Footwear Plus | December 2018

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GOTH ROC K S

Th e D ar k ne s s on t h e Ed g e of Sp rin g ST Y L E HA L L OF FAM E B l unds to ne 500 a nd Me p hi st o R ai nbo w HE A R US R OAR S te v e S edl bau er on C o uga r ’s R ebir t h PR OF ES SO R K ICKS NPD ’s Mat t Pow e ll S o un ds Of f o n Sne a ke r s TR EN D S POT TI NG Ey e - Ca t ch i ng E m bro id er y

DECEMBER 2018

Kickin’ it Since 1975

ORIGINALS.MEPHISTO.COM/US

2018 PLUS AWARDS EXCELLENCE IN DESIGN & RETAIL

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Vote Now Online: footwearplusmagazine.com BRAND OF THE YEAR

BOOTS

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COMFORT SPECIALTY

c Vans

c Ugg

c Red Wing

c Saxon Shoes

c Birkenstock

c Cougar

c Wolverine

c Pegasus Footwear

c Adidas

c Sorel

c Timberland Pro

c Mar-Lou Shoes

c Allbirds

c Born

c Keen Utility

c E.G. Geller

COMPANY OF THE YEAR

ATHLETIC LIFESTYLE

OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE

NATIONAL

c Skechers

c Vans

c Keen

c Nordstrom

c Caleres

c Puma

c The North Face

c DSW

c VF Corporation

c Adidas

c Ecco

c Shoe Carnival

c Wolverine Worldwide

c Fila

c Merrell

c Zappos

WOMEN’S COMFORT

WOMEN’S COLLECTION

CHILDREN’S

SNEAKER BOUTIQUE

c Taos

c Sam Edelman

c Bearpaw

c Kith

c Earth

c Steve Madden

c Stride Rite

c Packer Shoes

c Naot

c Katy Perry

c Old Soles

c Sneaker Politics

c Birkenstock

c All Black

c Skechers

c Unknwn

MEN’S COMFORT

MEN’S COLLECTION:

BEST COLLAB

BOUTIQUE:

c Vionic

c Clarks Originals

c Clarks x Land Rover

c Lori’s Shoes

c Rockport

c Ugg

c Keds x Kate Spade

c DNA Footwear

c Samuel Hubbard

c Dr. Martens

c Birkenstock x Rick Owens

c Abbadabba’s

c Ecco

c Allbirds

c Comme Des Garçons x Nike

c Chattanooga Shoe Co.

D E C E M B E R 2018 Caroline Diaco President/Group Publisher

FEATU R ES 12 Roaring Again Steve Sedlbauer, president of Cougar Footwear, on how the rebuilt and repositioned brand is gaining fast traction in the U.S.

By Greg Dutter 18 Blunnie Love From Tasmania to Tinseltown, the intrepid Blundstone 500 Series boot has been a style statement for 50 years.

By Kathy Passero 20 Over the Rainbow Four decades and counting, the pot of gold that is the Rainbow walking shoe by Mephisto.

By Greg Dutter 27 CH2O is a Go The new outdoor and work brand, under the Western Chief umbrella, addresses a void.

By Greg Dutter 28 In Goth We Trust Embrace the dark side of spring: black, bold and beautiful.

By Aleda Johnson

Greg Dutter Editorial Director Nancy Campbell Trevett McCandliss Creative Directors EDITORIAL Aleda Johnson Assistant Editor Emily Beckman Assistant Editor Kathy Passero Editor at Large Kirstin Koba Contributing Editor Melodie Jeng Marcy Swingle Contributing Photographers ADVERTISING/ PRODUCTION Jennifer Craig Associate Publisher Laurie Guptil Production Manager Bruce Sprague Circulation Director Mike Hoff Digital Director Ana Novikova Office Administration 9THREADS CORPORATE Xen Zapis Founder 1926-2018 Lee Zapis CEO Rich Bongorno Chief Financial Officer

DEPA RTM ENTS

Debbie Grim Controller OFFICES

6 Editor’s Note

PA G E

28

8 This Just In 10 Scene & Heard 23 What’s Selling

This page: Dr. Scholl’s loafer, Wilde Vertigga shirt, Miss Circle corset, Smythe pants, Wing & Weft Gloves leather gloves.

On cover: Patent boots by Dr. Marten’s, Forsythia dress, Erickson Beamon crown.

Photography by Jamie Isaia; styling

by Shea Daspin; stylist assistant: Elaine Ragland; hair and makeup: Christina Nicole Errante; model: Saida Valieva/Wilhelmina Models.

24 A Note to My Younger Self 26 Trend Spotting 38 Shoe Salon 4o Last Word

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FOOTWEAR PLUS ™ (ISSN#1054-898X) The fashion magazine of the footwear industry is published monthly (except for bimonthly April/May and October/November editions) by Symphony Publishing NY, LLC, 214 W. 39th St., Suite 205., New York, NY, 10018. The publishers of this magazine do not accept responsibility for statements made by their advertisers in business competition. Periodicals postage is paid in New York, NY, and additional mailing offices. Subscription price for one year: $48.00 in the U.S. Rates oustide the U.S. are available upon request. Single copy price: $10.00.

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4 footwearplusmagazine.com • december 2018

WALK OF FAME An icon since its debut 50 years ago, the Blundstone Original 500 Series boot is now a member of Footwear Plus Magazine’s Style Icon Hall of Fame.

Visit us at OR, Liberty and Atlanta trade shows

ED ITOR’S NOTE

Iconic Intuition

chasing blunnies, rainbows and unicorns EVERY SEASON THOUSANDS of shoe styles are introduced to the marketplace only to disappear a few months later without a whimper.

Styles that were good enough to sell in—some with great expectations—gather dust on shelves and eventually get flushed through vast clearance networks or returned to manufacturers who discount, donate and dump the unwanted merchandise. I envision an Island of Misfit Styles somewhere, filled with sad shoes longing to be worn. The alternative reality of legions of failed styles lining landfills around the globe is far more depressing.

Of course, not all of these styles are complete failures. Many sell quite well—some for several seasons and a select few for several years. Some bolt out of the gate and help establish entire brands and/or categories. A few sit high atop the style pyramid to rule Shoelandia for a moment! But their reigns often end abruptly.

Fashion is a fickle beast with no remorse about toppling its former style kings and queens.

Then there are the unicorn styles, rare perennial best sellers that stay in the market for decades. Even more impressive, these rarities show no signs of going out of style. They are immune to macro trends and aging demographics, possessing a magic anti-passé serum. While their popularity ebbs and flows, they have an uncanny ability to cycle back into fashion time and again. Take the Adidas Superstar, which has experienced several fashion acmes since its debut in 1969 as a performance basketball shoe worn by 75 percent of NBA players in the early ’70s. During the ’80s the “shell toe” became

integral to the hip-hop uniform (along with bucket hats, gold chains and track suits) thanks to Run DMC and its hit song “My Adidas.”

The style’s recent turn in the spotlight during the athleisure wave has dwarfed its previous sales peaks.

Such iconic styles are well known beyond the world of Shoepeople.

Take Converse’s Chuck Taylor All Star and Birkenstock’s Arizona sandal. They reflect the sartorial attitude of entire generations.

Gen X, for example, is best viewed through the lens of so-called slackers sporting alternative fashion staples like Chucks and Dr. Marten’s 1460 boots—another shoe unicorn. Both are anti-establishment staples to this day. Sperry Top Siders? This staple of the ’80s-era The Official Preppy Handbook remains in circulation even now. Frye’s iconic Campus boot screams ’70s fashion at the same decibel as bell bottoms and butterfly collars, and we all know how many turns around the fashion floor that decade has made since its debut.

The stories about how these shoe unicorns came into existence are fascinating. They are often happy accidents and their successes are almost always surprises. There is no basic formula for producing lasting shoe greatness. (If it were that easy, everybody would do it.) However, many iconic shoes have similarities running through their DNA. They often feature a breakthrough design/ technology (Teva’s Universal sport sandal, circa 1984, for example, and Nike’s Air Max in 1987) and are often packaged in an (arguably) ugly yet utilitarian aesthetic. In fact, the most common traits running through iconic shoe designs are their everyday style versatility and comfort attributes. While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, cosmetics often take a backseat. (Think the Ugg short boot and Merrell’s Jungle Moc.) Two more utilitarian iconic shoe designs—the latest inductees to our Footwear Plus Style Hall of Fame—are the Blundstone 500 Series boot and Mephisto’s Rainbow walking shoe (page 18 and 20, respectively). Both made their debuts more than 40 years ago and are trending strong of late as a younger generation discovers their unique design attributes. Both styles are awash in originality and dripping with authenticity. Their benefits have stood the test of time. They are true originals with stories worth telling—inspiring reminders that unicorns do exist in our industry. You never know when the next one will appear.

Greg Dutter

Editorial Director

6 footwearplusmagazine.com • december 2018

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THIS JUST IN

from russia with punk Tough ’tude on the mean fashion streets of Moscow a la chunky, funky and punky looks.

