Shoes of Prey, the mass customization site that lets users design, buy and share their own bespoke shoes, announced that the company has secured $3 million in funding from a global syndicate with some of Sillicon Valley's most influential players. This is the first series of funding for the startup, which has gone from bootstrapped to multimillion in under two years.

Launched in 2009, Shoes of Prey is pioneering the consumer-centric commerce movement by combining user-driven interface, high-fashion product, and innovative social integration. The site allows women to design bespoke shoes across over 4-trillion possibilities using a proprietary web- based 3D design platform. Products are designed entirely online via computer, smartphone or tablet, and then handmade using premium leathers and received anywhere in the world in around two weeks. With fans including The Wall Street Journal, Oprah, and Tyra Banks and jubilee-themed shoes in the hands of The Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton, Shoes of Prey has earned a following among the pinnacle of business and fashion influencers alike.

The syndicate investing in Shoes of Prey counts Silicon Valley's top players, including TechCrunch founder Mike Arrington under his new investment company CrunchFund and legendary venture capitalist Bill Tai, whose track record includes nineteen IPOs. Investing alongside them is Australian trailblazer Atlassian founder Mike Cannon-Brookes.

The capital raised will enable Shoes of Prey to further development along several key initiatives, including innovating social shopping functionalities, broadening retail presence, expanding product array with new fashion-forward options each month, and driving in-person experiences blurring the traditional separation between brick-and-mortar and online retail.

"Women around the globe have already logged 20 million minutes on Shoes of Prey and designed tens of millions of shoes," says co-founder, Jodie Fox. "We are excited about the opportunities ahead as we begin to work with our new investors to redefine how women interact with the products we buy and wear."