When 26-year-old medical doctor and shoemaker Goodness Adeosun posted a pair of handmade crochet slippers on X (FKA Twitter), priced at ₦250k from her brand Gudie, she expected curiosity, maybe admiration. Instead, she got dragged.
“I would not look at that and pay ₦250k,” one comment sneered.
“If you want to charge premium prices, put in the work to give a premium feel. It’s not that hard,” another user fired back.
But it is “that hard.” The backlash overlooked the hours of labour, premium materials, and the years of slow brand-building stitched into each pair. Goodness isn’t just selling shoes; she’s crafting a made-in-Nigeria luxury brand.
Why My Slippers Cost ₦250k
“I currently sell my crochet slippers for ₦250,000, and honestly, it’s still not luxury pricing,” she says.
These aren’t regular slippers. The soles are made from real leather, the same kind that brands like Hermès and Christian Louboutin use. The designs are original. Each pair takes hours of intricate crocheting, sole processing, and finishing.
“Some of the materials were imported. I sourced others from as far as Kano. The raw leather alone costs a fortune, and transforming it into a polished luxury sole takes time and skill.”
The ₦250k slippers aren’t her most expensive design. “I’ve made custom shoes using Python and alligator skin that cost ₦500k. But those aren’t even listed for public sale yet.”
So far, she’s sold three pairs of the crochet slippers.
What shocked her most wasn’t the criticism, but how quickly people dismissed the value of her work. “I’ve sold this same design on Etsy for $400. I reduced the Nigerian price because of the economy.”
She nets around 200% profit on each pair after covering staff salaries, imported materials, and workshop costs, meaning a ₦250k pair earns her about ₦125k in profit.
“It’s not a random markup. I factor in market prices from similar brands, the time, uniqueness, and craftsmanship.”
Meet the Maker: The Doctor Who Makes Shoes
Goodness is a trained medical doctor by day. By night, she’s in her workshop, sketching, crocheting, and assembling shoes with surgical precision. It’s an unusual double life, but it also speaks volumes about her drive.
“I don’t even classify my brand as luxury yet. I’m still building toward it. But people need to understand that handmade doesn’t mean cheap. It means intentional, labour-intensive, and rare.”
She measures every customer’s feet, adjusts for quirks, and often tailors designs to individual requests. “
No two feet are the same, and I don’t just pick sizes off the shelf. Each pair is a bespoke process.”
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The Origin Story: How It All Began
Her journey began in 2016, during the long break before starting her Dentistry degree at the University of Ibadan. While waiting for resumption, she wanted to gift her cousins visiting from the US something they’d treasure.
“I’d already sent them a long shopping list. I felt guilty and wanted to give them something handmade in return.”
She decided to crochet sandals. With no tutorials for adult crochet sandals online, she improvised and took her first crocheted pair to a local shoemaker to help attach soles. He told her to try it herself. With his guidance, she bought the tools, learned the basics, and spent three days making her first pair.
“It didn’t come out right. So I kept trying until I got the design I had in mind. That was the first Gudie pair.”
From Hobby to Real Business
By the time she resumed school, she’d already made several pairs for herself and friends. Her roommate wanted one. Then, classmates began ordering. “I sold the crochet sandals for ₦1,500. I wasn’t thinking of profit, just the joy of making.”
This changed in 2018. “I started making ₦70k monthly from making shoes. By 2019, I hit ₦160k.”
The turning point came when a cousin referred a client who ordered 12 pairs for resale. That was her first significant bulk order. “It was when I fully committed to making shoes as a business.”
Word spread quickly. “People in my uni started calling me ‘the shoe girl’.
Demand grew beyond crochet. Men started asking for leather sandals and formal shoes. “I hadn’t learned leatherwork yet, so I partnered with a local shoemaker and picked up the skills on the side.”
She also started marketing heavily on social media, joining e-commerce groups and building a name for herself.
From a single Twitter post in 2019, she sold 112 pairs of shoes, each for ₦3,500.
In 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdown, business exploded. “I was at home, focused, earning between ₦200k and ₦300k in revenue monthly.”
