Kids footwear brand jbrds closes $500k seed round, establishes $5m valuation

jbrds, a new children's footwear brand anatomically designed to support foot structure and activity requirements at four distinct stages of a child's physical development, has successfully subscribed a modest seed round of $500k, establishing a $5,000,000 valuation.

The successfully completed seed funding round comes on the heels of launching its first product line of Stand2Walk shoes for sale in July of 2022. Bringing a first-of-its-kind model to the market, jbrds offers a kid's shoe designed for a kid's foot that seamlessly blends function and style to match parents' active lifestyles.

Co-founded by podiatrist and foot and ankle surgeon Dr. Jay LeBow; former sports industry veteran at Mizuno and Adidas Mike Gugat; and top sporting goods merchant David Hirshfeld, jbrds reimagines children's footwear for children and babies. Its Stand2Walk patent-pending design uniquely supports the young wearer's lateral column and developing cuboid bone while stabilizing the heel. This combination of support and stability promotes the healthy development of a child's foot.

Jay LeBow, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer, jbrds: "After reviewing hundreds of X-rays and evaluating the current offering of generic kids' footwear, it was clear there was a need in the footwear industry jbrds could fill. Now, every child can start on the right foot with shoes designed for their developmental needs and crafted with clinical expertise."

jbrds' created Stand2Walk anatomically designed footwear for children with the following features that make it easier for babies to stand, balance and walk:

• Injection-molded support cage — a patent pending design to promote the healthy development of feet.
• Velcro strap — easy for parents to slip on, hard for baby to take off.
• Sock-like upper — instant comfort, socks optional
• Suede outsole — just enough grip so baby won't trip.
• 0-drop outsole — promotes the development of healthy tendons to limit future foot and ankle problems

Mike Gugat, CEO and Co-founder, jbrds: "We're here to finally put an end to outfitting babies and young children with adult shoes shrunk down to fit kids' feet. Our mission is to start kids off on the right foot, and jbrds is leaving the 'one-size-fits-all' approach to children's footwear behind. We're meeting kids' needs from cradle to eight years old to avoid possible problems later in life from wearing ill-fitting, or simply the wrong shoes as a child."

www.jbrds.com