The Shoe-Man

Jeff Shuman ’07 (and friends)

“Dad told us never to get into the shoe industry,” says Jeff Shuman ’07. “Of course we ignored him. I mean, it’s our last name!”

In 2010, Shuman and his younger brother, Jason, were at college and searching for the perfect pair of boat shoes. Jason wanted to customize them with his fraternity letters. Out of that simple desire evolved Category Five footwear, a company that sells customizable premium leather boat shoes and driving moccasins.

Shuman and his brother started the business with three of their best friends. All five were still in college. A finance major at Bentley College, Shuman oversaw operations and finances while Jason served as the CEO. Another friend handled the marketing. They found a manufacturer who could make the product and ship it to Category Five’s headquarters in Boston. There, the young men would customize the shoes with fraternity letters or country club logos.

Demand took off as word spread among millenials, college kids, and anyone looking for a comfortable, well-crafted, classic shoe. The shoes are available online and sold in nearly 50 independently owned men’s clothiers, mainly in the southeast.

As if peddling shoes weren’t enough, Shuman also sells high-end specialty condos and homes in Boston. “Thank God that T-P helped me get organized and taught me how to manage my time. It also gave me the confidence to take risks. Those are life skills!

“I’m not sure where the shoe business will end up. Who knows, we may sell out to a larger company. But whatever happens, this experience has taught me so much about responsibility, communication, marketing and branding.

“You can sit in a classroom and learn about spreadsheets, but it really means nothing until you’re staring at your inventory and studying your company’s cash flow,” Shuman reflects. “Learning is theoretical until you add real-time experience.”

Take it from the Shoe-Man.