Footwear Plus | September 2019

TH E DTC D EB AT E Can Retailers and Brands Share the Wealth?

T HE B I G IDE AS David Kahan on How Birkenstock is Just Getting Started C O OL FO R KI DS Spring ’20 Review T H I S J U ST I N Great Danes

S E P T E M B E R 2019 FEATURES 10 The DTC Debate Heats Up With retailers and brands competing more than ever for sales, is there a way to share the wealth—or even peacefully coexist?

By Lauren Parker 12 Moon Shot Mission On the heels of meteoric growth and expansion, David Kahan, CEO of Birkenstock Americas, delves into why the brand has only just left the launch pad.

By Greg Dutter 22 The Cool Kids No in-crowd is left out as designers deliver a range of seasonally appropriate styles.

By Emily Beckman 26 Hello, Yellow From striking sunshine to sweet pastel, the warm hue radiates joyful style.

By Aleda Johnson

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

DEPA RTMENTS

Platform slides by Spring Step, Wanda Nylon hat, Tuleste earrings, ruffle top by Comme des Garçon, stylist’s sheer skirt and stockings.

4 Editor’s Note 6 This Just In 8 Scene & Heard 18 Trend Spotting 21 A Note to My Younger Self 24 Fit to Print 36 Shoe Salon 38 Upclose Comfort 40 Last Shot

Mike Hoff Digital Director WAINSCOT MEDIA Carroll Dowden Chairman Mark Dowden President & CEO Agnes Alves Controller OFFICES ADVERTISING/EDITORIAL

PA G E

26

On cover: Secret Celebrity sandal with oversized bow, Michael Kors cape, dress by Alberta Ferretti, Loucite by Alison Lou hoops, headband by Keely Hunter.

Photography by Trevett McCandliss; styling

by Amit Gajwani/Art & Style NYC; hair and makeup by Nevio Ragazzini/Next Artists, using makeup by Kevyn Aucoin Beauty@ VivianaMartin and hair product by Living Proof and G3; fashion editor: Aleda Johnson; stylist assistant: Aya Sakai; model: Nakai/ Fenton Model Mgmt.

214 W. 39th St., Suite 205 New York, NY 10018 Tel: (646) 278-1550 Fax: (646) 278-1553 editorialrequests@ 9Threads.com CIRCULATION

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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.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to FOOTWEAR PLUS, P.O. Box 8548, Lowell, MA 01853-8548. Publisher not responsible for unsolicited articles or photos. Any photographs, artwork, manuscripts, editorial samples or merchandise sent for editorial consideration are sent at the sole risk of the sender. Wainscot Media will assume no responsibility for loss or damage. No portion of this issue may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. ©2008 by Wainscot Media. Printed in the United States.

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PERSONALITY MEETS FUNCTIONALITY All-Weather Footwear Designed

by Women, For Women

shopchooka.com

@shopchooka

#chYOUka

E D ITOR’S NOT E

Streak Show

Breaking Bad STREAKS USUALLY COME to an end at some point. Cal Ripken Jr., for example, blew past Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games played streak (2,130) by playing in 2,632 games over 16 years—shattering a record that had stood for 56 years. At the opposite end of the heroic achievement spectrum, sources report the longest Snapchat streak is north of 1,400 days—one that will likely be broken repeatedly even if no one cares. And, hopefully, lying somewhere in the middle of the range is my streak of writing this Editor’s Note, which was snapped (literally) last month after 222 columns spanning nearly 23 years. A nasty bike crash—with broken bones that rendered me a one-handed typist on plenty of meds—ended my run.

Nursing my wounds, however, provided me with plenty of time to ponder and gain perspective. For starters, life went on after my streak was broken—and I’m grateful for that! My accident could have been far worse, as my friends and family reminded me. The ground I hit could have been a speeding car. Chalk one up for the power of finding a renewed appreciation for life. It does wonders to help you grind through a painful healing process.

