A TV program has spotlighted the life of Kwon Dong-chil, a self-made footwear entrepreneur who overcame poverty and at one point posted annual sales of up to 300 billion won.
EBS aired an episode Tuesday of "Seo Jang-hoon's Next-Door Millionaire" featuring Kwon as a "shoe inventor" known for improving military footwear.
Kwon, widely described as obsessed with shoes, produces footwear for soldiers, police and firefighters and supplies 500,000 to 600,000 pairs a year to the state. The program said he helped replace heavy, rigid combat boots with lighter, more comfortable versions.
The broadcast also introduced a range of his designs, including a so-called "spider shoe" inspired by the structure of a spider’s feet. The product was scrapped just before launch after reports said fugitive Shin Chang-won climbed building exteriors while on the run, raising concerns that shoes designed to grip walls could be misused for crime.
Kwon drew attention by reading Seo Jang-hoon’s habits from his shoes. Kwon asked, "You don’t like putting shoes on and taking them off, do you?" Seo replied that during his playing days he had to tie his laces so tightly that his hands developed calluses, and that he now wears slippers whenever possible.
Kwon linked his drive to a difficult childhood. "During school breaks, I couldn’t even eat three proper meals a day, and I had only one pair of shoes," he said. He joined a shoe company before graduating college to earn money, handled contract manufacturing for major overseas brands and rose to head of overseas sales in his 20s.
Backed by investment from an overseas buyer who noticed his work ethic and skills, Kwon started his own business in 1988. In 1994, he launched a private label with the goal of building a Korean homegrown brand. In 1998, he drew industry attention by developing what the program described as the world’s first 290-gram ultralight hiking boot, about the weight of four eggs, a product it said helped change perceptions of hiking boots and fueled the brand’s growth.
The program said the success came with heavy research and development costs. "Because I kept trying to make new, creative products, I spent hundreds of billions of won just on development," Kwon said, adding that he even heard people say, "You’ll go bankrupt developing shoes."
When Seo asked whether using that money on a high-profile celebrity model might have brought in more profit, Kwon said investing in products rather than stars was his way of repaying consumers.
Kwon also described a recent major crisis. He said European exports plunged due to the fallout from the Russia-Ukraine war, dealing a severe blow that forced him to sell the company building. After the news spread, the program said residents in Busan began buying products voluntarily to support what they called a local company, with lines forming outside stores. Veterans who had worn his combat boots during service also voiced support, saying the company should not fail.
The broadcast said Kwon has given back as well. When large wildfires hit the Yeongnam region in 2024, he donated thousands of pairs of shoes to displaced residents. It also cited his support for mountaineers and a "lifetime A/S" service.
Near the end of the program, Kwon said his dream was for a Korean shoe brand to surpass global brands and become No. 1 worldwide.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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