What WAPS™ does

WAPS™ is an Argentine women's comfort footwear brand founded in 2019 and operated as a sole proprietorship by Marco Paolo Dadone, headquartered in Córdoba, Argentina. The company designs, manufactures, and sells a proprietary line of women's flats, moccasins, boots, platforms, and sneakers built around a proprietary knit-fabric upper technology that adapts to foot shape, paired with a flexible midsole, removable cushioned insoles, and an anti-slip rubber outsole with EVA heel. All products are machine-washable, vegan, and approximately 200 grams per pair, marketed primarily to working women in Argentina who need all-day comfort without sacrificing style. The brand claims a 99/100 retention rate among women who try the product and cumulative flagship sales of over 250,000 units of Model One.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce model through www.waps.com.ar (hosted on Tiendanube/Nuvemshop infrastructure), supported by Mercado Pago and Pago Nube for installment-based payments, and Correo Argentino's Envío Nube for nationwide shipping with free delivery across Argentina. Pricing ranges from ARS 139,000 to ARS 219,000 per pair, with up to six interest-free installments, a 10% bank-transfer discount, and recurring 3x1 promotional campaigns. A wholesale (Mayorista) channel has been introduced for bulk reseller purchases, and a tiered #WAPSLOVERS loyalty program drives repeat purchases.

The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional funding, no parent organization, and no subsidiaries. With 39 employees, operations are exclusively domestic to Argentina, and the customer base is composed of individual end-consumers. Revenue, headcount trends, and financial performance are not publicly disclosed.

Name

WAPS™

Legal name

Marco Paolo Dadone

Website

https://waps.com.ar

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WAPS™ is an Argentine DTC women's comfort footwear brand founded in 2019, selling proprietary knit-upper, machine-washable flats, boots, and moccasins through waps.com.ar to working women across Argentina.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women's Footwear

NAICS

Footwear Manufacturing (31621), Shoe Retailers (4582)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Casual & Lifestyle Footwear (CRAAACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sustainable & Eco-Friendly Footwear (CRAAACAH)

Keywords

• Women's footwear
• Comfort shoes
• Vegan sneakers
• Knit fabric shoes
• Machine washable shoes

Headquarters

HQ city

Córdoba

HQ country

Argentina

HQ region

Latin 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

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Retail Sales: WAPS generates revenue primarily through direct-to-consumer online sales via its official website. Customers purchase footwear at listed prices with options for installment payments, bank transfers (with 10% discount), and promotional offers like 3x1 deals.
2. Wholesale/B2B Sales: WAPS operates a wholesale program for bulk purchases, allowing third-party retailers to purchase inventory for resale.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WAPS designs, manufactures, and sells women's comfort footwear including flats, boots, moccasins, platform shoes, and sneakers through its direct-to-consumer e-commerce store in Argentina. All products feature proprietary knit fabric upper technology, removable cushioned insoles, flexible midsoles, and machine-washable vegan construction weighing approximately 200 grams per pair. The brand serves Argentine consumers with free nationwide shipping, installment payment options, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Product overview

