Karl&Max
Karl & Max is a French professional footwear brand founded in 2016, selling full-grain Portuguese leather work shoes with SRC-certified slip resistance and unit-level laser engraving directly to luxury hospitality, gastronomy, and automotive establishments across 12 European countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersMérignac, France
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Karl&Max does
Karl & Max is a French professional footwear brand founded in 2016 and headquartered in Mérignac (Bordeaux metropolitan area), specializing in full-grain leather work shoes for customer-facing teams in luxury hospitality, gastronomy, automotive showrooms, and events. The company designs and markets a portfolio of approximately 13 models organized around four families (work sneakers, women's work shoes, men's work shoes, and specialty models), with the Skoffier sneaker serving as the flagship SKU. Products are built in Porto-region and São João da Madeira workshops using Goodyear welt or Strobel construction methods, with leather sourced from LWG-certified Portuguese tanneries and outsoles certified to EN ISO 20347 OB SRC slip-resistance standards for hospitality-grade floors.
The company's core technology differentiator is unit-level laser engraving (0.1mm precision) offered from a single pair with a 7-working-day lead time, supported by a patented removable insole system for fit adjustment. All soles carry a 3,000 km lifespan guarantee, roughly double the ~1,500 km benchmark of synthetic entry-level alternatives. The business operates three service tiers: laser engraving customization (€5 HT per pair), permanent stock with 48-hour France / 72-hour EU replenishment delivery, and exclusive custom model development (25-pair minimum, 8-10 week production cycle).
Karl & Max sells directly to establishments without resellers or intermediaries, combining B2B field sales (test pair program, advisor-led deployment), e-commerce at shop.karlandmax.com, and a Bordeaux showroom. Pricing is anchored at €105 HT per pair for the Skoffier base model, with volume discounts at 20+ pairs (€99) and 40+ pairs (€95), and 30-day net account terms for established B2B customers. The customer base spans 120+ establishments across 12 countries, including palace-tier accounts (Cheval Blanc, La Réserve Genève, Le Negresco, Hyatt Paris Madeleine), hotel chains (B&B Hotels, Kyriad, Novotel), automotive OEMs (Dacia, Alpine), and Michelin-level restaurants, with an 82% 12-month reorder rate (2024 data) and a 2.5× first-order-to-reorder multiplier.
Karl&Max firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Karl&Max
- Legal name
- Karl & Max
- Website
- https://karlandmax.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Karl & Max is a French professional footwear brand founded in 2016, selling full-grain Portuguese leather work shoes with SRC-certified slip resistance and unit-level laser engraving directly to luxury hospitality, gastronomy, and automotive establishments across 12 European countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Karl&Max industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Footwear
- NAICS
- Footwear Manufacturing (3162), Shoe Retailers (45821)
- SIC
- Footwear, (No Rubber) (3140), Retail-Shoe Stores (5661)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Luxury & Designer Footwear (CRAAACAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Casual & Lifestyle Footwear (CRAAACAB), Boot Manufacturing (Work/Fashion/Western/Combat) (IMAOAIAF)
Keywords
Where Karl&Max is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mérignac
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Karl&Max business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Footwear Sales: One-time product sales of professional leather footwear. Core SKU (Skoffier) at 105€ HT/pair with volume discounts starting at 20 pairs (99€), 40 pairs (95€). Custom exclusive models priced on quotation. Revenue from individual pairs, team orders, and replenishment orders.
- Laser Engraving Service: Unit-level logo engraving at 5€ HT per pair. Test pair engraving offered free for qualified requests. 7-day production lead time after mockup approval.
- Stock & Replenishment Services: Ongoing revenue from replenishment orders for validated models. Sizes 35-49 maintained in permanent stock. Account terms available at 30 days net. Delivery within 48 hours in France.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Skoffier base model — black or white, full-grain leather, SRC certified |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Volume discount at 20+ pairs |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Volume discount at 40+ pairs |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Laser engraving customization |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Custom exclusive model — minimum 25 pairs |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Karl&Max product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Karl & Max designs, manufactures, and sells professional leather footwear — primarily work sneakers, moccasins, derbies, Mary-Janes, and ankle boots — for B2B clients in luxury hospitality, gastronomy, and automotive showrooms. Footwear is built from full-grain Portuguese leather with SRC-certified anti-slip outsoles, complemented by unit-level laser logo engraving, custom model development, and ongoing replenishment services for teams.
Product overview
Karl&Max is a professional footwear brand offering a collection of 13 models across four families (work sneakers, women's work shoes, men's work shoes, and specialty models). The portfolio centers on the Skoffier as the flagship sneaker model, complemented by moccasins, derbies, Mary-Jane heels, and ankle boots in full-grain Portuguese leather. Products are sold as individual units with no minimum order quantity. The company provides three service tiers: laser engraving for logo personalization (starting at 1 pair, 7 days lead time), permanent stock with 48-hour replenishment for replacement needs, and custom model development for groups of 25+ pairs with 8-10 week production timelines. All models feature SRC-certified slip-resistant outsoles and are designed for extended standing work in hospitality, fine dining, automotive showrooms, and events sectors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Skoffier Flagship work sneaker in full-grain leather with SRC-certified slip-resistant outsole, available in black and white; designed for hospitality, restaurants, and automotive showrooms. Core model with permanent stock across sizes 35-49.
- Tennis Kaviar × Sturia – Édition limitée Limited edition collaboration sneaker in orange full-grain leather with SRC-certified sole.