Photography by Melodie Jeng 8 footwearplusmagazine.com • december 2018

SCENE & HEARD

Two Ten Debuts Donated Shoes Program

2018 Plus Award Nominees Announced THE NOMINEES FOR the 20th anniversary Plus Awards, in recognition of design and retail excellence for 2018, have been announced by Footwear Plus. This year’s ballot (p. 2) features 16 distinguished categories spanning the breadth of the market, including athletic lifestyle, comfort, dress, collabs, outdoor, children’s and work boots, as well as the online, comfort specialty, boutiques and national chain retail categories.

“Our 20th anniversary recognizing excellence in design and retail remains as relevant and rewarding since the day we introduced our annual awards!” says Caroline Diaco, publisher of Footwear Plus.

“This year’s nominees are proof positive that, despite a challenging industry landscape, the bar on innovation, style, comfort, performance, service, experience and entertainment can still be raised.

Congratulations to all nominees!”

The coveted Brand of the Year honor will be decided from a field of Birkenstock (2017 winner), Adidas (2016 winner), Vans (2015 winner) and first-time nominee, Allbirds. The Company of the Year category will be decided among industry powerhouses Wolverine Worldwide Skechers, Caleres and VF Corporation. The Best Collab category features a field of notable partnerships: Clarks x Land Rover, Keds x Kate Spade, Birkenstock x Rick Owens and Comme Des Garçons x Nike. On the retail front, those vying for coveted Plus Awards include National nominees DSW, Nordstrom, Zappos and Shoe Carnival; Comfort Specialty players Saxon Shoes, Pegasus Footwear, Mar-Lou Shoes and E.G. Geller; and the Boutiques field of Lori’s Shoes, DNA Footwear, Abbadabba’s and Chattanooga Shoe Company.

Online voting (www.FootwearPlusMagazine.com) is open through the month of December. Winners will be announced Feb. 6, 2019, the first day of the FFANY show in New York. The Plus Awards, cosponsored by FFANY, are the industry’s only accolades determined by the votes of industry members.

10 footwearplusmagazine.com • december 2018

CO-DEVELOPED WITH the support of industry leaders, Two Ten Foundation has launched Share Your Shoes, a new program that converts donated inventory into emergency funds for footwear employees in financial crisis.

The Two Ten board of directors and a task force led by Tracey McLeod, CEO of TIEM Athletic Footwear, developed the program with one goal in mind: to help footwear companies put their excess, obsolete, returned, slightly worn and otherwise unwanted stock to immediate good use by directly benefitting industry employees who, unfortunately, are growing in numbers of late.

Two Ten President Neal Newman cites ongoing consolidation and store closings for the spike in financial hardships, not mention a rash of natural disasters in the form of hurricanes and wildfires. The agency has responded to an enormous 65-percent increase in emergency calls over the last three years and, last year, delivered more than $2.4 million in assistance. “Share Your Shoes is a new and highly effective way to help our industry employees while resolving the issue of obsolete inventories that are a drag on operations, all with the confidence that donated footwear will be efficiently removed from the market,” Newman says.

Birkenstock Americas CEO David Kahan, chair of Two Ten’s Development Committee, describes the Share Your Shoes program as an “easy and 100-percent transparent” model that will generate additional revenue for the agency’s Common Good Fund to prevent evictions, help footwear families recover from a natural disaster, address a recent job loss or any number of life-crisis situations. “I call that a win-win,” he says.

The Jay Group and Rerun Shoes have been selected to exclusively handle all related logistics for reselling and sending the donated products offshore, in strict adherence to the donor’s destination preference and any other restrictions—a notable difference from how Soles4Souls distributes its used and unwanted shoe donations. The other difference from Soles4Souls is all funds are raised strictly to aid footwear employees. “The Jay Group and Rerun Shoes are well-known, well-respected, market savvy and 100-percent committed to helping us generate additional funding for our footwear employees who need a lifeline,” Newman says.

Burning Desire: Baker’s Birkenstock Vows to Rebuild After Wildfire RETAILERS NATIONWIDE and the residents of Paradise.

HAVE felt the heat of the Retail Arcopedico delivered a truckload Apocalypse over the last few years, of shoes to the Chico store, so but Celeste Baker, owner of Baker’s Baker can hold a giveaway to Birkenstock (two stores in Chico those in need. Rockport, Earth and Paradise, CA) and thousands Brands and several other long-time of her fellow residents, are living accounts also sent shoe donations. through an all too real apocalypse David Cohen of FootPrints in as the Camp Fire burned nearly Newington, CT, and Gary Hauss the entire town of Paradise to the of J.Stephens, based in Westlake ground last month—including Village, CA, immediately reached Baker’s home, her parents’ home out to Baker and put her in touch and her store. While devastating, with Two Ten Foundation in case Baker’s family and her employees she needed financial assistance. were fortunate enough to have David Astobiza, president of Sole survived the fire, and they have Desire, a 22-store chain based in vowed to rebuild their homes California, started a GoFundMe and store. page (gofundme.com/helping“It might be a pipe dream, but bakers-birkenstock-rebuild) for I’ve been in Paradise since 1971 Baker, her employees and comand I like my stability,” Baker says. munity. “We are all just people no “This town is going to rebuild.” matter what business we are in,” Baker, who has grown accussays Astobiza, who lost his home tomed to keeping an eye on reported to a wildfire in October 2017. “It’s wildfires in the area, did as she important to help other retailers usually does on the morning of because we are a tight community Nov. 8 when she first heard the and the better the independents reports of another one. She checked do, the stronger the channel will in with her parents and husband, be,” he adds. “Most importantly, who were okay, noticed the sky it sends a message that no matwas a bit smoky—nothing overly ter what business we’re in, we From top: Celeste Baker (center) and employees from the Chico and Paradise stores. alarming—and proceeded to go are here to help one another in The ashy remains of the caboose that sits in Baker’s front yard in Paradise, CA. about her day. “I had sat down time of need. Some things are so to do some yoga, and then I got much bigger then what we do in a call from a neighbor who lives just off the ridge about embers flying our daily lives. This sends a message that people are good, and with love in the sky,” she says. Minutes later the evacuation order went out. With for one another we can get through anything.” just enough time to grab a change of clothes and her wedding photos, Baker has been deeply touched by the outpouring of industry support. that happened to be by the table on the way out of the house, she and “So many people reached out unprompted to help,” she says. “It’s uplifther husband fled town. “You don’t just stay calm,” Baker says of the drive ing the way the shoe world bands together.” It’s a main reason why she down a road flanked by fire on both sides. “There were moments I was has pledged to pay it forward: all funds raised from the GoFundMe page pretty freaked out and wanted to get out of the car and run because I will be donated to her employees, community and firefighters. Despite all felt like a sitting duck.” she’s lost, Baker’s focus is on helping her community first. “I wanted to go Thankfully, Baker and her loved ones all made it to Chico, where her back to my old location on the property and do a distribution of footwear flagship store remained unscathed. In the immediate aftermath, she spent or socks, but we couldn’t get into town,” she says, adding she planned a much of her day fielding insurance calls and contacting family and friends second distribution in Chico where nearly 52,000 evacuees are living in to see everyone was safe. Being busy has helped keep her calm. “I have shelters and tent cities. She’s also offering a 40-percent discount for fire employees (both lost their homes) to look after and a business to run, so victims. Beyond that, Baker is just happy to be alive. “My street was where I have to suck it up and just go forward,” she says. “Having something to they found the first group of people five or six victims,” she says. “If they focus on helps alleviate the despair a bit.” say leave now, just get in the car and go!” Everything else, she says, can be Thankfully, the footwear industry has rushed to the aide of Baker rebuilt and replaced.

2018 december • footwearplusmagazine.com 11

BY

December 2018

ROARING AGAIN S t e v e S e d l b a u e r, president of Cougar Fo o t w e a r, o n t h e rebuilt and repositioned brand that is gaining traction as a new blend of style, performance and Canadian cool.

THEY SAY ROME wasn’t built in a day. Nor is it a simple task to reposition a footwear company that, for the past six decades, specialized in winter boot manufacturing.

But over the past five years, Steve Sedlbauer and his team have done just that: a complete rebuild of the business into a year-round, “urban outdoor” lifestyle brand.

Cougar Footwear hasn’t abandoned its cold-weather heritage; rather, it has incorporated many performance attributes that customers have come to expect (think waterproof and insulation) into elevated styling. The company has also infused its unique Canadian DNA into spring silhouettes, providing a fresh take on sandals and casual sneakers and creating a critical year-round cohesion for the brand.

“We’re now ahead of budget for the year, and the most encouraging and exciting aspect of our business is that we’re starting to have significant success in the U.S. market,” Sedlbauer says. In fact, he expects it to surpass Canadian sales volume within a couple of years.

“Success breeds success, and we’re excited about the momentum and direction of our company. We have a

12 footwearplusmagazine.com • december 2018

GR EG

DU T TE R

Tradition since 1774.

Romany Pajdak — First Artist of The Royal Ballet, London, wearing her black leather Sydney purchased in 2003. Photographed in London, 2018. www.birkenstock.com

new story to tell that’s not just how low our price is.”

