Footwear Plus Magazine | July 2019

CU LT URE RO CKS Wolverine Worldwide’s Ethics-First Approach TRE ND S POT TIN G Eco-Hip Kicks for Guys GO L D STANDARD Timberland Raising the Bar on Making it Right TH IS JUST I N Sunday Best

THE GREEN AND GOOD ISSUE Sustainable Design and Social Responsibility Hit a Tipping Point

BIONIC® COLLECTION Shoes spun from plastic bottles recovered from marine and coastal environments. sperry.com/bionic | #SperryForGood

J U LY 20 19 FEATUR ES 10 Right On! Dani Zizak, vice president of corporate communications and social responsibility for Wolverine Worldwide, on how the conglomerate is doing right by its employees, customers and Mother Nature.

By Greg Dutter 16 Riding the Sustainability Swell Eco-conscious consumers are here to stay and brands are hustling to beat their expectations on their feet—and in their hearts.

By Brendan Coffey 22 Green is Good Colleen Vien, sustainability director for Timberland, reveals how the brand is pushing the eco-friendly envelope.

By Greg Dutter 24 Good Fellas Eco-hip kicks for guys that lighten the carbon footprint.

By Aleda Johnson 26 The Queen of Green Sustainable designs that will reign next spring—good for the planet and good looking.

By Aleda Johnson

DEPA RTM ENTS PA G E

26

This page: Reef sandals with straps made from 100-percent recycled PET from used plastic bottles, Hanh Merriman dress, rings by Nina Berenato and Rainbow Unicorn Birthday Surprise.

6 Editor’s Note 8 This Just In 36 A Note to My Younger Self 38 Shoe Salon 46 What’s Selling 48 Tricks of the Trade

Caroline Diaco President/Group Publisher 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 WAINSCOT MEDIA Carroll Dowden Chairman Mark Dowden President & CEO Agnes Alves Controller OFFICES ADVERTISING/EDITORIAL

On cover: Vines Islandwear rope sandals with coconut-scented, recycled rubber soles, Hanh Merriman top, COS skirt, stylist’s bandeau.

Photography by Trevett McCandliss; styling by Kiyana Panton; stylist assistant: Tabbytha Ferguson; hair and makeup by Nevio Ragazzini/Next Artists, using makeup

by Kevyn Aucoin Beauty@VivianaMartin and hair product by Living Proof and G3; model: Brianna Russo/Wilhelmina Model Mgmt.

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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 Wainscot Media, 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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E D I TOR ’S NOT E

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IT’S ALL GOOD IS IT GREEN and good, or just gobbledygook?

These days it seems nearly every brand has a sustainable design element in its collections and is ushering in a corporate social responsibility (CSR) program. Brands claim to be passionate about their good intentions. They say their efforts are authentic, genuine and transparent. Unlike previous green waves, for example, that involved too much hype and too little substance, eventually turning off consumers, this time it’s different. For starters, consumers are better informed, more concerned and voting with their purchase power. This is far from a fringe movement. Conscious consuming is attaining macro-trend status. The fact that sustainable designs are now better looking, more durable and competitively priced is fueling the demand.

Likewise, companies are dramatically changing the way they treat employees—and focusing on aspects of the workplace that extend far beyond good pay and benefits. Management has seen the data: A happy employee is more productive, creative and enthusiastic. And Millennials and Gen Z-ers aren’t wired the way previous generations were when it comes to work-life balance. The workaholic “greed is good” mentality is getting the pink slip as employers introduce a “good is good” philosophy, trying to do right by their employees from a workplace environment and career path perspective. It’s considered the most effective way to attract and retain talent, especially in a tight labor market.

Is this all too good to be true? Are green and good just the new black, or do these movements represent a paradigm shift in consumer shopping behavior and industry business norms? I, for one, want to believe the efforts signify real change. For starters, it would justify the work that went into creating this special “Green & Good” issue. Beyond that, I believe it’s simply the right thing to do. If, for example, the way a shoe is made can reduce negative impact on the environment, then what’s the hold up? Studies show that when presented with an eco-friendly option—style, quality and price being relatively equal—consumers will choose the green version almost every time. Eco-friendly design has moved beyond the enticement stage to a consumer expectation. Choosing to ignore sustainable design practices is just bad business.

Consumers love a good story, and the ones behind these eco-friendly initiatives are inspiring. In the case of Timberland, such initiatives now extend to cattle ranching. Colleen Vien, sustainability director and the subject of our Last Word (p. 22), says the brand’s good, better, best strategy for sustainable design inspired it to go to the source of one of its most used materials, which also happens to have a more negative impact on the environment than tanneries. Long considered not the shoe industry’s problem, Vien says if Timberland is true to its green ethos of striving to always do better, then ignoring who it sources its hides from

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is not acceptable. The company’s efforts to start partnering with ranchers who practice regenerative agriculture (substantially reducing the carbon footprint and combating climate change) is just one of the many ways its eco-friendly efforts are authentic, tangible and relatable to consumers.

The first such shoes are set to debut next fall, and the company hopes the industry will follow suit soon afterward.

Numerous other good green stories can be found in our feature Riding the Sustainability Wave (p.16). They range from breakthrough manufacturing practices that look to revolutionize the leather industry (Ecco’s new DriTan process dramatically reduces water and chemical usage) to Sole’s ReCork program that collects used wine corks across North America and transforms them into footbeds. Cork is one of nature’s wonder materials: It’s sustainable, renewable and incredibly comfortable as a footbed—just ask Birkenstock’s legions of fans. Sole is looking to collaborate with other brands that want to swap out ecounfriendly manmade materials for its recycled cork. Other sustainable materials are gaining traction as well, including sugarcane (used in Allbirds footbeds), pineapple skins (featured in Bearpaw’s new Spring ’20 collection) and Cleansport NXT (a probiotic odor control technology being introduced by Keen in place of fluorocarbon material that doesn’t break down).

On the flip side of good materials is plastic, which has attained Darth Vader status. That’s why the efforts of Twisted X and Sperry to collect plastic waste and convert it into fibers that then become shoe uppers presents another feel-good story. Both brands are taking their efforts a step further, with financial contributions to environmental causes that speak to their target customers. Because for sustainable design and cause-related outreach efforts like these to make a meaningful dent (an estimated 300 million pairs of shoes end up in landfills every year), the entire industry must pitch in so the effort snowballs and eventually becomes standard practice. Hopefully, in the not too distant future, the only choice consumers will have is sustainable designs.

Until then, Dani Zizak, vice president of corporate communications and social responsibility for Wolverine Worldwide and the subject of our Q&A (p. 10), is a firm believer in the greater good approach to sustainability and CSR. As point person of the $3-billion conglomerate’s green and good efforts, Zizak reveals how doing good trumps bad every single time. Brand to brand, internally and outwardly, Wolverine Worldwide’s efforts reflect its ongoing journey to do right as best as it can. It’s better for the company’s customers, employees and the planet.

You might even say it’s all good.

Greg Dutter

Editorial Director

THIS JUST IN

sunday best New Yorkers getting to the church on time—in style.

Reverend Yeezy, a.k.a. Kanye West, approves!

Photography by Seung Soo Lee

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BY

G R EG

D U TT E R

July 2019

RIGHT ON! Dani Zizak, vice president of corporate communications and social responsibility for Wo l v e r i n e Wo r l d w i d e , o n how the conglomerate is doing right by its employees, customers and Mother Nature.

DANI ZIZAK HAS a really good job. As the corporate social responsibility (CSR) point person for Wolverine Worldwide, a $3-billion conglomerate, she gets the word out on each of the 12 brands’ respective sustainable and social responsibility platforms as well as what the company is doing as a whole in these areas. Zizak oversees all the good Wolverine Worldwide is generating internally and externally, be it community outreach efforts made by employees, sustainable design breakthroughs in products and the supply chain, in-house programs created to improve workplace environment and morale, or donations to an array of nonprofit organizations. Zizak’s job can range from organizing a Two Ten Footwear Foundation pancake breakfast fundraiser for fellow industry employees in need to meeting with charitable agencies to determine whether their values align with the company’s to making sure the individual brands’ achievements in doing good are being recognized.

“My job is to share the stories of all the good things happening here,” Zizak says. “The people across our organization, from the supply chain

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to the brands to our retail division, all have a hand in creating this ongoing story, and I’m in charge of bringing that all to light.”

Welcome to the new world order in corporate America, where doing good is just as important as making good products. Matters of sustainability and social responsibility rank right up there with profits and losses these days. Consumers’ perceptions of a company are critical to its image and success. Ignoring matters of sustainability and CSR in the age of social media is risky. For starters, consumers can quickly vet a company’s green (eco-friendly) and good (CSR) rating with a few taps of their smartphone. And they do. Studies show consumers increasingly want to buy from brands that reflect their personal values. They want to feel good about their purchases. These days, a shoe that looks good, is good and contributes to a greater good has the best chance of being purchased.

“Consumers are more aware of their ability to make a difference in their community and the world at large, and they expect the same from the products and companies that they invest in,” Zizak says. “It’s important for our consumers to see their values and the social issues that are important to them championed by our brands.” She adds,

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“This isn’t just a fringe movement; every segment of the market is using their voice and voting with their purchases. I see this with my teenage kids and my parents, who are in their eighties!”

