What Whiskers Laces does

Whiskers Laces (legal entity Whiskers Inc.) is a Delray Beach, Florida-based direct-to-consumer e-commerce company founded in 2018 by Kyle Groth that designs and sells premium replacement shoelaces. The company addresses a perceived gap in the footwear accessories market left by low-quality, generic replacement laces, offering four core lace categories — Dress, Sneaker, Boot, and Golf — plus a solid-color All-Pro line, all built on a poly/nylon weave with durable metal aglets and packaged on storage spools. Products are manufactured in North Carolina, with polyester sourced from recycled plastic bottles and birch spools sourced from a sustainable farm in Maine, anchoring a "Made in USA" and sustainability-led brand narrative. Co-founder Mike Gossett, formerly of Nike (18+ years) and Crocs (5 years), leads product development.

The business operates a Shopify-powered storefront with global shipping, supplemented by a wholesale program and a recurring subscription box service (Dress, Sneaker, and Golf boxes at $19.99 per month/bi-month). Standard laces retail at $14.99 per pair, with bundles, crates, performance socks, themed collections (Pride, Team Colors, Americana, Pickleball, Limited Release), and apparel expanding the basket. Marketing is content-led via blog, email newsletter, organic Instagram, SEO, and earned media, with an AI Stylist tool ("Nigel") supporting product discovery. A 2024 co-branded launch with Gonzaga College High School basketball coach Steve Turner, donating a portion of proceeds to Alston for Athletes, illustrates the company's use of cause-driven partnerships to reach sports and team-spirit audiences. The company is privately held, self-funded (no disclosed institutional rounds), and operates with a small four-person named team.

Name

Whiskers Laces

Legal name

Whiskers Inc.

Website

https://whiskerslaces.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Whiskers Laces is a Florida-based direct-to-consumer e-commerce brand founded in 2018 that designs and sells premium, USA-made replacement shoelaces (dress, sneaker, boot, golf) plus socks, subscription boxes, and themed collections to fashion-conscious consumers, golfers, athletes, and team-spirit buyers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Footwear Accessories

NAICS

Footwear Manufacturing (3162), Shoe Retailers (458210), Footwear Merchant Wholesalers (42434)

SIC

Footwear, (No Rubber) (3140), Retail-Shoe Stores (5661)

akta.pro primary industry

Footwear Components & Materials (Uppers, Soles, Laces, Insoles) (CRAAACAK)

Keywords

• Designer shoelaces
• Sustainable footwear accessories
• Premium sneaker laces
• Golf shoe laces
• Shoelace subscription boxes

Headquarters

HQ city

Delray Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. One-time Product Sales: Direct sales of shoelaces, socks, and accessories through e-commerce. Individual products priced at $14.99 for standard laces, with bundles and specialty items at higher price points. Also includes gift cards, t-shirts, and collaboration crates.
2. Subscription Boxes: Monthly or bi-monthly subscription boxes delivering seasonally-inspired laces and socks. Options include Dress Subscription Box, Sneaker Subscription Box, and Golf Subscription Box at $19.99 per box with free shipping on subscription orders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Whiskers Laces manufactures and sells premium designer shoelaces for dress, sneaker, boot, and golf shoes, along with socks, apparel, bundles, and themed collections. Products are sold direct-to-consumer through a Shopify e-commerce storefront and via subscription boxes, with a separate wholesale program for retailers. All laces and socks are made in the USA using sustainable materials including recycled plastic bottle polyester and Maine-sourced birch storage spools.