Sedlbauer finds them a refreshing alternative. “The bottom line is we made a Cougar’s transformation, however, has not always gone smoothly. It decision not to join the race to the bottom,” he says. “At some point it becomes required hiring new personnel, embracing new thought processes, learning just price, price, price, whereas this approach is more of a value proposition. new skills, developing new and unique products, finding new sourcing partWe don’t have to be the lowest price if we provide a good value.” Plus, he ners, employing new marketing concepts, taking new risks…new everything, says, it’s a lot more fun. For one thing, Sedlbauer doesn’t miss having to dig really. Then there are the market forces that have forced the company to for new ways to take costs out of Cougar products. That endless margin call turn on a dime. One such serendipitous change of direction provided the catalyst for much of the company’s recent success, Sedlbauer says.

It happened last January when a couple of key private label customers canceled their orders. It wasn’t anything Cougar had done wrong; it was fallout from the Retail Apocalypse. Those lost What was the last movie What is the smartest travels all around orders were a blessing in disguise because they you saw? Every movie on business decision the world. forced the company to double down on its own Air Canada. you’ve ever made? brand. “It forced us to really look at what we were Going to work for I had no idea that doing, to do things differently and to do them How many air hours myself about 22 rubber duck collecting a lot better than we had been doing,” Sedlbauer logged in 2018 so far? years ago when our was a thing. Oh, says. “It’s been a very good exercise for everyone Gosh, 200 hours at least. manufacturing plant yeah! There’s even a on our team and the company as a whole. A lot closed in Canada. I was rubber duck store in of great things are happening now as a result.”

What was your firstentertaining various the Gothic Quarter of For starters, Cougar’s sales are up for the year ever paying job? I jobs and decided to Barcelona. Every time overall, and the prospects for continued growth started in the accounting do my own thing and I go there, I stop in. It’s in 2019 and beyond are strong, reports Sedlbauer. department of my father’s carry on with Cougar. hard to find, but it’s “Our sales are up considerably, especially when shoe company at age 12.

No regrets. fantastic. you take into account one of our biggest customBut I liked running around ers in Canada [Sears] went out of business,” he the factory much more.

What is the best Which talent would says. “We still booked about a 10-percent increase So they put me to work advice you’ve ever you most like to have? compared to our previous year, which included there sorting leathers, received? My wife I would love to be Sears.” Sedlbauer credits the growth, in part, to which I loved. telling me to work able to sketch and the transition to more elevated product, specififor myself. draw. Fortunately, I cally in terms of leather styles. “In Canada, where The accounting work with someone we are a mature brand, we opened doors that department at age 12? I What sound do you who understands me we wouldn’t have been able to in the past,” he was good with numbers, love? My daughter quickly and can put my says. “We’ve had some nice success there. Plus, I guess. They probably singing opera. ideas onto paper. selling a higher price product, we don’t have to thought it would be safer sell as many pairs to do the same total business. as well.

What might people What’s tops on your Our units might actually be down overall, but be surprised to know bucket list? I’d love our dollars are up considerably.”

Who is the most about you? I have a to visit Iceland. It’s In addition to creating good designs and finding influential in fashion rubber duck collection. been on my list for a the right materials, Sedlbauer says Cougar had to right now? I love what It started about 25 long time, but I’ve just realign the entire company to fit the new model.

Balenciaga is doing. It’s years ago, and I just never found a chance “It’s not just a case of let’s go make some samples very creative. acquired them in my to get there. and sell them,” he says. “It affects all areas of the company and requires a completely different mindset—a re-education of the salesforce and everyone else to change their focus and look at who we are now doing has stopped ringing in his ears. The quality-over-low-cost model better suits business with and how we are doing so differently, as well as how to court his mindset and his vision for what may be a smaller (but likely healthier) more of those types of customers.” Cougar’s new retailers include high-end company. “I don’t wake up in the morning, put my feet on the floor and say, department stores like Nordstrom and Lord & Taylor as well as an array ‘I want to have the biggest shoe company in the world,’” he says. “I want to of better-grade independents. “We weren’t in these accounts previously,” be proud of what our brand stands for and the products we make. It’s really he says. “Now we’re growing nicely with that ilk, and while it may not be a more enjoyable part of the business to be in.” the biggest segment of the market, there’s plenty of room for us to grow The repositioned Cougar Footwear mirrors rebuilds that have become de and expand our distribution in it, particularly in the United States. It’s rigueur among professional sports franchises. New players, management, where we are focusing on going forward.” strategies and analytics are introduced with the aim of creating a winning These new channels of distribution offer fertile ground for growth, and culture and a championship-caliber team. Failure to renew, rethink and

OFF THE CUFF

14 footwearplusmagazine.com • december 2018

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FFANY looks forward to welcoming the industry in NYC for FFANY Market Week • February 4-8, 2019

reposition is a recipe for losing—in both sports and fashion. Of course, it’s not easy to do. It involves painful decisions—like letting long-time veterans go, if necessary. But a thriving company sure beats a dying one where everyone is let go eventually. “We’ve been really working hard on this initiative to elevate our brand both from a product and an image standpoint, and it’s involved every aspect of our company,” Sedlbauer says. “It hasn’t been easy and there were no guarantees, but seeing things work has been encouraging and rewarding. It confirms that we’re doing some things right. It’s turned out to be a very positive experience for our company.”

Has this transformation of Cougar Footwear required a complete change of culture?

Yes. It’s been an everyday effort for the last couple of years to align everybody and get them focused on the same page. And while this process first began about five years ago, it’s really started to gel over the last two years. It starts with management, which has to communicate the new focus to the team, several of whom are members relatively new to the company. We have been doing a better job explaining what we’re doing to our employees—and our retail partners. The success we’ve experienced of late didn’t happen just because we showed up. Our people are doing their jobs, and because we are all more aligned in our thinking, we’ve become much more effective.

your feet dry. A product made with waterproof materials enables the boots to look better longer. Those materials are easy to care for and withstand the elements, and that creates a better value for consumers. You spend x amount on a pair of shoes that over time are going to look better than a pair that isn’t made with that protection. It’s a better investment.

What else are you doing to introduce the repositioned Cougar to consumers?

We are investing in a lot of sales promotions, which go way beyond the typical trunk show. These are more like elaborate in-store events run by our brand ambassadors and include gifts with purchases. It’s really not about selling as much as it’s teaching consumers about our brand. It’s a very grass roots effort.

For example, our event this fall with Lori’s Shoes in Chicago generated a lot of excitement around our brand. Even after we left, the excitement remained as the staff was up on our brand and we generated a lot of reorders. The events are backed up by social media to create a further positive halo around the brand with consumers. An added bonus is the buzz generated about our brand among other retailers that heard about it and want to hold an event too. We’ll be expanding this initiative going forward. We got one coming up next month with Double Diamond in Park City, UT. It’ll be held during the Sundance Film Festival and while it’s not officially aligned with it, the timing is great.

The first words that come out of our mouths now aren’ t waterproof or insulation, i t ’s m o r e a b o u t fashion, style and materials.

So how would you describe the new Cougar?

We describe it by how we define our target customer: She’s the stylish mom and the casual fashionista. While we’re not high fashion, there’s a much higher fashion content to our products now. The other big factor is the uniqueness of our product. We need to be sure that people don’t look at our line and say, ‘Nice knocking off that brand or that brand.’ Our product development and design teams have worked very hard to achieve that distinction, which is not easy to do.

Five years ago Cougar was a winter boot brand and today it’s a…?

We had some products other than that back then but we were more pigeonholed as a winter boot brand. It’s just taken time to break through, and it’s not been just a matter of making the right products but also making the right products for the right retailers. I think that’s maybe what we were doing wrong a few years ago. We’ve refocused since, and there’s a lot more dialogue going on about who we sell to and why we are making these specific designs. It’s a better product synergy all around.

In addition to elevated styling and better-grade materials, how is this new direction being presented to consumers?

Years ago, when we started working with a branding agency, part of the strategy was to elevate the product but talk in a less technical way. For example, waterproof is something we can own but that aspect is not as hard a sell as before. The first words that come out of our mouths now aren’t waterproof or insulation, it’s more about fashion, style and materials. The waterproof aspect is there if you need it—like an airbag in your car, but you hope you don’t need it. We also present the waterproof aspect as more than just keeping 16 footwearplusmagazine.com • december 2018

How many such in-store events are you planning for next year?

About 12. It takes a lot of resources to pull these events off properly, and it will require us to invest a lot more. But the feedback and results we are getting is exciting. It’s also a great learning experience.

What have you learned?

One of the more interesting things we’ve learned is the breadth of our brand’s appeal. We sort of thought we knew who our customer is as well as who we should be targeting, but the Lori’s event revealed that it’s a much broader age group, which is a positive. The other thing that came out of that event is the weather hadn’t really turned, yet our fashion product that happens to be waterproof still received a positive reaction. It helps confirm that what we’ve been doing is working—the consumer is understanding and liking it.

It’s harder than ever to get onto store shelves, but it’s a case of if you build it they will buy, correct?

It’s about showing them compelling product that’s unique and of value. But it’s also having the right salespeople to develop those relationships. People who understand the retailers’ businesses and know what’s important to know about our brand and distribution. Distribution is key—that we’re in the right places and not the wrong ones.

Contrary to the opinion of some wholesale execs, retailers are receptive to new brands, styles and concepts.

They are. A lot of them are using their websites to test brands and new styles, and if you can prove yourself online you can get into their stores. We’ve been able to do that with varying degrees of success. We haven’t had a lot of false starts or major failures. It’s very encouraging and exciting.

