Dive Brief:
- After raising capital earlier this year, Saysh, the women’s footwear brand founded by track and field Olympian Allyson Felix and her brother Wes Felix, is expanding its direct-to-consumer e-commerce business into Canada, according to a press release.
- Canadian shoppers can now shop the brand’s full product selection and choose one of two shipping speed options, per the press release. Delivery is available to all Canadian provinces through the Canada Post.
- The company said the entry into Canada, which is its first international market, is part of a broader effort to grow beyond the U.S.
Dive Insight:
Allyson Felix is looking toward worldwide expansion for her footwear brand Saysh. And Canada is the first step.
“As we look to grow Saysh’s footprint, we’re excited about our expansion into Canada,” Wes Felix, co-founder and CEO of Saysh, said in a statement. “We often hear from women around the world who identify with our mission and want to support the brand, so meeting even more of our communities’ needs is an exciting step for us and a reinforcement of why we are here: because women deserve better.”
Before its venture into Canada, Saysh raised $8 million in a series A funding round in June from specialist consumer fund IRIS and Gap-owned Athleta. With that deal, Gap Inc. acquired an equity stake in Saysh, and Athleta announced plans to carry Saysh footwear on its website.
Allyson Felix’s relationship with Athleta predates the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, Athleta named Allyson Felix its first-ever sponsored athlete after she spoke out against Nike’s treatment of pregnant athletes. The brand announced the deal in a letter published in The New York Times and said it would enlist Felix as part of its 2020 “Power of She” campaign.
Support for women has also become a key piece of Allyson Felix’s Saysh brand. The footwear is designed specifically for women, based on the “true proportions” of a woman’s foot. The brand also offers a maternity returns policy, which allows pregnant customers to request a new pair of shoes if their shoe size changes during pregnancy. Saysh recently teamed up with Natalie Holloway, founder of the Los Angeles-based movement company Bala, to promote the maternity returns policy.