Equally important to a company’s success is its internal culture. Does it foster a welcoming, nurturing and healthy environment, where employees are happy, motivated and want to stay as well as attract talent in an extremely competitive labor market? Turning a blind eye to such matters is a surefire way to drain talent and stunt growth.

“We know this is critical in attracting new talent to the organization, so our commitment to doing the right thing by our employees happens every day,” notes Zizak.

It’s a key reason why Zizak was named to the newly created position in January of last year.

She brings a unique, company-wide perspective, having worked in marketing roles for Cat, HarleyDavidson, Wolverine, Bates, Sebago (since sold) and Hush Puppies brands over the past 18 years.

Zizak knows Wolverine Worldwide inside and out.

Even though she never expected to become the company’s first CSR director, she was essentially groomed for the position all along. “It’s not that different from what I had been doing,” she says.

“I’ve always told the brands’ stories, only now it’s on a different level and involves some different issues. My role today is really all-around brand building for the larger organization.”

Actually, Zizak got her first taste of working in a CSR role right out of Syracuse University—long before CSR was a recognized field. Putting her plans to play professional volleyball in Europe on hold (her parents’ demand), she took a position at a local Vermont bank where customers had a say in where their funds were invested. “It was pretty revolutionary at the time,” Zizak says.

“Customers could tell us not to invest in concerns not aligned with their values, like businesses that had ties to South Africa’s Apartheid government or petroleum organizations.” The concept was a success, and it marked an epiphany for Zizak. “It was the first time that I understood the consumers’ power in the relationship, and that it was a twoway street,” she says. It served as an invaluable lesson, one Zizak has kept in mind throughout her footwear career journey, which has included stops at Prague Shoes (a division of Gabor), Dr. Martens (during its explosively popular run in the mid ’90s) and the launch of Bullboxer, before arriving at Wolverine Worldwide in 2001. Now that the social responsibility business model has gone mainstream, Zizak is eager and able to help make Wolverine Worldwide a leader on all goodwill fronts. For her, it’s a labor of love.

12 footwearplusmagazine.com • july 2019

“I feel lucky to help craft the next chapter of the Wolverine Worldwide story and to support our commitment to our people, our communities and the planet,” she says.

Zizak has hit the ground running as Wolverine Worldwide rapidly ramps up its sustainability and CSR efforts. “We’ve done a lot in a short period of time,” she says. “While our brands have always delivered innovative, quality products for consumers, that’s the cost of admission today.

provide support where it is most needed in our local communities and in our industry,” she adds.

Delivering the good news goes way beyond generating good publicity. While pats on the back are nice, Zizak believes Wolverine Worldwide’s goodwill efforts can also provide inspiration for consumers. In an era of government gridlock and a deeply divided electorate, companies can lead by example. They can show consumers that, with their support, plenty of good can be achieved.

OFF THE CUFF What are you reading?

Them: Why We Hate Each Other—and How to Heal by Ben Sasse. It’s about how different political persuasions automatically assume they’re enemies. It’s just a super timely, relevant space.

Who is your most coveted dinner guest? Bono. I’m a huge fan, but I still need him to explain Zooropa.

What were they thinking?

I love everything in their body of work, but that was just a strange departure.

What was the last movie you saw? Avengers: Endgame with my 13year-old son.

What is inspiring you right now? Just how fast everything is moving from both business and personal perspectives. You can’t take a pause. You’ve just gotta be in the game, and that energy is really powerful for me.

What was your first paying job? As a waitress at a diner in my hometown of Kirkwood, NY.

Our intensity internally on what matters to them beyond product, price and performance is something that we’re really digging into.” Of course, philanthropic efforts have always been a central part of the company, throughout its 130-year history. “It’s simply a part of who we are as an organization,” Zizak says. “We believe that our commitment to doing the right thing will make great things possible for the communities where we live and work.” Through the Wolverine Worldwide Foundation, for example, the company is actively involved in supporting charitable organizations with a focus on education, the environment, arts and culture, and human aid and service. “We are longtime partners with Two Ten and The United Way, and we work with each of them to

What would many people be surprised to know about you?

I’m shy, even though I’m superextroverted professionally.

What is your motto? I believe that people might forget what you say and do exactly, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel. I try to keep that in the back of my mind all the time.

What is your favorite hometown memory? It’s less a specific memory than that feeling at the end of a school year and what seemed like endless potential and freedom in front of me with summer vacation.

“This is a perfect opportunity for companies to take a stand,” Zizak says. “It’s a big responsibility that consumers are placing on businesses, but it’s a huge opportunity that we are excited to pursue.”

Just how different are this platforms of sustainability and CSR compared to the way businesses were run before?

It didn’t really exist before. For a long time, it was all about differentiating your brand and company by price and performance.

Management didn’t care about much else? Or did consumers even know to care?

Consumers didn’t know to care. There were so many fewer options that companies could succeed

Farrah on price and performance alone. It’s just wildly different today.

Why are such efforts resonating so strongly with consumers today?

It’s a couple things. First, people tend to gravitate towards others who share the same values and ideas, so it makes sense that they behave the same way with brands. If the consumer feels that our brands really “get them,” they’re more likely to engage with them. Secondly, the consumer today better understands the power of influence they have in their purchasing relationships. Euromonitor Intl. reported that 51 percent of people surveyed globally agree with the statement: “I feel I can make a difference in the world through my choices and actions.” Consumers are committed to having a positive impact, and the brands that support them will win.

This isn’t a temporary shift like previous passing interest in ecofriendly products, for example?

I think it’s a shift in the consumer mindset. Consumers today expect that their values match up with the products they purchase. What’s also different today is this isn’t just a fringe segment of the market. When I think back to the previous green waves, for instance, there was always that eye rolling space. You know, ‘Oh, they’re one of those types.’

You mean hippie, tree-hugger types?

It’s not just that segment of the population today interested in sustainability, and that’s why it wasn’t a sustainable business proposition before.

Now every demographic segment is concerned about these issues. What’s more, they understand their power in the relationship with brands.

They’re using their voice and voting with their purchases. I see that with my own family. My teenage kids look into whether a brand matches up with issues that matter to them. The same goes for my parents. They care about a brand’s values and actions, and they’re paying attention to them.

It’s moved beyond that fringe space.

Would you say conscious consuming has become a macro movement?

Definitely. The trend Me + We supports the idea that consumers know their values and that knowledge drives how they take care of themselves, their community and the world. Our trend team states that when one to two people you know have started to tap into the concept, it’s likely on the rise. Additionally, all types of industries, categories and products have emerged to support this belief and behavior. The cost proposition has also changed. Cost isn’t always the primary consideration for consumers.

Brand purpose, for a variety of industries, is emerging as the top reason to purchase. This makes room for sustainability to be at the forefront of buying decisions.

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Are consumers really willing to pay more for eco-friendly shoes?

I think in some cases they are. Again, it points to a shift in consumer behavior. We can buy many things today, but a lot of consumers are trading purchases for experience. There is also something sustainable about making an investment purchase, which is paying more for better quality so you won’t need to purchase a replacement pair as soon.

It helps that sustainable designs have come a long way in terms of quality and style.

Absolutely. Before, it was almost like you’d get a pass. It doesn’t have to

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be the most stylish because it’s doing good. Now it’s not product that automatically gives that association. You don’t know that this is made from recycled materials or that the manufacturing process conserves water. It had to reach this point, because the consumer doesn’t want to trade on style and performance to be green. The fact is consumers want to do good when it’s easy. But now they don’t have to compromise.

The benchmark has changed on style, quality, performance and price.

Any potential drawbacks to making eco-friendly claims? Like you can never do enough to please radicals. Or if it’s not genuine, the blowback on social media can be quick and devastating.

I don’t think so, because we’re not just checking things off a list. We believe that the path to greater sustainability and social good is a journey,

We don’t only think of sustainability as green, we think about it in terms of people as well.

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smell our feet! and our focus is on continuous improvement. It’s why it’s so important that our actions are authentic and that they are sustainable. We’ve been very considered in our approach to developing a sustainability platform that represents who we are as an organization as well as supporting the efforts of the brands in the portfolio. This is not about creating a campaign or aligning with a trend because it is “good for business.” This is a long-term strategy of operating our business in a manner that we and consumers can be proud of. While consumers want companies to strive for better, they’re generally supportive of the efforts to do so. That said social media provides a venue for critics to weigh in on our efforts, but it also gives us a chance to understand a different perspective and to reaffirm our commitment to the long story and not look for a quick fix.

Consumers can do their own sleuthing.

Everybody can be a researcher today. That’s why one of the key components of our sustainability and social good efforts is transparency, because consumers will flush that out quickly if we’re not.

How do the brands align with their respective causes?

Each of our brands has a unique approach to sustainability yet aligns >45

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RIDING THE SUSTAINABILITY SWELL Eco-conscious consumers are here to s t a y, a n d b r a n d s a r e h u s t l i n g t o b e a t t h e i r expectations on their feet—and in their hearts. By Brendan Coffey

ECO-CONSCIOUS CONSUMERS used to be a reliable, passionate niche about the larger impact of their purchases.

But they were small in number—not nearly enough to move the needle to make sustainability standard industry practice.

