Pelle Moda

What Pelle Moda does

Pelle Moda is a direct-to-consumer e-commerce footwear brand selling women's shoes exclusively through its owned Shopify-hosted website at pellemoda.us. The company is legally operated by PDS Global, Inc., a California corporation founded by Jessie Chen, with its headquarters and shipping operations at 1301 Maulhardt Avenue, Oxnard, CA. The brand has been in operation since 1991 and maintains a small team of 11-50 employees. The product catalog spans approximately 134 styles organized into heels (kitten, low, high, block), platforms, flats, booties, sandals, and wedges, with a dedicated "Wedding Shoes" edit and a continuous new-arrivals refresh. Materials include suede, patent leather, nubuck, knit, mesh, vinyl, and metallics, with prices ranging from $50 (sale items) to $235 (premium boots) and most styles priced between $130 and $200.

The business model is straightforward DTC retail: one-time unit sales through the Shopify storefront with no physical retail, wholesale, or third-party marketplace channels. Acquisition relies on organic search, an email newsletter signup offering a 10% first-purchase incentive, and product-page social sharing to Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest. Checkout is supported by a broad set of payment options (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Amazon Pay, Shop Pay). Standard U.S. shipping is $10 with free shipping over $75; express options range from $20 to $40. The company ships internationally and accepts customer responsibility for duties and taxes. There is no evidence of external institutional funding, M&A activity, or app/platform products.

The brand positions itself around feminine, handmade-inspired footwear that emphasizes comfort features (padded footbeds, cushioned heels, flexible outsoles) alongside style, targeting women who want walkable heels and day-to-night versatility. The differentiated claim is "joy rather than ouch," supported by proprietary comfort design and premium materials, though no patents or trademarks are documented. The technology stack is entirely off-the-shelf (Shopify, Google Analytics, standard payment gateways), with no proprietary AI, data, or platform assets.

Name

Pelle Moda

Legal name

PDS Global, Inc.

Website

https://pellemoda.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pelle Moda is a direct-to-consumer e-commerce brand operating through its Shopify storefront, selling handmade-inspired women's footwear including heels, flats, sandals, booties, platforms, and wedges priced $50-$235 to fashion-conscious women seeking comfortable, stylish, day-to-night shoes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women's Footwear Retail

NAICS

Shoe Retailers (45821)

SIC

Retail-Shoe Stores (5661)

akta.pro primary industry

Casual & Lifestyle Footwear (CRAAACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Comfort, Orthopedic & Medical Footwear Retail (CRAAADAG)

Keywords

• Women's footwear
• Designer heels
• Comfort shoes
• Leather sandals
• Online shoe retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Oxnard

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: One-time purchase model for footwear products sold directly to consumers through the pellemoda.us e-commerce website. Products include heels, flats, sandals, booties, and platforms at price points ranging from $50 to $235.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Pelle Moda designs and sells women's footwear directly to consumers through its owned e-commerce website pellemoda.us. The product range includes handmade heels, platforms, flats, booties, sandals, and wedges in premium materials such as Italian leather, suede, patent leather, mesh, and nubuck, with comfort features including padded footbeds, cloud-like cushioning, and flexible outsoles. Products are priced between $50 and $235, with most styles in the $130–$200 range, and are sold exclusively online with global shipping.

