“Sole Survivor: How I Built a Global Shoe Brand” by Daniel Rubin
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
If you like shoes, then you're probably familiar with the Dune brand of both men's and women's footwear. The label was started in 1992 by my next guest, Daniel Rubin. Having previously been a family-run supplier to supermarkets, nowadays Dune has 350 stores worldwide, including concessions in many prestige department stores worldwide. Although it's called Dune London, most of the shoes are actually made in the Far East. And much of that amazing story is covered in Daniel Rubin's new book, Soul Survivor, How I Built a Global Shoe Brand. And Daniel is on the line. Good morning, Daniel. Good morning. Good morning to you.
What inspired Daniel Rubin to start the Dune brand?
Thanks for joining us. Your family used to supply supermarket stores with unbranded shoes. What made you take the huge risk and go out on your own with the Dune brand?
It wasn't so much supermarkets, actually. At the time, in the 1970s, when I started, there were lots of independent shoe retailers. And most of them have disappeared, I'm afraid, from the high street. But I worked very much making those shoes for these retailers. And then production moved away from the UK to the Far East. And I started importing and I did importing for a long time. And then eventually I found out I was doing all the work, you know, I was making the shoes, designing them, but I didn't have my label, didn't have any brand. And so eventually I decided, look, I need to establish my own brand. And in 1992, I founded Dune.
The journey has been incredible to have, you know, 350 outlets, some of them on high streets, including here in Grafton Street in Ireland, and then in concessions. Would you say your products are near the luxury end of the affordability spectrum?
Well, we call ourselves Affordable Luxury. So we have, I believe, really, you know, I know shoes, you know, 50 years in the shoe trade. I mean, that's what the book is about. So I know shoes very well. And it's about the quality, certainly, and the comfort. But we wanted to make them at affordable prices. You know, a lot of the luxury brands now, the prices are just huge. Right. You know, you can buy three or four or five times the number of shoes than you can ours. So the aim was to do really beautiful shoes, high quality from factories I know really well, but at a price that's affordable. So, you know, the average price of our shoes is, I don't know, 110, 120 euros. So, you know, that's very much been the principle since we started the business.
You're in dozens of countries worldwide, so you have an overview on consumer demand across many markets. I don't suppose you have any idea how the consumer demand is here in Ireland and how it is in the UK. The UK is going through something of a downturn at the moment.
Yeah, the UK is in a difficult position. You know, we've got a budget coming up and no one really knows what's going to happen then. So there's a degree of uncertainty, which is never good for business.
How did the transition from supplier to brand owner impact Daniel's business journey?
And the economy, yeah, I think, you know, price rises, inflation increases. The consumer is being very cautious. And really, they're only buying shoes if they really love them. And, you know, I think that's general. I think there is a sort of reluctance to spend money unless it's something that you really love.
You also sell in the United States. Many of the shoes are made in India or China. Does that make them up to 50% more expensive now thanks to tariffs?
It depends on, you know, the tariffs, you know, very unpredictable. I mean, one day at a certain rate, then they change.
The tariffs might even be scrapped altogether. If the Supreme Court rules next month, they might even be scrapped altogether.
Well, that would be very interesting indeed. I don't think Donald Trump will be very pleased with that. No. Yeah, look, the tariffs are a problem. I suppose the only thing is that it is an even playing field. Everybody has to absorb the tariffs. And what it's leading to in the States is a degree of inflation because, you know, people are having to put their prices up. But, you know, it's such a big market, the US, and it is much more buoyant than the UK at the moment.
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