Similarly, I sympathize like never before when I see someone struggling just to get from point A to point B. Pain and disability are relative; there are people in far worse shape than I am and, sadly, many will only get worse. What I took for granted in mobility came screeching to a halt when the journey from the front stoop to the Uber involved great pain and time. I’ve already embarked on a streak never to rush past anyone who needs to take it slowly and carefully. I’ll get wherever I’m headed soon enough.

Last but surely not least, I gained a renewed respect for caretakers— starting with my wife! The old saying is for better or worse, and this was a stretch of worse: doctors’ appointments, household chores, the (nightmarish) college application prep process, lugging home groceries, helping Footwear Plus meet its show issue deadline and just being on call for every little thing I couldn’t do for myself—all while keeping up with her full-time job responsibilities! The bar on our marriage pact has been raised.

My forced break from writing about the state of our industry also provided a dose of perspective. Ironically, I had been mulling over an August issue column idea—something I often do on long, solo bike rides—with the working title “Fight Club.” The gist was that surviving

this bruising streak of retail disruption requires supreme toughness and a willingness to do whatever it takes, be it tremendous reinvestment, as White Mountain Footwear CEO Kevin Mancuso detailed in the Q&A, or an entire rebuild, as Scott Home is undertaking with Fashion Major Brands, distributors of Musse & Cloud and Coolway. Many rules no longer apply, requiring new playbooks to be written. Even the most sacrosanct rule of them all—the customer is always right—no longer applies, at least not in my playbook. Is Joe or Jane Public right when, after going into a store, browsing a broad selection and being expertly fitted, he or she whips out a smartphone to see if the item is sold for a few bucks less somewhere else and then demanding a price match?

So much for services rendered and the Golden Rule of treating people as you want to be treated. The first rule of my (abandoned) Fight Club column would have been: There are no rules.

The no rules theme has carried over into this issue. For example, are there any rules when it comes to the direct-to-consumer (DTC) channel?

Should brands chase as many of those sales as possible, even competing on price with retailers, just because they can? Or should brands develop platforms where retailers vie for a share of DTC sales, like those Mephisto and Naot have introduced recently? This issue’s Special Report (p. 10) delves into the growing DTC debate, which inspires passionate feelings on both sides. In fact, many retailers now consider DTC a bigger threat than Amazon.

Birkenstock is another example of a company shunning established rules, says David Kahan, CEO of Birkenstock Americas and subject of our Q&A (p.12). The 247-year-old brand has doubled in size in just the past three years, thanks in large part to an outside-the-box approach with regard to distribution, collabs, product extensions and brand management. Contrary to an overriding industry sentiment that trends today have increasingly short lifespans, Kahan believes Birkenstock’s run has just begun—the possibilities for future growth and expansion are endless.

Last month marked the first August in 38 years that I didn’t go for a bike ride, which, for me, involves wearing colorful Lycra and riding for miles. Another streak broken. But when I think about Birkenstock’s run and how Kahan says the moves being made position the company for a third century of existence, it’s nothing short of astounding. Pundits say Ripken’s consecutive games streak will never be broken, yet it took him a mere 16 years to achieve it. Will Birkenstock’s streak ever end? Will it be broken three centuries from now?! That’s something to ponder.

Greg Dutter

Editorial Director

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Purveyors of premium European comfort footwear

Tel: (800) 361-3466 - info@kannercorp.net

THIS JUST IN

copenhagen chic Danes go to great lengths to showcase their shoe game during the capital city‘s fashion week.

Photography by Melodie Jeng

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SCENE & HEARD

Mephisto Opens Concept Store in San Francisco

MEPHISTO OPENED ITS 19th concept store in the U.S., the latest location in San Francisco’s coveted Union Square shopping district. The new shop complements corporateand independently-owned Mephisto shops as well as hundreds of multi-brand retail partners, including Nordstrom, Dillard’s, Saks and The Walking Company.

“Northern California has always been a great market for us,” says James Rowley,

CEO of Mephisto USA. “We’re thrilled with our new location and the opportunity to show the breadth of our line both to brand loyalists and those who may be discovering us for the first time.”