- Mocassins Georgia Men's moccasin model in full-grain leather with SRC-certified sole, sizes 37-40.
- Talon Mary-Jane Women's Mary-Jane heel model in full-grain leather, professional footwear for hospitality roles.
- Derby Simonetta SRA Men's Derby model with SRA slip-resistance certification, full-grain leather construction.
- Derby Elsa SRA Men's Derby model with SRA slip-resistance certification, full-grain leather construction.
- Mocassins SRA Olivia Women's moccasin model with SRA slip-resistance, made-to-order in black smooth leather.
- Derbies sensibles Simonetta Sensitive Derbies model in black smooth leather with SRC certification, suitable for hallux valgus and other foot morphology needs.
- Derby Jacob SRA Men's Derby model with SRA slip-resistance, full-grain leather, sizes 41-44.
- Mocassins Bernie Men's moccasin model, made-to-order.
- Bottines Larry 2 SRA Men's ankle boot with SRA slip-resistance certification, full-grain leather construction.
- Derby Oswald SRA Men's Derby model with SRA slip-resistance certification, full-grain leather construction.
- Laser Engraving Service Unit-level laser engraving on leather uppers (tongue or heel counter) for logo personalization at €5 HT per pair, with free engraving on qualified test pair requests.
- Stock & Replenishment Service Permanent stock of validated models across sizes 35-49, with 48-hour delivery in France (72 hours EU) and 30-day net account terms for B2B clients.
- Custom Model Service Bespoke exclusive shoe development service for establishments ordering minimum 25 pairs, with virtual and real prototyping and 8-10 week series production.
Quantifiable outcome
- Approximately 30% lower total cost of ownership than Shoes for Crews over 3 years (315€ vs 450€ per person)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Karl&Max
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Karl&Max technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Karl&Max partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Karl&Max competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Parade (French professional footwear): French professional footwear brand specializing in work shoes and safety footwear for service industries. Direct competitor in the French market targeting similar hospitality and food service customers with slip-resistant certified footwear.
- Shoes for Crews: US-founded slip-resistant footwear specialist for hospitality, healthcare, and food service workers. Explicitly named by Karl & Max as the comparison baseline for TCO, making it the closest direct competitor in professional slip-resistant footwear for restaurants and hotels.
Broad incumbents
- Skechers Work: Major global footwear brand with dedicated Work category offering slip-resistant shoes for hospitality, food service, and healthcare. Overlaps directly with Karl & Max's professional footwear positioning while operating across a vastly broader product portfolio.
- Crocs Work: Global footwear brand with dedicated Work category for hospitality, food service, and healthcare slip-resistant footwear. Competes in the same professional comfort footwear category though positioned at a more accessible price point than Karl & Max.
- Birkenstock Professional: Global footwear leader with a Professional line targeting healthcare, hospitality, and food service. Comparable through its slip-resistant, comfort-focused professional footwear for standing-work roles, though it operates at much broader scale across multiple segments.
- ECCO Professional: Danish premium leather footwear company with professional and hospitality categories. Comparable through full-grain leather construction and premium positioning for service-industry professionals, though ECCO operates at a far larger global scale.
- Timberland PRO: Premium work footwear brand offering leather boots and shoes with slip-resistance for hospitality, food service, and industrial sectors. Comparable in leather professional footwear though heavier on industrial/work boot styling.
- Dr. Martens Professional: Iconic British footwear brand with a Professional line of slip-resistant service shoes for hospitality and industrial use. Overlaps with Karl & Max in durable leather footwear for service-industry workers.
- Clarks Work: Heritage British footwear brand with work and uniform categories serving hospitality and service industries. Comparable through leather dress-shoe aesthetics combined with comfort features, and serves similar premium uniform accounts.
Emerging players
- U-Power: Italian professional safety footwear brand specializing in work shoes and boots with slip-resistance certifications. Comparable through SRC-certified professional footwear aimed at hospitality and service industries, with growing European presence.
Market position
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Karl&Max financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Karl&Max leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Karl&Max funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Karl&Max M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Karl&Max
What does Karl&Max do?
Karl & Max designs, manufactures, and sells professional leather footwear — primarily work sneakers, moccasins, derbies, Mary-Janes, and ankle boots — for B2B clients in luxury hospitality, gastronomy, and automotive showrooms. Footwear is built from full-grain Portuguese leather with SRC-certified anti-slip outsoles, complemented by unit-level laser logo engraving, custom model development, and ongoing replenishment services for teams.
Is Karl&Max a public or private company?
Karl&Max is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Karl&Max founded?
Karl&Max was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Karl&Max based?
Karl&Max is headquartered in Mérignac, France, in the Europe region.
How does Karl&Max make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Footwear Sales are the primary driver. The others are laser Engraving Service and stock & Replenishment Services.
Who are Karl&Max's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Parade (French professional footwear) and Shoes for Crews. Broad incumbents are Skechers Work, Crocs Work, Birkenstock Professional, ECCO Professional, Timberland PRO, Dr. Martens Professional and Clarks Work. U-Power is listed as an emerging player.
Does Karl&Max have an API?
No public API is recorded for Karl&Max.
What industry is Karl&Max in?
Karl&Max's product category is Professional Footwear. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAAACAI, Luxury & Designer Footwear, with a secondary code of CRAAACAB, Casual & Lifestyle Footwear. Its NAICS code is 3162 and its SIC code is 3140.