On July 15, 2014, Hardy Capital Partners and Canadian investors announced they had acquired Seattle-based OnlineShoes.com and Vancouver-based ShoeMe.ca, with plans to combine them into an online footwear company headquartered in Canada. The purchase price was not disclosed. The announcement described OnlineShoes.com as 18 years old because it was established in 1996; that age refers to the company at the time of the deal, not today.
Who bought OnlineShoes.com, and what was ShoeMe’s role?
Hardy Capital Partners and a group of Canadian investors announced the acquisition of 100 percent of both OnlineShoes.com and ShoeMe.ca. The July 2014 announcement presented the transaction as a consolidation of the two businesses, not a purchase of OnlineShoes.com by ShoeMe alone. Hardy Capital Partners did not disclose the purchase price. Hardy Capital Partners’ announcement set out the deal terms; GeekWire’s contemporaneous report also covered the acquisition.
OnlineShoes.com had been established in 1996 and was based in Seattle. ShoeMe.ca was based in Vancouver. Hardy Capital Partners characterized OnlineShoes.com as the nation’s first online shoe retailer; that description came from the company’s announcement. The deal was intended to bring the businesses together as an online footwear operation headquartered in Canada.
What did the combined company plan to look like?
The announcement’s scale figures were projections and descriptions made at the time of the deal, not verified measures of later performance. Hardy Capital Partners described OnlineShoes.com as a profitable business with $140 million in revenue and projected that the combined operation would have:
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- Athletic mesh upper with durable leather overlays for added dimension & midfoot support
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- Durable rubber outsole provides traction & durability with strategically-placed flex grooves for proper toe-off
- Upper contains at least 30% recycled content
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- More than 250 employees.
- Approximately $200 million CDN in annual revenue.
- More than 350 shoe brands and 35,000 different shoes.
GeekWire reported a different combined annual revenue figure: $186 million. These figures should not be blended: the approximately $200 million CDN figure was Hardy Capital Partners’ announcement, while $186 million was GeekWire’s report. Both are historical figures from July 2014, not current revenue.
Roger Hardy, founder of Hardy Capital Partners and the planned chairman and CEO, framed the strategy around online shopping and the footwear market. He estimated the North American footwear category at more than $50 billion—his estimate in the acquisition announcement, not an independently verified market measurement—and said the company aimed to improve the shopping experience while offering the savings and convenience consumers expected from other online categories. GeekWire also reported Hardy’s praise for Seattle’s talent and the company’s intention to continue growing locally.
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- Athletic mesh upper with durable leather overlays for added dimension & midfoot support
- Charged+ midsole cushioning provides unmatched softness & all-day comfort
- Durable rubber outsole provides traction & durability with strategically-placed flex grooves for proper toe-off , Upper contains at least 30% recycled content
- Weight: 10.2 oz , Lace type: Standard tie
- NEUTRAL: For runners who need a balance of flexibility & cushioning
Who was expected to lead the business?
The announced leadership plan assigned Roger Hardy the roles of chairman and CEO of the combined company. ShoeMe founder Sean Clark was to lead Canadian operations as president. OnlineShoes.com founder Dan Gerler was reported to remain involved as an advisor. These were roles described around the 2014 transaction; they do not establish who later managed the businesses.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happened after the 2014 announcement?
In December 2014, SHOEme acquired Shoes.com, a separate footwear business. Caleres announced the sale on December 15, saying the transaction had closed immediately. Its SEC filing records a December 12 closing by a ShoeMe Technologies affiliate and an aggregate purchase price of $15.0 million, subject to working-capital and other adjustments. That later Shoes.com transaction is distinct from the July acquisition of OnlineShoes.com and ShoeMe.ca. See Caleres’ sale announcement and its SEC filing.
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- Men's stylish, slip-on sneakers
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- MADE IN PART WITH RECYCLED CONTENT: This product features at least 20% recycled materials. By reusing materials that have already been created, we help to reduce waste and our reliance on finite resources and reduce the footprint of the products we make
Receiver materials describe 2017 proceedings involving ShoeMe Technologies and OnlineShoes.com. They do not establish the later status of the OnlineShoes.com brand or domain. The historical acquisition therefore should not be read as confirmation that OnlineShoes.com operates today, or that the brand definitively ceased to exist.
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- Lightweight mesh upper with 3-color digital print delivers complete breathability
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Key dates
- 1996: OnlineShoes.com was established, according to Hardy Capital Partners.
- July 15, 2014: Hardy Capital Partners and Canadian investors announced the acquisitions and planned consolidation.
- December 12, 2014: A ShoeMe Technologies affiliate closed the separate Shoes.com acquisition, according to Caleres’ SEC filing.
- 2017: Receiver materials describe proceedings involving ShoeMe Technologies and OnlineShoes.com.
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