0Founded in 2011 by serial entrepreneur and inventor Dawn Dickson, Flat Out of Heels offers stylish, comfortable, and rollable flats to relieve women’s aching feet from hours of wearing heels. The machine-washable flats are compact enough to fit in a clutch purse but durable enough for daily wear and come rolled tightly in a disposable box with a shoe bag conveniently included with the purchase. The product is available online, in stores, and vending machines across the US.
Now, with 10 years under its belt, Flat out of Heels is starting a new chapter, focusing on expanding its vending machine presence and sales with a new CEO, Danielle Shortt ready to lead the charge.
The Problem
For all the high-heel hype, there’s one thing this shoe has never mastered: comfort. Heels quickly become uncomfortable—and sometimes downright painful—after just a few hours, leaving wearers stuck between a heel and a hard place.
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Most women report that their high heels start to hurt after just over an hour, with some reporting they start to feel pain after just ten minutes. And when the pain is too much, women are forced to either suffer through the pain, pack an extra pair of shoes, or resort to walking around barefoot!
It creates the question: do you forsake style for comfort, or is there a better option?
The Solution
Flat Out of Heels provides sweet relief for feet that just can’t take it anymore. Our rollable flats are compact enough to be carried as emergency footwear and durable enough to be worn all day for continuous comfort and style.
In addition to being sold online and in boutiques globally, Flat Out of Heels dispenses its flats out of PopShop vending machines, making it easy for women to get immediate relief on the go from the pain that plagues them after hours of wearing heels.
Previous Flat Out of Heels vending machines have been successfully placed in locations such as the Atlanta Airport, Club LIV and Bayside Marketplace in Miami, and the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. Last year, we were thrilled to be the first brand to be seen in a PopShop smart vending machine and now we have secured a vending machine partnership with PopCom, with 7 machines already sold to be launched in Q2-2021.
The Market
Approximately 72% of women wear high heels at least some of the time, with 39% wearing them daily. Of these women, more than half report foot pain as a result of their heels.
Perhaps, as a result, the shoe flats market is growing, selling out 8.9% higher year over year.
We have our target market segmented into four audiences: Teenage Girl, Collegiate Woman, Professional Woman, and Socialites. They are segmented by what they do most in heels -- travel, nightlife, work commute, etc -- appealing to their individual needs in our marketing campaigns.
Our Traction
We have seen successful sales in the years since our 2011 launch, with 90% of our sales coming from online purchases and products sold in over 65 retail stores globally. We were accepted into Goldman Sach’s 10,000 Small Business Program in 2017 and in 2019 we secured a partnership with DSW Shoes.
Flat out of Heels has been featured on MSNBC, CNN, Yahoo, Huffington Post, Forbes, Fortune and other top publications. We are also proud to have multiple celebrity endorsements including Loren Ridinger, Eva Longoria, Kandi Burruss, Meagan Good and Lala Anthony.
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What We Do
Flat Out of Heels’ rubber soles are simultaneously durable and rollable, able to be tucked away or unpacked at a moment’s notice. This makes them a perfect solution for the person who wants a break from their heels but doesn’t want to ditch them entirely.
We select high-quality materials that are machine washable and dryer safe. Upon purchase, customers also receive a beautiful, branded vinyl bag in which they can place their Flat Outs (before use) or high heels (once removed).
The Business Model
Flat Out of Heels retail at $29.99 and wholesale at $10. Our flats retail on our website, in retail boutiques and in vending machines for $24.99, with certain styles going for $39.99, and cost just $3 to produce, leaving us a margin of 75%.
Flat Out of Heels are available for customization, which has been the staple of our revenue from 2017-2020 while our Founder focused on building out the vending machine program. Flat Out was B2B only for two years and relaunched the B2C store in 2020.
How We Are Different
We’re a woman-owned business that seeks to empower other women by solving a problem we ourselves have experienced.
Our creative distribution strategies, like selling our flats in vending machines gives us an important edge of convenience and innovation.
We make sure our flats do not cut corners on quality like other competitors we have seen. Our hard, durable soles roll and fold, but are also hard enough for daily wear and keeping out unwanted rocks or glass.
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We believe our celebrity endorsements—all unpaid—demonstrate just how much of an impact we’ve been making.
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The Vision
We believe we have only scratched the surface of what we can do, and with motivated and energetic new leadership, we’re poised to take things to the next level.
OUR LEADERSHIP
After running Flat Out of Heels since its founding in 2011, founder and former CEO Dawn Dickson passed the reigns of her successful company over to our new CEO, Danielle Shortt in August 2020.
