How Rothy’s built a DTC footwear brand with staying power
While other DTC footwear brands like Allbirds struggled, Rothy’s surpassed $200 million in sales by growing carefully, testing retail and wholesale, and managing to avoid DTC's costly expansion traps. Rothy’s CEO and president, Dayna Quanbeck, joined the Modern Retail Podcast to talk about the brand's expansion strategy.
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New DTC toolkit // September 19, 2026 How Rothy’s built a DTC footwear brand with staying power By Gabriela Barkho Subscribe: Apple Podcasts • Spotify Footwear brand Rothy’s, which crossed $211 million in sales last year, is an example of a company that has managed to successfully navigate the volatile direct-to-consumer shoe category, even as competitors like Allbirds have failed.
Brands that began as strictly DTC are increasingly looking at what they can do to survive and grow beyond just putting out digital ads. But doing so without burning money is a challenge and requires discipline. So how has Rothy’s not only survived but stayed profitable at a time when many of its DTC-era peers have gone under?
By growing its operations intentionally, according to Rothy’s CEO & president Dayna Quanbeck, who joined the Modern Retail Podcast this week. Quanbeck said the company’s current challenge is to “not be distracted” by all the growth and to practice patience to avoid expanding too soon.
It’s a trap that other DTC footwear brands have fallen into over the past decade. As such, Rothy’s is testing physical retail concepts while balancing them with a sustainable footprint. This week’s podcast episode digs into: The evolving challenges of the direct-to-consumer footwear category.
Transitioning from DTC-first to wholesale and physical distribution. Knowing when and where to expand next. Copy link
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This briefing is based on reporting from Modern Retail. Use the original post for full primary-source context.
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