How has this fall been going, sales-wise?

It’s been quite strong for us starting in mid-September. We had a pretty healthy inventory position, and we’ve been going through it at a good clip.

Whether it’s been a case of retailers that hadn’t bought yet or we’re filling in on product that has sold out, we’re experiencing success, especially in our leather waterproof boots that don’t look like snow boots. And retailers are telling us that we’re taking share from other brands.

Momentum is a powerful thing.

It is, and we’re getting more aggressive but actually reducing our SKUs. We discovered that was part of our problem before: trying to do too much. The SKU count had always been left to our product development team but now with our new salespeople in both Canada and the U.S. it’s a much more scientific approach. It’ll be about 25 percent less SKUs overall for Fall ’19. When we meet with our retail partners, we’ll be able to tell them our story better and guide them to what they should be buying. Too many SKUs is just confusing.

A more focused product offering also helps in terms of financing inventory and production becomes easier when there are less styles to deal with.

With less styles to choose overall, how do you avoid overlap of selection?

We have a selection of product that’s focused primarily at a regular-priced model business, and there’s another segment for retailers that have more of an off-price model. This way when a retailer gets a shoe in, the guy down the street or on the internet isn’t selling the same exact style off-price from day one. We’ve explained to our retailers what we’re trying to do and they’ve been cooperative in working with us on this policy. It’s not a real MAP policy, mind

Style Dezi

Hand Painted Ombre Leather Ballerina www.springfootwear.com | 800.962.0030 / Springfootwear

you, because we’ve found that to be difficult to police and enforce, especially in a seasonal-driven business. The fact is everybody wants to make more money—they want to sell more shoes at a regular price, if they can. That’s what the goal of the program is, and we want to keep everyone aligned to that.

How are the efforts to expand Cougar’s spring collections going?

We’re pretty pleased with our Spring ’19 results. We’re delivering a couple of sneaker styles, sandals and a package of hand-sewn casuals, which is all new for us. We’ve basically been a rain business in the first quarter and then would go off the grid for the second and third quarters. So we’re pretty excited about delivering our first collections of second and third quarter goods this coming year. Like with our fall collections, we’ve introduced uniqueness at a great value. We studied what price point we need to be at and what product made sense for our same customer in the fall and winter. On the retailer side, we tried to make sure there’s a solid connection between the product and the brand.

Our design aesthetic is clearly visible across the fall and spring collections.

What is the percentage of spring product overall?

Counting the rain product, it might account for 20 percent of our overall business. We’d like for it to get to 30 or 40 percent. It’s going to take time, but if we experience success with our Spring ’19 collection we expect it to start growing.

Three years ago, spring accounted for 5 to 10 percent of our overall sales.

Has this re-build been harder or easier to do amid the so-called Retail Apocalypse?

It’s hard to say, but it might be easier because I sense there’s a more >39

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B LU N D STO N E 5 0 0 S E R I E S

BLUNNIE LOVE The intrepid Blundstone 500 Series boot has carved out a cult following and a reputation as a style statement for 50 years e v e r y w h e r e f r o m Ta s m a n i a t o T i n s e l t o w n . B y K a t h y P a s s e r o

T

ASMANIA IS FABLED more for its rugged beauty than its fashion flair. So it’s hardly surprising that the most iconic footwear to hail from Australia’s island state would be a boot tough enough for farmers, builders and adventurers scrambling up mountains in weather so notoriously changeable that it sometimes yields four seasons in a day.

Introduced in 1968, the Blundstone Original 500 Series boot was designed to provide no-nonsense durability and comfort to people who stood on their feet all day in rough conditions. But word of mouth is a curious thing. Somewhere along the road, the humble Blunnie—as it’s known to legions of fans—became a cult classic.

Nowadays, Blunnies show up on Hollywood red carpets, at Sundance Film

18 footwearplusmagazine.com • december 2018

Festival premieres, in style influencers’ feeds. And it happened organically. “All sorts of different people—particularly in music, film and the arts—have found the brand for themselves,” says CEO Steve Gunn.

“We get a wry smile when we see photos of them in Blunnies because we know there are brands out there who pay people to do that. It just sort of happens for us.”

Celebrity-selling power notwithstanding, “Our real stars are ordinary people who make a decision to buy our boots and then tell their friends, ‘You’ve got to buy these great boots!’” says Gunn. “That’s the most important collaboration for us.”

It’s an unpretentious perspective befitting a boot that has stayed down-to-earth despite its rise to fame. “Looks-wise, the Blunnie is almost the same as it was originally,” says Gunn. “We’ve improved the technology, made the sole material more comfortable, used better quality gore, and put more colors into the mix, but we’re very careful. There would be an uproar if we were to change the boot much.

If you took a picture of the side profile, you’d find it difficult to tell the difference between the first 500 boots and today’s.”

CINDERELLA STORY When Blundstone introduced the original Original 500 boot, the family-owned company was already something of an institution in the Tasmanian capital of Hobart, where they had been making and selling footwear since 1870. (Blundstone is still headquartered in Hobart and does most of its manufacturing in the area.) It didn’t take long to realize they had a winner.

“The product was already accounting for more than half of our production 40 years ago, so clearly it was something of an instant success,” says Gunn. “But

Tasmania is only half a million people, so we’re talking about small numbers.”

Then in the 1980s, a wave of Aussie college students started traveling the world—and they brought their Blunnies along. “It became a thing you did at the end of your high school years before you went to university,” Gunn explains. “People were heading off to Canada, the UK and Europe, and they took their Blundstones because they were boots you could wear in all sorts of circumstances, so you didn’t have to carry as much. Suddenly people from overseas started contacting the company, asking if they could sell the product.”

Around the same time that the world was swooning for the Aussie accents of Mel “Mad Max” Gibson and Paul “Crocodile Dundee” Hogan, and singing about vegemite sandwiches in the land “Down Under” with pop music’s Men At Work, it fell hard for Blunnies. Distributorships opened in Canada, Sweden, then Israel, where research showed that one of every 15 Israelis bought a pair of Blundstones in 2016. Blundstone tried to keep the numbers small and manageable, but the 500s continued to win hearts, minds and feet far from Tasmania. Blunnies’ unisex construction meant girls loved the footwear as much as guys did. “Right from the start, the boots were designed with a narrow last that was well suited to a typical woman’s foot,” Gunn says. “Even back in the 1980s, we had quite a following of female wearers.”

Just when it looked like Blunnies might plateau in the early 2000s, they got a burst of momentum that propelled them uphill like one of the rugged trekkers they were designed for originally. Energized by the trend toward versatile, utilitarian fashion, the 500 has gotten more popular than ever

in the past decade. Today the brand has a presence in more than 50 countries, not counting nations where devotees buy their Blunnies online. “We’ve sold upwards of 25 million Blunnies over the history of the style by a conservative estimate, and we feel we’re still only scratching the surface,” says Gunn, noting that he’s beginning to see interest in the brand from South America, Africa and China.

EYES ON AMERICA Here in America, Blunnies are an ideal fit for today’s consumers, says Steve Libonati, of the Ralph Libonati Company, which took over U.S. distribution for Blundstone in 2007. “Blundstone is the perfect combination—rugged fashion that’s cool, fun and versatile,” he says. “Who doesn’t love a Chelsea boot? You can dress it up and dress it down, and that really makes it play in today’s world.”

What’s more, “The ruggedness and the durability parallel what’s going on in America and what people are facing every day: They get up every morning and pull up their bootstraps. It’s how they live their lives,” says Libonati.

Not only has the brand hit its stride in the U.S., but it’s on “a really exciting growth trajectory,” Libonati says, pegging year-over-year growth at 50 percent. Not surprisingly given their climates, the two best markets for the style are the Northeast and the Pacific Northwest.

“Blunnies are my daily boots,” says menswear tastemaker Luke Ditella, who was introduced to the boots by an Australian friend when the two went surfing. “I like basically everything about them—the timelessness, the simplicity, the comfort.

I’m a fan of classics, things that retain relevance over an extended period of time.

More people are retreating back to that sort of look, so their awareness is growing.”

“We can hardly keep up with demand,” says Daniel Kahalani, CEO and owner of DNA Footwear, with stores in Brooklyn and Manhattan’s SoHo. “When we started carrying Blundstone five or six years ago, it was a good brand but not a top seller. People from European markets understood it and bought it. Now Chelsea boots are trending, so it’s a fashion piece.

And Blundstone is not only a Chelsea boot, but also one that offers comfort and durability. You put them on and within a day they mold to your foot. Then you can beat them up and they not only last, but they look even better when they’re worn

in. People don’t just buy them for two or three months in the fall; they’re an eightor nine-month brand. You see them worn with shorts and cool socks, and they look good. I ride horses at my country home every weekend, and I wear them when I ride all year round.”

UNEXPECTED ADVENTURES Intrepid enough to go easily from cobblestone streets in SoHo to horse farms in the Catskills, Blunnies seem to be born travelers.

In fact, the brand’s tagline—Everywhere Life Takes Me—grew out of the many posts and letters from devotees of the style about the adventures they’ve had in their gumboots.

