Building the ultimate running shoe with Steven Sashen, co-founder of Xero Shoes

The Consumer VC: Venture Capital I B2C Startups I Commerce | Early-Stage Investing

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Building the ultimate running shoe with Steven Sashen, co-founder of Xero Shoes

The Consumer VC episode 135 with Steven Sashen co-founder/CEO of Xero Shoes

Mike Gelb

Jun 03, 2021

Hey there,

Our guest on today’s episode of The Consumer VC is Steven Sashen, co-founder and CEO of Xero Shoes.

Xero Shoes produces lightweight minimalist footwear designed for walking, running, and athletics.

I first found out about Xero Shoes from one of Peter Attia’s podcast episodes on the evolution of the foot.

The next day, I purchased my first pair of Xeros. They have been my go-to shoe for running, walking and hiking for the past 8 months.

Steven is also the second founder I've had on this show whose business was inspired by the book "Born to Run". The first was Daniel Gluck.

In this episode we cover:
- The difference between minimalist and zero drop
- The history of running shoes in the past 60 years
- What sustainability means and doesn’t mean
- Sourcing issues and why supply chains all end up back in China
- Testing distribution channels in the early days

You can also listen on Apple podcasts Here, Spotify Here and other podcast distribution channels.

Thanks again for listening!

Discussion about this podcast

The Consumer VC: Venture Capital I B2C Startups I Commerce | Early-Stage Investing

The Consumer VC takes a look into early-stage consumer investing and venture capital. If you are interested in learning about consumer trends, have a b2c business and interested in learning about the fundraising process at the early stage, you have come to the right place.

Mike interviews some of the top venture capitalists in the world that focus on B2C and consumer type companies or have a deep track record investing in these categories such as marketplaces, SaaS, social, CPG and non-tech subscription.

Mike also interviews founders that are building some of the most disruptive consumer facing companies in the world. The conversation usually includes the insight the founder discovered, fundraising strategy, and the pitch.

This podcast also includes bonus episodes. Each bonus episode dives into a particular subject that might not have to due with the fundraise or venture capital, but still would be helpful to founders. For example, a bonus episode on brand strategy or how to construct a board of directors. All bonus episodes will be clearly labeled.

For all episodes, please visit www.theconsumervc.com. For updates, you can follow @mikegelb on Twitter.

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