Looking for shoes for your on-the-go lifestyle? You should drop by Anothersole.

Anothersole creates traditional leather shoes with a sustainable twist. They use recycled plastic bottles, leather scraps, and plant-based materials in their shoes!

Founded in Singapore in 2016, they now have 8 physical stores and online stores shipping to over 50 countries.

As of 2024, they’ve sold over 200,000 pairs of shoes.

But this brand was far from an overnight success—Anothersole overcame many challenges to get to where they are today.  

And this is their story.

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⏩ The world of fast fashion

Benny Chee and Phoebe Charn first met at church. They’ve been business partners since 2000.

After Chee finished serving his mandatory military service, he wanted to save up for university by working in insurance. Later, he realized that he wanted to start his own business, so he stopped studying engineering.  

He tried selling surfboards in Bali for a while, but issues with suppliers caused him to close his business.

In 2003, Chee and Charn started a business supplying shoes for global chain stores. “We were part of the gigantic fast fashion revolution,” Charn said. “We were swept by this invisible force to churn out cheap new stuff faster to accommodate the even faster fashion.”

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🤔 Learning to pivot

After focusing on this business for over a decade, they wanted to do something different.

“It’s smarter to invest in quality classics rather than wasting money on things that will only add to landfills,” said Charn.

Their goal was to create comfortable, stylish shoes that could be used for work and travel.  

They also wanted to focus on quality over quantity. They planned to release up to 150 colors of the same shoe.

People said that the business would fail. One big reason? Singapore had a hot climate.

That meant that people would have a hard time maintaining the leather! It would also be difficult to convince customers to buy the same pair of shoes in different colors.

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👞 One pair at a time

But Chee and Charn believed that they could do it.

In 2016, they launched their Anytime lace-up flats at a department store in Singapore.

They had no external funding that year, so they kept their costs low. They’d meet every week at McDonald’s, brainstorming ways to reach more customers!

They also had an online store and did pop-up shops every other month.

Over time, more and more Singaporean women told their friends about these comfortable, elegant shoes.

Customers loved the shoes so much, some had 10 pairs of the same shoes in different colors.

One iconic customer was a teacher who bought over 300 pairs for her friends and family!

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🫂 For the planet, for the people

So what makes Anothersole so unique? Their advocacies are at the center of everything.

First, they make sustainable design decisions. Their 247 sneakers have laces and a lining made of plastic. The footbeds are made of plant-based material. And the outsoles are made of recycled leather!

They also stopped using virgin plastics in their products in 2022. Now, they only work with tanneries that dispose of water waste properly and have good safety standards. They only work with suppliers who are certified sustainable by the Leather Working Group.

That same year, they also launched their ANEW Mini bags, which are made of recycled plastic bottles!

They also advocate for underprivileged children. As parents themselves, they felt that they could do more for children who were struggling to survive.

They’ve also donated $185,000 (SGD250,000) to charities like World Vision International. 10% of their net profits help them feed children in Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Bangladesh.  

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🤩 Here and now

Now, Anothersole has grown over 400% in the last two years.

They’ve also been expanding their market. In 2022, they joined a 4-month retail popup in New York. This was a chance for Singaporean brands to break into the American market!

Anothersole was among the Singaporean brands shown on American media outlets. They even had a billboard in Times Square!

Eventually, they want to open a physical store in the US. But for now, they’re expanding their presence in Southeast Asia.

In January 2024, Anothersole opened their first Malaysian store at Seibu. They hope to pivot into the luxury goods market with this new branch.

“We still operate the business with an underdog mindset. Our aim is to grow sustainably,” said Chee.

By staying true to their values, Anothersole keeps paving the way for their own infinite growth.