“Brides send us pictures of themselves lifting up the skirts of full white wedding gowns to show they’re getting married in their Blundstone boots because they love them so much,” says Gunn. “One fellow in South Africa contacted me to say that when his 500s wore out, he put them on a wall in his garden and birds started nesting in them. They were migratory birds, who came back to have their babies in these boots year in, year out. So our boots are even improving the lives of wildlife!”

Quite an odyssey—and it’s far from over. “We’re not going to come out with sandals or ski boots, but there are exciting, interesting places we can take the brand, building on what we have within our DNA,” says Libonati. Some of those directions include variations on the Original to appeal to the growing female fan base (Libonati

estimates that 65 percent of U.S. Blunnie buyers are women) and growing the kids’ market. Blundstone is also experimenting with outsoles, dressier bottoms and elements from the active world, though Libonati is quick to assure loyalists that new incarnations will still look and feel like their beloved Blunnies.

Shoppers aren’t the only ones whose loyalty the brand values. “We’re still a discovery brand; we’re not looking to make this mass-market,” says Gunn. “We recognize completely that we need to be important to retailers, too. They’re ambassadors for our brand, so we’ve been fairly particular in choosing who we’ll have as our retail partners. We realize we need to give them a reason to adopt our brand and nurture it for the long term.”

When you reach icon status, questions of the long term are inevitable. “There’s still a lot of humbleness about where we are and where we’re from,” Gunn assures. “But if I look at the product rather than the company or the brand, I see it. How many products have been in the market for five decades and still haven’t peaked? How many still have people discovering them and loving them? If I look at the Blunnie from that perspective, I realize it’s something special.” •

Clockwise from top: Blunnies on the Aje runway; ad circa 1970s; Blundstone CEO Steve Gunn.

2018 december • footwearplusmagazine.com 19

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M E P H I STO R A I N B OW

OVER THE RAINBOW

The pot of gold that is the Rainbow walking shoe by Mephisto. By Greg Dutter

BACK IN 1975, Jaws swam into theaters, the Dow Jones average closed at 858 for the year, a gallon of gas cost 44 cents and leisure suits were all the rage.

Times and fashions sure do change. It was also the year Mephisto, a French shoe company founded by Martin Michaeli a decade earlier, introduced its now iconic Rainbow men’s walking shoe—a category-creating silhouette. (The women’s version was dubbed the Lady.) Little did anyone know back then that the styles would still be on store shelves worldwide 43 years later. Nor did anyone envision that the walking category those shoes helped establish would become a multi-billion-dollar business—or that the Rainbow and Lady would be on the brink of discovery by a new generation of sneaker wearers seeking an alternative, “brown shoe” aesthetic with athletic comfort. But that’s exactly what’s happened in 2018.

Ed Geller, owner of E.G. Geller with boutiques in Dallas and Houston, believes the Rainbow is on the verge of being cool again—and he’s got the fashion props from a young, fashionable woman working at his local Shake Shack to prove it. When he walked in to pick up a sack of burgers for the staff recently, the gal behind the counter sized up the 70-plus-year-old Geller sporting his new, rust-colored Rainbows and said, “Man, I really dig your shoes.”

Geller can’t remember the last time someone of that generation offered such 20 footwearplusmagazine.com • december 2018

a sartorial compliment. “It happened again when I was getting some pants fitted and one of the young, Italian designers asked me who made those cool shoes? No one ever says that to me; I’m an old man now,” Geller laughs.

It’s the old-is-new-again glow radiating from the Rainbow that makes James Rowley, president of Mephisto USA, believe this—and a host of other classic styles that fall under the brand’s Originals collection—can make a strong return. In fact, he’s the guiding force behind the introduction of Mephisto Originals as a stand-alone brand since taking the helm of the U.S. subsidiary last January. Mephisto Originals’ recent official coming out party took place at a pop-up adjacent to Sportie LA in Los Angeles. A stream of celebrities, fashion influencers and customers stopped by over the course of four days to shop the new line, which includes updated colors and materials.

“Consumers, especially younger ones, are looking for iconic brands that stand for something and have true heritage,” Rowley says. “There’s a global move away from fleeting, fast fashion. People want to associate themselves with brands that have stood the test of time and stand for something unique and authentic, and Mephisto definitely does that.”

Rowley believes the Rainbow, in particular, is the ideal style to headline Mephisto Originals. “It’s the cornerstone of our brand, and it’s got a cult

following,” he says. Plus, the timing is perfect. “It sits directly in the middle of the athletic and brown shoe businesses—it’s a true hybrid,” he says. “Younger consumers especially are looking for options that extend beyond traditional sneaker looks.”

Isack Fadlon, owner of Sportie LA, says the Rainbow’s new colorways and materials (like desert yellow, mulberry and denim) put a fresh spin on a classic. “Going back to 1975, Mephisto captured lightning in a bottle, fusing style and comfort,” he says. “But it wasn’t about being sexy, per se. It was that you didn’t have to trade one for the other, and that’s rare. By updating the materials and silhouettes, Mephisto has taken the Rainbow up a notch—in some cases into sexy territory.”

Tarek Hassan, owner of Concepts, agrees the Rainbow is a classic, like Birkenstock’s Arizona and Boston styles—two of the boutique’s recent non-athletic style collaborations. Concepts also partnered with Mephisto last year on its Match walking shoe—in head-turning mint and magenta colorways. The styles blew out of the stores. A follow-up is on tap for early next year and Hassan says a Rainbow collaboration is on the agenda. “This is not just a hit and run,” he says. “We’ll be partnering with Mephisto for the long-term.”

For the record, Concepts doesn’t partner with just anyone. Hassan says it seeks out authentic brands with a rich heritage—the stories it relishes conveying to its fashion-savvy customers. In an age of fake news and influencers who buy their followers, he believes people are hungry for authenticity. “The younger generations are learning to appreciate what we appreciated in the past and why,” he says, noting that he first started selling the Rainbow in the late ’80s. Hassan counts himself and many of his staff as early adopters of the style. “It was the favorite shoe of my staff back then, partly because it separated them, yet the style still spoke to everybody,” he says. “And the price (back then $200-plus) also made it somewhat exclusive.” As a matter of fact, Hassan recalls pro skateboarder Vinny Ponce, then a face of Concepts, skated in Rainbows. “He could have worn $20 Vans, but he chose $220 Rainbows,” Hassan laughs. “It was quite a statement.”

UNDER THE RAINBOW The Rainbow is much more than an elitist fashion statement. Most industry experts agree that Michaeli designed—engineered, really—a breakthrough construction offering unsurpassed comfort, and that’s the key reason it’s still selling 40-plus years later and worth every penny.

The design is led by Mephisto’s patented and now legendary Soft-Air midsole technology that relieves feet, joints and spine. Or, as Mephisto’s product description states, “It’s like walking on a soft carpet of moss, making you feel fit and full of energy even after many hours of wear.” In addition to the midsole design, the all-natural leather double-stitched uppers and linings ensure breathability and comfort as well as promote good foot hygiene. Rounding out the Rainbow is its distinct speed lacing system, padded ankle collar that enables the foot to sit securely and hiker-esque rubber outsole with air chambers that further reduce shock. Altogether, the Rainbow is part sneaker/part alpine trekker and, perhaps above all, screams Euro comfort—that magic formula of a little bit ugly yet full-on utilitarian.

“It’s considered a true walking comfort construction,” Rowley says. “We use the highest qualities of leathers, materials and craftsmanship. Since its debut, there’s just been no expense spared when it came to the technology and the construction of the Rainbow.”

Geller, for one, swears by the Rainbow’s durability. He’s been a loyal wearer— and retailer—since introduced to the shoes in 1991. “They last forever,” he says.

“Most shoes in the market today don’t last long, whereas you can beat the hell

From top: Rainbows now available in fresh hues and materials; on the set with Steven Spielberg during Jurassic Park; on Pope John Paul II.

2018 december • footwearplusmagazine.com 21

s t y l e h a l l o f fa m e M E P H I STO R A I N B OW

Make

out of them, and they can take it.” Geller currently has six pairs of Rainbows in his closet. “A few of those pairs are at least 20 years old, and they haven’t been re-soled and are still holding up,” he says.

But it’s the comfort and health attributes that make the Rainbow truly special, according to Geller. “It’s one of those shoes that you can stand in all day and your feet don’t hurt,” he says. “And it’s just not the incredible arch support; these shoes also support your lower back, which is super-important.” While Geller says that particular attribute may not resonate with a 28-year-old, his older customers (anyone north of 40, basically) definitely see the value. “An older customer of mine told me recently that since he started wearing Mephistos, his co-workers have all said he’s become a nicer person,” Geller says.

NO END IN SIGHT

a splash.

FFANY Academy Mansion, Room 104 Outdoor Retailer Winter Market FN PLATFORM & Atlanta Shoe Market

Always waterproof. cougarshoes.com

DATE DESCRIPTION SIZE

15 November 2018 COUGAR Footwear Plus Ad 2018 Half Vertical Trim: 3.75” X 9.75” | No Bleed

Actual rainbows are rare and fleeting. The Mephisto Rainbow, however, is no such thing. It’s been around for decades and most industry experts predict it will continue to shine at retail for years to come. What’s more, the stars are aligning for it to shine brighter than ever as macro fashion and lifestyle trends merge at the intersection of comfort and authenticity.

