7 Most Popular Korean Shoe Brands Of 2023
Find the list of the top Korean shoe brands in this article including famous names like Fila, Wise Enough, Kolca, and more
Just like all the other apparel, footwear in Korea also runs on the latest style and trends. Korea is considered a fashion hub for a reason.
First, people living in the country have this ingrained sense of fashion and style
And second, brands both from the country itself and other international players have made a big investment to bring out their best pieces and collection in the Korean markets.
And they didn’t get disappointed, because Koreans are known to welcome new fashion trends with arms wide open. In fact, they are the ones who carry it with the perfect grace.
In this very article, we are going to talk about the best shoe brands in Korea. By shoe brands in Korea, we mean brands that started in Korea and have that Korean flavor of fashion in them.
Though there are many international brands that are popular in Korean markets, here we are only talking about the ones that are headquartered in Korea itself. So without any further ado, let’s get started.
Related: Easy Guide To Shoe Sizes In Korea
Summary
| SHOE BRANDS | POPULAR FOR |
| DOMBA | Minimal, trendy, affordable designs |
| MLB (Inspired by Major League Baseball) | A combination of utility and fashion |
| Fila | A combination of sports and streetwear |
| KOLCA | Their sneakers and simple canvas shoes |
| SHOOPEN | Feminine designs at affordable prices |
| SAPPUN | Wide range of color options |
| WISE ENOUGH | Combining classic craftsmanship with the sporty concept of sneakers |
Top Korean Shoe Brands
DOMBA
Let us start with this one, which is known to have created a “new wave” of style and trend among young people. The design of the shoes is close to typical Korean sneakers, and the brand promises its customers the best design and quality, at relatively affordable prices.
No wonder it’s a fav among school and college goers, it doesn’t put a burden on their limited savings and pocket money.
In terms of design, DOMBA shoes follow designs that are simple, but not outdated. You can sense minimalism in their designs, which makes the first choice of people who don’t like keeping things very bold and stand out.
The pieces are unisex, that is suitable for both men and women, and can be worn on more than one occasion. The materials used are high in quality and give the utmost comfort, and people can walk in their shoes for the whole day.
For online purchasing, you have DOMBA’s original website, their online store, but if you wanna try things in person, you can find their offline stores in Hongdae and Myeongdong, with opening hours from 11:00 to 22:00.
MLB
A professional sports, particularly baseball organization, MLB actually stands for Major League Baseball.
The organization’s logo symbolizes the legendary American baseball player Jackie Robinson, posing with a baseball. MLB, the shoe brand in Korea, is inspired by that very model, launching MLB as a lifestyle brand and fashion brand in the country.
As per the brand’s claim, their products are a combination of utility and fashion and optimize style, function, and quality to show how stylish sports apparel could be.
And since it’s inspired by an American sports brand, the company has already received so much love from young people in Korea.
In terms of design and collection, the company offers a comprehensive collection of apparel and accessories for men, women, and kids.
They specialize in manufacturing products like shoes, bags, accessories, hats, caps, and so on, inspired by the popular MLB teams. The most popular design of MLB so far has been, its Big Ball Chunky shoes.
The 2-layered sole is attached together with high-quality glue, giving it an impression of a 3-layered sole. The shoes are comfortable, because of the obvious use of quality materials, and a first pick product for the current age Gen-Zs.
For online shopping, you get the website MLB Korea, and for the offline visit, you have its MLB Lotte department store, opening from 10:30 to 20:00.
FILA
Fila Holdings Corp. is one of the most popular Korean sportswear manufacturers that has not only marked its place in Korea but all across the world.
The shoe and apparel designing company was founded by Ettore and Giansevero Fila in 1911 in Coggiola, near Biella, Piedmont, Italy, but was acquired by Fila Korea in 2007.
South Korean boy group BTS serves as the current global brand ambassador of Fila, since being appointed in 2019.
