Joybees Footwear is eyeing growth in 2026 with a key kids‘ boot launch.
According to CEO Ken Dayley in a telephone interview, the brand is now sold in 20 different countries. “Design and footwear innovation is top of mind for the company as it gears up for expansion.
Launching later this month is the Kids Rodeo Splash Boot. It will be available at Joybees’ website starting in mid-January in three colors: black, chicory, and flamingo pink.
The design, which retails for $39.99, includes drainage details, a textured outsole feature with built-in drainage, grippy soles and Joybees’ HoneyFoam EVA. The easy-to-wear boots also have signature side cutouts, making them easy to grab for pulling on and off. The boots also allow personalization through the brand’s Popinz shoe charms.
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The new kids boot garnered two Global Footwear Awards last year, one for Kids Fashion and the other in the Boots category. The lead designer at Joybees for the winning Kids Rodeo Splash Boot is Kathy Santos. The design team includes Rosina Navon and Dayley.
Inspired by the popularity of Western pop culture, the Rodeo Splash cowboy boot silhouette also reflected a “clear gap in the kids’ footwear market — something waterproof that wasn’t heavy and wasn’t restrictive,” Dayley said. And with the closed toe and drainage, they can wear it, they can wear it at the playground and to the creek, the CEO explained.
There are two other key features of the brand that distinguish it from competitors. Dayley described other similar-looking products as having a “hard” footbed. At Joybees, one key and signature feature is the proprietary HoneyFoam bottom across the entire line for men’s women’s and kids’ that “act as a pillow-top footbed.” He explained that the little bumps on the footbed in a honeycomb formation creates the “comfort” factor that is a key point of differentiation.
The other distinguishing factor is the price points that range on average from $29.99 up to $52.99, lower than the premium $60-plus EVA footwear and the much cheaper knockoffs at $9.99. Wholesale prices are half off retail price points. The bulk of the manufacturing is done in China, although there is some manufacturing in Vietnam. The brand’s key retailers are Walmart and Target, according to Dayley.
Looking ahead to spring, Joybees will add a two-and-a-half-inch wedge to its women’s line, as well as two different flat options. And for men’s, the brand is adding a shoe with both a closed-toe and a closed-heel to complement its Trekking Expedition line.
Joybees was founded by Kellen McCarvel, former CEO of Joybees who also worked at Crocs Inc. His father John McCarvel is a former Crocs CEO. Both Joybees and Crocs sell injection-molded EVA footwear. The company founder is no longer involved at Joybees, but he, the firm he founded and Crocs are embroiled in several lawsuits over trade secrets.
Dayley, a New Balance and Finish Line alumni who joined Joybees in December 2024 as CEO, declined comment on the pending litigation.