Product overview

Pelle Moda is a Los Angeles-based footwear brand founded by Jessie Chen, specializing in feminine, handmade shoes designed for comfort and style. The product portfolio is a single unified e-commerce platform offering a comprehensive range of women's footwear across multiple categories: Heels (kitten heels, low heels, high heels, block heels), Platforms, Flats (ballet flats, slides), Booties, Sandals, and Wedges. The brand emphasizes comfort-focused design with features like padded footbeds, cushioned footbeds, and flexible outsoles while maintaining stylish aesthetics. Key named product lines include the Ilyne Ballet Flat, Vivie Low Heel, Hasly Block Heel, Nataly Block Heel, Unia Slide, Abbee Slingback Pump, Jacie Slingback Pump, and Andee Platform Sandal, among many others. Products are offered in various materials including suede, patent leather, nubuck, knit, mesh, vinyl, and metallic finishes, with a color palette ranging from neutrals (black, taupe, espresso, latte) to bold options (cranberry, midnight navy).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Heels Women's heels including kitten heels, low heels, high heels, and block heels in suede, patent leather, knit, and mesh materials, designed for everyday wear, work-to-weekend, and formal occasions.
• Platforms Elevated women's footwear with platform soles providing additional height while maintaining comfort, available in suede, nubuck, and metallic finishes.
• Flats Ballet flats, slides, and Mary Jane styles offering elegant flat footwear options in suede, knit, and patent materials.
• Booties Ankle-length women's boots and booties including open-toe styles and platform booties in suede, knit, and leather materials.
• Sandals Open-toe women's footwear including slides, strappy sandals, and woven styles for warm-weather wear.
• Wedges Wedge-heeled women's footwear providing height through a solid, angled sole rather than a raised heel, in cork and raffia materials.
• Wedding Shoes Special-occasion women's footwear curated for weddings, including elegant pumps, bridal flats, and dress sandals.
• New Arrivals Seasonal collection featuring the latest women's footwear releases, current trends, and new designs as they are added to the catalog.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Rothy's: Rothy's is a venture-backed DTC women's footwear brand built around sustainable materials (recycled plastic bottle yarn) and all-day comfort, overlapping Pelle Moda on direct-to-consumer women, comfort-first positioning, and broad occasion coverage.
• Sarah Flint: Sarah Flint is a DTC women's footwear brand selling premium Italian-made shoes with an explicit comfort-meets-luxury positioning at the $200–$500 price band, directly comparable to Pelle Moda's Italian craftsmanship and comfort value proposition.
• M.Gemi: M.Gemi is a DTC brand sourcing Italian-made women's shoes at premium price points and rotating limited capsule collections, structurally similar to Pelle Moda's curated, Italian-heritage, online-only model.
• Margaux NYC: Margaux is a DTC women's footwear brand focused on elegant flats, heels, and boots with comfort features, serving a similar professional/bride customer and competing in overlapping price bands.
• Tieks: Tieks is a DTC-only women's ballet flat brand built around a single hero silhouette with comfort-focused construction, comparable as a direct-to-consumer pure-play women's footwear competitor with strong repeat-purchase economics.
• Vionic: Vionic is a women's comfort footwear brand with proprietary orthotic footbeds sold through DTC and wholesale, comparable on the comfort-first design pillar that anchors Pelle Moda's value proposition.
• Chinese Laundry: Chinese Laundry is a women's contemporary footwear brand spanning heels, flats, sandals, and booties at accessible price points, broadly comparable to Pelle Moda in product mix and target demographic, with multi-channel distribution adding competitive pressure.
• Sam Edelman: Sam Edelman is a mass-premium women's footwear brand with a broad heels/flats/boots/sandals assortment at $80–$200 price points, overlapping Pelle Moda on occasion coverage and competitive pricing tier.
• Marc Fisher Footwear: Marc Fisher operates a portfolio of women's footwear brands (Lucky Brand, Steve Madden competitor lines) at mid-market price points comparable to Pelle Moda's $130–$200 tier, often with similar Italian-influenced styling.

Broad incumbents

• Steve Madden: Steve Madden is a publicly traded footwear powerhouse with a broad women's assortment spanning heels, booties, sandals, and platforms at $50–$200 price points, representing a much larger incumbent that competes across most of Pelle Moda's catalog.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PelleModaShoes
• Facebookfacebook.com/PelleModa
• Pinterestpinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://pellemoda.us/products/nataly-block-heel-black-suede

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Pelle Moda