Sure, there were fits and starts over the decades when green looked to be the new black, but the movement would inevitably fail to take root, often wilting under a trifecta of challenges: bogus claims, high prices and inferior style. This latest eco-friendly fashion push, however, appears much different. For starters, it’s no longer a niche as consumers from Gen Z to baby boomers and tree huggers to corporate raiders are increasingly concerned about climate change and protecting the environment. Conscious consumption is approaching macro-trend status, fueled by consumers who can do their own vetting, right at their fingertips, 16 footwearplusmagazine.com • july 2019

Sole sandals feature recycled cork footbeds, a sustainable material that pulls carbon out of the air.

The company‘s ReCork recycling program has helped the company achieve carbon negative status.

on whether a brand is a good steward of the planet and treats people right.

“I don’t think it’s one set demographic,” says Collen Vien, sustainability director for Timberland. “All generations now are appreciating the fact that action is needed.

If we don’t start changing the way we behave, both in our personal and business lives, we’re not going to have a place for grandkids of the baby boomers and so on to even enjoy Earth the way that we’ve been able to.”

If it seems these days everyone is focused on sustainability, it’s with good reason—most people are. Globally, 62 percent of consumers want companies to take a stand on broad issues of sustainability, transparency and fair employment practices, according to a recent survey by consulting firm Accenture of 30,000 consumers in 35 countries. Price will always be a factor of course, but next to that nothing motivates consumer purchasing decisions like sustainability. Some 17 percent of consumers unhappy with brands on those fronts will abandon them and never come back, according to Accenture. No surprise, then, footwear brands are making serious efforts to raise their sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) games.

“Twenty years ago when we started working on sustainable practices, the broad audience was not yet fully aware of the impact their choices made on the future,” says Sheri Aswad, director of product development at Earth Shoes. Aswad points to the wide awareness of the threat of climate change and the influence of more eco-conscious, younger consumers as driving the trend now. “Today the Millennial consumer became the broad audience and the fastest growing demographic in terms of spending on footwear purchase power,” she says. “As new generations enter the consumer market and the workforce, they’re making not only buying decisions but employment decisions highly influenced by [sustainability] values.” The shift has inspired Earth

Tradition since 1774.

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Shoes to add a vegan collection back into its product assortment for 2020.

The company is also developing a fully recycled footwear program. “It’s part of our new men’s line to be introduced later this year and manufactured in Europe,” Aswad says.

Sustainability is clearly the buzzword at recent trade shows. Nearly every brand it seems is addressing the issue, either by dipping its toe in the water with an eco-friendly collection or is one of a number of sustainability platform startups that have entered the marketplace over the past few years. While it’s hard to quantify the impact sustainable practices are currently making with nearly 24 billion pairs of shoes produced each year (according to the World Footwear Yearbook), industry experts agree the recent shift is a start, even if it’s a long road ahead.

“Footwear is a bit of a dirty business,” says Zachary Osness, vice president of sales and marketing for Sole, a Great Falls, MT-based maker of sustainable casual shoes and footbeds. “Most of the durable products used are made from petrochemicals and there aren’t a lot of good options, especially in the midsole technology. The footwear industry is lagging behind getting into more sustainable products because it’s difficult.” To address this issue, Sole launched a sister company, ReCork, in 2008, which collects wine corks at more than 4,000 locations across the U.S., grinding them down and forming, with a proprietary binding agent, a footbed that is more durable than the typical bed made with petrochmical based EVA, says Osness. What’s more, the company claims to have eliminated its carbon footprint beyond neutral in the process.

“Cork is basically a super-material. It’s extremely resistant to compression, fire retardant, naturally antimicrobial—and the cork tree is an incredible carbon sink,” Osness says. Sole has recycled 100 million corks so far—enough for about 10 million footbeds. Sole aims to ramp up production and the company is exploring ways to broaden recycling and, longer-term, boost cork tree growth.

A large footwear brand is currently testing Sole’s footbeds and the expectation is it will add them to its mainline product by late 2020. “The consumer isn’t going to make the transition if the product is inferior,” Osness adds. “Every industry needs to be looking at what can it be doing right now.”

Sole’s efforts mark a step in the right direction, but the numbers are sobering when it comes to an average pair’s impact on the environment: 65 parts on average and some 360 steps to assemble, making Twisted X’s ecoRWX them hard to recycle—less than 5 percent upper material is made of of waste from manufacturing is reused, recycled plastic bottles.

For every pair sold, the according to data compiled by the Better company funds the Shoes Foundation, a non-profit founded by planting of a tree through footwear designer Sven Segal. The supply OneTreePlanted. chain, too, is filled with environmentally

difficult processes, from the widespread tanning of leather with chromium, which is toxic to some wildlife, to the use of pesticides on insoles and energyintensive nylon for laces. Then comes the massive carbon footprint created by sourcing in distant lands. And what about the afterlife of shoes? While organizations like Soles4Souls and Two Ten Footwear Foundation’s Share Your Shoes program are doing their part to collect gently used or overstock footwear 18 footwearplusmagazine.com • july 2019

for donation to people in need, how a shoe eventually breaks down in the environment is still a major issue as estimates are 300 million pairs end up in landfills each year.

It’s easy to paint a dark picture of the impact of footwear on the environment. Yet there is a (green) light, led by a number of brands that are making big strides in sourcing and inventing sustainable components and materials that are pushing the industry toward continual improvement.

Experts say sustainability should be viewed as an evolutionary process and even if it’s baby steps at first, they’re steps in the right direction to a cleaner and greener world.

Merrell’s Gridway collection features an alljute upper, recycled laces, a 50-percent recycled footbed and a 30-percent post-industrial recycled Vibram outsole.

GREEN IS THE WORD “People are much more aware and conscious of things that touch their body, including footwear,” says Chris Enlow, director of Corporate Responsibility at Keen. That awareness set the outdoor brand in 2014 on to an ongoing detox journey, he says. “We’re looking at entire classes of chemistry. We want to systematically eliminate them from our products as well as the buildings we work in, our packaging and the things we source,” Enlow explains. For example, Keen is replacing DWR water repellant with a safer alternative.

DWR is a fluorocarbon base and a known hormone disruptor that persists in the environment and bio-accumulates in human bodies. “With our Spring ’20 collection, we’ll be able to say 95 percent of our shoes have eliminated a class of chemistry with the replacement of DWR,” Enlow says. Keen is also eliminating the use of pesticides in its shoes, which is a common way to make shoes less prone to odor. It’s switched to Cleansport NXT, a bio-based product originally developed for use in hockey gear.

This deep dive into the ingredients of every level has also found ways for Keen to cut costs in manufacturing, by identifying redundant treatments and excess parts. In some processes, Keen reduced spending by 70 percent just by identifying unneeded work and ingredients put into some product lines. “I’m a believer that there’s a way to be sustainable and stay within your price structure,” Enlow says.

Merrell has also been examining its manufacturing processes to improve the impact of its sourcing, says Strick Walker, chief marketing officer. The brand sources nearly all its leather from gold- and silvercertified tanneries, ratings overseen by the Leather Working Group (LWG) to score tanneries on their relative ability to reduce waste and environmental impact. This fall, Merrell will debut products with Superlite leather, which has the highest combined water and energy savings relative to other leathers. Each pair featuring Superlite represents a savings of 34 liters of water and enough electricity to power a lamp for 321 hours. The introduction builds on the consumer response Merrell has had to its Gridway collection, according to Walker. The Gridway canvas features an all-jute upper, recycled laces, a 50 percent recycled footbed and a 30 percent post-industrial recycled material in its Vibram outsole. For Merrell, acting sustainably is part and parcel of the outdoor brand’s self-image and its appeal

COMFORT BEYOND EXPECTATIONS Today, consumers are responsible eco-citizens of the world, and they demand the same from the brands they purchase. OrthoLite® Recycled™ lets you increase the total eco-content in your insoles to 98% with our recycled postproduction waste material to achieve the highest eco-standards and sustainability goals. The recycled solution offers support, stability and under-foot comfort in single-density and dual-layer options, and is also ideal for Strobel and upper applications. OrthoLite® means your brand can deliver the comfort and performance your consumers expect—with the eco-friendly features they demand.

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to consumers. “If we don’t act responsibly, we won’t have outdoor spaces where few seasons ago featuring uppers made from recycled plastics. The amount we can recreate together,” Walker says. “As outdoor participation continues to of plastic polluting the planet presents visceral imagery to consumers, from increase, consumers are making that connection more than ever.” beached whales with stomachs full of plastic to floating islands of trash.

Ecco is also addressing the impact the tanning process has on the enviIt inspired Twisted X CEO Prasad Reddy to do something about it. “It’s ronment—a process that dates back 10,000 years and always thought to be tangible, something we can see with our own eyes—a visual expression of impossible without the use of large amounts of water. Until now, thanks to what humans have done to the Earth,” he says of the pollution. Adding to the Ecco’s new DriTan process, which the company claims will revolutionize the positive environmental impact of ecoTWX, the company funds the plantentire leather industry. The process uses the moisture already present in the ing of a tree through OneTreePlanted for each pair sold. The shoes and the hides. The result is indistinguishable from traditionally tanned leather in terms of quality, characteristics and lead-time. DriTan also considerably minimizes the discharge of waste water and use of chemicals. At its tannery in the Netherlands alone, the process will eliminate 600 tons of sludge per year. “The process only involves what you already have at hand,” says Thomas Gogsig, head of applied research at Ecco. “You don’t have to invest in new equipment. You don’t have to look for new exotic chemicals. You just use what is already available at the tannery, only in a different way.”

