DARIMATI Kickstarter Funding Recap: How BR-001 Hit 218% of Its Goal

✴︎ Space: Kickstarter✴︎ Date: 2026. 1. 27. ~ 2. 26.

“Why Kickstarter, of all places?”

DARIMATI is a brand built from day one around the idea of a hybrid shoe: one pair that handles running, lifting and pushing.

The first problem to solve on that path was stability. We wanted to keep the comfort of a running shoe while making sure your footing stays steady even when heavy weight is on you. That's why we built our first shoe, BR-001, with stability as the top priority.

It was a brand-new brand releasing its first shoe when nobody knew us. So we wanted to ask first whether it would work anywhere in the world, not just in Korea. Kickstarter is a place where people back a project if they like it and simply pass by if they don't, which made it the most honest place to ask that question.

“How did the Kickstarter turn out?”

We more than doubled our goal. What stayed with us more than the numbers was where our backers were. Beyond Korea, BR-001 traveled to more than 10 countries, including the US, Canada, Singapore, Australia, Spain, the Netherlands, Türkiye, Indonesia and Egypt.

People who had never heard the name DARIMATI looked only at the photos and descriptions and were the first to raise their hands for the shoes of a Korean brand they had just met.

We were also featured in several US media outlets and articles, and the news reached the press across the sea in Taiwan. The Taiwanese outlet Shang Chuan Mei (商傳媒) ran an article on the Kickstarter story of DARIMATI and BR-001, which started in Seoul. We hadn't promoted it ourselves, yet people outside Korea were curious about us first.

“How are Kickstarter shoes shipped?”

Kickstarter shoes are made and shipped after the funding ends. For a brand making its first shoe, this process was the biggest challenge. We had to collect sizes and addresses, produce the shoes, and find a different shipping method for each country.

Still, we shipped on the schedule we first announced. Except for a few backers whose addresses we never received, every backer we reached got their shoes. Thank you once again for trusting a brand you were meeting for the first time and for waiting for us. We're preparing the VT-001, which is underway now, in the same way.

“Is BR-001 a good fit for HYROX too?”

After the shoes arrived, we heard the same thing from overseas backers many times: “BR-001's stability and structure suit HYROX well.”

We introduced BR-001 as a shoe for running in the city, but the people who actually wore it were the first to bring up the word HYROX. The strength that US running media singled out in common was also stability. And one athlete showed this story right on the competition floor.

Athlete Ha Su-hyeon wore BR-001 and took 1st place in the women's division at REXTREME 2026. After the race, she said:

“Both the grip and the rebound were great, so I could finish the stations steadily in 1st place.” — Athlete Ha Su-hyeon, REXTREME 1st place

It was the moment the hybrid direction we had in mind from the start came back to us through the voices of our backers and an athlete.

“What's different about the second shoe, VT-001?”

VT-001 is our second shoe, built from what backers said about HYROX, an athlete's result, and reviews from running media.

If BR-001 was a shoe that put stability first, VT-001 takes in the running feedback and is refined to respond faster. We removed the midsole side compression that drew the review comment “the heel is too firm,” and that makes the foot feel much freer.

To keep you from slipping even when pushing a sled or doing lunges, we added a Super-Grip outsole to the bottom.

VT-001 is funding on Kickstarter again right now (through November 23), and it has already reached its goal this time too. As of October 27, $12,684 has been raised. We take it to mean that the direction the backers from our first funding pointed us toward wasn't wrong.

After Kickstarter, we plan to expand to Makuake in Japan, Indiegogo and more. This time we want to extend the bridge we built from Seoul to even more countries.

“What's happening on the Han River right now?”

After the Kickstarter ended, we launched Dari Club in Seoul, where we run together along the Han River. It was a place to hear directly from people who actually run. It's being renewed with a fresh look right now, and when it reopens, we'll let you know first on our blog and Instagram.

218% on Kickstarter isn't a huge number. But to us, it means 91 people who built a bridge to a brand they had just met. Thanks to them, our first shoe crossed from Seoul to many countries, and thanks to them, our second shoe came to be.

Shop BR-001 Oyster Grey