What VIBAe does

VIBAe is a Helsinki-based direct-to-consumer footwear brand founded in 2019 that designs and sells ergonomic, sustainably made shoes handcrafted by artisans in Porto, Portugal. Its product portfolio spans mules and slippers (the ROMA family in leather, woven, bio suede, and shearling variants), sandals (SAINT TROPEZ, AMALFI, CAPRI, OSAKA, PORTO), loafers (SOHO, TRIBECA, HANKO), slip-ons (ZUMA in leather, linen, and bio suede), boots (HELSINKI Chelsea in leather, bio suede, shearling; JTREE desert boot), formal-casual hybrids (LISBOA oxford, LONDON sneaker), and clogs (OSLO), priced between $165 and $280 USD.

The company's core technical asset is the Carbon Step™ footbed, a proprietary detachable contoured insole with an 11mm heel / 14mm arch / 7mm forefoot formula built from open-cell polyurethane and a cork shank. Materials emphasize sustainability — LWG-certified vegetable-tanned leather, chrome-free bio suede, woven goat leather, washable linen, shearling, and natural rubber. The Carbon Step footbed is also sold separately as a replacement, and the brand operates a Pre-Loved resale/trade-in program and gift cards.

VIBAe runs a pure DTC model through a Shopify storefront on vibae.com, shipping globally from Finland to 100+ countries with multi-currency support, US duties included, and free shipping over €100. Marketing relies on paid social (TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest), Instagram, Klaviyo email automation, content marketing via the VIBAe Journal, Google Analytics tracking, and Reviews.io social proof. The customer base is a long tail of individual consumers, with verified reviews showing high repeat-purchase intensity and a 4.43-star average across more than 10,000 reviews. No funding rounds, no institutional investors, no wholesale channel, and no enterprise customers are disclosed.

Name

VIBAe

Legal name

VIBAe

Website

https://vibae.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

VIBAe is a Helsinki-based direct-to-consumer footwear brand selling handcrafted, ergonomically designed shoes made in Porto, Portugal, with a proprietary Carbon Step™ footbed, sustainable materials, and global shipping to 100+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Helsinki

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: VIBAe generates revenue through direct-to-consumer sales of handmade footwear. Products are sold at one-time purchase prices ranging from $165 to $280 USD. The company offers accessories including replacement footbeds and protective care products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

VIBAe designs, manufactures, and sells handmade ergonomic footwear directly to consumers worldwide through its own e-commerce store. Its portfolio includes mules, loafers, sandals, slip-ons, oxfords, Chelsea boots, desert boots, sneakers, clogs, and slippers, all built around the proprietary Carbon Step™ footbed with 11/14/7 ergonomic support. Products are handcrafted in Porto, Portugal using vegetable-tanned leather, bio suede, woven goat leather, linen, shearling, and natural rubber, and are shipped globally from Finland.

Product overview

VIBAe is a sustainable footwear brand offering a diverse portfolio of handcrafted shoes made in Portugal. The core product line includes multiple style families: ROMA (mules/slippers in leather, woven, suede, and shearling variants), SOHO (tassel loafers), SAINT TROPEZ (slides), AMALFI and CAPRI (sandals with woven straps), OSAKA (flip flops), ZUMA (everyday slip-ons in leather/linen/suede), TRIBECA (loafers), LISBOA (oxfords), HELSINKI (Chelsea boots), JTREE (desert boots), SNEAKERS/LONDON, WOODSTOCK, and OSLO (rubber clogs). The brand's signature technology is the Carbon Step footbed, a proprietary contoured insole with 11/14/7 ergonomic formula. Materials include vegetable-tanned leather, bio suede, woven goat leather, linen, shearling, and natural rubber. VIBAe also operates a Pre-Loved sustainability program and offers gift cards. The company positions itself in the minimalist footwear arena with thin, flexible soles, wide toe boxes, and a zero-drop philosophy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ROMA Leather