Product overview

Whiskers Laces is a direct-to-consumer fashion accessories company specializing in premium shoelaces and complementary apparel. The product portfolio centers on four core shoelace categories (Dress Laces, Sneaker Laces, Boot Laces, Golf Laces) plus the All-Pro Laces solid color line, all featuring poly/nylon construction with durable metal aglets and sustainable birch storage spools. The company operates a subscription box model (Dress, Sneaker, Golf boxes at $19.99/month) offering recurring deliveries of seasonally themed laces and socks. Cross-selling is enabled through Bundles (Lace+Sock Bundles, Fivers, Three Packs) and Collab Crates. A complete sock line (Jacques Stripe and Jacques Solid collections at $17.99) extends the lower-leg accessory concept. Specialty collections include Team Colors, Pride, Americana, and Limited Release offerings. The portfolio also includes apparel (T-Shirts) and Gift Cards. An AI Stylist feature provides personalized style recommendations. All products are manufactured in the USA (North Carolina) with sustainable materials including recycled plastic bottle polyester and Maine-sourced birch spools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dress Laces Designer shoelaces for dress shoes and business casual footwear, featuring poly/nylon weave construction, durable metal aglets, 33-inch length, and sustainable birch storage spools. Sold in pairs to consumers seeking style upgrades for formal footwear.
• Sneaker Laces Shoelaces designed for sneakers and athletic shoes, offered in Flat Sneaker Laces and Athletic Oval Sneaker Laces styles in 36-45 inch lengths with reflective and specialty options. Targeted at sneaker enthusiasts and athletes.
• Boot Laces Shoelaces for boots including Chukka Boot Laces (29-inch) and Dress Boot Laces (54-inch), with camo patterns and specialty color combinations. For boot owners seeking durable, styled replacement laces.
• Golf Laces Shoelaces for golf shoes offered in Classic Length (33-inch, traditional FootJoy-style shoes) and Athletic Length (45-inch, Nike/Adidas/Puma-style sneakers), with wrapped metal aglets. Targeted at golfers customizing performance footwear.
• All-Pro Laces Solid color performance shoelaces in over 42 color options sold individually at $14.99 per pair, including a 72-inch extra-long option for high-top sneakers and boots. For consumers seeking solid-color athletic lace replacements.
• Socks Performance socks featuring Jacques Stripe and Jacques Solid patterns with compression fit, vented mesh breathability, thin minimal design, and minimal toe/heel seams. Size L, 7-inch height, priced at $17.99. For consumers seeking matching lower-leg accessories.
• Subscription Boxes Monthly or bi-monthly subscription boxes delivering seasonally inspired laces and socks, including Dress, Sneaker, and Golf Subscription Boxes. Includes options for 1 pair of socks + 1 pair of laces or 2 pairs of socks + 2 pairs of laces, with free shipping, preferred pricing, and ability to pause or cancel. For consumers wanting recurring style refreshes.
• Bundles Curated multi-pair bundles including Lace + Sock Bundles ($29.99), Dress Lace Fivers (5-pair sets around $59.96), Sneaker Three Packs ($39.99), and themed packs such as Breast Cancer Awareness and Pride collections. For consumers seeking variety packs and themed assortments.
• Collab Crates Curated collaboration bundles featuring themed lace collections designed for specific occasions, including Athletic Caddie Crate, Classic Caddie Crate ($64.99), and Cocktail Crate ($54.99). For consumers seeking themed occasion-based assortments.
• Pride Collection LGBTQ+ themed lace collection featuring rainbow bubble lace and solid color combinations in the Pride color palette, including Pride Fiver 5-pair set ($59.96) and Pride Sneaker Lace 3-Pack ($39.99). For consumers seeking Pride-themed self-expression.
• Team Colors Collection Team-colored shoelaces designed for fans to show support for their favorite sports teams, featuring color combinations matching university and professional team colors in braided, striped, and ticked patterns. For sports fans, alumni, and team supporters.
• T-Shirts Whiskers Laces branded apparel including short-sleeve t-shirts sold at $23.99. For brand-affiliated consumers seeking co-located apparel.
• Gift Cards Digital eGift Cards available in $15+ denominations for gifting Whiskers Laces products. For consumers purchasing gifts for friends, family, or fellow footwear enthusiasts.
• Coach Turner x Whiskers Sneaker Laces Specialty sneaker lace co-developed with Coach Steve Turner of Gonzaga College High School's nationally ranked basketball program, promoting mental health awareness among student-athletes. Available in 45-inch and 54-inch lengths at $14.99, with a portion of each sale donated to Alston for Athletes. For basketball fans, athletes, and supporters of student-athlete mental health initiatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• Environmental impact reduction through recycled materials and extended shoe life

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Coach Steve Turner (Gonzaga College High School)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership with Coach Steve Turner, head coach of Gonzaga College High School's nationally ranked basketball team, to create a specialty sneaker lace. The Coach Turner x Whiskers Laces promotes mental health awareness among student-athletes. A portion of each sale is donated to Alston for Athletes, supporting mental health resources for athletic directors, coaches, and student-athletes.
• Alston for AthletesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Mental health advocacy organization dedicated to providing essential mental health resources to athletic directors, coaches, and student-athletes. Receives donations from Coach Turner x Whiskers lace sales. Focuses on policy change and providing access to mental health services in sports.
• Sustainable Birch Farm (Maine)minorOthersSupplier of sustainable birch wood spools used for lace packaging and storage. Supports Whiskers' sustainability positioning by providing eco-friendly packaging materials sourced from a sustainable farm in Maine.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Lace Lab: Lace Lab is a premium direct-to-consumer shoelace brand offering fashion, athletic, and dress laces with custom and bulk options. It is the closest direct competitor to Whiskers in the premium replacement-lace category.
• Kicks Laces: Kicks Laces sells premium sneaker replacement laces in hundreds of colorways via DTC e-commerce, directly competing with Whiskers' sneaker and All-Pro lace lines for the sneakerhead customer.
• Iron Laces: Iron Laces is a DTC shoelace brand emphasizing durability and style across athletic and casual categories, positioning itself similarly to Whiskers on premium construction and broad SKU variety.
• Novel Laces: Novel Laces markets premium novelty and reflective shoelaces, including pickleball and golf styles, overlapping with Whiskers' specialty sneaker and golf collections.

Emerging players

• Vessi: Vessi is a sustainable DTC footwear brand using recycled materials in waterproof sneakers; it shares Whiskers' recycled-materials and direct-to-consumer positioning but competes in finished footwear rather than laces.
• Tread Labs: Tread Labs is a DTC insoles and foot-comfort brand sold online; comparable as a direct-to-consumer foot-accessory specialist that cross-sells complementary products, similar to Whiskers' lace-plus-sock strategy.

Broad incumbents

• Allbirds: Allbirds is a public sustainable footwear brand emphasizing natural and recycled materials and Made-in-style manufacturing; it is a broader incumbent sharing Whiskers' sustainability narrative but operating at footwear scale.
• Cariuma: Cariuma is a sustainable DTC sneaker brand selling directly online and through wholesale; comparable on go-to-market (DTC + wholesale) and sustainability positioning but competing in finished footwear.
• Stance: Stance is a leading premium sock and apparel brand sold DTC and through wholesale; it represents the natural adjacency Whiskers has begun entering with its Jacques Stripe/Solid performance sock line.
• Happy Socks: Happy Socks is a global premium colorful sock brand with broad DTC and wholesale distribution; it parallels Whiskers' style-driven, color-rich sock strategy at much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/whiskerslaces

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Whiskers Laces