Brands put a great deal of at the point-of-sale. Besides, you effort into telling their sustainabilonly have a few seconds to capture ity stories. Retailers can play a big their attention. REI and Germany’s part too, which is a good way to build Globetrotter stores will be discussbusiness and customer loyalty. Market ing Keen’s new toxic-free odor conresearch firm Nieslen found that, trol and waterproofing the coming globally, 66 percent of consumers are year in its stores, according to Keen’s willing to spend more on a product Chris Enlow, director of Corporate if it comes from a sustainable brand.

Responsibility. The benefits are twoHere are some quick tips from footfold: in addition to helping build wear makers based on what they see desire for the brand, it also helps working at their retail partners. assuage consumer suspicion of greenwashing, the marketing of sustainBe the Experts: “Staff training is a ability that isn’t backed up by action. must,” says Sheri Aswad, director of Many retailers and consumers, says product development at Earth Shoes.

Enlow, “are very much on the same “You need correlation between the detox journey we are.” displays, product and the people presenting the product. Make sure the Green is a Good Draw: Twisted X, staff is knowledgeable and can comwhich offers a line of shoes made municate the key (eco-friendly) feafrom recycled plastic, has seen retailtures and benefits of the product to ers have success creating “green GREEN TO GREAT the consumer.” weekends,” emphasizing the sustainWhile some brands look at able brands they carry. CEO Prasad The Ecco Soft 8 gets a reinventing established manuTell Good Stories: The route to susReddy suggests expanding on the green upgrade with DriTan facturing processes to be more tainability isn’t the same for every idea by looping in other nearby leather, a revolutionary environmentally sustainable, brand. It’s too diverse an endeavor retailers to promote sustainable tanning process that dramatically reduces waste others are innovating with new to be one-size-fits-all. That means products, which can draw in local water and chemicals. materials and designs. The there are unique opportunities to tell government to offer promotional outside-the-box ideas span specific tales that connect with consupport too. “Politicians are always partnering with cattle ranches that practice regenerative agrisumers better than flogging genlooking for community and global culture to lessen the impact on climate change (Timberland) eral sustainability facts and figures causes to support,” says Reddy. to using sustainable materials that will completely decompose in landfills in a few years (Sole x United by Blue), as opposed to manmade materials that take centuries.

Within that wide spectrum, there are opportunities for a brand to lessen its carbon footprint—like Bearpaw’s new sandal collection environmental tie-in, Reddy adds, is aimed at all ages but he believes certain for Spring ’20, sourced out of Spain. It features a menu of recycled materidemographics are keen on buying green more than others. “It’s harder for als: pineapple rind uppers, cork footbeds and crepe outsoles. “It’s a great baby boomers to change because they’ve been using plastics for 30 or 40 story from a sustainability perspective, especially for our target audience of years,” he says. “But the younger generation has a younger frame of mind, young women,” says John Pierce, president. “The shoes look great and you and they’re seeing the consequences with their own eyes.” can’t tell the difference if they were leather, but they are a vegan option.”

The list of eco-friendly and ethical shoe companies is growing steadily, Suggested retail is $79.99. as is the range of styles. Brands like Nisolo, Everlane, Coclico, Fortress of Twisted X is another example. The brand has set its sustainability efforts Inca and Savilla Smith are coming at it from a luxury fashion angle and on reducing plastic waste with the introduction of its ecoTWX collection a shedding the category’s long-held ugly duckling reputation. Green can >44

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20 footwearplusmagazine.com • july 2019

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L A ST W O RD

Hero Worship

GREEN IS GOOD Colleen Vien, sustainability director for Timberland, on how the brand continues to push the eco-friendly envelope. By Greg Dutter

WHEN IT COMES to sustainable business pracstewardship have been buzz words that have tices, Timberland is OG: original green. Its efforts ebbed and flowed over the years, I believe we’re date back to the early ’90s when the brand began at a tipping point now that the fashion industry trailblazing a path of eco-friendly best practices—at is in the game now. Sustainably made fashion a time when “being green” was more associated has become something desired by consumers, with Kermit the Frog than corporate America. making green that new black.

Sustainability wasn’t the fast-growing field it is today. Back then, brand efforts were often slowed Why might this movement have legs this time? by such headwinds as bogus green claims that For a variety of reasons. Transparency and availconfused and turned off consumers, and shoes ability of information has led to increased conthat cost more, looked worse and didn’t last as long sumer awareness. The level of holding companies as their non-green counterparts. But Timberland accountable is stronger than ever. Innovation is pressed forward, convinced that making meaningful another reason. Look at the sustainability options improvements—wherever, however and whenever available today, whether it’s the material choices it could—was not only the right thing to do, but or renewable energy options. It’s an exponential also good for business. change over the past 10 years and a huge driver For the past 14 years, Colleen Vien has been for why this movement has legs now. Along with at the forefront of Timberland’s green and good that is the supply and demand factor: more efforts. She joined the company’s corporate social people demanding and more manufacturers supresponsibility (CSR) department as a factory plying sustainable goods means the costs have The good fighter: Colleen Vien auditor, monitoring code of conduct in its North leveled where many of the recycled, organic or American factories and, over time, globally. Matters like human rights, renewable options that we put into our products are not just cost parity, worker well-being and community impact were her areas of expertise. About but a cost savings. five years ago, Vien took on a broader role in the company’s sustainability program, overseeing product development, stewardship and environmental The bar on eco-friendly style has been raised. Right. Take our relationship footprint. For her, it’s a dream job. “I pinch myself often in how fortunate with Christopher Rayburn (named Timberland’s Global Creative Director I am,” Vien says. “It’s fun to be fighting the good fight.” Of course, the job last fall). He comes from a fashion background of making sustainable has its share of frustrations. “I always tell people looking to get into the products cool on the runways. That’s an opportunity that didn’t exist even sustainability field that you’d better have the three Ps: patience, pleasantry five years ago. He talks about how Timberland inspired him when he came and persistence,” she says. “There are always ROI concerns, problems that out of design school when we launched (eco-friendly) Earthkeepers in 2007. you must solve for (sometimes repeatedly) and people who just say no. It’s It’s fun to have it come full circle and him our partner now. fun, but it’s no cake walk.”

Here, Vien discusses why she believes the current swell in sustainable Lots of brands are introducing sustainable designs of varying degrees fashion is at a “tipping point” and how Timberland is pushing the envelope and possible confusion. How will Timberland convey that its efforts are to make eco-friendly goods as good for the planet as they are good looking authentic? It has to be done in layers and different modes of media. At a and well made. high level, our messaging will be simple and succinct. We’re not going to get into specific details regarding the sustainability of our products there.

Is green the new black—again? I don’t think it’s again. I think green is Our campaign this fall is Nature Needs Heroes. It’s a call to action that the new black for the first time. While sustainability, CSR and product nature needs us and here are ways you can get involved with Timberland. As

22 footwearplusmagazine.com • july 2019

consumers dig through layers, that’s where on social media, for example, we’ll talk more about a shoe’s sustainable materials.

There will also be changes to our website in terms of how we draw consumers in and explain that our tree logo stands for nature and that everything we design is something that you can be proud of from a sustainability perspective. It’s not just a seasonal campaign, and it’s not just one product.

The sustainability theme marks a shift in marketing philosophy, correct? We’ve always been humble and didn’t think we needed to tout to the world the green and good we were doing because it was the right thing to do for the planet and people. But continuing to do that might put us at a disadvantage with so many brands boldly jumping onto the green bandwagon. For many in the mainstream, this will be the first time they’ve heard about our sustainability efforts. We need to stand tall and show that our efforts are authentic and transparent in what we do, how we do it, and the lengths and the duration that we have been doing it for. We aren’t just a flash in the pan. When it comes to our green and good initiatives, we’ve been at this for 26 years, if not more.

What are some noteworthy sustainability initiatives for Spring ’20?

One of our goals for 2020 is to have 100 percent of our footwear in market contain major components that are made of either recycled, organic or renewable materials. In 2018, that figure was only 69 percent. That’s a considerable amount of work to get to our goal, but there is a full commitment from the management and product development teams to get there.

All our new SKUs that we’ve developed over the last three to five years feature recycled, organic or renewable materials. It’s the carryover styles that were in the market before we had these product standards that require reengineering to meet those standards. Another exciting platform is ReBotl, our polyester material made from recycled plastic bottles. We’re looking to use it in a much bigger way across our product line starting in Spring ’20.

Is the Holy Grail 100-percent renewable materials and a zero carbon footprint? Anything is possible, and Timberland is a brand that likes to say don’t tell us it can’t be done. I think there are several different types of holy grails. A world where plastic doesn’t exist is a holy grail. The role that Timberland can play overall is not just maintaining current sustainability levels, but finding ways to bring even more positive impact onto the planet.

Like with leather. To date, the industry hasn’t considered itself responsible for the environmental impact of cattle ranching. But studies show the biggest impact occurs during grazing and not necessarily the tanning process.

We can no longer be an industry that turns a blind eye to how cattle are raised. We’re working hard to influence the cattle ranching industry in the United States because over 95 percent of our leather is sourced here.

Exactly how will Timberland make an impact here? By working with ranches that practice regenerative agriculture, which act like carbon sinks.

