From mission to momentum

For decades, women in manufacturing, construction, and the trades have faced an uncomfortable reality: safety footwear wasn’t designed for them. Most brands simply shrank men’s boots and added a splash of pink—what industry insiders call the “shrink it and pink it” approach.

Xena Workwear decided to change that.

Founded in 2018 and launched in 2019, the company designs and manufactures safety boots specifically tailored for women’s feet—because, anatomically, they differ from men’s. From aerospace floors to construction sites, from warehouse operations to architectural site visits, Xena’s mission-driven approach has resonated with professionals who have felt overlooked throughout their careers.

“While I loved my job in manufacturing, I grew tired of wearing bulky and manly work boots that never fit right,” Founder and CEO Ana Kraft explained. “Frustrated, I engineered safety shoes that are actually made for women’s feet. Xenas will help you feel safe and confident in any work environment!”

“We get a bunch of positive messages and reviews from women who feel like their PPE needs were ignored for their entire careers,” said Dmitry Krivochenitser, COO at Xena Workwear. “Being able to help feels incredibly gratifying.

xena workwear safety boots shopify shipstation

From Squarespace to Shopify—and beyond

Xena launched on Squarespace before quickly migrating to Shopify in 2019—a decision that proved crucial for significant ecommerce growth. The pandemic created an unexpected tailwind: while demand temporarily dipped as people stayed home from work sites, consumer comfort with ordering shoes online surged. Xena was positioned to capitalize.

But growth brought complexity. The team now processes approximately 2,000 orders per month across multiple channels, including its Shopify store, Amazon, and EDI orders that feed into retail locations nationwide. Orders flow through an order management system called Luminous before routing to multiple warehouses for fulfillment.

When integration becomes everything

Xena had been using Shippo, but as the company’s tech stack evolved, one thing became clear: the team needed software that could keep up.

“Whenever we look at solutions, it’s like: do they work with our tech stack? And if it doesn’t, then it’s just out. That’s the first filter question.”

Dmitry Krivochenitser, COO, Xena Workwear

Shipup didn’t integrate with Luminous, the company’s order management system. That gap meant manual workarounds, such as copying and pasting order data, and inefficiencies that would only compound as volume increased.

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Why ShipStation won out for Shopify fulfillment

The decision to switch came down to practicality. ShipStation integrates directly with Xena’s existing systems, creating a streamlined path from order to label.

“The value of ShipStation and Shopify is a seamless ability to get cost-competitive shipping labels all within one integrated system.”

Dmitry Krivochenitser, COO, Xena Workwear

Seamless onboarding

Implementation can be daunting for operations teams juggling daily fulfillment demands. Dmitry expected the switch to be a heavy lift.

“I was excited, obviously, because we needed to do something. But I was also like, ‘Oh man, this is going to be a challenge—it’s a full project to do an implementation,'” he said. “But ShipStation’s implementation team was unreal. It was probably the smoothest that I’ve ever experienced.”

The team was up and running within a month, with a gradual rollout that let them test, adjust, and gain confidence along the way.

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Reclaiming hours, streamlining Shopify operations

The impact was immediate and measurable. What previously required manual data entry now flows automatically through connected systems.

“I actually don’t know how we would have done this otherwise without a lot of copy-pasting, which would be terrible,” Dmitry said. “Just saving us time on our whole workflow has been great.”

Key wins

  • 30+ hours saved per month through elimination of manual workflows
  • Multi-warehouse segmentation with separate store access for each fulfillment location
  • Centralized shipping data for easier auditing and order tracking
  • Peak-season reliability with no hiccups during Black Friday and International Women’s Day promotions
  • Automation capabilities for order routing and segmentation

The ability to create different stores within ShipStation—each with its own access controls—solved a long-standing organizational challenge.

“Each of our different warehouses goes into a separate section of the site, and we never had that type of segregation or access before,” Dmitry said. “That’s been super cool to route orders and do segmentation, certain automations. It’s been very fun.”

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A no-brainer for Shopify merchants

For Shopify merchants evaluating their shipping options, Dmitry doesn’t mince words.

“I have no idea why Shopify merchants would use something different,” he said. “It just seems like a no-brainer. You should be using ShipStation.”

As Xena continues to grow—expanding into retail channels and reaching more women who deserve safety footwear that fits—the company’s fulfillment operations are built to scale alongside it.

Ready to streamline your Shopify fulfillment like Xena? Start your free trial and see how ShipStation can save you 30+ hours a month.

Want more Shopify success stories? See how other merchants are simplifying their shipping.