Can you recommend good shoes that can protect my foot health in daily life?
This is a question often heard by Byun Hee-jun, the CEO of BARC, who worked as a rehabilitation medicine specialist. To provide answers to patients, he examined several shoe brands, but from his perspective, the products on the market were either expensive or lacking in functionality.
In December 2021, Byun created BARC to make shoes that both patients and medical staff can wear, by trying on and comparing various products. The brand was created with the goal of 'shoes for foot health', bringing together professionals from various medical fields, including rehabilitation medicine.
BARC produces and sells 'recovery slippers' with functionality. Based on the clinical experience of rehabilitation medicine specialists, they design and manufacture products that help reduce foot fatigue and assist with foot alignment in daily life. Key products include comfortable slippers called 'clogs' that wrap around the foot, 'flip-flops' that are wedged between the toes, 'slides' that are open at the front, and children's slippers.
The biggest advantage of the product is its 'ergonomic design.' It is designed to disperse the weight applied to two key points on the actual foot and to properly support the central bulging part of the foot's sole. It reduces foot fatigue even when walking a lot or standing for a long time.
Thanks to word-of-mouth, the company's growth trajectory is steep. Since its founding, the annual revenue has increased by at least twice each year. Last year, it surpassed 2 billion won in sales, and this year, it aims to exceed 5 billion won. In May of this year, the firm was valued at 10 billion won and successfully attracted investment.
BARC views sales as critically important as a daily-life brand. They are preparing to exceed 5 billion won in sales this year and are also focused on developing new products for next year. If they achieve their sales target this year, they plan to seek additional investment in the first half of next year for overseas expansion and product development.
They are also committed to expanding their product range and strengthening B2B (business-to-business) partnerships. They plan to move beyond their current focus on slippers to include sandals, rain boots, and sneakers. They are dedicated to applying BARC's unique ergonomic design to all products to help maintain foot health in daily life. They have already established B2B collaborations with the top five university hospitals in Seoul and plan to enhance sales targeting hospitals and nursing homes.
They are also ramping up technology development. They are refining ideas to apply to products based on the thought, 'What if we could systematically manage health with shoes worn daily?' Our philosophy is not to focus solely on growth, but also to diligently engage in donations for social minorities. This year, we will actively participate in donation activities and strive to be a healthy corporation that contributes to society.