Shoe Bank, a re-commerce platform, has recently launched in Los Angeles, introducing an alternative way for consumers to “buy” shoes. Shoe Bank is a marketplace for swapping shoes, where women of all ages can give and get new shoes without spending any money.
The average woman has 25 pairs of shoes in her closet, of which she wears only 6 in rotation, the company claims, so every woman must know the feeling of opening up her closet and seeing dozens of shoes that she’s worn only once or twice.
With Shoe Bank, women can upload a gently worn pair of shoes that they don’t wear anymore and then find another pair in exchange. Customers can wear traded shoes for as long as they want and swap them again. Each pair uploaded allows the user to get a new pair, and customers can let go of shoes that they don’t wear. The platform is designed to satisfy the new shoe craving without guilt and without spending any money other than a minimal shipping and handling fee.
Three levels of style and branding allow the user to get a pair that is on par with what they uploaded. The value of the shoe uploaded allows users to get a shoe within that same value category.
“24 billion pairs of shoes are purchased every year; most of them are sitting in our closets unworn,” said Roni Harel, CEO of Shoe Bank. “Women today are conscientious consumers – they want fashion; they want to help the environment; they don’t want to waste or overspend. Shoe Bank gives today’s women the best of all worlds.”
