, a Vietnamese startup launched Vietnamese shoes and declared war on Nike and Adidas, aiming to drive them out of Vietnam. Mr. Phí Hữu Thanh Long, a co-founder of shoe brand sShoe, said the team spent more than 15 billion dong researching and launching ‘the world's smartest shoes.’
According to Long, Vietnamese brands are increasingly being chosen by consumers, and together with the “Vietnamese People Prioritize Vietnamese Goods” campaign, this will provide an opportunity to startup starts up.
Instead of offering only 8 men's shoe sizes like Adidas, Nike, and Puma…, sShoe researched as many as 20 sizes to ensure a fit for 99% of customers.
“Nike and Adidas use ultra-light EVA soles to reduce shoe weight. Our product is EVA-IP, meaning rubber is added so it does not become soft and mushy like ordinary EVA. The sole holds a sturdy, attractive shape but is inherently ultra-light like Nike and Adidas,” sShoe’s CEO said.
With the lightness and flexibility of athletic shoes, this startup's product nevertheless looks like a leather shoe. According to Mr. Long, what distinguishes sShoe from leather shoes—even something major global brands such as Prada have not achieved—is that it does not feel rigid or cause foot pain, and users do not need to hold the heel or bend down, saving 3–5 seconds when putting shoes on or taking them off.
The startup currently has equipment to measure foot pressure and foot health so users can choose the right size without spending much time trying shoes on.
Discussing his strategy, Long said that, for an ordinary product, companies typically select only certain main activities in the value chain, such as focusing on sourcing, sales, and marketing (3 steps), or only on production and distribution (2 steps).
Meanwhile, sShoe fully vertically integrates its value chain in 6 steps, starting with product research and development, design, and manufacturing to ensure and control the desired quality. The startup will then open its own chain of exclusive sShoe-branded stores.
According to Long, sShoe is positioned as the world's smartest shoe brand, so its identified competitors are world-class footwear companies.
sShoe Does Not Regard Domestic Footwear Brands as Competitors, Because Its Immediate 2017 Goal Is to Capture 50% of the Premium Men’s Shoe Segment and the Entire Market Within 2–3 Years.
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