The brand’s collections are ideal whether you perform any challenging adventure, a rigorous competition, or simply just an on-the-go active life.
According to the brand’s claim, “Fila understands that the beauty of sport is that of a life in motion.”
Their signature t-shirts are a mix of all the comfort and function you can expect from the brand.
Also, there are sports tops, performance jackets, and a selection of sweatshirts that add an extra dimension to your everyday style, whether you are on the court, at the gym, or hitting the streets.
For its online store, log on to Fila’s original brand website. And for in-person visits, the company’s main showroom in Seoul is located in Lotte Dept. Store Main Branch, with opening hours from 10:30 to 20:00.
KOLCA
This one right here is most popular among teenagers and youngsters in their early twenties in Korea. KOLCA is a local Korean brand that has rapidly gained quite some popularity among millennials over the recent years.
In terms of designs, KOLCA uses vivid colored sidelines for their white sneakers, which is something quite unique to this brand. It is also very popular for its simple canvas shoes, which have bold sidelines that accentuate its designs.
Their sneakers are one of the most versatile ones, thanks to their choice of neutral colors. The brand’s designs revolve around simplicity and don’t include too many bold colors in their shoes, making them the perfect choice for daily use.
Some simple minimalist design KOLCA sneakers paired with a colorful statement outfit really manage to stand out in terms of style and look.
The price range can be expensive for some people but with such growing popularity of the brand, and millennials being the largest customer base, the brand is growing big without any obstacles.
KOLCA makes sure to expand its product lines with every new season and provide its customers with an extensive range of footwear and apparel to choose from.
You find KOLCA’s local stores in the Hongdae area and try their pieces in person, or you can visit their website and shop online.
SHOOPEN
This one is one of the leading brands of SPA conglomerate and has various branches all across the country.
One of the plus points of this brand is that their footwear comes at an extremely reasonable price, and their products are suitable for both elderly and children.
SHOOPEN has quite an impressive collection of ankle boots to flaunt this autumn, and their furry slippers are a must-have item in your shoe collection.
Again, you can visit the brand’s official site for online purchases but since their offline stores can be found at so many places in Korea, we recommend visiting one and trying the footwear for itself. You can find some of them in Hongdae and Shinchon itself.
SAPPUN
Founded in 2017 in Seoul, SAPPUN is a popular middle-range footwear brand and is one of the most popular ones in Korea.
In fact, not just in Korea, SAPPUN has created quite a strong fan base all across Asia, with a lot of them being grown-up and mature women. Their designs are targeted around being feminine and elegant and suit really well on petite women.
One of the strong points of this brand is that its products come in a wide range of colors, with one model of a shoe having at least seven different colors, and the price still remains affordable for all.
The quality of the footwear is easy on the foot and one can easily walk in them for the whole day. The design of their shoes goes particularly well with skirts and dresses.
They have their online store for shopping and offline stores in town for in-person visits.
WISE ENOUGH
WISE ENOUGH as a brand claims to add “sportiness to tradition” with its pieces. The brand combines the beauty of classic craftsmanship with the fun and sporty concept of sneakers.
Their shoes are made using the authentic Goodyear Welt method, which uses the finest leathers from topmost tanneries such as Weller, Weinheimer, and Heinen from Germany, and Polaris from Italy.
The Goodyear Welt method particularly threads the soles without including adhesives in the process.
For designs, the creators of these shoes pick a big chunk of their inspiration from colors of leathers, high-end textures, and hip-hop culture, making them more on the expensive side in comparison with other Korean shoes in the market.
Unfortunately, there is no official offline store for this brand, but you definitely can shop their shoes from their official website.
Final Thoughts On Korean Shoe Brands
There are a lot of other really amazing footwear brands too that are not that popular yet but offer amazing design, quality, and collection of products.
Korea is really something when it comes to fashionable and quality products, and their shoes and sneakers are no exception. Hope you found this article helpful.
Happy shopping!
Also Read:
Top Korean Streetwear Sneakers
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