Successful eCommerce case: the story of Muroexe

Muroexe is one of the great promises of the panorama of Spanish startups. Founded in 2013 by two partners, the company was born with the aim of creating and marketing a hybrid footwear halfway between dress and sport shoe. 

It is a product aimed to a very segmented audience: techie thirtyish urbanites, predominantly males, thirty looking for comfortable footwear to work, less casual than sport shoes but not as formal as a moccasin. 

The same founders have commented more than once that their goal was to manufacture the shoe they did not find for themselves. And this is how this 100% Spanish original brand of footwear of national production, that is already present in the whole world, was born. 

But Muroexe's success has not come overnight. As they say on their website, "The first day we sold 11 shoes. The second 3 and the third, 0. We went for a walk and we thought what the hell we were doing. " 

It has not been easy, nor fast, to get where they are now: more than 115,000 pairs of shoes sold, presence in 51 countries and footwear for sale in more than 320 stores worldwide. But there they are. 

Do you want to know how they arrive here? So keep reading: Today we are going to tell you the story of Muroexe. 

If there is something Muroexe stands out for is the design and comfort of its product. 

We have already said that it is a hybrid footwear, half sport shoe half dress shoe; But the managers of the company did not seek only an interesting appearance, but a shoe that really would be comfortable to use 10 hours a day. 

To achieve this, they made a big initial investment in ideas. They put together industrial designers, biomechanics, engineers and material technicians to create footwear that would fit the foot like a second skin. 

In addition to that, they wanted it to be a super stylish shoe, that could be worn without problem at a meeting with clients, but at the same time it was clean, neutral and in one piece. 

After thinking at length about a lot of crazy ideas impossible to put into practice, finally they came up with a winning design: the Atom model, of which over 30,000 pairs have been sold. 

The Atom model was not an ordinary shoe. It had an atomical last, ergonomic insole, waterproof fabric, a single back seam and a sole fully adapted to the cadence of the step. In short, a wonder. And also a futuristic design very related to the technological world. 

Following this first model steps, today Muroexe has developed and launched a good bunch of other models to the market. Among them, we find not only hybrid shoes such as its first launch, but also booties, sandals, backpacks... and of course variations of the original model. 

You may be thinking: how is it possible that these two unexperienced crazy guys in the fashion world decided to get into the shoes market, which is mature and full of high-level competitors like Nike, Adidas and many others? 

And you are probably wondering, either they were millionaires or they had some millionaire behind. 

Well, neither. One of the secrets of its success was that they knew how to create a product that was no direct competition from anyone. In other words, they built their own place in an ultra-competitive market. 

How did they do it? 

First, hypersegmenting the product. Muroexe shoes are not aimed to a very wide public, but to a segment of vert specific population, as we have said above: techie thirtyish urbanites, predominantly male, who wearing Nike sneakers to go to work seems too youthful. However, wearing leather shoes with laces is totally out of his personal style. 

Second, trying not to compete with the big ones. Muroexe team has said more than once that they do not try to compete with big sports footwear manufacturers, because their product has a completely different line. 

Manufacturing Muroexe shoes is based on 3 pillars:

Muroexe shoesw are manufactured 100% in Spain, specifically in a factory in Toledo, only 40 minutes from Muroexe headquarters, which are in Madrid. 

This, in addition to greatly simplifying distribution logistics, gives total control over a key aspect: quality control. 

In fact, this is the main reason why they consider that they should not move its location: Because the fact that the factory is so close allows them to know instantly if there is any problem with the production and give it solution immediately – something they could not do if, for example, their factory was in China. 

One of Muroexe's big bets is transparency. This company has always wanted customers to know what kind of materials are used to manufacture their shoes. 

In this sense, Muroexe customers can have the peace of mind to know that all the materials used in the manufacture of shoes have not been tested in animals and are respectful with the environment. 

This is perhaps the most differential point regarding other manufacturers in the development of a product in which design is as important as in this case. Also the brand actively listens to its customers and take note of their suggestions to improve the comfort and design of their shoes. 

In this sense, Muroexe is one of the few brands that directly involves its customers in the development of new shoes models. Thanks to this feedback, Muroexe has developed models with features which fit specific needs very well. If they had not done that, they most likely would not have taken all this into account. 

Muroexe began its distribution by combining the online channel in the form of its own online store and the physical distribution through specialized retailers. To this day, it continues to combine both distribution channels, although its online store serves worldwide and its presence in stores also takes place on a worldwide scale. 

At European level, it stands out the fact that 60% of its market share is found in Germany. In this country, there is a culture of work where it is less common that people wear a suit to work. The aspect of the average professional in Germany is more casual, and in this sense a shoe like Muroexe fits wonderfully with the public of that market.