Rebel With Cause Makes Trendy-But-Tough Footwear With Community Purpose

After wearing out her fourth pair of shoes during one trip, Texas Christian University grad Ivet Taneva realized the need for higher quality footwear in her life.

It was on this work trip to Switzerland where she had to walk around for many hours that the Bulgarian native realized the shoes she wore did not hold up compared to European women’s shoes.

This is what inspired her to launch Rebel With Cause, a Fort Worth wholesale shoe company that sells the affordable, high-quality footwear.

“There is definitely a need for a fashionable brand, especially in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, [something] that not only keeps up with the trends, but is also durable,” Taneva said.

Rebel With Cause sources materials for its products from Italy, Portugal, and sometimes Spain. [Photo courtesy of Rebel With Cause]

As a European native, bringing the quality of traditional leather to the DFW area in an affordable, unique way was one of Taneva’s main priorities.

“We are specifically a boots company; we only do boots and booties. We source our materials only from resources in Italy, Portugal, and sometimes Spain,” Taneva said. “They are made in Bulgaria, so it’s kind of European handmade boot with a U.S. vision.”

The company’s name came from the “crazy idea” Taneva had to create this company with just an idea and zero experience. But, the name also means more than just that. The fashion startup focuses on helping others on a global and local scale.

“We touch different points in the way we make business and the way we make our products and I think that’s important.”
Ivet Taneva

“The women who manufacture our shoes are retired women from the shoe industry, so they’re basically grandmas who make our products back in Bulgaria and we also give back to the community here by participating in events all over the U.S.”

The mission to produce a shoe product with integrity while also giving back to Taneva’s home country of Bulgaria and the local Fort Worth community were important tenets for Taneva.

Photo courtesy of Rebel With Cause

“We’re not just a company that is strictly about fashion or strictly about another specific area of business,” Taneva said. “We touch different points in the way we make business and the way we make our products and I think that’s important.”

As the company continues to grow, Taneva is looking to make an impact through Rebel With Cause not only within Texas, but for Texas.

“It’s really exciting to have a fashion company in this type of environment,” Taneva said. “It’s kind of fun to do it where it’s not really hip and happening so I think our vision is to break through the scene and many other regional markets and emerge as a Texas brand.”