sportsshoes.com
SportsShoes.com is a UK-based specialist retailer founded in 1982 selling running, trail, hiking, gym, and outdoor fitness products from 150+ brands to UK consumers via e-commerce, a native mobile app, and a flagship London store.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1982
- HeadquartersBradford, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What sportsshoes.com does
SportsShoes.com is a UK-based specialist retailer of running, trail, hiking, gym, and outdoor fitness products, founded in 1982 and operated under the legal entity B-Sporting Ltd from its registered headquarters at 1 The Park, Jubilee Way, Shipley, West Yorkshire. The company serves individual UK consumers across horizontal use cases — road running, fell/technical trail, hiking, gym training, HYROX race prep, and kids/youth sport — through a catalogue of over 15,000 products spanning 150+ third-party brands including Nike, adidas, ASICS, HOKA, New Balance, Salomon, Saucony, Under Armour, ON, and Merrell.
The technology stack is a composable digital architecture: a BigCommerce online storefront integrated via Visualsoft with Shopify POS for in-store operations, a native mobile application developed with One iota (~300,000 downloads, up to 20% of peak revenue), and complementary tools including the Shoe Finder, Online Gait Analysis, ULTRA loyalty membership, and the SportsShoes Advice Hub containing 1,000+ expert articles. A 5,000 sq ft House of SportsShoes flagship store opened in Shoreditch, London in March 2026, marking the company's first material physical retail presence and operationalising true omnichannel fulfilment.
Revenue is generated almost entirely through direct product sales to UK consumers, supplemented by digital gift cards and seasonal promotional events (30–80% off sale events, 12% student discount, Klarna BNPL, and ULTRA member benefits). The business is self-described as exceeding £100 million annually with reported 60% year-on-year revenue growth and operates with 101–250 employees; it is privately held with no disclosed institutional ownership, parent company, or external funding rounds.
sportsshoes.com firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- sportsshoes.com
- Legal name
- B-Sporting Ltd
- Website
- https://sportsshoes.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1982
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- SportsShoes.com is a UK-based specialist retailer founded in 1982 selling running, trail, hiking, gym, and outdoor fitness products from 150+ brands to UK consumers via e-commerce, a native mobile app, and a flagship London store.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
sportsshoes.com industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Running & Outdoor Sportswear Retail
- NAICS
- Shoe Retailers (45821), Sporting Goods Retailers (45911), Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (45811)
- SIC
- Retail-Shoe Stores (5661), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Athletic Footwear & Sport Apparel Retail (CRAMABAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Outdoor Performance Footwear & Apparel Retail (Trail/Hike) (CRAMACAI), Trail Running & Outdoor Performance Accessories Retail (CRAMAAAH), Hiking & Trail Accessories Retail (CRAMAAAD)
Keywords
Where sportsshoes.com is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bradford
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
sportsshoes.com business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Product Sales: SportsShoes.com generates revenue through direct product sales of running shoes, outdoor fitness apparel, and accessories via e-commerce and retail stores. The company is a £100 million-plus business with app users showing higher conversion rates, average order values, and purchase frequency.
- Gift Cards: Digital gift cards sold with 12-month expiry, sent to recipient's email within 24 hours of purchase
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard retail pricing with seasonal sales |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Student discount program |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Sale pricing across categories |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels9 records
sportsshoes.com product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SportsShoes.com is a specialist UK retailer selling running, trail running, hiking, gym, and outdoor fitness footwear, apparel, and accessories. It offers over 15,000 products from 150+ brands including Nike, adidas, ASICS, HOKA, Salomon, Saucony, New Balance, and Under Armour through its own e-commerce storefront, a native mobile app, and a flagship physical store in London, supported by expert content, a Shoe Finder tool, and an online gait analysis.
Product overview
SportsShoes.com is a UK-based online retailer specializing in running and outdoor fitness products, operating as a unified e-commerce platform with a native mobile app. The core offering includes over 15,000 products across running shoes, trail footwear, hiking boots, apparel, and accessories from 150+ brands including Nike, adidas, ASICS, HOKA, and Salomon. The product ecosystem consists of the main e-commerce platform, mobile app (built with One iota), ULTRA loyalty membership program, and supplementary tools including Shoe Finder, Online Gait Analysis, Advice Hub with expert content, SportsShoes Running Club (Strava-integrated), and the annual Running Report. The company also operates a flagship House of SportsShoes physical store in Shoreditch with unified commerce technology.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Ultra: Membership programme offering priority order processing, exclusive offers, first access to product launches, and early Black Friday deals.
- House of SportsShoes
Products and services
- SportsShoes.com E-commerce Storefront Direct-to-consumer online storefront selling over 15,000 products from 150+ brands across running, trail, hiking, gym, and outdoor fitness categories, including shoes, apparel, and accessories, supported by Shoe Finder, Online Gait Analysis, Klarna and Clearpay payment options, and a student discount.
- SportsShoes Mobile App Native mobile application for shopping the full SportsShoes.com range on iOS and Android, featuring close to 300,000 downloads and contributing up to 20% of revenue at peak periods with higher conversion and average order values versus web-only customers.
- ULTRA Membership Free loyalty membership programme offering members priority order processing, exclusive special offers, first access to product launches and sale items, and early access to Black Friday deals, designed to drive repeat purchase behaviour across the SportsShoes.com audience.
- SportsShoes.com Gift Cards Digital gift cards purchased on the SportsShoes.com website, delivered to the recipient's email within 24 hours of purchase, carrying a 12-month expiry and usable across the full product range.
- House of SportsShoes Flagship Store Physical 5,000 sq ft flagship retail store in Shoreditch, London offering a unified digital-and-physical shopping experience with BigCommerce-powered inventory and Shopify POS checkout, complementing the e-commerce and mobile app channels for the UK market.
