Cool East Market Inc.

What Cool East Market Inc. does

Cool East Market Inc. is a Toronto-based specialty retailer of barefoot and minimalist footwear, founded in 2015 and operating today with 1-10 employees. The company runs two complementary channels: a Shopify-powered e-commerce storefront (cooleastmarket.com) shipping across Canada, the USA, and internationally via Canada Post, and a physical retail showroom at 1390 Danforth Ave, Toronto, offering personalized fitting, foot-shape analysis, Correct Toes trials, and a Movemate Active Standing Board demonstration. The business was originally built around Japanese-style split-toe Tabi products — Tabi socks have been imported and sold since 1999 and Jikatabi boots since 2006 — making it the first North American online destination for that niche.

The product portfolio spans 184+ SKUs across 20+ curated international brands, segmented by use case: athletic (Vivobarefoot, Xero, Altra, Vibram), casual and formal (Lems, Shapen, Be Lenka, Ohne Project), trail and hiking, sandals, and children's footwear (Tip Toey Joey, Reima). Complementary accessories include Tabi and 5-toe socks ($4-$43), Correct Toes alignment spacers, insoles, footwear care products, and educational books on movement health. All footwear is selected against a barefoot criteria: zero-drop, foot-shaped wide toeboxes, flexible soles, and varying levels of ground-feel cushioning. The brand is owned and operated by founder Ivan Hui, who personally leads the Barefoot Style Running workshops and Running Labs.

The revenue model is pure one-time unit retail with prices from $4 to $415, no subscriptions, and seasonal sales. A points-based loyalty program launched in May 2025 (purchases, reviews, referrals, birthdays) is the only recurring/retention mechanism. Customer acquisition is predominantly organic, driven by educational content (CEM Learn blog, monthly newsletter, sizing guides), social media on Facebook/Instagram/TikTok, and in-person community events. Distribution is supplemented by Good Foot Delivery for 1-2 business day GTA fulfillment. There is no external funding, no parent company, and no disclosed revenue.

Name

Cool East Market Inc.

Legal name

Cool East Market Inc.

Website

https://cooleastmarket.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cool East Market Inc. is a Toronto-based specialty retailer selling barefoot, minimalist, and Tabi footwear from 20+ international brands via Shopify e-commerce and a brick-and-mortar store, serving foot-health enthusiasts, parents, runners, and Japanese-culture consumers across North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Footwear Retail

NAICS

Shoe Retailers (45821)

SIC

Retail-Shoe Stores (5661), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Outdoor, Hiking & Trail Footwear Retail (CRAAADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Casual & Lifestyle Footwear Retail (CRAAADAB), Outdoor Clothing & Footwear Retail (Camping/Hiking/Climbing) (CRAMAMAK)

Keywords

• Barefoot footwear retail
• Minimalist shoes
• Tabi split-toe socks
• Zero-drop footwear
• Wide-toebox shoes

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Revenue generated from selling barefoot shoes, boots, sandals, socks, and accessories including Correct Toes alignment tools, insoles, laces, and shoe care products. One-time purchase model with products ranging from $4 (tabi socks) to $415 (premium boots).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Cool East Market is a specialty retailer that curates and sells barefoot and minimalist footwear, including zero-drop shoes, Tabi and 5-toe socks, Jikatabi boots, insoles, Correct Toes alignment tools, and footwear care accessories from more than 20 international brands. The company operates both an e-commerce storefront and a Toronto retail showroom, supported by personalized foot-shape fitting services and educational resources on foot health and barefoot transition.

Product overview

Cool East Market is a Toronto-based specialty retailer for barefoot and minimalist footwear, founded in 2015 (with Tabi expertise dating to 1999). The company operates as an e-commerce platform powered by Shopify, offering a curated portfolio of barefoot shoes across multiple use categories: Athletic Shoes (Vivobarefoot, Xero, Altra), Casual Shoes (Lems, Shapen, Ohne Project), Formal Shoes (Shapen, Be Lenka), Trail/Hiking (Vivobarefoot, Xero, Be Lenka), Children's Footwear (Tip Toey Joey, Vivobarefoot, Reima), and Sandals. The brand portfolio includes Vivobarefoot, Xero Shoes, Lems, Be Lenka, Altra, Ahinsa, Vibram FiveFingers, Bohempia, Shapen, Barebarics, El Naturalista, and Gaucho Ninja. Complementary products include Tabi socks (5-toe and split-toe styles), Correct Toes alignment tools, insoles, footwear care products (Nikwax), and educational books. The company differentiates through personalized sizing guidance, educational content about foot health, and community-focused events including workshops on barefoot running.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Barefoot Athletic Shoes

Quantifiable outcome

• No set time limit on returns - flexible return policy with customer-focused service
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Good Foot DeliveryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal delivery service based in Toronto used for GTA local delivery. Orders arrive within 1-2 business days and are delivered straight to the customer's destination with email or text notification. Partners with Cool East Market to provide convenient same/next-day delivery options for local customers.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Happy Little Soles: UK-based specialty retailer focused exclusively on barefoot and minimalist children's footwear (Tip Toey Joey, Bobux, Vivobarefoot Kids). Directly comparable as a niche multi-brand barefoot footwear specialist serving a similar conversion-driven customer base.
• Vivobarefoot: Pioneering barefoot footwear brand with global DTC operations and a brand store network. Comparable as both a supplier and a direct DTC competitor to Cool East Market in the barefoot athletic, casual, and kids categories.
• Xero Shoes: US-based minimalist footwear brand with strong DTC e-commerce and growing retail partnerships. Comparable as a key supplier brand to Cool East Market and a direct-to-consumer competitor serving the same minimalist-running and casual consumer.
• Lems Shoes: Boulder-based minimalist footwear brand selling direct to consumers and through specialty retailers. Comparable to Cool East Market as a barefoot/zero-drop brand with overlapping customers and a parallel DTC vs. multi-brand retail distribution dynamic.
• Be Lenka: Slovak barefoot footwear brand with own DTC storefront across EU and North America. Comparable as both a stocked brand at Cool East Market and a competing DTC channel in the barefoot casual and trail categories.
• Bohempia: Czech vegan minimalist footwear brand with EU DTC e-commerce. Comparable as both a stocked Cool East Market brand and a competing DTC channel for sustainable barefoot casual and outdoor footwear in similar price tiers.

Broad incumbents

• Mountain Equipment Company (MEC): Canada's largest outdoor retail cooperative carrying hiking, trail running, and casual outdoor footwear. Comparable as a broad-line Canadian retailer serving overlapping customers for trail, hiking, and outdoor everyday footwear.
• REI: US outdoor co-op with extensive trail, hiking, and running footwear assortment including minimalist options. Comparable as a large specialty outdoor incumbent whose assortment breadth overlaps with Cool East Market's trail and athletic categories.
• Running Room: Canadian specialty running retailer with stores across Canada and an education-led community model. Comparable as a broader incumbent in running footwear and community-led retail that overlaps with Cool East Market's athletic and running-lab offerings.
• Altra Running: US zero-drop and foot-shaped running shoe brand owned by VF Corporation with global DTC and retail distribution. Comparable as a stocked barefoot-adjacent brand and a large-scale DTC competitor in the trail and road running categories.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CoolEastMarket
• Instagraminstagram.com/cooleastmarket
• TikToktiktok.com/@cool.east.market
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jiao-jiao-imports

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 Cool East Market Inc.