WAPS™ is a comfort footwear brand for women, offering a product line comprising flats (Model One, Model Lisa, Model Lisa Mary-Jane, Model Bee), moccasins (Model Mok, Model Mia), boots (Model Kim, Model Liz, Model Liz 2, Model York, Model Tex), platform shoes (Model Fly), and sneakers (Model Go). All products share core comfort features: proprietary knit fabric upper technology, removable high-density insoles, flexible midsoles, and anti-slip rubber soles. The brand emphasizes machine washability, lightweight construction (approximately 200g per shoe), and vegan materials. Products are manufactured in Argentina with standard sizing from 34-44.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Model One Iconic flat shoe with pointed toe design, the brand's flagship and best-selling model with over 250,000 units sold. Features knit fabric upper, removable cushioned insole, flexible midsole, and machine-washable vegan construction.
• Model Lisa Flat shoe featuring square toe and V-shaped opening that elongates the foot, combining modern style with comfort.
• Model Lisa Mary-Jane Flat shoe variant with classic Mary-Jane strap adjustment across the instep, offering a feminine and versatile look.
• Model Bee Flat shoe model with over 42,000 units sold, described as sophisticated and elegant.
• Model Mok Moccasin model with over 67,000 units sold, featuring a versatile design suitable for daily wear.
• Model Mia Moccasin-style shoe offering versatile everyday comfort.
• Model Kim Boot model featuring a new design introduced as a novelty in the WAPS product line.
• Model Liz Boot model with over 74,000 units sold, featuring a 3cm heel and designed for autumn/winter seasons.
• Model Liz 2 Enhanced version of Model Liz with an integrated fabric sockliner wrapping the ankle for a more urban, modern style.
• Model York Boot model with over 64,000 units sold, featuring a versatile design for autumn/winter.
• Model Tex Boot model with over 18,000 units sold, featuring a 3cm heel for elevated style.
• Model Fly Platform shoe model with over 21,000 units sold, featuring a 3cm heel for elevated comfort.
• Model Go Sneaker model featuring an ultra-comfortable platform design combining elegance with functionality.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99 out of 100 women who try WAPS choose to keep them, demonstrating extremely high customer satisfaction.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mercado PagocoreTechnology or IntegrationWAPS uses Mercado Pago as the primary payment processing platform for managing all e-commerce transactions on the website. The partnership enables secure credit/debit card processing and installment payments for customers.
• Pago NubecoreTechnology or IntegrationWAPS accepts payments through Pago Nube for credit and debit cards, enabling customers to pay in installments and through various payment methods.
• Correo Argentino (Envío Nube)coreTechnology or IntegrationWAPS ships all orders through Correo Argentino's Envío Nube service. This partnership provides nationwide delivery coverage across Argentina with tracking capabilities.
• AFIP (Argentina)minorOthersWAPS complies with AFIP (Federal Public Revenue Administration) requirements for e-commerce operations, displaying AFIP digital signature on the website footer for consumer confidence.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Toms: Toms is a direct-to-consumer casual footwear brand with a one-for-one social mission, operating in the women's flats, espadrilles, and sneaker categories that overlap with WAPS's portfolio.
• Crocs: Crocs is a global comfort footwear giant with iconic molded shoes, expanding into more lifestyle-oriented silhouettes; a broad incumbent competing for comfort-driven women's footwear demand.
• Skechers: Skechers is a global mass-market comfort footwear incumbent with wide multi-channel distribution (department stores, own retail, e-commerce), offering overlap with WAPS's comfort positioning but at much broader scale.
• Birkenstock: Birkenstock is a global comfort and footbed footwear incumbent, increasingly expanding into casual and women's lifestyle silhouettes that compete for the same comfort-seeking female customer as WAPS.

Direct peers

• Rothy's: Rothy's is a direct-to-consumer women's footwear brand built around a proprietary knit upper made from recycled plastic bottles, with machine-washable construction — the closest global analog to WAPS's knit, machine-washable, comfort-first flats.
• Allbirds: Allbirds is a direct-to-consumer comfort footwear brand built around proprietary natural-material uppers (wool, eucalyptus, sugarcane), with a strong sustainability story and machine-washable product lines analogous to WAPS's positioning.
• Atoms: Atoms is a DTC everyday shoe brand focused on comfort, lightweight construction, and machine-washable insoles, with a similar "comfortable enough to wear all day" value proposition to WAPS.
• Vivaia: Vivaia sells sustainable, machine-washable women's flats, sneakers, and boots built with knit uppers from recycled materials, directly competing with WAPS on the comfort + sustainability + machine-washable trifecta.
• Tieks: Tieks is a DTC women's ballet flat brand emphasizing all-day comfort, blue Italian soles, and a try-at-home model — directly comparable to WAPS's flagship Model One flats in product and target customer.

Emerging players

• Native Shoes: Native Shoes is an emerging comfort/casual footwear brand with machine-washable, EVA-and-knit construction; an emerging peer with partial overlap with WAPS's vegan, lightweight, easy-care positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wapsargentina

Compliance1 record

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 WAPS™