If you’ve searched for Nisolo recently and found conflicting information — some sources saying the brand is gone, others showing an active website and a Nashville store — you’re not misreading things. The answer depends on which version of Nisolo you’re asking about.
The short version: the original company is dead. But the brand name is still alive under new ownership. Here’s exactly what happened, who owns it now, and what it means if you’re a customer or someone trying to figure out whether the brand still stands behind its ethical claims.
Nisolo LLC Did Go Out of Business — Here’s What That Means
The legal entity behind Nisolo — Nisolo LLC — defaulted on its commercial loans and was put into foreclosure by its lenders in January 2025. The original company ceased operations entirely.
In February 2025, the brand name, logo, and remaining assets were sold during the foreclosure process. A new company called Project Bound Inc. purchased the Nisolo brand and its intellectual property. Project Bound has no legal affiliation with Nisolo LLC or its former owners.
Think of it like this: the original legal company died, but the name and storefront were sold to a new owner. That new owner is not legally tied to the old company’s debts, programs, or promises. The “Nisolo” sign stayed up, but the person behind the counter is completely different — and legally, they don’t owe anything the old owners committed to.
Nisolo’s own communications confirm this directly: “Under its previous owners, that company was put into foreclosure in January 2025 by its lenders following default on its commercial loans.”
Who Owns Nisolo Now and What They Plan to Do With It
Project Bound Inc. has owned the Nisolo brand since February 2025. Following the acquisition, Taryn Jones Laeben stepped in as the new CEO.
Laeben is the founder and president of IRL Ventures, with a background in consumer brand growth and turnarounds. Her stated plan is to rebuild Nisolo as an omnichannel footwear brand — keeping the direct-to-consumer model while expanding distribution into new channels.
The brand is not shutting down. The Nashville retail store is still open, and the e-commerce site is active. If you’re asking whether you can place an order today, the answer appears to be yes.
That said, “open for business” and “trustworthy” are two different things. The reputation issues left behind by the old entity are significant, and the new ownership hasn’t fully resolved them in the public eye.
The Five for Five Program Is Over and Old Commitments Will Not Be Honored
This is the part that has caused the most anger among longtime Nisolo customers.
For nearly eight years, Nisolo ran its “Five for Five” program — buy a product, and a product goes to someone in need. It was a core part of the brand’s identity and one of the main reasons customers chose Nisolo over other footwear brands.
When Nisolo LLC folded, the program ended immediately. No transition plan was offered to participants. No alternative was provided.
Project Bound Inc. has explicitly stated it will not honor unfulfilled Five for Five commitments or any other unpaid obligations from the previous company. Customers who bought products expecting Five for Five fulfillment have no legal recourse against the new entity.
On Reddit’s r/BuyItForLife, a thread titled “File A Complaint Against Nisolo for Five for Five Scam” documents the reaction. Users describe feeling deceived — not necessarily by the new owners, but by a brand that promoted a give-back promise it ultimately could not keep.
From a legal standpoint, this is how foreclosure asset sales work. The new buyer acquires the name and assets, not the liabilities. But from a customer’s perspective, the brand they trusted made a promise and then disappeared without honoring it. That’s a real problem, regardless of the legal explanation.
Unpaid Workers and Suppliers — What the Allegations Say
Nisolo built its brand identity on fair-trade production, with strong roots in Peru. Artisan partnerships in Lima were central to the brand’s marketing and ethical positioning for years.
Allegations have surfaced that Peruvian workers and suppliers were left with unpaid wages when Nisolo LLC collapsed. These claims have appeared in discussions on Reddit and in coverage from ethical fashion writers.
Workers in Peru can file wage claims with SUNAFIL and MTPE, Peru’s labor enforcement authorities. However, cross-border enforcement in cases like this is difficult and slow. It’s not clear how many workers were affected or what the current status of any claims might be.
The new ownership has not publicly addressed these allegations in detail. That silence has added to the distrust among ethical fashion advocates who followed Nisolo closely.
To be clear: there is no verified, definitive evidence of ongoing labor violations under the current ownership. But the unresolved questions from the transition are legitimate and worth taking seriously.
What Nisolo’s Reputation Looks Like Right Now
Nisolo’s Trustpilot rating sits at roughly 1.3 out of 5 — rated “Bad.” That number reflects widespread dissatisfaction across customer reviews.
Eco-Stylist, which previously recommended Nisolo as a sustainable brand, has publicly stated they no longer trust or recommend the brand following the foreclosure and the refusal to honor past commitments.
The Honest Consumer and other ethical fashion platforms have echoed that concern. The general sentiment among conscious fashion communities is that the Nisolo name still exists, but the values it was built on are now seriously in question.
This doesn’t mean every customer will have a bad experience with the new Nisolo. Orders may arrive on time. Products may be well-made. But the brand has lost a significant amount of goodwill, and rebuilding that will take more than a change of ownership and a new CEO.
What This Means if You’re Thinking About Buying From Nisolo
Here’s a practical breakdown based on what’s actually known:
- The brand is still operating. The Nashville store is open. The website is functional. New orders are being processed under Project Bound Inc.
- Old Five for Five commitments will not be fulfilled. If you participated in the program under the old company, the new owner has made clear they won’t cover those obligations.
- The ethical track record is disputed. The brand’s fair-trade and sustainability claims were tied to the previous owners and their supply chain relationships. What those practices look like now under new ownership is not yet independently verified.
- Customer reviews are poor. Check Trustpilot and recent Reddit discussions before placing an order. Some complaints may be rooted in the old entity, but not all of them.
- You have no claim against the new company for old issues. If your complaint relates to something that happened under Nisolo LLC, Project Bound Inc. is not legally liable for it.
The Bigger Lesson for Ethical Brand Buyers
Nisolo is a useful case study in how ethical branding and financial health are not the same thing. A company can genuinely try to do good — fair wages, sustainable materials, community programs — and still run out of money.
When a brand built on social mission goes into foreclosure, the mission usually doesn’t survive the asset sale. The new owner buys the name, not the obligation. Consumers who chose that brand because of its values are often left with nothing to show for it.
For anyone evaluating ethical fashion brands today, the Nisolo situation is a reminder to look past the marketing. Check financial health signals where you can. Understand what happens to your purchases if the company folds. And be cautious about programs that promise future fulfillment — they’re only as reliable as the business behind them.
For broader coverage of how businesses navigate ownership changes, brand reputation, and consumer trust, The Biz Agenda covers these topics with a practical lens for people who want straight answers, not spin.
The Bottom Line
Nisolo LLC went out of business in early 2025. The original company is gone. Its debts, programs, and commitments went with it.
The Nisolo brand now lives on under Project Bound Inc. and CEO Taryn Jones Laeben, who is working to rebuild it as a functioning retail and e-commerce business. Whether that new version earns back the trust of ethical fashion consumers remains to be seen.
If you’re a past customer with unresolved Five for Five expectations, the honest answer is that the new company is not going to make you whole. If you’re a potential new customer, go in with open eyes — check current reviews, understand the ownership history, and make a decision based on today’s reality, not the brand’s old reputation.
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