Danielle has almost a decade of experience delivering dynamic, competent, powerful and exceptional results in the marketing realm, including experience she gained as a digital marketing strategist at our very own Flat Out of Heels.
She is motivated and extremely knowledgeable about industry trends and customer behavior needs—and she’s ready to take over and give Flat Out of Heels the support it needs to continue to roll out results.
Why Invest
As vaccines roll out and the world begins to open back up, we wouldn’t be surprised if high-heel fanatics out on the town have forgotten just how much heels hurt.
We believe that the implementation of new Flat Out vending machines in strategic locations all over will be perfectly timed with a resurgence in Americans’ social lives.
Flat Out of Heels sells rollable ballet flats for women. CEO Dawn Dickson launched the Miami-based company in 2012, and the product has been selling like crazy ever since. She even started a second company to build vending machines to sell them.
f you’re like most fashionistas, you probably love heels but can only wear them for so long. Dawn Dickson the Founder of Flat Out of Heels has a solution for stiletto sore feet. Her rollable ballet flats are durable enough for daily wear but compact enough to carry in a clutch purse.
Flat Out of Heels is pleased to announce the appointment of Danielle Shortt to the position of Chief Executive Officer. Founded in 2011, the company is enjoying massive success for its innovative rollable flats designed to relieve women from the pain of wearing heels for hours.
In February 2011, during a night out on the town, Dawn Dickson experienced something many women face on a daily basis. “I was out one-night wearing stilettos and my feet were killing me. I thought to myself ‘why aren’t there vending machines that sell flats so that I can get some relief...
The newly released Retail Kiosk Report, in collaboration with USA Technologies, tracks the growth and the use cases across 11 retail segments. Plus, Flat Out of Heels founder Dawn Dickson takes us inside one of the segments driving that growth: kiosks that sell shoes.
Company | : | Flat Out of Heels LLC |
Corporate Address | : | 1521 Alton Road, 592, Miami Beach, FL 33139 |
Offering Minimum | : | $9,994.19 |
Offering Maximum | : | $249,991.97 |
Minimum Investment Amount(per investor) | : | $160.09 |
Offering Type | : | Equity |
Security Name | : | Class B Non-Voting Units |
Minimum Number of Shares Offered | : | 437 |
Maximum Number of Shares Offered | : | 10,931 |
Price per Share | : | $22.87 |
Pre-Money Valuation | : | $6,001,248.09 |
*Maximum Number of Shares offered subject to adjustment for bonus shares. See Bonus info below.
Time-Based:
Friends and Family Early Birds
Invest within the first 48 hours and receive additional 10% Bonus Shares.
Super Early Bird Bonus
Invest within the first week and receive additional 7% Bonus Shares.
Early Bird Bonus
Invest within the first two weeks and receive an additional 5% Bonus Shares.
Amount-Based:
Silver Tier | $1,000
Invest $1,000 and receive 2% Bonus Shares.
Gold Tier | $2,500+
Invest $2,500 and receive 5% Bonus Shares.
Platinum Tier | $5,000+
Invest $5,000 and receive 10% Bonus Shares.
*All perks occur when the offering is completed.
The 10% StartEngine Owners' Bonus
Flat Out of Heels, LLC will offer 10% additional bonus shares for all investments that are committed by investors that are eligible for the StartEngine Crowdfunding Inc. OWNer's bonus.
This means eligible StartEngine shareholders will receive a 10% bonus for any shares they purchase in this offering. For example, if you buy 100 Class B Non-Voting Units at $22.87 / unit, you will receive an additional 10 units, meaning you'll own 110 units for $2,287. Fractional shares will not be distributed and share bonuses will be determined by rounding down to the nearest whole share.
This 10% Bonus is only valid during the investors' eligibility period. Investors eligible for this bonus will also have priority if they are on a waitlist to invest and the company surpasses its maximum funding goal. They will have the first opportunity to invest should room in the offering become available if prior investments are cancelled or fail.
Investors will only receive a single bonus, which will be the highest bonus rate they are eligible for.
The Company will not incur any irregular use of proceeds.
A crowdfunding investment involves risk. You should not invest any funds in this offering unless you can afford to lose your entire investment. In making an investment decision, investors must rely on their own examination of the issuer and the terms of the offering, including the merits and risks involved. These securities have not been recommended or approved by any federal or state securities commission or regulatory authority. Furthermore, these authorities have not passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this document. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission does not pass upon the merits of any securities offered or the terms of the offering, nor does it pass upon the accuracy or completeness of any offering document or literature. These securities are offered under an exemption from registration; however, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has not made an independent determination that these securities are exempt from registration.