Rowley expects the shop to appeal to locals and tourists seeking that “rare combination” of comfort and style. Mephisto has garnered attention of late in GQ, Highsnobiety and other fashion publications for its recent collaborations with Concepts on a new version of its classic Match sneaker and with designer Sam Linder. Also, Mephisto celebrated its 1975 Originals collection with updated Rainbow and Lady styles and a successful #MephistoWalks campaign.

“Comfort doesn’t have to be boring, and style doesn’t have to hurt,” Rowley says, adding the new shop opens as Mephisto readies its new Where2Next? campaign focusing on the brand’s role as consumers’ constant companion on life’s journey.

Wolverine Boot Built

by Tradespeople

WOLVERINE CELEBRATED THE launch of its new work boot, the Journeyman, by donating 100 percent of the proceeds, up to a maximum donation of $52,000, of its Iron Grey model sold on wolverine.com (Aug. 20 to Sept. 3) to the American College of the Building Arts (ACBA) in Charleston, SC. Designed with insights and inspiration from trade school students and teachers from the ACBA, the new boot is made by tradespeople, for tradespeople.

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“Partnering with ACBA students and staff directly to create a classic and timeless boot that met the durability standards they need on a job site was a one-of-a-kind collaborative process,” says Andrew Shripka, vice president of marketing for Wolverine.

“We’re proud to support the ACBA in its mission to educate and train artisans in the traditional building arts.”

The Journeyman (SRP: $170) blends classic design cues from Wolverine’s signature 1000 Mile boot collection with modern features of today’s heavy-duty work boots. “Wolverine is all about quality and durability, so we knew we were in good hands from the start of this collaboration,” says former ACBA student and Team Wolverine member Andrew Lacy.

“As a timber framer, comfort is imperative when you’re spending 10-plus hours a day on your feet, and the Journeyman delivers on all of those things while also serving as a boot I can wear beyond the job site.”

Skechers Best in Show SKECHERS UNVEILED ITS greatest wholesale apparel offering to date at the recent Magic Show in Las Vegas. The Spring ’20 collection of trend-right Americana styles pay homage to the brand’s iconic ’90s-style roots. Think plenty of bold prints, bright colors and silhouettes spanning performance to lifestyle. Spokesperson Brooke Burke, fitness guru and style mogul, was on-hand to model the goods paired with Skechers Stretch-Fit sneakers.

Also making howl-worthy news, Skechers announced it has donated more than $4.23 million to animal welfare organizations through its BOBS for Dogs and BOBS for Cats collections. Since 2014, the funds have helped more than 750,000 pets in the U.S., which includes more than 396,000 dogs and cats saved through adoptions. Just this year, thanks to its partnership with Petco Foundation, the company helped save the lives of 155,000 animals—a new lifesaving record for the BOBS brand. For each BOBS’ shoes, apparel and pet accessories sold at participating retailers as well as Petco.com and select Petco stores nationwide, 25 cents is donated to the Petco Foundation to help animal welfare and rescue organizations save and support shelter pets across the U.S. “We are thrilled and inspired to see how substantial an impact our collaboration with Petco Foundation has had in such a short period of time,” states Michael Greenberg, president of Skechers. “It’s really thanks to all of our consumers—their impassioned commitment to our shared cause—and all of the creative ways that we have built our partnership with Petco Foundation to make a greater difference.”

The Thara Bermuda

MODERN WELLNESS FASHION

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S P E C I A L R E P O RT

THE DTC DEBATE HEATS UP With retailers and brands competing more than ever for sales, is there a way to share the wealth—or even p e a c e f u l l y c o e x i s t ? B y L a u re n Pa r k e r Fact: Brands are increasingly selling directly to consumers online.

Argument: This is good for retailers as it boosts recognition for their brands, provides validation for their stores and gives consumers the omnichannel options they demand.