Quantifiable outcome

• 82% of ROMA Leather reviews rated 4-5 stars (4.38 average from 4,348 reviews)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationE-commerce platform powering VIBAe's online storefront, enabling global sales, payment processing, and inventory management.
• KlaviyocoreTechnology or IntegrationEmail marketing platform used for customer communications, newsletter subscriptions, and promotional campaigns including the 10% first-order discount.
• Google AnalyticssupportingTechnology or IntegrationWeb analytics platform tracking website performance, customer behavior, and marketing campaign effectiveness.
• LWG (Leather Working Group)coreOthersCertification organization ensuring leather is responsibly sourced from food industry by-products with LWG-certified tanneries.
• YaylohsupportingTechnology or IntegrationReturn management platform enabling the 30-day return policy and free exchanges within 30 days.
• Leather Artisans of Porto, PortugalcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRegional craftspeople and artisans who handcraft VIBAe footwear using traditional techniques passed down through generations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Allbirds: Allbirds is the most direct comparable: a DTC comfort footwear brand built on sustainable materials (wool, eucalyptus, sugarcane), proprietary comfort technology, and premium pricing ($100+). Both target sustainability-conscious comfort seekers and operate global DTC storefronts with flagship products (mules/slip-ons for VIBAe, runners/loungers for Allbirds).
• TOMS: TOMS pioneered the purpose-driven DTC footwear model that VIBAe echoes (sustainability narrative, direct online sales, premium positioning). Both brands target the same buyer (conscious consumer) and offer slip-on casual styles, though TOMS operates at much larger scale with broader category range.
• Vessi: Vessi is a DTC comfort footwear brand with a focus on waterproof knit sneakers. Both share the direct-to-consumer premium comfort positioning, online-first model, and emphasis on material innovation (Vessi's knit upper vs. VIBAe's leather footbed). Comparable brand stage and category focus.
• Olukai: Olukai builds premium comfort sandals and slip-ons with island/beach culture positioning, focusing on sustainable materials and ergonomic footbeds. Both brands target lifestyle-focused consumers seeking comfort + sustainability, with comparable mid-premium price points ($130-$200).
• Hari Mari: Hari Mari is a DTC comfort footwear brand specializing in flip-flops and sandals with memory-foam footbeds. Both brands share a comfort-and-ergonomic positioning, direct online sales, and focus on lifestyle/casual wear at premium price points in the same sandals/clogs category VIBAe occupies.
• Bombas: Bombas built a billion-dollar DTC brand on comfort (socks initially, expanding into apparel and slippers) with a mission-driven positioning similar to VIBAe's sustainability narrative. Both operate premium DTC with social-cause narratives, focus on comfort technology, and have demonstrated strong loyalty/repeat purchase behavior.

Broad incumbents

• Birkenstock: Birkenstock is the heritage incumbent in contoured comfort footwear with its cork-latex footbed — the conceptual analogue to VIBAe's Carbon Step™ platform. They recently IPO'd and have far broader assortment and global retail/wholesale distribution, but compete in the same 'ergonomic footbed comfort' category that VIBAe targets.
• Crocs: Crocs is the mass-market incumbent in comfort footwear, with the iconic clog and expanding casual assortment. They overlap with VIBAe's comfort positioning at much lower price points ($40-$80) and have dramatically larger scale. Crocs represents the broad-market competitor that VIBAe sits adjacent to in the comfort category.
• Dr. Scholl's Shoes: Dr. Scholl's is a heritage comfort/ergonomic footwear brand positioned around foot health and orthopedic support. Both brands emphasize ergonomic footbed technology and consumer comfort; Dr. Scholl's operates at much broader scale through mass retail/wholesale distribution channels.

Emerging players

• Suavs: Suavs is an emerging DTC comfort shoe brand offering slip-ons and casual sneakers in a similar premium casual segment. They share the direct online model and comfort-focused positioning, though at a smaller scale and narrower assortment than VIBAe.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/vibaeofficial
• Pinterestpinterest.com/vibaeofficial
• TikToktiktok.com/@vibaeofficial
• Xx.com/vibaeofficial
• Facebookfacebook.com/vibaeofficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vibaeofficial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 VIBAe