FINAL HOURS! We have reached the final hours of our crowdfunding campaign. Make history with us! You can invest now for a minimum of $160 We want to send a special thank you to all of our investors that have decided to join us on our journey to save soles worldwide. It means so much to us to have you as a part of the community to help us grow. If you are interested in investing with us, there's still time (not a lot because it ends today!). Make history with us by clicking the link below, and if you’ve already invested and want to invest more, you can before the seed round closes!
WOW! We have come to the last day of our crowdfunding campaign. We want to send a special thank you to all of our investors that have decided to join us on our journey to save soles worldwide. It means so much to us to have you as a part of the community to help us grow. If you are interested in investing with us for a minimum of $160, there's still time (not a lot because it ends today!). Make history with us by clicking the link below, and if you’ve already invested and want to invest more, you can before the seed round closes!
There's no denying it - Flat Out of Heels is SO grateful to the investors who have joined us this far. If that is you - we cannot WAIT to continue this fantastic scale and broaden our e-commerce sales and with the implementation of the new Flat Out of Heels vending machines. We've raised $222,363 in our StartEngine Reg CF campaign so far, and with only ONE day remaining to invest, this is your LAST chance to join us in our journey for empowering women & making them comfortable.
Invest today & save soles with us!
For the new followers of our campaign page here at StartEngine, you've come at just the right time. This is your chance to be an owner of a company that is empowering women at SCALE. Why Should You Invest?
Real, Recognized Success - Flat Out of Heels is an established company with over a decade of experience and sales under our belt. Fresh
Eyes & Sights on The Horizon - With a new CEO at the helm, Flat Out of Heels has renewed energy and is excited to expand its reach utilizing more vending machines in 2021 to make getting access to our rollable flats easier while on the go.
Traction & Influence - Many celebrities have endorsed this product, including Eva Longoria, Swin Cash, Loren Ridinger, and more. We aren't messing around - Invest today!
It's October and we're officially four days away from making history! Thank you to all that have joined #TeamFlatOut and invested in Flat Out of Heels. Now is your time to invest in our growing company before our seed round closes! Help us continue in the journey of saving women's soles. Invest today before it's too late! Thank you in advance! We’d love to have you join #TeamFlatOut
For every woman and every life moment. Those attending their highly anticipated high school prom, commanding their college campus, climbing corporate ladders, show- stopping at the hottest social events, or casually commuting through their everyday life. You’re busy moving and shaking from the boardroom to the dance floor, spreading your beautiful social butterfly wings or simply running daily errands and the last thing you need is sore feet caused by uncomfortable shoes slowing you down. We get it and we’re on a mission to save soles by providing comfort for women’s aching feet worldwide. These moments are important - Invest Today to Help Women Around the World Look & FEEL their best.
We’re not only a women’s footwear solution to sore and aching feet caused by wearing uncomfortable shoes. There’s more. We are here to serve women and encourage our customer to be comfortable AKA be HERSELF. What really makes Flat Out of Heels so fantastic is exactly that, our customer. Whether you are a user of our product or just here to support our cause, we thank you!
Invest today to join #teamflatout!
2 Weeks left!
By teaming up with @popcomtech we've been able to go back to the original reason why we were created and that was to bring you relief from painful high heels in vending machines! We now have two vending machines located in the US (Columbus, OH and Dallas, TX), and 10 more in the works! Our mission is coming true with the hard work of our team & the support of our investors. We are so grateful to those who have joined us so far. Invest in Flat Out of Heels today - only 17 Days left! Will you join our team and help us reach our goal?
Who Needs Flat Outs?
The business commuter, the busy mom, the late night party goer, the traveler, the student...women with aching feet everywhere! With vending machines in high traffic venues, retail locations across the country, and super fast shipping online, purchasing a pair of Flat Outs is more convenient than ever.
Life can be uncomfortable for women - We want to make it easier. Invest In Flat Out of Heels Today!
Hello, Flat Out of Heels investors and supporters! I hope you're having a fantastic month. Our campaign is coming to a close in just about 20 days, and we want to thank you for contributing to our campaign. We are focused and determined to meet our $250,000 goal by the end of the campaign. Many of you have requested meetings with us to ask specific questions about the business and your investment. While we cannot speak with every investor one-on-one, we will host another #AMA 'Ask Me Anything" session for investors and those interested in investing to connect with our CEO Danielle Shortt. The next session is September 15, at 7 pm EST. You can join at https://www.instagram.com/flatoutofheels.
We need your help to reach our goal! Invest now, or if you've already invested and want to invest more, you can do so by heading to www.startengine.com/flatout before the seed round closes!
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