Switchflops Entrepreneur Lindsay Phillips has taken a high school art project and turned it into a $20 million enterprise. Headquartered in Cedar Knolls, New Jersey, Phillips’ company has designed customizable sandals that offer a variety of removable strap details.
Switchflops Entrepeneur Lindsay Phillips, with the original ceramic sandals (bottom) that inspired the creation of Switchflops.
“Everyone wanted to buy a pair of these ceramic sandals and was disappointed to discover they were’nt functional,” says Phillips of her beaded and accessorized creation. After she played around with wearable sandals and Velcro to make the detailed pieces interchangeable, Switchflops were born.
Today, the company’s annual sales have multiplied from a few hundred thousand to $20 million over the course of two years, according Jeffrey Davidson, the company’s president and chief executive. Switchflops can be ordered online or found in various gift shops across the U.S. and Canada, ranging from $35 to $50 a pair depending on the style.
One of Phillips’ biggest challenges was finding a manufacturer but she says that, as with any problem, persistency and determination help you get past it. “I was too much of a risk for companies in the states. I literally got on a plane to China and found one myself,” she says. “Obstacles always come up and things will always get in the way, but you have to be proactive.”
Switchflops is adding other products in its line of interchangeable footwear, a goal Phillips stresses for the company. “We want to build an accessory brand, with a twist,” she says. Recently released ballet flats called Snap Shoes ($65) feature beaded, brooch-like adornments for customization. A new style of sandal, the “Jordy,” will be introduced this year, along with a line of scarves and reversible bags, just in time for summer.
The company’s next big plan is to expand to Spain and Italy. Watch out, Prada.
-Rheanna Bellomo
Inbound 