Taft
Taft is a direct-to-consumer, digitally-native footwear brand founded in 2015, designing and selling handcrafted Italian-made men's boots, loafers, oxfords, sneakers, and accessories via its e-commerce site and Macy's retail partnership.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersSalt Lake City, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Taft does
Taft is a direct-to-consumer, digitally-native footwear brand founded in 2015 and headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, now operating as a subsidiary of KNS International. The company designs and sells handcrafted Italian-made men's designer boots, loafers, oxfords, sneakers, and monk straps, priced from $225 to $395 for core footwear and as low as $50 in the Archive sale section. Its signature product line is the Eden Collection, built around a proprietary loom-woven floral jacquard fabric applied across shoes and a recently expanded accessories range (wallets, belts, ties, shoe-care kits priced $75-$125). The brand also operates a women's line and several seasonal collections including Duskwood and Getaway (Spring/Summer 2026), and is preparing a broader brand refresh as of mid-2026. The company was founded by Kory Stevens (founder and designer) and Mallory Stevens (founder), with Dan Wenhold as director.
Taft's product technology centers on Blake stitch construction (a flexible, resoleable Italian method), gold-grade Italian calfskin and suede uppers that are hand-burnished and finished in Italy, and German-engineered cushioned footbeds with anti-microbial climate control. Footwear is manufactured entirely by Italian artisan workshops; the brand does not operate its own production facilities. The proprietary Eden jacquard weave, which is woven rather than printed for dimensional depth, is the central design differentiator and is applied across both footwear and accessories.
Revenue is generated through one-time unit sales on the brand's owned e-commerce storefront (taftclothing.com) with global shipping, complemented by a retail partnership with Macy's for physical department-store distribution. The go-to-market stack combines email acquisition ($40 first-order incentive), organic social, earned media (Men's Health, Esquire, GQ, Forbes), and limited-edition product drops built around seasonal collections. The primary customer is a style-conscious adult man seeking premium dress footwear with distinctive patterning; a secondary segment is women seeking craft-tier dress footwear and accessories. The company disclosed a $5 million funding round in June 2018 (led by Kickstart with Fifth Wall, M3 Ventures, and Peterson Ventures); no subsequent capital raises are evidenced in the available data.
Taft firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Taft
- Website
- https://taftclothing.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Taft is a direct-to-consumer, digitally-native footwear brand founded in 2015, designing and selling handcrafted Italian-made men's boots, loafers, oxfords, sneakers, and accessories via its e-commerce site and Macy's retail partnership.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Taft industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Premium Handcrafted Footwear
- NAICS
- Shoe Retailers (45821), Clothing, Clothing Accessories, Shoe, and Jewelry Retailers (458)
- SIC
- Retail-Shoe Stores (5661), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600), Footwear, (No Rubber) (3140)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Luxury & Designer Footwear (CRAAACAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Luxury & Designer Footwear Retail (CRAAADAH)
Keywords
Where Taft is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Salt Lake City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Taft business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Direct E-commerce Footwear and Accessories Sales: Taft generates revenue through direct-to-consumer sales of handcrafted men's designer boots, shoes, loafers, and sneakers via its e-commerce storefront at taftclothing.com. Products range from $75 accessories to $395 boots. The company also expanded into accessories including wallets, belts, ties, and shoe care kits as part of the Eden Collection.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Eden Collection Accessories |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Footwear - Loafers |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Footwear - Boots |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Footwear - Sneakers |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | The Archive (Sale) Section |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Taft product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Taft designs and sells handcrafted Italian-made men's and women's premium footwear — boots, loafers, oxfords, sneakers, and monk straps — using Blake stitch construction, Italian leather and suede uppers, and signature Eden jacquard woven patterns. The company sells primarily direct-to-consumer via taftclothing.com, with prices ranging from $50 archive sale items to $395 premium boots, and has expanded into Italian leather accessories (wallets, belts, ties) under the Eden Collection.
