| Wolf & Shepherd | |
| Foundation: | 2014 |
| Founder: | Justin Schneider |
| Location City: | Los Angeles, California |
| Location Country: | U.S. |
Wolf and Shepherd (styled Wolf & Shepherd) is a men's dress shoe company. The company designs and sells Italian leather dress shoes using technology found in running sneakers. Wolf & Shepherd was founded in 2014 in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. In early 2017, Wolf & Shepherd relocated its headquarters to Los Angeles, California, where the company continues to operate.
Wolf & Shepherd was founded in 2014 by footwear designer, Justin Schneider. Prior to starting the company, Schneider was a decathlete competing for the University of Notre Dame.[1] After retiring from competition, Schneider spent five years designing performance shoes and technology for footwear companies such as Adidas, Reebok and New Balance.[2] [3]
The idea for Wolf & Shepherd came when Schneider wanted to update traditionally uncomfortable dress shoes.[4] A friend of Schneider made complaints about the discomfort his wood and nails dress shoes caused him on his commute to work.[5]
Schneider began designing prototypes and experimenting with different technologies. Wolf & Shepherd shoes are designed using high-density ethylene vinyl acetate (HDEVA) cushioning, found in running shoes, a proprietary blend of memory foam and a carbon-fiber arch to provide stability and reduce the weight of the shoe.[6] Schneider took the $25,000 grand prize at the McCloskey Business Plan Competition sponsored by the Mendoza College of Business at Notre Dame.[7]
In 2016, the company competed in the Cupid's Cup Entrepreneur competition in Baltimore, hosted by Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank.[8]
In June 2016, 23-year-old Juris Silenieks won the 'Hotline Half-Marathon', in Atlanta, Georgia, wearing a pair of Wolf & Shepherd Honey Cap Toe Lace-Up shoes.[9] Sileniek's finishing time was named "The Fastest Half-Marathon Won in Dress Shoes".[10] [11] [12]
Founder Justin Schneider was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2017 in the category of Retail in E-commerce.[13]
Wolf and Shepherd shoes are designed and crafted using Italian calf-skin,[14] Parisian waxes and running shoe technology developed in Los Angeles, California. The shoes are hand-sewn in Porto, Portugal. Wolf and Shepherd offers various dress shoe styles including lace-ups, loafers and boots.[15]