At one time merely a trendy buzzword—even a joke (Google “crystal bacon”)—crowdfunding has fast become a legitimate way to start a new business or bolster a growing one. Kickstarter, the internet’s largest crowdfunding platform, claims more than 100,000 projects have been funded since its launch in 2009, totaling some $2.5 billion in pledge money. Those in the footwear industry are seeing the dollar signs, and in recent years a mix of daring entrepreneurs and more established companies have used platforms like Kickstarter to get their ideas off the ground.
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