The once-hot footwear brand's story is a cautionary tale for companies reliant on a hero product and narrow brand messaging.

Companies like Lola, Universal Standard and ThirdLove are tapping market opportunities that have long been in the blind spots of male entrepreneurs and investors.

Tom and Ruth Chapman, Elizabeth Cutler, Toms founder Blake Mycosie and Sweetgreen’s Jonathan Neman and Nicolas Jammet also participated in the $7 million Series A round.

Check out this week’s new partners and openings on BoF Careers, the global marketplace for fashion talent.

Blake Mycoskie, who founded one-for-one shoe company Toms in his California apartment, on the company's critics and 'chaotic' early days.

Acknowledging the limits of its 'one-for-one' model, Toms has evolved from a strictly aid-based approach to one that supports wider economic development through job creation and local trade, argues Derek Ruediger.

Companies like Toms have become popular because they assuage the guilt of many in the wealthy world who buy their products, while doing little to address the root causes of poverty, argues Grant van Sant.

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