Vionic

Vionic is a comfort-focused footwear brand that designs and sells supportive shoes, sandals, boots, and slippers for women and men. The brand is built around the idea that people should not have to choose between relief from foot and lower-body pain and styles they are comfortable wearing every day. Its assortment ranges from casual and walking sneakers to dress flats, sandals, and house slippers, all built with pronounced arch support and stability features that promote a more natural stride.

The company traces its roots to Australian podiatrist Philip Vasyli, who spent his early career developing custom orthotics for patients. His work led to Orthaheel, a line of supportive sandals and inserts that gained a following among consumers looking for medical-grade support in everyday footwear. Over time Orthaheel evolved into Vionic, reflecting a shift from purely clinical product toward a more style-conscious brand while keeping its medical heritage at the center of the design philosophy.

A major milestone came in 2018, when Caleres, Inc., a long-established footwear company with brands such as Naturalizer and Famous Footwear, acquired Vionic. The acquisition brought the brand into a larger platform with broader sourcing capabilities, established wholesale relationships, and investment in product development and digital channels. Since joining Caleres, Vionic has participated in portfolio-wide initiatives tied to sustainability and product innovation, which has helped it keep pace with changing consumer expectations around materials and responsible manufacturing.

As of June 2024, Vionic operates an estimated 5 branded stores in the United States, a very small fleet relative to the brand’s presence in wholesale and online channels. These stores are typically located in high-quality lifestyle centers and strong regional trade areas, where a premium comfort footwear tenant can sit comfortably alongside better-grade apparel, athleisure, and wellness-oriented concepts. Most of the brand’s volume today comes through its own e-commerce site, major online marketplaces, department stores, national footwear chains, and specialty comfort retailers, giving it national reach well beyond its limited owned-store footprint.

Over roughly the last five years, Vionic has continued to move from a niche comfort label into a broader lifestyle brand. The line now includes more contemporary sneakers and boots designed for everyday wear, while still incorporating the podiatrist-informed arch support that first defined the company. Many styles carry recognition from professional podiatric organizations, which reinforces credibility for consumers who are buying for both comfort and health reasons. At the same time, Caleres has invested in expanding Vionic’s digital presence and refining its product mix to align with growth in athleisure and wellness-focused retail.

Today Vionic is in a controlled growth phase under Caleres. The parent company identifies Vionic as a strategic asset within its portfolio and is investing in the brand’s product range and digital reach, while taking a selective approach to new brick-and-mortar locations. As of June 2024, new store openings are generally targeted to major U.S. metropolitan areas with strong lifestyle centers and established regional shopping corridors where demand for comfort and wellness-oriented retail is already visible through online sales and brand awareness. For landlords, brokers, and developers, that approach translates into a small but credible premium footwear tenant with a loyal following, strong omni-channel backing, and a focus on well-trafficked, higher-quality environments rather than broad-based store rollout.