Birdies

Birdies is a women's footwear brand that sells flats, loafers, slides, sandals, sneakers, booties and mules through its own e-commerce site. The company positions its shoes as combining the support of a sneaker, the softness of a slipper and the styling of a luxury flat, originally created as an elevated shoe for home entertaining before customers began wearing the products outside the home [7].

The assortment is organized around named silhouettes including the Heron, Starling, Hummingbird, Songbird, Sparrow, Kiwi, Vesper, Goldfinch 15, Sunbird Icon, Lovebird, Speedbird, Starfinch 15, the Jay Sneaker and the Starling 50 and Goldfinch 40 booties, offered in materials such as leather, suede, velvet, woven/openweave, raffia, calf hair, satin, tweed, corduroy and plaid, in women's sizes 5 through 12 [4][5]. The brand also sells a small non-footwear accessory item (drink charms) [4]. Co-founder and CEO Bianca Gates describes the company's mission as lifting up women and building community among women rather than only selling shoes [6]."]

Founding story

Co-founders Bianca Gates and Marisa Sharkey, described as two mothers and entrepreneurs, began discussing the idea in 2015 after years of hosting dinner parties barefoot or in slippers, and founded Birdies that year to create a category of elevated, chic footwear intended for home entertaining [7][6]. The pair prototyped in a kitchen, buying existing shoes, cutting them apart to study the components and taping them back together before finding manufacturing partners [6].

Business model

Birdies sells branded women's footwear directly to consumers through its own online store, supported by free shipping on all orders, a sign-up discount and a 30-day fit guarantee [0][4]. The company has also operated physical retail, having opened its first store in 2017 [6].

Revenue comes from product sales of women's footwear and accessories at listed prices ranging from about $130 for velvet flats to $295 for leather and suede booties, with an accessory item at $35 [4][5].

Traction

The company reports that a customer survey found over 75% of customers wearing the shoes outside the home, prompting a product repositioning; after a 2017 capital raise it moved from car-trunk sales to online retail and opened its first store, and the co-founder describes the result as a thriving business [6][7].

Latest developments

The company's storefront features current seasonal collections, including the Hummingbird Mary Jane campaign and new arrivals in raffia, velvet, suede and metallic leather, alongside booties and loafers [0][4]. In September 2023 J.P. Morgan published a video profile of co-founders Bianca Gates and Marisa Sharkey covering the brand's evolution from house-wear to streetwear [6].