It’s one of the top ways to reverse climate change. It’s so exciting, and we

The Earth Rally features ReBotl uppers, made from recycled plastic.

want the entire industry behind it once we prove that it can be done effectively. We first had to solve for a traceable supply chain, so we know that the hides we’re purchasing come from ranches practicing this type of agriculture. We achieved that, and we’re excited that Fall ’20 collection will feature products certified from such ranches.

Cow farts have become headline news. Cattle are the new SUVs. I love the documentary Soil Carbon Cowboys. One of the scientists involved in the film is partners with us on this project.

Regenerative agriculture is a growing topic of interest. Just like circularity used to be a topic at sustainability conferences and then became a conference unto itself, regenerative agriculture has grown like that over the last six months.

Any drawbacks to being too green a brand? There shouldn’t be any drawbacks for Timberland because we’re a brand that looks to operate our business in an authentic and responsible way across the board. We’re trying to make ethical, responsible decisions at every touch point. We’re also very transparent about this. We might even be the first radical to call ourselves out on something. Our CSR reporting shows we’re not perfect.

We disclose the challenges we’re facing and when we’re not hitting our goals. It’s like a call to action to help us solve for it. Anything that could have been solved for, we’ve done. That said, there’s a need for balance in our messaging and conversations with consumers, because we only have a split second to grab their attention and not overwhelm them. That’s a fine line, and I think our marketing team does a great job walking it—getting consumers to understand and be appreciative of the issues that we’re so passionate about so that they join us on the journey.

How do you stay optimistic in the face of doomsayers saying the planet is a lost cause? I’m fortunate to work for a brand that believes in the power of business to make a positive impact on the world. I also have privy to a lot of the good things that not just Timberland but other industries are doing. That gives me more optimism. But the media needs to do a better job at telling positive stories, because I do think people are tired of hearing the world is crap. We need to inject more positive energy into the movement of change.

Like Timberland doubling its green footprint in five U.S. cities? Yes, that’s part of how we want to engage with consumers more. We’ve held large-scale tree planting initiatives around the world for years and have planted over 10 million trees. But the plantings were in Haiti, Dominican Republic and Inner Mongolia. We decided to bring that effort closer to home, and have more than doubled our footprint in five major markets here. Over the past year, we’ve held events in New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Chicago and Detroit. The beauty is we’re not just telling our consumers the good that we’re doing, we’re inviting them to do that with us. It’s very exciting. •

2019 july • footwearplusmagazine.com 23

Ecco sneaker featuring DriTan leather, a tanning process that dramatically reduces waste water and chemicals.

Vegan sneaker by Saola features recycled PET knit upper and natural cork insole.

Staheekum hiker sourced from Leather Working Group certified tannery.

GOOD FELLAS Eco-hip kicks that lighten the carbon footprint. By Aleda Johnson P h o t o g r a p h y b y Tr e v e t t M c C a n d l i s s

24 footwearplusmagazine.com • july 2019

The eco-friendly aspects of this Merrell slip-on include a jute upper, a 50-percent recycled footbed and a 30-percent post-industrial recycled Vibram outsole.

Good Guys Don’t Wear Leather vegan, fair-trade sneaker is Peta-approved.

Veja sneaker features waterproof mesh made of recycled bottles, organic cotton, low-chrome leather and natural rubber.

Timberland trail runner upper is made of ReBOTL recycled plastic fabric lining and waterproof leather from a Leather Working Group certified tannery.

Sustainable materials in this Thousand Fell trainer include aloe vera, coconut husks, sugar cane and rubber as well as recycled plastic waste.

Slip-on by Sperry features Bionic yarn upper made from recycled plastic.

A portion of proceeds of this Toms jogger will be donated to a consumer’s choice of six charitable causes.

Chukka by Twisted X features EcoTWX upper made from recycled plastic bottles.

2019 july • footwearplusmagazine.com 25

THE Photography by Trevett McCandliss Styling by Kiyana Panton

OF

SUSTAINABLE DESIGNS THAT WILL REIGN NEXT SPRING — GOOD FOR THE PLANET AND GOOD LOOKING.

Ecco sneaker’s DriTan tanning process dramatically reduces waste water and chemicals, COS linen dress, No Nonsense socks, rings by WXYZ Jewelry, Metrix Jewelry and Rainbow Unicorn Birthday Surprise.

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Sperry boat shoe with Bionic recycled plastic upper. PETA-approved sandal by Bearpaw with Pinatex upper derived from pineapple, corkinfused midsole and natural rubber outsole.

Opposite: Birkenstock vegan leather slides with recycled cork footbed, COS dress, Falke socks, rings by Metrix Jewelry and Rainbow Unicorn Birthday Surprise.

Jute upper slip-ons by Merrell feature recycled laces, 50-percent recycled footbeds and 30-percent recycled Vibram outsoles, COS jacket, Nicholas K dress, socks by No Nonsense, rings

by WXYZ Jewelry, Metrix Jewelry and Rainbow Unicorn Birthday Surprise.

Opposite: BC Footwear sandal with braided rope made from cutting room scraps, Smythe blouse, Not Just A Label jumpsuit, rings

by Metrix Jewelry and Rainbow Unicorn Birthday Surprise.

31

Top to bottom: Vegan sneaker by Saola features recycled PET knit upper and natural cork and Bloom algae foam insole. Twisted X EcoTWX loafer upper made from recycled plastic water bottles.

Opposite: Ugandan-made fair trade wrap sandal by Sseko, Nicholas K top, Uniqlo pants and socks, rings by Nina Berenato and Rainbow Unicorn Birthday Surprise.

32

Cross-strap wedge by Timberland features Leather Working Group certified tannery leather, Nicholas K dress, Ovcio scarf, necklace and rings by WXYZ Jewelry, Metrix Jewelry and Rainbow Unicorn Birthday Surprise.

Opposite: Reef sandal with straps made from 100percent recycled plastic bottles, Hanh Merriman dress and rings by Nina Berenato and Rainbow Unicorn Birthday Surprise.

Stylist assistant: Tabbytha Ferguson; hair and makeup

by Nevio Ragazzini/Next Artists, using makeup by Kevyn Aucoin Beauty@ VivianaMartin and hair product by Living Proof and G3; model: Brianna Russo/ Wilhelmina Model Mgmt.

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

CYCLE OF LIFE Isaac Ash, president and CEO of U n i t e d L e g w e a r & A p p a r e l C o m p a n y, o n t h e f r u i t s o f w o r k i n g hard and giving just as much back in return.

DEAR 17-YEAR-OLD-ISAAC, These days, it’s hard to keep your mind on socks. You’re just a senior in high school, and while your Brooklyn friends get to hang out at Spumoni Gardens pizzeria every day after school, you’ll be getting into your mom’s car to drive around the Tri-State area and sell socks, store-to-store, door-to-door. But don’t worry, very soon you’ll have enough money saved to buy that Mustang GT your heart is set on. Along the way, you’ll also learn a valuable life lesson: work hard, save and earn so that you can do what you want to do in life. Money isn’t everything, but it will give you choices, and having choices is one of the keys to happiness.

So don’t get upset when Grandpa is hard on you at the office. I know you’re tired of hearing that he “sees something special in you.” You think it’s just a line.

But he believes great things lie ahead for you and—spoiler alert—he’s right! For starters, you have his name. You also have his passion for life. And deep down you have his relentless work ethic that will allow you to succeed beyond anything that he could have dreamed. It’s like he can see your future, but you have to see it too, and work very hard for it.

As you approach adulthood, you must put into action all the life lessons your family has taught you. How many times have Mom and Dad told you nothing’s impossible if you put your mind to it?

Well, it’s true. I know, because I’m standing on the other side of that impossible task of launching a business with just a few dollars and one employee, and growing it into a global entity that today employs nearly 250 people.

Your world is about to get much bigger, young Isaac. Right now, though, Brooklyn seems like a small place where you know everyone in your neighborhood. But it won’t be long until you’re traveling the world and doing business with all sorts of talented people. Here’s another life lesson: Recognize the people who are positive influences on your life and who should walk your road with you. Surround yourself with those who lift you up and are happy when you succeed, but equally willing to share the hard times. People who show up only for the party aren’t the ones who will change your life in the most significant ways.

Speaking of significant people in life, you’ll meet a beautiful woman named Deborah in your apartment building when you’re in your early

36 footwearplusmagazine.com • july 2019

thirties. Life lesson number three: Make sure you sweep her off her feet and treat her right! She’ll become your wife, life partner and best friend, and make you a better person every day. And I’m glad you like kids, because you’ll have four beautiful ones within a six-year span!

Now for some valuable business lessons. First, you don’t have to know everything, all the time. For all the things you don’t know, find the people who do. Surround yourself with people who have skills in areas where you’re not strong and who will bring new perspectives to your business. Second, make sure those people are going to tell you what you need to know to succeed, which isn’t the same as telling you what you want to hear. Three, remember the name Chris Volpe. When you meet him, offer him a job!!! He’ll go on to become your invaluable CFO/COO. Nobody builds a thriving business alone. Even though you’ll be founder, president and CEO of a company one day, it won’t run solely on your talents and hard work. Think of your company as a bicycle and the employees as links in the chain. Unless everyone is linked together and doing the jobs they are meant to do, nothing moves forward. Every link is equal and connected.