It’s why heritage brands like Birkenstock, Vans and Red Wing, to cite a few, are trending strong of late. Mephisto is also considered one of the originals.

“The value that consumers, especially younger ones, now put on brands has more to do with what those brands stand for—whether they are authentic or if they are smoke and mirrors,” Rowley says. And with access to so much information today, he believes consumers can match their personal values with a brand’s values better than ever before. “It’s not only about price anymore,” Rowley says. “We know that consumers are looking for authenticity and quality, and we’ve been making the Rainbow in our own factories since 1975. Aside from a few materials and manufacturing upgrades, it’s the same exact shoe.”

Hassan cites the Rainbow’s quality, comfort and originality as the keys to its long-running success. Plus, Mephisto has retained its comfort walking shoe DNA. “When you think of Mephisto, the Rainbow and Match first come to mind,” he says, adding, “It’s part of Concepts’ DNA to be associated with telling that story. Everything about how those products are made is what makes them special and a story worth telling.”

Fadlon heartily agrees, noting that consumers are cutting through the noise and looking for essential styles with a great story—one that encompasses history and integrity. Mephisto fits the bill. “It’s a handmade European brand—the inspiration and craftsmanship that developed over time,” he says. “It’s a point of convergence across lots of age demographics. That’s why it’s so great to see the Rainbow inducted into the Footwear Plus Style Hall of Fame. They’ve earned it.” •

WHAT ’S SEL LING

W

Boutiques

LORI’S SHOES Chicago

HEN FIRST EMBRACING her entreMarc Fisher LTD is relatively new, and we’ve built a nice business with them. preneurial spirit nearly 40 years ago, Lori Smaller brands like Sol Sana and Silent D are also doing well.

Andre wanted to open a gourmet take-out restaurant. She even rented a storefront in What’s hot this winter? Our customers are always looking for functionality Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood before and comfort, so not many heels on their boots. People also want something realizing she didn’t have the stomach for that’s easy to get in and out of, so no buckles or laces. They also don’t want the hassles associated with the foodservice boots to look like a winter boot. I like to call the aesthetic “fashion waterproof.” industry. Instead she turned to her second Chicago customers, in general, are more urban than the South, but they’re love, shoes, and opened Lori’s Shoes. “I was not as label conscious as New York. Chicago is very Midwest and our stores just out of college and always very entrepreneurial,” Andre says. “I thought, represent that, but we also have unique selections that differentiate us from if I’m going to work so hard I might as well do it for myself.” big box stores.

Since opening in 1982, Lori’s has expanded to three locations and a strong online presence, offering an eclectic range of brands and top-notch service Who is your core customer? Our main customer is still me: a professional that makes the stores “The Sole of Chicago.” Andre jokes that over the years woman still in the workforce or just getting out of it. They appreciate fashion she’s trained customers to mirror her distinct footwear aesthetic. “We have and like to look good and feel trendy without being aggressive, and their a unique selection at very attainable price daughters are now shopping with us. We points, so there is something for everyone,” must cater to the younger population without she says. “To this day, people walk up to me forgetting the older population of women while I’m on the floor and say, ‘I could never who have been with us since the beginning. imagine myself wearing those shoes you’re wearing, but I want them.’”

How important is social media to your Andre’s biggest obstacle in the current marketing efforts? We definitely have a preschallenging retail environment is mainence (60,000 followers on Facebook and close taining growth. While her stores’ longevity to 9,000 on Instagram), and I think it helps helps, she is always coming up with ways to create community and excitement to drive retain customers and draw in new ones. She people to our website and stores. It’s hard launched the private label brand, L’idea by to measure the conversion to in-store sales, Lori, several years ago to the acclaim of her but we also sell directly through Instagram customers and to the benefit of her bottom and Facebook. line. “We’re working with an Italian factory to create unique products in limited qualities, Any advice for fellow independents? Make which creates more demand,” Andre says. sure you have money in the bank because She’s also recently collaborated with OTBT that’s the only way you can buy merchandise. on the release of an ALS sneaker in an effort And be willing to take risks. We’ve brought to raise money for research and treatment in brands from Europe and picked styles that of the disease. “I’ve never done anything like push boundaries because we wanted to attract that before, but I really believe in the cause,” a broad audience and not get pigeonholed into she says. “The response from customers has one type of customer. It’s been worth the risk. been great.” —Aleda Johnson Eclectic styles and top-notch service make What’s the smartest business decision Lori’s Shoes “The Sole of Chicago.”

How’s business? Overall, business has been you’ve made recently? Bringing my son very strong. We’re scrambling for shoes right into the business. We’re shepherding him now because we’ve had a really nice year. We’ve seen definitive growth over and his fiancée to take over the business eventually. He’s doing everything the last year, and we’re buying accordingly. to learn the ropes. He’s a great product person. He’s creative but also possesses great business acumen. The left side and right sides of his brain are Who are your leading brands? Our private label is No. 1 right now. With in perfect harmony. the time of year, winter boot brands like Cougar and Blondo are really strong.

Domestic brands like Jeffrey Campbell, Marc Fisher and Dolce Vita are doing Where do you see Lori’s Shoes in five years? It depends on what my son well. We also carry obscure brands out of Europe made at factories most is willing to risk. If we expand, it would be in the city but further south people have never heard of. than our current flagship. One vertical to expand is clothing. Clothing now represents about 12 percent of our business, and it’s definitely on an upward What’s been the best brand added to the mix in the past year? Vagabond trajectory. We have to get new people walking through the door and keep Shoemakers has been good. Ilse Jacobsen’s Tulip slip-on has also been big. loyal customers shopping with us.

2018 december • footwearplusmagazine.com 23

A N OT E T O M Y Y OU N G E R S E L F

NO REGRETS Maurice Breton, president and founder of Comfort One Shoes, on the risks and even greater rewards from a life in retail.

DEAR MAURICE, The year is 1974. You’re working in a small shoe store in downtown Worcester, MA, where an important part of your day is keeping an eye out for the pretty woman who passes by the window at lunch hour. You can set your watch by her. As fate has it, the wife of the store owner had been telling you about someone she wants you to meet. That someone, Deborah, is the gal of your dreams who walks past the store each day! What are the odds?

That’s just the start of your many good fortunes tied to a career in shoe retailing. Your first stop after Worcester is as a salesman at a Filene’s shoe department in Burlington, MA. Within six months, you’re named manager of the Filene’s shoe department in the Natick Mall.

Your wife is managing the ready-to-wear department in the Jordan Marsh department store in nearby Framingham.

Filene’s, at the time, is a division of Federated Department Stores, a venerable organization comprised of many first-class chains in major markets nationwide. You want to become a shoe buyer more than anything, but the buyers there aren’t going anywhere, anytime soon. When Federated purchases Rich’s, a department store chain based in Atlanta, you reach out about a job. You’ve lived your whole life in Massachusetts and your entire family still resides there, but you wonder if the odds of ever becoming a shoe buyer might be better working for Rich’s? Is it worth uprooting your entire life on the hope? Is it worth the enormous risk to move your family, which now includes your three-year-old son, Garrett, without even any job offer? The answers are probably not, but nothing is ever certain. In fact, the only certainty in life is uncertainty! You roll the dice and make the big move. It pays off immediately as you land a job managing Rich’s second-largest shoe department and your wife is hired by Davison’s, a division of Macy’s, as manager of the ready-to-wear department in its original Peachtree Street location downtown.

Life is good. Both jobs pay up to 30 percent more than you were making in the Boston area. Atlanta is also a growing and exciting city, where the cost-of-living is considerably less. Personally, you’ve entered the footwear retail big leagues. At Filene’s, you managed one shoe department with a staff of five. Rich’s Cumberland Mall location has shoe departments for men’s, women’s and children’s as well as a women’s salon and an athletic department. Between full- and part-time department heads, sales associates and stockroom personnel, you oversee a team of close to 70 people! You hit the ground running. Soon after

24 footwearplusmagazine.com • december 2018

your arrival, all the departments are producing respectable monthly sales increases. It isn’t long before you’re promoted to assistant buyer, then buyer and, a couple years later, DMM. You credit a big part of your success to your formative years at Federated, where you learned the art of management and merchandising.

After 12 years working for Federated, you’re recruited by Hofhiemer’s Shoes to be vice president of merchandising. Based in Virginia Beach, VA, the more than 100-year-old company operates stores stretching from Pennsylvania to Florida. Soon after, in the fall of 1986, you and three partners purchase the chain. Over the ensuing seven years, you further refine your merchandising skills and learn to think and act like a business owner. But then it’s time for you to move on. But where? You do plenty of soul/ sole searching—lots of time at the beach and by the pool pondering your next move. You speak with various business owners and visit the local SCORE office. The free mentoring service is a big help. It’s also when you really notice how many retailers are fighting hard for market share among a consumer base that has little to no money. You realize that very few retailers are catering to affluent consumers. It’s your aha moment!

You move the family to Alexandria, VA, an affluent suburb of Washington, D.C., and open an 800-square-foot store, Comfort One Shoes, at 201 King St. It’s a sliver of a larger store that—happy accident—looks like a leased shoe department.

