LFLS Shoes

We’ve had the opportunity to work with Eric and watch his business grow this past year, and we’re excited to see where the future takes him!

Last week I sat down with Eric Jones, CEO and founder of LFLS Shoes, a designer dress shoe company that offers many unique styles of shoes. Known on social media as ‘Doctor Dapper,’ Eric is a recent apparel merchandising and product design graduate from the University of Arkansas. Growing up in Helena (in eastern Arkansas), Eric knew he wanted to get out of the area and pursue something more. Attending college, he realized his passion for design that eventually pushed him to become the entrepreneur he is today. Eric’s mother was his biggest supporter, yet sadly, she wasn’t able to watch him sell his first pair of shoes. She passed away several weeks before Eric graduated college. As a new grad with no financial or familial support, Eric persevered. His passion and dedication unwavering, he established LFLS Shoes, and has been working diligently (out of his apartment!) since.

Asking for the story behind the brand name, Eric told me LFLS Shoes was originally Like Father Like Son Shoes. It stemmed from Eric’s observation that fathers and sons frequently dress alike (be it shirts, suits, or even branded tennis shoes), but they rarely, if ever, wear the same designer dress shoes. Ladies, no need to feel left out, despite the story behind the name, Eric is releasing some designs for women’s styles as well! LFLS Shoes fills a niche in the market in that it provides unique designer dress shoes in various styles and colors.

At 22-years-old, Eric is young, but he’s hungry for success. He has big goals, and they’re selfless. Eric told me he wants to give back to the University of Arkansas. He wants to provide scholarships to Dale Bumpers College, so he can help students that want to pursue entrepreneurship. Additionally, he wants to nourish the minority entrepreneur – whether that’s in the form of providing scholarships, hosting events, or developing platforms for fellow minority entrepreneurs to learn and grow. While Eric strives to be a positive influence for African American males, he also wants to help establish Arkansas as a successful state in the fashion industry. As Eric builds up his brand, he’s never lost touch with his entrepreneurial mindset –

“Life is so short, I’d rather struggle doing something that I love than work for somebody else and be unhappy.”

Show Eric some love and visit LFLS Shoes online. Support your community’s entrepreneurs and shop local!

Sarah Van Doorn

Sarah is a Content Strategist at Startup Junkie. Currently a senior at the University of Arkansas, she’s studying Journalism with an emphasis in Advertising and Public Relations. Sarah assists in content creation through writing client feature stories and managing the promotion of the Startup Junkies Podcast. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing and playing Mario Kart.