Up to now, I’ve given you advice on family, business and friendships. Now for the most important aspect in your life: God. That’s where everything starts and ends. When you wake up each morning, give thanks for another day to do good in the world and enjoy life. When you begin to have a little bit of success, show gratitude by giving back to people in need. The more successful your company becomes, the more you should give. Goodness is also like a bicycle in that it works best in perpetual motion.

This may seem like a lot for a high school senior to take in, so I’ll leave you with four key words to imprint on your young mind: Unity (family, friends, employees); Loyalty (to people in your life who love and support you); Advancement (always keep moving forward in life and work); and Charity (give back as much and as often as you can).

These words form an important acronym, ULAC, which happens to be the name of your future company, United Legwear & Apparel Company. Good luck, kid! Keep doing what you’re doing, and you’ll change the world. Amen!

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EDITOR’S PICKS

Rafa Fortress of Inca

MINK SHOES REBECCA MINK HAS lived and breathed her mission of creating vegan shoes featuring sustainable materials long before green and good became the new black. Since 2000, in fact.

A personal stylist to Hollywood elite, Mink had struggled to find quality vegan footwear for her stars’ red carpet moments and decided to solve the problem herself. “The only option was Payless,” she says. “I didn’t want to compromise.”

Mink traveled to factories in Italy where she met Mara Picchioni, who was making shoes for Chanel and Christian Louboutin at the time. “She had a young daughter learning the industry who believed vegan was the future,” Mink says. The two hit it off and, a couple of years later, after perfecting fabrics, creating a non-animal-based glue and developing new manufacturing processes, Mink’s eponymous collection of vegan-made, couture styles debuted.

It isn’t just a dedication to animal-free and sustainable designs that sits at the heart of Mink’s sparkle pumps, patent ballerina flats and retro wooden clogs. It’s Italian craftsmanship, as well. “I believe creating shoes in Italy is where you get a true shoe,” she says. “They’re the best in the world at what they do.” The fourth generation shoemakers in her factory work tirelessly to create Mink’s designs, which have some unique challenges. “We had some fabrics that were 100-percent recycled, and they kept melting in the machines,” Mink recalls. “So they put them in the freezer and worked with them frozen to make these beautiful shoes.”

Approaching her 20th anniversary next year, Mink reports business has never been better as the vegan movement gains mass appeal. In addition, new and better materials mean more great styles to choose from. “We’ve always gravitated toward sustainable materials—some of our heels are made of sugar cane that are just as strong and biodegrade over time—and we use non petroleumbased plastics,” she says. The designer sees a robust custom business taking shape as well. “We will set up pop-up shops, where people can try on different styles and then personalize the design with heel heights and 32 fabrics to choose from,” she says. Mink also sees a growing opportunity to partner with brands to make vegan versions of their styles, like she is with Kat Von D. “We can join forces,” Mink says. “We’re happy to show how vegan shoes are made and can look beautiful.” —Aleda Johnson 38 footwearplusmagazine.com • july 2019

All Black

Nina Z

NATU R A L WO NDE RS Eco-chic materials like wood, fish skin and vegan leather raise the bar on looking “good.”

Who is the Mink Shoes woman? She can be 18 to 60 years old, and she’s determined to do the right thing. It’s a paradigm shift about what people think when it comes to fashion.

How’s business this year? We are up to 25,000 pairs a month. We’ve never sold this many shoes, and we’re looking for investors to meet the growing demand.

The growth of vegan shoes isn’t stopping because today’s youth is growing up with these ideals. We’re finally seeing competition, and I’m super excited about it. Leather shoe companies see the need to add better vegan shoes. Now that we have a market, game on!

Any designers you admire? I love Amelia Pucci because I’m a big fan of color and ’60s and ’70s fashions. I wore a custom Pucci vegan dress at my wedding. Ferragamo is another designer I admire. Their tech guy, who made the first wedge ever, was my tech guy starting out.

What do you love most about designing shoes? I love making beautiful shoes. But what I love most is seeing a shoe for the first time. It’s like déjà vu. I saw it in my head designing it, but seeing all the details when it’s finished is amazing. Shoes are not easy to make—sometimes there are 16 patterns just in the upper. It requires a lot of people’s love and attention.

What is your favorite Mink shoe? It’s one of my first shoes, the Blowfish. It’s a wood platform with three straps on the front— very Studio 54. I’m excited to relaunch it for our 20th anniversary next year.

Anything else special planned for the 20th anniversary? Yes. In addition to launching our custom design project, we’re introducing an alphabet heel that can accommodate any letter. We’ll also do a 20th anniversary heel. Beyond that, we’re focused on the big picture: changing the industry by using vegan and sustainable materials. We’re off to the races—a 20-year overnight success!

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

REBECCA MINK

S H O W C A S E S P RING ’20

Cougar’s Spring ‘20 collection is about modern footwear made to function. The Lotus sandal combines premium Nappa leather, kid suede and criss-cross strapLive life comfortably all summer long in Bearpaw’s new Vegan Pineapple

ping with a lightweight sawtooth outsole for a distinctive ankle wrap silhouette.

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Our entire collection features premium leathers, suedes and knits that are both

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PETA, these styles are certified vegan and fashion friendly. Visit us at: FFANY,

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Restricted Footwear styles focus on edgy elements of design and present eye-catching details to the fashionforward consumer.

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Birkenstock is a global footwear brand that stands for quality, function and all-round well-being.

Birkenstock carries a growing range of products for women, men and kids including sandals, clogs, shoes, boots, socks, belts and arch supports.

Birkenstock products have been made in Germany since 1774 and reflect our key values of health, wellness and craftsmanship.

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Chooka makes premium footwear designed by women, for women.

Merging personality with functionality, Chooka waterproof boots feature signature prints and memory foam insoles so wearers can get things done in comfort and style. Visit us at: FN Platform, The Atlanta Shoe Market and Children’s Club.

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Bella~Vita: an elegant line of fine L’Artiste by Spring Step offers colorful, creative and unique shoes for everyone.

footwear. The NADETTE II is a

We have consistently crafted outstanding products and deliver wonderful value

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and service. With higher margins, free POP displays and simple e-service, we

espadrille with pizzaz and charm. The

can be your perfect partner. Discover why Spring Step is the winning team! Style

style is available in a large range

shown: Winniva.

of sizes and widths. Visit us at national

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and regional shows.

Comfort starts with fit. For more than 30 years, we have perfected our product line to offer diverse styles in those hard-to-find sizes and widths. We are an

Always evolving, always striving to do better. That’s the Earth Shoe promise.

industry leader in evolving comfort and wellness into fashionable footwear.

The Spring 2020 collection boasts more sustainable features than ever, and

The Lexie is our newest women’s sandal that offers style and comfort in three

each style is built with the exclusive Powerpath footbed design to energize and

widths. Visit us at: FN Platform, The Atlanta Shoe Market, Michigan Shoe

uplift every step. This is Modern Wellness Fashion. Visit us at: FN Platform

Market and BSTA.

and The Atlanta Shoe Market.

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NAOT’s superbly handmade products demonstrate a response to the compelling need for healthy, comfortable and fashionable footwear. At the same time, NAOT’s

Skechers is throwing it back to the ’90s with the release of the heritage

unfailing commitment to integrity makes quality customer service the highest pri-

styles that bridged the gap between grunge and pop. Traditionalists will

ority. Walk on the wild side with NAOT! Contact us to schedule an appointment

rejoice at the resurgence of Skechers Roadies, Skechers Street Cleats and

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Taos is a lifestyle brand that focuses on support, comfort, quality and fun

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eccentricity, Joules has been designing upbeat, colorful clothing for all who

in the industry, Taos welcomes the Hippie. The famous Genie toe loop

love the outdoors and live life to the fullest for over 30 years. Designed in the

silhouette returns, cleaned up for today’s down-to-earth times. Available

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in five colors and made in Portugal. Visit us at: IR Show, FN Platform,

customers to embrace the elements and get outside whatever the weather.

NW Shoe Travelers, Minneapolis Show, The Atlanta Shoe Market

Visit us at: Atlanta Gift & Home, NYC Menswear Show, Children’s Club

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Spring Step combines quality, comfort, technology and style to bring you premium footwear. We have consistently crafted outstanding products and Easy Street has been recognized as an innovator in all categories of comfort

deliver wonderful value and service. With higher margins, free POP displays

footwear for more than 50 years. The Joann rafia-wrapped, flexible

and simple e-service, we can be your perfect partner. Discover why Spring

espadrilles are available in 43 sizes (5-12) and widths (M, W, WW).

Step is the winning team! Style shown: Fusaro.

Open stock for Spring 2020. Visit us at national and regional shows.

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L’Amour Des Pieds footwear effortlessly blends classic style and modern comfort technologies featuring high-quality materials. The sophisticated and fashion-forward designs are more than just comfortable footwear, it’s a lifestyle. Visit us at: FFANY,

The Bobby urban hiker is the latest offering in Khombu’s outdoor

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be couture. Meanwhile, an array of hipster sneaker-based brands prove that the form of shoemaking need not be the dirty business it often is, nor done in factories with questionable working conditions.

Allbirds, for example, has burst onto the scene, led by its sustainable materials story (think wool uppers) and a manufacturing process that consumes 60 percent less energy than typical sneakers. The brand’s Tree collection of casual styles is made using ethically sourced Eucalyptus fibers, which use five percent of the water and one-third of the land compared to traditional materials. In addition, the laces are made from recycled plastic bottles and insoles derived from castor beans. Allbirds’ new SweetFoam sole is made from sugarcane—a carbon negative alternative to petroleumbased foam common in casual footwear.

