Sunnystep, a Singaporean footwear company, officially steps into Malaysia with the debut of its very first international store.
Founded in 2019 by Ting Mao, Sunnystep focuses on creating comfortable shoes merging science, sustainability, and style.
Speaking to Vulcan Post last year, Ting had shared the life-changing experience during a Pilates session that left her with a severe spine injury during her postpartum period. This traumatic experience was what led her to start Sunnystep.
“The main principle is to help people understand the importance of how wearing the right shoes leads to long-term health,” Ting said to Vulcan Post during the Malaysian launch. “I think that’s something a lot of brands out there underplay, or they don’t really emphasise on this aspect.”
She pointed out that a lot of mainstream shoe brands focus on having a “high-performance” ethos, but for Sunnystep, they’re going in a different direction. Instead of having a “Just Do It” or “Impossible Is Nothing” tagline, Sunnystep is all about “Walk on the Bright Side”.
The Exchange TRX, one of KL’s newest malls, had pitched their space to Sunnystep, offering them a spot amidst footwear giants like Asics, Crocs, Nike, and more.
Ting, who always had the intention to expand into Malaysia, thought it was a good opportunity and jumped on it.
She pointed out Sunnystep sends out orders to Malaysia every month, which gave them the confidence to venture into the country.
The team also intends to further localise the brand and carry out more tests and market research over time to ensure the right suite of products are available here.
“We love the market,” Ting expressed. “We have so many enthusiastic customers from Malaysia.”
And judging by the customers that were venturing into the store even during the media launch, it sure seems that way.
Helping Malaysians walk better
As someone with flat feet, I immediately noticed that Sunnystep shoes were designed to be not just comfortable but supportive.
Made with proprietary polyurethane cloud cushioning insoles, the shoes offer shock absorption and stabilisation. The acupressure points of the insoles were a nice touch as well. The wide toe boxes also help reduce bunions and create a more ergonomic walking experience.
When I told the founder Ting that I myself had flat feet, she was not at all surprised. She pointed out that many people are, especially in Asia.
She also said that Singaporeans and Malaysians also tend to have bunions due to our tendency to wear flip-flops. Although comfortable, slippers actually offer poor support for the feet.
These statistics are why having footwear that can support your feet every day is so crucial.
Orthopaedic footwear has always existed in Malaysia, though. Personally, I’ve worn arch supports for a decade, and it seemed to have helped my arches.
However, these shoes are quite expensive, oftentimes going into the thousands. On top of that, Ting said that the arch supports often use very hard materials and can grind on your bones.
“Although they give you support, they focus too much on functionality, they forget about the comfort part,” she said. “Our insoles are made of material that doesn’t sink, but it doesn’t grind against your bones.”
Moreover, the designs of these orthopaedic shoes oftentimes aren’t that trendy or attractive.
For those who may doubt the technology, Sunnystep has recently engaged with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to study the benefits of wearing Sunnystep shoes as well as to analyse the overall importance of having good arch support. The results, Ting shared, have been very positive.
Speaking of which, Ting is actually a double-degree graduate from MIT and a former data scientist.
Moving forward, the team aims to double down on the scientific research to ensure their shoes can truly serve their intended purpose.
Stepping into sustainability
Style and science aside, Sunnystep also wants to hone in on sustainability. For one, they’ve started using coffee grounds that are turned into coffee pallets, which are then infused into the uppers of the shoes.
This material is not only eco-friendly but practical, as it is breathable and has anti-odour properties.
Sunnystep works with a raw materials factory that sources and produces the grounds.
“Our team actually goes to our factories regularly to make sure there is no waste water produced,” Ting clarified.
More to come
The first Malaysian Sunnystep outlet, located on the second floor of the mall, features a range of designs, from sneakers to Oxfords. Most designs are unisex, and pricing ranges around the RM400 to RM500 mark.
However, the Malaysian outlet doesn’t actually have the exhaustive Sunnystep collection. Ting pointed out that there are more designs in Singapore such as sandals, sliders, and more.
Aside from the outlet in The Exchange TRX, Sunnystep has also launched its D2C website in Malaysia. Ting also added that they are in the process of scouting for more suitable locations.
Instead of setting numerical goals in terms of how many stores they aim to open, though, Ting said the focus is more about the kind of impact they can bring to the market.
“It’s more about being very intentional, treating every single customer coming through our doors in the right way,” Ting pointed out. “We are not aiming for like 50 stores or how many millions, but we have to do it right.”
“I don’t think we want to rush. I think whichever stores we manage to open, we want to make sure we can optimise the unit economics, we can have the best team offering the best customer service, rather than aiming for numbers.”
- Learn more about Sunnystep here.
- Read other articles we’ve written about startups here.