The Sole
August 31, 2026
The Sole was listed as a victim on the leak site of the thegentlemen ransomware group; the attack is estimated to have taken place on 2026-08-31. Sector: Retail & E-Commerce. Country: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Website: thesole.com. thesole.com zoominfo.com/c/the-sole-proprietor/94159619 The Sole Supplier UK sneaker and streetwear platform, founded in 2013 by George Sullivan in London.
Started as a 100 blog in his parents' house no investors, fully bootstrapped for 12+ years.
Model: media content (release dates, reviews) + affiliate links to 50+ retailers earns commission, holds no stock.
Works with 30+ brands including Nike, adidas, UGG, Dr. Martens; claims to be Nike's top UK media partner.
Scale: 4.5M monthly users, 400M+ lifetime sales driven for brands, with only ~35 staff.
In 2026 relaunched its app as a "micro-social" shopping community for sneaker culture.
Risks: thin margins, UK-only focus, and dependence on affiliate rates and brand budgets.