In addition to shoes, many brands are reducing the packaging. Staheekum,

HOW TO MAKE YOUR STORE GREEN AND INVITING Create a Living Wall: A wall of indoor plants placed under airconditioning vents improves air quality, has a calming effect and is pretty to look at. Living walls are good ideas for stores located in enclosed malls, where air can be recirculated and stale.

Use Less Energy: Turn off the lights, use energyefficient appliances, tune up HVAC equipment annually… what’s good for the environment can also save money.

According to the Small Business Administration, a 10-percent reduction in energy costs for the average full-line discount retailer can boost net profit margins by as much as 1.55 percent and sales per square foot by $25.

Swipe Right: Switch cleaning supplies to non-toxic products.

They’re safe, biodegradable, healthier to use and often come in sustainable packaging. They help lessen water and air pollution, and often they are a cost parity.

Bag the (Plastic) Bags: As states, cities and towns enact plastic bag bans, reusable bags are becoming more common and expected. Might as well be a part of the solution than making

it difficult to leave the store with a purchase.

Just Say No—to Paper: Digital bill payments, receipts, vendor orders, invoices, online banking, e-mail, scanning...it all saves trees and reduces waste. What’s not to like?

Dangle a Carrot: Reward employees who walk, bike or use mass transit to get to work.

Solicit input and offer employees incentives for submitting eco-friendly store initiatives and who participate in local cleanups.

Break the Habit: Eliminate disposable cups, plates and utensils in the breakroom. Replace with dishware.

Spread the (Green) Word: Sustainability efforts are like a badge of honor. Consumers increasingly want to buy ecofriendly merchandise, and it stands to reason that they want to shop in stores that are equally mindful of the environment.

Include it in marketing materials and on social media feeds. Also, sponsor environmental causes and participate in local green events to show the concern is genuine.

44 footwearplusmagazine.com • july 2019

a division of Washington Shoe Company, completed the simple but impactful switch to shipping shoes in one box rather than two about a year ago. The company is also exploring using more natural rubber, which is inherently more durable than oil-based synthetic rubber. “I believe any responsible business has to be looking at sustainability,” says Karl Moehring, CEO. “We’re looking at the business as a whole with regards to sustainability.”

While many brands are justifiably proud of the efforts they’ve made to reduce their environmental footprints, some executives believe the industry can become a leader of all industries. One need only look at Adidas’ Futurecraft.

Loop, a glue-free sneaker it says is fully recyclable because the entire item can be chopped up and reused elsewhere in the manufacturing process. Another next level design is Reebok’s Cotton + Corn sneaker, launched last year, which is made of 75 percent bio-based materials.

Nike has also been emphasizing sustainability efforts, ranging from removing greenhouse gases from its Air soles to amping up C OLLEE N VIE N , the renewable energy used to power its operations. In addiSUSTA IN A BILIT Y D IR ECTOR , tion, Timberland continues to T IM BE R L A N D be a leader in sustainability, stretching from products that feature renewable, recycled and organic materials to community outreach programs that allow consumers to work alongside its employees to make the world cleaner. (See Last Word, p. 22, to learn more about Timberland’s latest sustainability efforts.)

The sustainable shoe design crusade is a snowball effect. The more players involved lowers costs while raising the bar on style and innovation. It’s a win-win for the industry and consumers. Perhaps one day sustainable design won’t even be an either-or purchase decision—it’ll be the only choice. In the meantime, Timberland’s Vien says sustainability is a gift with purchase for some consumers and, for a growing number of others, it’s the first prerequisite. Regardless, she says a sustainable design has to perform, it can’t be hideous and must be fairly priced. “It’s on us as a company and an industry to make sure that we provide those options because we know that when we do, along with the green factor, consumers will go there every time,” she says.

Shoes are one of life’s must-have items. The more sustainable production methods and materials, and the sooner it all comes on line, the better. This can’t be another fad. Green has to become the gold standard for the good of the planet. “It’s a long arc. It takes many years to change,” says Keen’s Enlow. “From a business lens the stakes are much higher. Sustainability as a ‘nice to have’ is no longer valid.” •

“It’s on us as a company and an industry to make sure that we provide those options because we know that when we do, along with the green factor, consumers will go there every time,”

continued from page 15 with the value continuum of Wolverine Worldwide. It’s always centered on their brand purpose and brought to life in a way that’s authentic and important to their consumer. If it isn’t, the consumer will see through it.

In the case of Sperry?

Sperry’s brand origins are the sea with its iconic boat shoe. Their social cause is reducing plastic waste in the oceans. It’s a huge global issue that impacts everyone, whether you ever step on a boat or not. To help address the issue, Sperry is making sustainable products like the Bionic collection, which is made from recycled plastics recovered from marine and coastal environments. Through a partnership with Bionic (makers of the recycled plastic yarn) and Waterkeeper Alliance, its campaign #Sperry for Good also rallies consumers to take the pledge to reduce single use plastic. It’s a totally integrated approach that’s fully aligned with their business strategy and important to their target consumer.

And Chaco?

Chaco is also a brand with roots in water recreation. It launched the E Dye collaboration, a waterless color system that reduces the consumption of water in the manufacturing process and financially supports the National Park Foundation, Conservation Alliance, the U.S.A. Men’s Rafting team and O.A.R.S. That’s putting your money where your mouth is and giving consumers the option to buy a product that they can feel good about because it’s allowing them to make that impact with their purchase.

Similarly, Merrell’s Gridway collection features a range of sustainable materials. In addition, its Merrell One Trail campaign is about diversity and inclusion on the trail. The brand also supports a variety of outdoor organizations, such as Camber Outdoors, American Hiking Society and the Conservation Alliance.

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Is it easier to align with a cause as a performance-based brand as opposed to a fashion one?

It doesn’t have to be. Take Keds, for example. Their approach to sustainability is championing women through gender equality and its Lady’s First initiative. It involves how they operate the brand. For example, its photo shoots are run by female-only teams. It’s an empowering message that speaks directly to its target customers. Likewise, Wolverine’s Project Bootstrap campaign is putting a spotlight on the gap in skilled trade workers in the U.S. It doesn’t have to be an environmental focus, or a performance hiking or running scenario. There is a social space for every brand. I think Project Bootstrap is a genius approach to identifying that gap, highlighting people who are employed in the trades and how they do amazing work.

We want to make people aware of that option. Young people today have a choice: they can go to college and begin acquiring student loan debt or they can enter a trades program where they get paid. There’s a shortage in these workers, they’re super-important jobs, involving honorable work and it pays very well.

Can brands just use a product and price platform today?

You could. I mean, not every brand is putting the same calories behind this approach, but I don’t think it’s going away and consumers are going to look for it more and more. Of course, the pendulum can always swing too far to one side. I forget the name, but a company recently took that product/price approach and said it was just delivering good stuff in the package. Period.

Our job is to sell product, so how we tie in the good endeavors has to be

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W H AT ’S SE LL I N G

I

Outdoor Specialty

A P PA L A C H I A N O U T D O O R S S t a t e C o l l e g e , PA

T TOOK GEOFF BRUGLER a few tries to figure out what he Any shoe preferences or needs unique to the local customer? The trails wanted to do with his life. After earning a degree in engineering around here are the rockiest that I’ve hiked anywhere, so hikers here need a from Penn State University in the early ’70s, Brugler tried veterinary sturdy boot. It’s also surprising how insanely popular trail running is. school, graduate school, waiting tables and being a bike mechanic before he saw the gaping hole for an outdoor specialty store in the What are your best-selling brands? Our No. 1 shoe currently is the Lone Peak college town nestled in the heart of Pennsylvania. It was a leap of from Altra followed by Solomon and Merrell. Zero-drop shoes are popular, faith as Brugler only had only $400 in his bank account, but thanks and Sorel is popular with women. Smartwool and Darn Tough are the best to his father cosigning a loan, he was able to open Appalachian socks, but it’s hard to overbuy socks from Farm to Feet.

Outdoors in 1974.

Brugler became a sponge, soaking up every book and tidbit of advice from What is your best way to reach customers? Email is still our top way of industry veterans and learning from his mistakes along the way. While there connecting to people followed by social media. We try as many ways as poshave been rough patches—he almost went out of business twice—45 years sible to bring people to the shop. We have a Google-certified inventory, so if later, one move and an expansion, the 12,000-square-foot brick storefront someone local is searching for something online, we’ll pop up. We’re even a that sits half a block from Penn State University’s main campus is the go-to UPS access point, so UPS can drop packages here if a person isn’t at home. place for locals and students alike for all their outdoor needs. Appalachian That’s 20 people a day who may not have been here before who stop in to Outdoors offers clothing, gear, a ski shop and a 1,500-square-foot shoe area pick up their packages. full of leading brands like Merrell, Keen, Chaco, Vasque, Solomon and Teva.

Any advice for independent retailers? If you Despite doing a robust online business, don’t have a head for numbers or aren’t great Brugler prefers talking to his customers in at creative marketing, find someone who is. We person, regardless of making a sale. “Sales are outsource those little slivers of the business to a byproduct of having real relationships with those with expertise. Also, button up your buying, people, showing interest in them and taking train your staff, have a robust marketing calendar care of them,” he says. “If you focus on what and know what companies you can work with. the customer needs right then, the sales come because you did everything else right.”