She also got more creative with marketing. “Whenever President Buhari gave his 7 p.m. speeches, I’d spam the comment section with ads. I dropped my number, and politicians started messaging me on WhatsApp. Some bought as many as eight pairs, and each went for ₦8,500.”
That same year, she launched an Etsy store and has made $1,000 in sales on the platform.
The Growth Phase: Investment, Workshop & Team
By 2021, the business had grown significantly, and she was earning between ₦300k and ₦400k monthly. That December, she hit a significant milestone: her first ₦1 million in revenue.“
As demand soared, she started working closely with a shoemaker who helped her fulfil orders. “I’d go to his workshop, assist with some pairs, and complete the rest at home.” Eventually, she bought a few machines and rented a space. “The rent was cheap at ₦19k a year, so I turned it into my first proper workshop, and he became my full-time staff.”
But the cubicle-sized space soon felt cramped, especially as walk-in customers increased. So in 2022, she diverted her savings — money originally meant for a car — to secure a bigger shop: a two-bedroom flat that cost ₦900k. “I used the profits from my December 2021 sales to buy more machines. In 2022, I made between ₦800k and ₦1 million monthly, and could afford to save ₦500k in profit.”
Several factors drove her sales: her unique crochet designs, her dedication to product quality, and the novelty of being a female shoemaker juggling medical school.
“People were drawn to that. It wasn’t just about the shoes, it was about the story.” With her new space, she hired more staff and expanded her operations.
Business slowed in 2023 and 2024 as she prepared for her final exams in medical school. “I didn’t have time to advertise or chase clients. Sales came in, but passively, my staff handled whatever orders came through.”
Post-Med School: Structuring the Business
After graduating from medical school in July 2024, she made an unusual decision: she delayed her housemanship to focus on building her shoemaking business properly. “I upgraded my skills, got new machines, hired more staff, and put a structure in place.”
That decision paid off. Over the next few months, she became more skilled than ever, refining her craftsmanship and scaling operations. By early 2025, she had five staff members: three skilled shoemakers and two domestic workers.
In May 2025, she finally began her medical house job, and balancing both roles has been exhausting. “I’m at the hospital from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., then at the workshop from 5 p.m. till 10 p.m. I can’t stay away. It’s still a startup, and I need to supervise everything, especially quality control. If something’s not great, we redo it, no matter how late.”
While she now delegates more, most of her work still lies in sales, design, and finishing. “That’s the creative core; what makes the brand stand out.”
The Money, The Machines, The Mission
Since going full throttle in January 2025, she now produces about 50 shoes monthly, a pace that balances ambition with her medical internship. Revenue has surged to ₦3–₦4 million per month, with profits hitting ₦1.5 million. She pays herself 33%, reinvests the rest, and covers staff salaries. “I don’t touch the business money much. My house job pays ₦250k, which I live on.”
Her most significant business expense? Machines. From her first ₦120k industrial machine in 2020, she’s now spent over ₦4 million this year alone on imported equipment, some costing as much as ₦2 million. “It’s all for quality. I want every stitch, every curve to scream excellence.”
What I’ve Learned About My Market
The backlash was loud, but the lesson was clear: “Not everyone is my customer, and that’s okay. “If you value handmade and original design, you’ll get it.”
Despite the criticism, Goodness is building a niche brand rooted in quality, craftsmanship, and luxury, focusing on buyers who recognise that value.
“I want people to look at Nigerian shoes and see value, not just because of the price tag, but because of the intention, detail, artistry, and excellence.”
Looking Ahead
Her vision is clear: build Nigeria’s own Dior. She’s not just making shoes, she’s building a Nigerian luxury brand with global ambitions. “I know I’m not there yet, but with the right skills and machines, I will be.”
With five reliable staff trained from scratch and sharing her vision, the foundation is set. In five years, she sees her brand expanding beyond shoes into bags, clothing, and a full-scale fashion house.
“I know people say nothing good can come out of Nigeria, but I want to prove that wrong. Just like Dior or Chanel, there will be a renowned luxury brand from Nigeria, and it will be Gudie.”
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