As (more) fate has it, the tight space demands European sizing only and reordering daily. Having worked for large retailers, however, you quickly realize that 800 square feet alone won’t cut it long term. You start expanding the original location and open more stores rapidly. Within two years, you expand to five locations. Today, you are at 17 stores in the Virginia, D.C. and Maryland markets. As for that original location, it’s mushroomed into a 3,000-square-foot salon.

Directly across the street, you’ve opened a 7,500-square-foot sister store featuring a more moderate-priced, younger assortment. The area has become a Comfort One Shoes shopping mecca.

It’s now 2018 and you’ve just celebrated Comfort One Shoes’ 25th anniversary as a local, family-owned business. Your son has become a partner. You have a succession plan in place where he’ll lead the business to the next generation and reach new levels of success. In fact, his two children already own shares! Your rewards in business and in life have far outweighed the risks.

No regrets, Maurice!

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T R E N D S P OT T I N G

NICE THREADS Exquisite embroidery details add a touch of textural appeal.

Clockwise from left: Keds, Bella-Vita, Charlotte Olympia, Patrizia by Spring Step, Jagger.

26 footwearplusmagazine.com • december 2018

BRAND FOCUS

CH2O IS A GO A new outdoor and work brand, under the Western Chief umbrella, addresses a void in the market.

By Greg Dutter ONE MIGHT THINK amid Global Warming that launching a brand with they can’t wear a hiker during the winter and snow boots are too clunky,” he a heavy emphasis on boots designed to protect against snow, ice and frigid says. “Our boots are a hybrid between a hiker and a work boot that offers all temperatures might not be good timing. But Rob Moehring, chairman of the ruggedness, comfort and utility features as well as the traction, warmth Washington Shoe Company and a veteran of Chooka (rain boots) and and waterproofing of snow boots. There’s not a lot in the market that offers Staheekum (slippers) brand launches, sees the launch of cH2O for Fall ’19 that, especially at our prices.” as perfect timing—and he’s got plenty of orders As for Global Warming, Moehring believes cH2O already from retailers to back it up. boots are ideal for today’s wild weather patterns.

‘The outdoor and work categories have been a “Global Warming is causing extremes,” he says. “How big part of our business over the years, and we’ve many 100-year storms have we had recently? These been listing to what those markets need,” Moehring extremes include plenty of cold and snow outbreaks.” says. “We discovered there’s a white space for boots Not even the so-called Retail Apocalypse deterred to sell between October and March, particularly a Moehring from launching a new brand. In fact, he demand for serious winter work boots.” says the current unpredictable retail climate is more Enter cH2O by Western Chief. With the top end of a reason to do so. “I’ve found that when business of the all-waterproof brand featuring a protection overall is bad, it’s a good time to introduce a new rating as low as minus 70° paired with Vibram’s concept,” he says. “Buyers are more likely to accept Arctic Grip outsoles that provide traction even on that they can’t keep doing the same ol’ thing and wet ice and memory foam insoles, these boots are are receptive to new ideas.” designed to withstand the worst Mother Nature Case in point: Moehring reports selling 20,000 dishes out. The mid- and entry-level tiers also feature pairs of cH2O out of the gate. The brand is already cH2O’s proprietary DryBuilt waterproof linings ahead of projections and will be profitable in and Therma insulation (to minus 50° and minus 2019—a year ahead of schedule. “You can talk on 30°, respectively), Vibram Mega-Grip outsoles and and on about how great your new brand is but until gel comfort insoles. “These are serious heavy-duty you have orders, nothing’s happened yet,” he says. boots,” Moehring says, noting the suggested retail “We’ve got orders. We’re up and running.” Part of price range for the men’s and women’s lines is $130 those sales include a collection of snow boots that to $190. “They feature all the performance and Moehring says riff on the ’80s-era snow jogger. comfort benefits as boots priced well above $200, The cH20 snow boots, rated to minus 30°, feature but aren’t as bulky. We’re also offering a much waterproof nylon uppers with Velcro closures and broader assortment of styles that can be worn all EVA jogger soles with non-slip treads. “They’re day. They also come in widths.” perfect for getting in and out of easily, especially Moehring says his design team worked closely kids,” he says. “Plus, the uppers easily adjust to fit with trusted specialty outdoor and farm accounts regular pants or snow pants.” Retail prices are $50 to make sure cH2O included every detail—down for kids’, $60 for women’s and $70 for men’s.

Top to bottom: CH2O’s waterproof 880 and Alpina to the heel kicks. “After a long day on the job, they Going forward, the plan is to expand cH2O into boots offer warmth, protection and style. can just flick off our boots,” he says, adding that this a year-round brand. Sport sandals and slides are in target customer craves boots loaded with features. the works for Spring ’20 in addition to warm weather “Guys don’t respond to pretty pastels. They want hikers and work boots. Moehring believes cH2O boots that get the job done. It’s the same way they are with trucks: they want has the potential to become much bigger than Chooka. In the meantime, the oversized model with the diesel engine, Dually wheels, etc. Our boots launching a new brand from scratch remains a labor of love for him. “It’s are like that.” just so much fun,” he says. “This brand was born out of the specific needs of Thanks to feedback from a commercial account in Alaska, Moehring says specialty farm and outdoor retailers—the demand is there, and we’re going this target customer also wants versatility. “These guys live in their boots, but to fill it as best we can.”

2018 december • footwearplusmagazine.com 27

Guess studded wedges, C/MEO collective dress.

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Stiletto bootie by Marion Parke, Wilde Wetigga dress, Wing and Weft lace gloves.

Opposite: Sorel hidden wedge boot, ASOS pants, Miss Circle bralette, Xllullan jacket, Monzlapur choker.

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Kitten heel mules by Sigerson Morrison, Smythe jacket, Finders pants, earrings by Erickson Beamon.

Opposite: Marc Fisher ankle boot, cropped top by Forsythia, Mola Walker pants, Erickson Beamon necklace.

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Cynthia Rowley dress, Erickson Beamon beaded crown. Opposite, Clockwise from top: Restricted studded slide, chunky sandal by White Mountain Foodbeds, platform sandal by All Black.

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Slingbacks by Jaggar, Sau dress, Erickson Beamon earrings, bracelets

by Accessory Consierge. Opposite: Ross & Snow camo boots, Silk Laundry slip dress, cape by Dair Deisgn, Erickson Beamon necklace.

Hair and makeup: Christina Nicole Errante; model: Saida Valieva/Wilhelmina Models; stylist assistant: Elaine Ragland.

37

EDITOR’S PICKS

Yuul Yie

D E S I G N E R C H AT

CHRISTOPHER RAEBURN

Where do you draw inspiration? I’m always interested in anyone trying to innovate. I also spend a lot of time looking into archives— finding military footwear from 60 years ago and seeing how quality products back then were made and how we can make them modern again. On the other side, I’m as interested in tech companies and 38 footwearplusmagazine.com • december 2018

Katy Perry Collections

SHAPESHIFTERS Architecturally structured heels add a whole new dimension to design.

what’s happening in material innovation. I think we’re close to being able to close the loop on manufacturing and use recycled materials that are again recyclable.

Is there a perfect shoe? I hope I haven’t found it yet because that’s the challenge we’re always working toward. For Timberland, the perfect shoe would have to be embedded with thoughtful consideration of materials all the way through. They should be recycled, recyclable and biodegradable.

But we’re not there yet. I’m 36 years old.

I’d be disappointed if I thought I designed something perfect now. What do you do for the rest of your life?

What will we never see as part of one of your collections? We will never use real fur because our whole focus is on material use, and synthetic fur is doing as good as everything natural. Other than that, never say never. You don’t know what will come up

as the market shifts, and that’s half the fun.

Who is the most influential person in fashion right now? Ultimately, it’s the wearer. With the power of social media, I think now it’s so much about the community and influential individuals within that.

We have to think about what the customers really need, which involves listening, learning and sometimes designing with them. There’s not one individual who is a big impact, it’s about the conversation around the wearer and what they need.

What do you love most about designing?

Pardon the geeky answer, but it’s about the process. I love to research a concept thoroughly, come into the design phase and then create a meaningful product. With architectural design, it might take years to see it completed. But in fashion design, it’s a joy to be able to hold something that you could have designed in a day.

E D I TO R ’ S P I C K S P H OTO G R A P H Y BY T R E V E T T M CC A N D L I S S

IN 2007, CHRISTOPHER Raeburn was studying at the Royal College of Art in London—the same year Timberland introduced Earthkeepers, a brand featuring partially recycled linings and outsoles.

Raeburn, recently named global creative director of Timberland, was intrigued. “I thought it was inspiring for a brand on that scale to think about environmentally responsible design in such a meaningful way,” he says, noting sustainable design has always been a focus of his eponymous label.

Fast forward 10 years, and Raeburn’s capsule collection with Timberland was well-received. The design partners clicked—so much so Raeburn has been entrusted by the division of VF Corporation to “ensure a holistic design approach across all product categories, marketing and in-store events, alongside elevating the brand’s commitment to responsible sourcing, inclusivity and community.” Raeburn relishes the opportunity: “It’s an amazing time for a truly global brand to be partnering with someone like myself to push business forward while becoming a bastion in the responsible design arena.”

