Bearpaw footwear expands its business to Europe

By

Rebecca Taras

Published
Apr 18, 2017

A little over 15 years after its inception, fashion-meets-function footwear line Bearpaw announced it was taking a literal big step by expanding to the European market. Thus far, the company—founded by Tom Romeo in Citrus Heights, California—has popularized a voluminous line of footwear, apparel and outerwear in the United States and 45 additional countries throughout the world.

Bearpaw’s slippers and footwear for men, women and children are made from sheepskin, so it's not surprising that one of their largest competitors is the cult Uggs brand. Kevin McDonald, VP of International at Bearpaw, told FashionNetwork that the company is and will be connected with various different partnerships across the various markets and will continue to be as flexible and localized in each market as possible while still staying committed to the core of the brand.

With this flexibility, Bearpaw is able to find and work with the best partners and establish the best long-term relationship growth. “We will offer the full footwear collection, but a major focus will be on our Neverwet collections as they add even more value to the great styling and quality we are bringing to market,” said McDonald. “Over time we have expanded to other categories such as socks and accessories where we are seeing great success in other markets as they supplement our core footwear perfectly while being able to a stand-alone offering.”

In terms of the expansion, Western European countries will be a major focus for new partnerships, while in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe Bearpaw is refining operations to allow our current partners to expand and grow their offerings and presence in their countries. Bearpaw is currently available in the States at Macy’s, Famous Footwear, DSW and online.