Toddler and Kids Shoes Select Shop Tobox Korea... "Decided to Start a Business After Buying First Child's Shoes"

Improving In-Store Navigation Convenience
Exclusive Contracts with Popular Overseas Brands
Annual Sales of 30 Billion KRW

Lee Seongeun, CEO of Tobox Korea.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] "You can find a wide variety of children's shoe brands from everyday wear to sports shoes all in one place." Tobox Korea, a specialized distributor of children's shoes, celebrated its 10th anniversary this year. Starting as an offline premium children's shoe select shop, Tobox Korea expanded its reach online through a partnership with Cafe24 and has grown into a company generating annual sales of around 30 billion KRW.

◆ "I started the business while buying shoes for my first child" = The motivation behind the startup was the inconvenience experienced when buying shoes for the first child. Lee Seon-geun, CEO of Tobox, said, "I had to visit multiple department stores to check different brands, so I wondered why there wasn't a store that gathered children's shoes all in one place, which led me to open Tobox." CEO Lee previously worked in shoe planning and sales at a global sports brand. Utilizing the know-how gained there, he secured exclusive contracts with premium brands well-known overseas such as Cienta, Mini Melissa, Heelys, and Moon Boots, and developed in-house brands like Miniwiz and Baby Breath, exporting them to markets in China, Vietnam, and expanding into the Asian market.

One of the recently popular signature products is from the French national sandal brand called 'Meduse.' It features a minimal European design with various colors and is made from soft polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material, providing comfortable wear. Word of mouth on social media has increased purchases by parents buying matching shoes for themselves and their children.

◆ Shoe sizes detailed in 5mm increments = Tobox's strength lies in shoe sizes optimized for Asian feet. Due to the nature of shoes, size standards and foot shapes vary by country and ethnicity. Considering this, Tobox stocks a wide range of sizes tailored to the foot shapes of Asian children. CEO Lee explained, "Tobox offers sizes starting from infant shoes around 110mm and provides sizes suitable for various age groups," adding, "We even have half sizes in 5mm increments." Thanks to meticulous management adapting overseas shoe brands to domestic children's needs, the company has achieved nearly double annual sales growth on average.

CEO Lee stated, "Our goal is to evolve into a global children's platform that can encompass all the wonderful brands with unique identities among numerous children's brands."