Love Those Shoes , based at Heaton Mersey, Stockport, sells 5,000 pairs of footwear a month and has annual revenues of £2.5m.
But founders Glenys Berd (pictured) and Nick Evans plan to increase their range of 11 brands through distribution deals and the introduction of an exercise trainer called AIRUN, as they aim to take sales to £40m over the next five years.
Now the business partners have secured working capital from the Royal Bank of Scotland to support their plans.
Glenys, a former interior designer, and Nick established Love Those Shoes in 2003. Glenys was inspired to set up the company after browsing the internet for footwear and discovering that many people in the UK were ordering Earth shoes, a US-based 'healthy' brand which helps alleviate back pain and poor posture, with the heel slightly lower than the ball of the foot.
Earth shoes, developed by Danish yoga instructor Anne Kalso, have a cult following in Hollywood and are worn by celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow, Victoria Beckham and Pierce Brosnan.
Glenys and Nick initially secured permission to sell the shoes via the web, and then gained exclusive wholesale rights to distribute them to retailers across the UK, Europe, Africa and parts of Asia.
Love Those Shoes also sells brands such as Power Diet, Crocs and Gurkees, and a range of footwear endorsed by the Vegan Society. More distribution deals are in the pipeline.
Managing director Glenys said: "Our aim is to become the market leading retailer of innovative, healthy footwear, and to achieve this we have plans to introduce more brands into the UK and make our products accessible to a wider market. As the business grows, it's essential to have the right funds in place to support our expansion plans."
Funding was arranged by Paul Baxter and Melvyn Levene, from the RBS's commercial banking team.
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