Raeburn’s first full collection is due Fall/Winter ’20. In the meantime, his Fall ’19 capsule collection will include six to eight shoe styles in men’s and women’s that feature the same recyclable technology found in the apparel lines. “I’m always pushing the envelope, looking for the point of a new aesthetic but grounded in utility and function,” he says. The shoes will be designed for urban outdoor exploration a la crossover sneakerboot styles.

Looking to Timberland’s future, Raeburn will continue his design ethos of “remade, reduced, recycled” while hunting for the latest in sustainable technology practices, including a new material made from plastic bottles that can be used for more than rubber elements.

Raeburn believes the industry is entering a golden age of sustainable design. “In my 10 years in business, we’ve never had such interest in sustainability,” he says. “People are looking for product that is designed in the most responsible way all the way through.” —Aleda Johnson

Jaggar

continued from page 17 open-mindedness for new ideas. Retailers realize that things they’ve done for a while aren’t necessarily working anymore. It could be partly that as well as the fact that other brands are having a tougher time and aren’t performing in that space. It leaves the door open for us.

Has the simmering trade war between the U.S. and China impacted your business much?

We started looking elsewhere just because the whole industry is, which started before the tariff wars. We don’t want to have all our eggs in one basket, and China has been challenging at best for some time now. The threat of tariffs is only escalating that. We’re looking at other places in Asia. In addition, Canada now has a free trade agreement with the EU so we’re looking to do some production there, particularly in our elevated product lines in Italy. We’ve also just shipped our second fall season of leather boots under our mid-tier brand, Storm by Cougar, out of Bangladesh.

Is it easier or harder to have sourcing spread around the world?

It’s challenging because we are not a huge company. We have a smaller team and this requires more travel. While we have local partners in these places, it takes time to sort through and make sure we’re working with the right ones.

We have to test before we go full steam, and that’s why we’re making our mid-tier brand first in Bangladesh. We want to prove we can do it before we go too far with that region. The Dominican Republic is another possibility.

We just started looking into that. Remember, we’re not just focused on price.

It’s not just about going to a country with lower cost factories. It’s looking at the strengths and capabilities and whether they align with our brand. Those sourcing partners are out there, but not without a lot of hard work and travel.

Speaking of countries, any advantages of being a Canadian company?

When we started our initiative a few years ago to elevate our brand profile, we didn’t see being from Canada as really important. But we’ve recently been getting more interest internationally, which partly may be due to the Canada Goose factor. That brand is creating a greater awareness of our country and particularly cold-weather products. We’re thinking we should turn up the Canadian quotient a little bit to tap into that international appeal. While currently small, our international growth is encouraging. We are doing some business in Northern Europe and a little bit in South America. Our brand story, our authenticity and the Canada halo are all factors that could lead to further growth internationally.

Canada Goose has made Canada cool.

Yes. And remember when Hunter hit it big: rubber boots went from $39 to $150 dollars. Well, Canada Goose’s benchmark is $600 and up for parkas.

In certain markets, people buy them like popcorn. That has a great halo on all Canadian brands. It’s premium product with more perceived value. It certainly can’t hurt.

And Canada Goose is about to enter the footwear business as well.

Their acquisition of Baffin is really well-aligned because both were originally utility brands—workers going to the far north in minus 40° weather wearing Canadian-made Canada Goose parkas and Baffin boots. I think it’s a brilliant move, and I wish them the best because it’s only going to help Cougar with more awareness of the Canada factor.

Any advice for retailers—your soapbox opportunity?

A lot of retailers still underestimate the power of social media. Many will say, ‘Yeah, we have a blog…’ But they don’t invest in learning about what it can really do for their business. We’ve invested a lot in that area. It’s how we’re generating much of our brand awareness with consumers. Plus, the analytics are amazing. It’s so efficient and full of valuable information. We use all the major platforms, and we’ve invested heavily in digital advertising. It’s incredible how focused it can be and how much data we can get back on the products featured in those ads—what exactly people are looking at, where they are

buying it, where they live, what their age is, etc. Retailers really should pay more attention to what social media can do for them.

Speaking of possessing strong analytics, what’s your take on Amazon?

We’ve chosen, for the time being, to avoid selling on Amazon. We believe it’s helped protect our brand image quite a bit. And while we don’t prevent retailers from selling on Amazon Marketplace, we don’t encourage it.

Might selling on Amazon be an eventual necessity?

Maybe I’m old fashioned or naive, but I think there’s always going to be a customer that wants a different experience. I believe the retailers that understand that—and there are more and more starting to thrive even with Amazon—will survive quite nicely.

Is it fair to say you’re an optimist when it comes to the future viability of retail?

Yes. I don’t see a total shift to online. Although shopping in stores may become a more urban than suburban thing. You go into a city because you want to shop a greater assortment of stores and broader selections. It’s a better experience, whereas the suburban shopping mall in a lot of areas is struggling because there’s very little difference between them. I don’t spend any time in the typical shopping mall more than absolutely necessary. But there are certain destination retailers I’m excited to shop. That’s what has to be done in general with brick-and-mortar stores.

What do you love most about your job?

I love building a younger team for the future. Being surrounded by younger minds with new ideas helps keep me going. I also love working with our team on product development and design and taking pride when seeing people who want what we’ve made and are willing to part with their hard-earned money to get it. That’s all the satisfaction I need. •

LAS T WORD

Sneaker School

Professor Kicks Ma tt Po w e l l , s e n i o r i n d u s t r y a d v i s o r S p o r t s f o r t h e N P D G r o u p , o n w h a t ’s r i g h t , w h a t ’s w r o n g a n d a f e w p o s s i b l e s o l u t i o n s t o w h a t a i l s t o d a y ’s a t h l e t i c f o o t w e a r b u s i n e s s .

By Greg Dutter MATT POWELL TELLS it like it is, and he does so often in blunt yet spot-on terms. Armed with reams of sales analytics and backed by decades of market experience, he’s a student of all things sneakers. He’s up to speed on both the micro and macroeconomics of the business, spanning up-and-coming brands as well as tectonic plate-shifting issues.

And while the former retailer-turned-industryanalyst is known to get into his share of Twitter feuds with some of his 25,000 followers—many young, passionate sneakerheads—the Sneaker Sage welcomes such (heated and healthy) debates because, like any good teacher, he knows being a lifelong student is the only way to stay atop this fast-paced and topsy-turvy game.

Here, Powell sounds off on some key trends and takeaways from 2018, and what needs to happen going forward to right some wrongs.

And while he may not have all the answers (who does?), what Powell does know serves as valuable lessons in athletic footwear and categories beyond.

What were the year’s highlights in sneakers?

The rise of small brands, fresh looks in retro and the Adidas Parley (recycled ocean plastics) campaign.

How would you assess 2018 overall? Lackluster and disappointing so far. There’s too much performance product coupled with the lack of understanding of the fundamental sea change in the market to the new normal of athleisure.

Meaning? Athleisure has changed the world of sport footwear. Brands and retailers have not responded. The business model that Phil Knight invented 40 years ago is still in place today. We have to abandon that model and move on.

40 footwearplusmagazine.com • december 2018

What should that new model be? Stop trying to force performance footwear on the market. Operate like a fashion brand—faster to market. Look to Allbirds: whole sizes only, the same outsole for multiple styles, leverage upper materials, no futures, better margins and don’t release pictures of shoes months before they hit retail.

Does anything about this business surprise you anymore? I’m amazed that we keep doing the same things over and over, expecting a different result.

What does Allbirds’ rapid rise to prominence—built largely on one silhouette and a DTC platform—signal to the market at large?

Allbirds shows that walking away from conventional wisdom is a powerful tool.

Might the women’s market present a new gold rush? We can only hope so. Women’s is our greatest failure and our greatest opportunity.

What are you most excited about this business going forward? The tremendous power of small brands and the women’s opportunity.

What’s your take on some of the big dogs— Vans, Nike and Adidas? Any mid-tier brands ready to challenge for a top-tier position? I think we are seeing a sea change in the way small brands are influencing the market.

And that may be good for the market as a whole because? Competition makes us all better.

What are some smaller brands on your radar?

Fila, Puma, Reebok and Champion.

Tweet, tweet: Allbirds has rewritten the sneaker playbook, says industry analyst Matt Powell.

I read the streetwear bubble might burst soon. What implications might that have on the sneaker business? I don’t think streetwear has had a commercial impact on the industry.

With Nike full speed ahead on its DTC efforts and other brands following suit, will sneaker shopping as we now know it even exist in five or 10 years? There will always be multi-brand physical stores, but there will be fewer of them.

The best players will still be thriving.

Are luxury brands long for the sneaker market or just passing through? Luxury brands should be embarrassed by their knockoff product.

Having covered the sports retail business for four decades, is this so-called Retail Apocalypse unchartered territory? We have far too many stores in the U.S. selling the same stuff.

We have far too many over-leveraged retailers that must service their debt rather than invest in their stores and people. This rationalization is needed, as painful as it may be.

Are we in danger of collab fatigue? That has already happened. The dishonest collab model is broken.

What should replace it? Honest, authentic, non-compensated micro-influencers.

What keeps you lacing up your sneakers and heading into work each day? I learn something every day.

D

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