Quantifiable outcome
- Native mobile app accounts for up to 20% of total revenue during peak periods
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use sportsshoes.com
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
sportsshoes.com technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature3 records
sportsshoes.com partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.
- VisualsoftcoreStockton on Tees-based retail agency Visualsoft was appointed as the integration partner for SportsShoes.com's 5,000 sq ft flagship House of SportsShoes store in Shoreditch, London. Visualsoft unified the BigCommerce online platform with Shopify POS in-store in under three weeks, making it one of the few agencies to successfully connect Shopify POS with a non-Shopify online storefront. The partnership builds on SportsShoes.com's track record of 60% year-on-year revenue growth.
- One iotacoreOne iota is the technology partner for SportsShoes.com's native mobile app development, part of a broader shift away from legacy systems toward composable digital architecture. The app has attracted close to 300,000 downloads and accounts for up to 20% of total revenue during peak periods.
- England AthleticsstrategicEngland Athletics is listed as a partner on SportsShoes.com, supporting the running community and aligned with the company's focus on running participation and athletics.
- parkrunstrategicparkrun is listed as a partner, with dedicated store section featuring parkrun Apricot branded products, supporting community running events across the UK.
- VitalityminorVitality Health & Life Insurance is listed as a partner, providing health and wellness benefits that may complement SportsShoes.com's active lifestyle products.
- CoopahminorCoopah running coach app is listed as a partner, providing training plans that complement SportsShoes.com's product offerings.
- British Milers ClubminorBritish Milers Club is listed as a partner organization, supporting track and field athletes who are part of SportsShoes.com's target customer base.
- Great Run LocalminorGreat Run Local is listed as a partner tool integrated into SportsShoes.com's services, supporting local running event discovery and participation.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
sportsshoes.com competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Wiggle (Signa Sports United): UK-based multi-sport online retailer specializing in cycling, running, and triathlon gear, with a comparable product mix (footwear, apparel, accessories), specialist positioning, and e-commerce-led model. Directly comparable on category focus and customer base.
- Run4It: UK running specialist retailer offering road, trail, and track running shoes from major brands alongside gait analysis services. Closely comparable to SportsShoes.com as a UK-focused running specialist with both e-commerce and physical store presence.
- Up & Running: UK chain of specialist running shops with e-commerce presence, focused on road and trail running footwear and apparel from brands like ASICS, HOKA, and Brooks. Direct specialist peer sharing the same customer use cases.
- Cotswold Outdoor: UK outdoor and hiking specialist retailer (part of Snow+Rock group), selling hiking boots, trail footwear, and outdoor apparel. Directly comparable on the trail/hiking footwear and outdoor apparel segment of SportsShoes.com's range.
Broad incumbents
- Decathlon UK: Global sporting goods retailer with strong UK omnichannel presence, including running, hiking, and gym categories. Broader assortment across many sports but significant overlap in running footwear and outdoor apparel.
- JD Sports: UK-listed sports fashion retailer with extensive store and online presence, carrying Nike, adidas, and HOKA footwear. A broad incumbent overlapping in athletic footwear and apparel with comparable multichannel infrastructure.
- Sports Direct (Frasers Group): Largest UK sports retailer by volume, owned by Frasers Group, offering extensive athletic and outdoor footwear assortments at value price points. Operates as a broad incumbent with significant overlap in running and outdoor categories.
- Footasylum: UK footwear-led sports retailer owned by Frasers Group, specializing in athletic and casual footwear with a youth-focused omnichannel presence. Comparable on athletic footwear assortment and target demographics.
- Zalando: European online fashion and sports platform with UK operations, offering athletic footwear, running apparel, and outdoor gear. Comparable as a large-scale e-commerce-led sports retailer with a marketplace model and curated brand assortment.
Regional players
- Backcountry: US-based online specialist retailer for outdoor and active lifestyle gear including trail running, hiking, and fitness footwear and apparel. Comparable on specialist outdoor and running focus, though operating in North America rather than the UK.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
sportsshoes.com social profiles
Digital presencesportsshoes.com financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
sportsshoes.com leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
sportsshoes.com funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
sportsshoes.com 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 sportsshoes.com
What does sportsshoes.com do?
SportsShoes.com is a specialist UK retailer selling running, trail running, hiking, gym, and outdoor fitness footwear, apparel, and accessories. It offers over 15,000 products from 150+ brands including Nike, adidas, ASICS, HOKA, Salomon, Saucony, New Balance, and Under Armour through its own e-commerce storefront, a native mobile app, and a flagship physical store in London, supported by expert content, a Shoe Finder tool, and an online gait analysis.
Is sportsshoes.com a public or private company?
sportsshoes.com is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was sportsshoes.com founded?
sportsshoes.com was founded in 1982. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is sportsshoes.com based?
sportsshoes.com is headquartered in Bradford, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does sportsshoes.com make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are gift Cards.
Who are sportsshoes.com's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Wiggle (Signa Sports United), Run4It, Up & Running and Cotswold Outdoor. Broad incumbents are Decathlon UK, JD Sports, Sports Direct (Frasers Group), Footasylum and Zalando. Backcountry is listed as a regional player.
Does sportsshoes.com have an API?
No public API is recorded for sportsshoes.com.
What industry is sportsshoes.com in?
sportsshoes.com's product category is Running & Outdoor Sportswear Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAMABAC, Athletic Footwear & Sport Apparel Retail, with a secondary code of CRAMACAI, Outdoor Performance Footwear & Apparel Retail (Trail/Hike). Its NAICS code is 45821 and its SIC code is 5661.