Jbrds, a children’s footwear brand anatomically designed to support the foot structure and activity requirements at four stages of a child’s development, successfully subscribed to a modest seed round, establishing a $5,000,000 valuation.
Adidas and Mizuno vet Mike Gugat leads the brand as CEO. Jbrds was co-founded with Gugat by podiatrist and foot and ankle surgeon Dr. Jay LeBow as chief product officer and sporting goods merchant David Hirshfeld.
The seed funding round comes on the heels of the brand launching its first product line of patent-pending Stand2Walk shoes in 2022. The design “supports a child’s lateral column and developing cuboid bone while stabilizing the heel, promoting the healthy development of a child’s foot,” reported the brand.
“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,” said LeBow. “Now, every child can start on the right foot with shoes designed for their developmental needs and crafted with clinical expertise.”
“We’re here to finally put an end to outfitting babies and young children with adult shoes shrunk down to fit kids’ feet,” said Gugat. “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.”
Photo courtesy Jbrds