Product overview
Taft is a Utah-based handcrafted men's designer footwear brand (now part of KNS International) specializing in Italian-made boots, loafers, oxfords, sneakers, and monk straps. The brand's signature offering is the Eden Collection featuring proprietary heritage woven jacquard patterns. Product portfolio includes core footwear lines (Boots, Loafers, Oxfords, Sneakers, Monk Straps), seasonal collections (The Duskwood Collection), accessories (wallets, belts, ties), and a sale section (The Archive). Products are characterized by Blake stitch construction, Italian leather and suede uppers, jacquard fabric accents, and German-engineered comfort footbeds. The brand crafts for both men and women, with recent expansion into leather accessories.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Eden Collection: Signature jacquard collection featuring cotton and Italian leather goods including wallets, belts, ties, and accessories priced from $75 to $125
- Duskwood Collection
- Getaway Collection
- The Archive
Products and services
- Boots
Companies that use Taft
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Taft technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Taft partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- KNS InternationalcoreTaft is a Utah-based footwear brand now owned by KNS International. The company is preparing a brand refresh as of June 2026, indicating an ongoing strategic evolution under the parent company's direction.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Taft competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Beckett Simonon: Direct-to-consumer premium men's footwear brand offering handcrafted dress shoes, boots, and sneakers with a similar made-to-order model and mid-$200s to $400s pricing. Beckett Simonon competes directly with Taft in the premium DTC dress footwear category targeting style-conscious men.
- Thursday Boot Company: Premium direct-to-consumer men's footwear brand specializing in handcrafted boots, dress shoes, and sneakers at accessible premium price points. Thursday competes with Taft in the premium DTC segment, particularly in boots, though with broader casual and rugged positioning.
- Magnanni: Spanish-made premium men's dress shoe brand handcrafted in Spain using Blake construction techniques, similar to Taft's Italian-made premium dress positioning. Magnanni competes directly with Taft in the premium dress loafer, oxford, and boot categories.
- Meermin: Spanish-made premium men's dress shoe brand offering handcrafted shoes at value-premium price points with Goodyear and Blake welt construction. Meermin competes with Taft in the premium dress footwear segment via e-commerce direct sales to style-conscious men.
- R.M. Williams: Premium men's boot and footwear brand known for handcrafted boots with distinctive Australian craftsmanship and heritage aesthetic. R.M. Williams competes with Taft in the premium men's boot category with similar emphasis on craftsmanship and resolable construction.
Broad incumbents
- Allen Edmonds: Established American premium men's dress shoe brand with broad portfolio of dress shoes, boots, loafers, and sneakers at premium price points. Allen Edmonds competes with Taft in the dress footwear category but with broader mainstream appeal and wider retail distribution.
- Cole Haan: Established premium footwear and accessories brand offering men's dress shoes, casual shoes, and sneakers at premium price points with extensive retail and department store distribution. Cole Haan competes with Taft in the premium men's footwear segment but with broader category coverage and established brand presence.
Emerging players
- Suitsupply: Premium men's apparel brand that has expanded into footwear, offering dress shoes and accessories at accessible premium price points with strong DTC and physical retail presence. Suitsupply is an adjacent peer competing in the premium dress footwear category alongside apparel.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Taft social profiles
Digital presenceTaft financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Taft leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Taft funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Taft M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Taft
What does Taft do?
Taft designs and sells handcrafted Italian-made men's and women's premium footwear — boots, loafers, oxfords, sneakers, and monk straps — using Blake stitch construction, Italian leather and suede uppers, and signature Eden jacquard woven patterns. The company sells primarily direct-to-consumer via taftclothing.com, with prices ranging from $50 archive sale items to $395 premium boots, and has expanded into Italian leather accessories (wallets, belts, ties) under the Eden Collection.
Is Taft a public or private company?
Taft is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Taft founded?
Taft was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Taft based?
Taft is headquartered in Salt Lake City, United States, in the North America region.
How does Taft make money?
One revenue line is on record: direct E-commerce Footwear and Accessories Sales.
Who are Taft's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Beckett Simonon, Thursday Boot Company, Magnanni, Meermin and R.M. Williams. Broad incumbents are Allen Edmonds and Cole Haan. Suitsupply is listed as an emerging player.
Does Taft have an API?
No public API is recorded for Taft.
What industry is Taft in?
Taft's product category is Premium Handcrafted Footwear. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAAACAI, Luxury & Designer Footwear, with a secondary code of CRAAADAH, Luxury & Designer Footwear Retail. Its NAICS code is 45821 and its SIC code is 5661.