Audrey Palupi and Jeremiah D’Souza make $450,000 in sales after launching Custom Sneaker Co

Couple who lost their jobs when Covid hit make $450,000 in just eight months selling customised shoes

  • A young couple has started a booming business selling customised sneakers 
  • Audrey Palupi, 20, and Jeremiah D’Souza, 22, launched Custom Sneaker Co 
  • The pair were living off welfare benefits after losing their jobs during Covid-19
  • They saw huge spike in sales after brand made $450k in sales in eight months


Audrey Palupi, 20, and Jeremiah D’Souza, 22, launched Custom Sneaker Co in the midst of a global pandemic 

A couple who lived off welfare benefits after losing their jobs has made $450,000 in sales after starting a booming business selling customised sneakers. 

Audrey Palupi, 20, and her boyfriend of five years Jeremiah D’Souza, 22, launched Custom Sneaker Co in the midst of a global pandemic after they saw a niche in the market for personalised shoes.

The pair, from Melbourne, saw a huge spike in sales during Covid-19 after the brand made $450,000 within eight months and $116,000 in August alone.

Before their success, Audrey was working as a swim teacher while Jeremiah was a retail employee at Glue – but they were both stood down from their jobs during the coronavirus crisis.

The pair, from Melbourne, saw a huge spike in sales during Covid-19 after the brand made $450,000 within eight months and $116,000 in August alone

The pair, from Melbourne, saw a huge spike in sales during Covid-19 after the brand made $450,000 within eight months and $116,000 in August alone

Customising sneakers started as a hobby for Audrey after she stumbled across a unique pair with a butterfly on them via a US store - but she couldn't look past the astronomical shipping fee to Australia (pictured of the brand's customised sneakers)

Customising sneakers started as a hobby for Audrey after she stumbled across a unique pair with a butterfly on them via a US store – but she couldn’t look past the astronomical shipping fee to Australia (pictured of the brand’s customised sneakers)

‘We were jobless and had no income and had to rely on Centrelink at the very beginning of the pandemic and we had a lot of free time,’ Audrey told news.com.au. 

Customising sneakers started as a hobby for Audrey after she stumbled across a unique pair with a butterfly on them via a US store – but she couldn’t look past the astronomical shipping fee to Australia.

‘As we posted more on our Instagram, people were loving our designs, loving our art and loved having something that was unique,’ she said.

The couple quickly saw a huge demand for personalised shoes when their business was getting up to 30 orders a day.

Prices range between $253 and $407, depending on shoe size and design.

As their business took off, Audrey said they went from working from her mum's living room to running the brand in their very own warehouse

As their business took off, Audrey said they went from working from her mum’s living room to running the brand in their very own warehouse

Taking sneakers to a whole new level, customers can get anything printed, ranging from a cartoon character to abstract patterns and a musician to an athlete

Taking sneakers to a whole new level, customers can get anything printed, ranging from a cartoon character to abstract patterns and a musician to an athlete

Taking sneakers to a whole new level, customers can get anything printed, ranging from a cartoon character to abstract patterns and a musician to an athlete.

‘We can bring anything to life with something as simple as a photo or someone’s business logo or family portrait – we can put all that on the shoe,’ she said.

The designs are hand painted, printed or stitched onto the shoes. 

As their business took off, Audrey said they went from working from her mum’s living room to running the brand in their very own warehouse. 

‘This makes all the sleepless nights and challenges – what many people would call failures – worth it,’ she said on Instagram.

On the store’s website, the business states the sneakers are 100 per cent genuine and authentic after they were ‘purchased lawfully at full retail price’.

‘We then customise the design onto the shoe and sell them. We are not affiliated with any other brand or shoe company,’ the website read. 



Read more at DailyMail.co.uk