What has been the key to making it through In addition to investing time and effort the rough patches? Documentation, documeninto every customer who walks through the tation, documentation. You can’t duplicate what door, Brugler is a strong supporter of the local you don’t document. We keep a dropbox for each community. Appalachian Outdoors supports of my reps and vendors so they can pull sales more than 100 local nonprofit agencies and reports and see what we need more or less of. hosts local runs and hikes. The store also That‘s how you become partners. They have a participates in shop local campaigns, First different perspective, and if you want them to Friday events and shop talk nights, where the have ownership in the results, you gotta share public can hold free discussions on topics like the data. The reps love it because they want to hypothermia risks and backpacking tips. “This know what the marketplace is doing. Also, being is a small town in a lot of ways,” Brugler says. well trained in product and service and bending We are...Appalachian Outdoors! The outdoor specialty store “We’re always looking for something unique over backwards with customer-centric policies. is a destination for Penn State students, alumni and fans. to give people a reason to trust us and want Focus on reputation and customer experience. to shop with us.” —Aleda Johnson You have to give them a reason to want to shop.

How’s business? Very challenging. We’ve seen a tough hit over the last few years. Sales are flat and door counts are down, but the average item value, transaction and margin are all up. We’re holding our own but tailoring expenses to match the fluctuating sales and changing traffic flow. We’re not setting records like we used to, but fortunately we’re in a small enough market that big stores don’t come in here.

What is your biggest challenge? We started selling on Amazon in 2001 which is mixed blessing because we give them all of our data but it’s not as profitable anymore. Next is vendors selling direct and promoting in season.

Third is proformas, which is more prevalent than people realize. It’s not a level playing field. Brands that we’ve built from scratch in our store and online who then tell us we can’t sell on Amazon anymore.

Who is the Appalachian Outdoors customer? A third of the town is between the ages of 18 and 23 because of the university, so just under half of our customers are students. But we have a strong market with the local clientele and draw people from outlying areas because there are only a couple of us independent outdoor retailers left in Pennsylvania. Penn State also has the largest alumni association in the world, and they come back often to visit.

Plus we get 12,000 new students each year.

Where do you see Appalachian Outdoors in five years? I’m looking into setting up a succession. I won’t be the sole owner or perhaps not an owner at all, but I will still be involved financially. I will probably sell to someone in the business who has stuck with me through it all and isn’t interested in liquidation or selling it to someone else. Otherwise, the store may not stay in good shape, and no one wants their business back five years later at 60 percent of the sales.

46 footwearplusmagazine.com • july 2019

on point yet not preachy. The website is where consumers can educate themselves about where they’re investing their money. But when shopping online, they also need to be able to get to the product, make the purchase and get out.

Doing good is good for sales, but what are benefits of doing so internally?

It’s very important in terms of employee retention and attracting new talent.

The same way that sustainability is important to consumers buying our products, our employees have passionate feelings about community and social issues. When employees know that the organization they work for is doing something positive and has values that they hold dear, it’s powerful.

It helps our employees to be engaged and want to do more. Data shows that employees who are inspired and aligned with their organization are more productive and efficient.

It’s in step with the rise of conscious capitalism, which is an about-face from the “greed is good” corporate mentality.

We don’t only think of sustainability as green, we think about it in terms of people as well. And given the talent gap in a lot of spaces combined with the super-high employment rates, companies have to be intuitive and responsive to their employees’ needs. Burning your employees out and ushering the next wave in doesn’t work today. Who wants to work for a company with that reputation? There’s definitely been a change on the sustainability side in this regard. We see that in equity pay, gender equality, diversity and inclusion.

It’s a huge shift in the employment equation.

And a refreshing one.

For sure. We, as an organization, understand that our employees have full lives and how can we support them in that. How do we support maternity and paternity leave, commuting, volunteerism, and all these things that at one point were relegated to the corner of HR. We want to be the place that supports and cares for the total person. CSR is getting lots of traction, but so is career pathing and thinking about employees as more than just an employee.

This is a radical shift, no?

Yes. Before, you were thought of highly if you talked about how many hours a week you worked, whether you were on call all the time, etc. That was a badge of honor in the ’80s and ’90s. That’s not the discussion anymore. If you’re saying you work 60 hours a week, the average person is asking why. There’s more concern about the individual, and that level of work and stress is not healthy.

That’s a huge difference. Granted, we have to run a business, but it comes down to which comes first: do you push employees to deliver and then reward them, or do you create an environment where they feel supported, valued and able to do the things that they’re passionate about, which then inspires them to be more productive and creative. I happen to think it’s the latter.

What do you love most about your job?

I love this role. I also love the opportunity to step out of the single brand perspective and work across a portfolio and help tell a lasting part of Wolverine Worldwide’s ongoing story. Having the ability to craft the next chapter of what people know about this 130-year-old organization is just super-exciting. •

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TRICKS OF THE TRADE

HIRE POWERS

Maurice Breton, president of Comfort One Shoes, offers tips on building a winning workforce.

1. CAST A NET: It all starts with the interview process. Review applications/resumes and narrow it down to who you believe are the most promising candidates. Does the candidate live near the workplace? What is the education level? And watch out for red flags, like where they have held many jobs in a short period of time or there are gaps in their work history.

Once you have several good candidates, find a comfortable and professional setting to conduct in-person interviews. It could be a quiet corner of your stockroom, your office or a public space with a private spot, like a Starbucks. Have your questions prepared in advance and allow 30 to 60 minutes for each interview. Remember, this person is an important addition to your company! Don’t rush it, and don’t let yourself be interrupted during the interview process. Silence your cell phone.

this person’s career with your firm is spending the time and resources to train them properly. When you plant a seed in your garden, you must water, fertilize and weed for it to grow properly. The goal is for that seed to produce fruit over and over. The same rule of thumb applies here.

Training is critical to not only their success, but yours as well. There is no substitute for proper training. Your standards, under no circumstances, can be compromised by anyone. Accountability is critical. If you’re commission-based, for example, then a proper and transparent up system is critical to maintaining decorum on the selling floor. Your training must discuss and test the

2. HEAR THEM OUT: Allow the candidates to do most of the talking. You are interviewing them, not the other way around. If you believe toward the end of the interview that the candidate may be a good fit for your organization, then you can get into “selling” your organization, i.e. the culture, benefits program, business environment, etc. But don’t oversell your organization. This will just come back to haunt you. The key is to underpromise and over-deliver.

No matter what position you’re trying to fill, make sure that your questions can’t be answered in one word. As a relatively small business, everyone must carry their weight and work independently, if necessary. Above all, the new hire must be a cultural fit. The old-adage “hire personality and train the rest” is true. Is the candidate friendly and sincere? Do they have a great smile and a nice laugh? Do they present themselves in a way that markets your business in a positive light? Because when a new customer walks in your door, you only have one chance to make that all-important first impression. So ask yourself: Would you want to buy something from the person you are about to hire?

new hire in professional salesmanship, proper fitting, upselling and, most importantly, maximizing each sales opportunity that walks into your store.

With foot traffic being at a premium, the ability to expand the sales opportunity with each customer is crucial. It’s a skill that requires considerable training and finessing. It’s not a quality everyone innately possesses.

3. TRAINING DAYS: Hiring is easy compared to the next step to creating a winning workforce: training. As in you must be ABT: always be training. It starts with making the new hire feel welcome in your organization. The biggest deposit you can make in

4. ESTABLISH A MENTORING PROGRAM: Match your new hire with a seasoned professional in your organization. It’s done in restaurants all the time, where a new waiter works with an experienced server before being allowed to take orders

48 footwearplusmagazine.com • july 2019

solo. The mentorship program will pay you back in dividends over the years. New hires who are properly assigned mentors to shadow in our organization always become a quicker and better fit in our store culture. Plus, the first few weeks are a critical time that can determine their future productivity and longevity in our firm.

5. MATCH SKILLS: As managers of a business, we must constantly evaluate and match each employee’s strengths with specific roles in the company.

If, for example, someone is adept at visual merchandising, that person should cross train with a staff member in that department. It’s an excellent way to learn the job. Also, it won’t leave you stranded if the person who always does, say, the window presentations is out for an extended period. You’ll be covered.

6. BE GOAL ORIENTED: It’s important to set daily goals for every employee on the selling floor.

It’s equally important to monitor whether they measure up to those goals. Statistical data enable you to judge fairly and honestly. It’s much easier to be hard on the numbers while being soft on the people. This allows for a healthier balance in training and monitoring employees.

Why not sell a bunch of pairs? Comfort One salespeople are skilled in the art of upselling.

7. HIGHER CALLING: Make sure new hires understand that there’s a clear path for upward mobility in your organization. It may be as simple as rising from sales associate to sales associate mentor to third key to assistant manager to store manager, etc. It lets employees know that if they work hard, embrace the corporate culture, follow the rules and perform well that they’ll be rewarded with career advancement and greater earnings potential. It also helps with staffing needs. If, for example, you want three people working until closing, a first assistant, third key and a new sales associate provide the proper balance for a smooth operation as well as a clear chain of command.

Building a winning workforce requires patience and practice. Just like the need to always be training, the search for potential new recruits is an ongoing process. Who knows, a potential future vice president could be in that next pool of entrylevel sales recruits. How do I know that? Because I was that person decades ago.

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