MARC Shoes

What MARC Shoes does

MARC Shoes GmbH is a German footwear manufacturer and retailer founded in 1938 in Fischbeck, Lower Saxony, now headquartered in Zeulenroda-Triebes and operating as a subsidiary of the Berkemann group following the 2011 ownership transition to Thomas Bauerfeind. The company designs and sells women's and men's footwear spanning fashionable-elegant to sporty-casual styles, with boots, loafers, ballerinas, sandals, mules, and low boots as core SKUs, complemented by accessories such as bags and clothing. Its proprietary 'Soft Walk' concept centers on a partially replaceable insole with antibacterial, moisture-absorbing, and dampening properties, which the company markets as its key comfort differentiator.

Production has been progressively offshored, with European manufacturing supplemented by Far East outsourcing from 2004 onward. The company sells through a diversified channel mix: its own e-commerce storefront (shoesandfashion.com), Amazon and eBay marketplaces, a dedicated B2B dealer portal (shop.marcshoes.com) for wholesale customers, company-owned outlet stores in Fischbeck and Zeulenroda, and partner retail locations including the Berkemann Store in Frankfurt. Marketing relies on CleverReach email newsletters, Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel tracking, and Instagram/Facebook organic presence. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and no external funding rounds or institutional investors are documented; the business operates as a privately held German GmbH serving both end consumers and specialty footwear retailers.

Name

MARC Shoes

Legal name

MARC Shoes GmbH

Website

https://marcshoes.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1938

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MARC Shoes GmbH is a German heritage footwear brand founded in 1938, designing and selling women's and men's casual and fashion shoes with proprietary antibacterial comfort insoles through e-commerce, B2B wholesale, marketplaces, and German retail outlets as a Berkemann group subsidiary.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Footwear

NAICS

Footwear Manufacturing (3162), Shoe Retailers (45821), Footwear Merchant Wholesalers (42434)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Casual & Lifestyle Footwear (CRAAACAB)

Keywords

• Women's footwear
• Men's footwear
• Comfort shoes
• Leather shoes
• Casual footwear

Headquarters

HQ city

Zeulenroda

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. B2C Retail Sales: Direct sales to consumers through own e-commerce (shoesandfashion.com), Amazon Store, and eBay Store. Consumers purchase finished footwear products directly.
2. B2B Wholesale: Wholesale distribution to retailers and dealers through dedicated B2B portal (shop.marcshoes.com). Orders placed by registered dealers for resale.
3. Retail Store Sales: Direct retail sales through company-owned outlet stores in Germany (Fischbeck, Zeulenroda) and partner retail locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MARC Shoes designs, manufactures, and distributes men's and women's footwear ranging from fashionable-elegant to sporty-casual styles, including boots, loafers, ballerinas, sandals, and mules, with proprietary Soft Walk comfort insoles. The company sells directly to consumers through its own e-commerce store, Amazon, eBay, and physical outlets, and supplies specialty retailers and dealers through a dedicated B2B wholesale portal. Complementary accessories such as bags and clothing are also offered.

Product overview

MARC Shoes is a German footwear company offering women's and men's shoes ranging from fashionable-elegant to sporty-casual styles. The product portfolio includes boots, loafers, ballerinas, sandals, mules, and low boots. A key differentiator is the proprietary 'Soft Walk' comfort concept featuring antibacterial, moisture-absorbing, and dampening insoles. The company operates a B2B dealer portal (shop.marcshoes.com) for retailers, alongside accessories (bags and clothing). Shoes are distributed through online shops, Amazon, eBay, mono-brand stores, shop-in-shops, and factory outlets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Women's Shoes
• Men's Shoes
• Accessories (Bags and Clothing)
• B2B Dealer Portal (shop.marcshoes.com)

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Berkemann GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company ownership. Thomas Bauerfeind, proprietor of Berkemann group in Zeulenroda, acquired MARC Shoes in 2011. Shares corporate resources and potentially distribution channels.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Waldläufer: German comfort footwear brand with a heritage of orthopedic-influenced, removable-insole construction. Directly comparable to MARC's removable Soft Walk insole, comfort-led positioning, and German specialty retailer focus.
• Caprice: German footwear brand specializing in women's comfort shoes with proprietary insole technology. Highly comparable to MARC's Soft Walk positioning, women's focus, and European wholesale and outlet distribution.
• Sioux: German premium casual footwear brand with own retail stores and wholesale distribution across Europe. Comparable to MARC on men's and women's casual-elegant range, German heritage, multi-channel go-to-market, and mid-premium price positioning.
• Rieker: German family-owned footwear brand best known for lightweight, anti-stress comfort shoes. Directly comparable to MARC on comfort technology focus, broad casual-elegant assortment, and European wholesale-driven distribution model.
• Tamaris: German women's footwear brand (Wortmann Group) offering fashionable and casual styles at mass-premium prices. Directly comparable to MARC on product style range (elegant to sporty-casual), customer demographic, and multi-channel European wholesale distribution.
• Gabor: German footwear brand producing men's and women's casual and dress shoes with a strong comfort positioning. Highly comparable to MARC in target customer (style-conscious comfort buyers), channel mix (wholesale + own retail), and price tier.
• Josef Seibel: German casual and comfort footwear manufacturer with European wholesale reach. Closely comparable to MARC on heritage (>130 years), comfort positioning, men's and women's casual-elegant assortment, and B2B dealer-led distribution.
• Bugatti (Footwear): German casual and dress footwear brand under the Bugatti name, covering men's and women's elegant-to-casual styles. Comparable to MARC on style range, target customer, and European wholesale + DTC channel mix.

Broad incumbents

• Birkenstock: Global German footwear incumbent best known for its contoured cork-latex footbed and comfort positioning. Comparable to MARC as a much larger German comfort footwear brand with a removable/orthopedic-style insole story and global omnichannel distribution.

Others

• Berkemann: Sister brand under the Berkemann Group (MARC's parent). Directly comparable product mix in comfort footwear with removable insole technology; relevant as a peer to MARC because both share corporate resources, retail outlets, and go-to-market approach, even though they do not directly compete for shelf space.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CuerosMarc
• Instagraminstagram.com/marc.shoes.original
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/marc-shoes-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 MARC Shoes