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Case study · Bombas

How Bombas built a $100 million sock brand on a one-pair-donated promise

TL;DR

David Heath and Randy Goldberg started Bombas in 2013 after learning that socks are among the most requested items at homeless shelters. They raised nearly $145,000 on Indiegogo, pledged to donate a pair for every pair sold, and passed $100 million in annual revenue in 2018. The takeaway is that a clear mission attached to an ordinary product can give people a reason to choose you.

How it started

The founders launched Bombas around a simple fact. Shelters most often ask for socks, and people who need them often cannot get new ones. They set the company’s mission as donating one pair for every pair sold.

The product itself was an ordinary item that is easy to ship, easy to reorder and used every day. That made it a good fit for a direct-to-consumer brand: a customer who likes the first pair can easily buy more.

How they got the first customers

In 2013 the founders ran a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo and raised nearly $145,000. The campaign did two jobs. It funded the first production run and it tested whether strangers cared enough about the donation promise to pay in advance.

About a year later the company raised $1 million in seed funding from friends and family. In September 2014 the founders appeared on Shark Tank and reached a deal with Daymond John.

What drove growth

Bombas passed $100 million in annual revenue in 2018. In 2019 it added T-shirts and then expanded into other clothing, underwear and footwear. Wikipedia reports cumulative retail sales of $1.3 billion by October 2023 and more than 150 million products given away to people experiencing homelessness by 2025. In October 2025 the company opened its first physical store, in New York City.

The donation promise is built into the business model rather than added as a marketing line, so it appears in every purchase and in every piece of coverage.

Lessons you can copy

  1. 1Build the mission into the product modelOne pair donated for each pair sold is simple to explain and easy to verify. Customers do not have to guess what their purchase does.
  2. 2Use crowdfunding as a demand testNearly $145,000 pledged on Indiegogo told the founders that strangers wanted the product before they invested more heavily.
  3. 3Pick a boring product people reorderSocks are a repeat purchase. A product that customers run out of gives you lifetime value, not just a single sale.
  4. 4Use television as a megaphone, not a planShark Tank brought attention, but the business had already raised money and had a clear story. Prepare the story first.
  5. 5Expand from a trusted hero productBombas added T-shirts, underwear and other items only after socks had proven themselves.

Frequently asked questions

How did Bombas fund its first products?

The founders raised nearly $145,000 on Indiegogo in 2013 and then about $1 million in seed funding from friends and family.

What is the Bombas giving model?

For every item sold, Bombas donates an item to someone in need, starting with socks, which shelters most often request.

Was Bombas on Shark Tank?

Yes. The founders appeared in September 2014 and reached a deal with Daymond John.

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