Ecommerce Conversations How Vessi Sells Waterproof Shoes
Mar 13, 2026
Ray Hua, director of ecommerce at Vessi, leads digital strategy for a Canadian waterproof sneaker brand. He talks about the brand’s breathable waterproof knit, product evolution and validation, finding core audiences like nurses and teachers, influencer tiers and landing pages, channel mix across Meta/Google/TikTok, cross-border and wholesale tradeoffs, and using AI for ops and marketing.
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Kickstarter Validated New Stoneburst Line Quickly
- Vessi returned to Kickstarter to validate a new Stoneburst line and hit its goal within hours.
- The campaign drew buyers from Europe where Vessi didn't yet ship, proving strong community demand.
Discover Customers By Testing Communities
- Vessi identified high-fit customer segments by combining pandemic gifting to healthcare workers, influencer performance, and direct feedback.
- Nurses, teachers, and service workers showed better conversion and repeat behavior than general audiences.
Use Tiered Influencer Programs With Dedicated Landing Pages
- Use a tiered influencer strategy mixing high-fit paid creators with many smaller creators for reach.
- Vessi creates dedicated landing pages and bespoke campaigns for tier-one partners while leveraging smaller creators for UGC and awareness.