Argument: This is terrible for retailers as it steals away sales, puts them in direct competition with brands and, sometimes, undercuts them on price.

Argument: This is good for brands as they can control their own message, show and sell collections in their entirety and reduce retailer markdowns and return issues.

Argument: Retailers have enough competition already and, coupled with rising fixed costs, can’t afford to lose anymore margin or sales.

The debate rages on…

Amazon might be the evil empire retailers love to hate, but lately many are citing vendor partners as their No. 1 competitors and concern. Like it or not, direct-to-consumer (DTC)—also referred to as channel conflict—is here to stay. So as brands build vertical stores and ecommerce platforms and retailers expand private label offerings and/or stock exclusives, the question begs: Is there a way for both sides to work together and prosper? There are no easy answers or quick fixes, but of late a handful of brands have extended an olive branch by introducing DTC concepts that enable select retailers to gain a portion of those sales. This can be done by funneling DTC sales to nearby stores to fulfill as well as drop-shipping items for stores to offer a broader assortment and to reduce out-of-stock issues.

Mephisto USA, for example, has had success for about a year since installing Quivers, a collaborative order management system, for its 10 independently owned flagship stores.

Quivers enables Mephisto to send orders off its DTC site to those stores to see if they can fulfill. “The No. 1 thing that drives a consumer to your website is that they saw your brand physically somewhere,” says James Rowley, CEO of Mephisto USA. “So we want to help those flagships survive and thrive.”

Rowley, a former independent retailer, believes it’s difficult to compete these days unless those retailers can generate 10 to 20 percent of their revenue through online sales. “We try to get up to 20 percent of their revenue generated by our website,” he says, noting Quivers is currently available only for its flagships because of volume constraints. The system is more than just an additional revenue stream for retailers, however. It allows them to take more aggressive 10 footwearplusmagazine.com • september 2019

stances with product, Rowley says. “This enables stores in, say, Florida, to have a representation of fall product with newness in August because they know they have an outlet online,” he says. “If a consumer in Tampa orders a Mephisto shoe [on our website], rather than us ship from a New York store or a warehouse in Nashville, we’ll route the order to Florida to fulfill. At the end of the day, we service the consumer in the most efficient way.”

Gary Hauss, owner of J. Stephens, a comfort chain based in Southern California, sees Quivers as a win-win for retailers and vendors. “It’s incentive for retailers to carry more SKUs and sizes to capture those potential easy sales—if you are fast to click—that they wouldn’t normally get,” Hauss says.

“And the vendor is getting what every vendor wants: a much broader selection in those stores. This is truly a win-win for both parties.” Hauss envisions Quivers being extended to a select group of multi-brand retailers, especially for vendors who don’t have flagship stores. “They could call it their elite partners, where those retailers carry 20 or 30 SKUs and then offer them the same opportunity as Mephisto is doing for its flagships,” he says.

Retailers don’t even need their own website to participate, notes Quivers Marketing Manager Colton Rice. They just need access to the system to start fulfilling orders that were placed on the brand’s website.

“The sale is typically shared, but it’s completely up to the brand what percentage they and the retailer get,” he says. “We typically see the retailer getting the majority of the sale since they’ve already paid wholesale for the goods sold.”

Naot has also recently upgraded its website to enable retailers to capture a portion of its DTC sales.

The change achieves two goals: consumers are finally able to buy direct on Naot.com—something Ayelet Lax Levey, vice president of U.S. operations, says was being increasingly requested—and Naot is able to support its retail partners in the process. Participating retailers are selected based on a few factors, including relationship longevity and extent of the brand’s presence in the stores. As for which retailer gets the sale, that’s based on geographical proximity. “The overall strategy is to increase the reach of the retailers in their areas,” she says, adding that they don’t have to incur the costs of stocking and only pay for shipping.

The overall aim, Levy adds, is to foster a relationship between its consumers and participating retailers, which may encourage them to visit those stores.

Beyond that, she believes it’s just the right thing to do. “Our independent retail-

ers have helped build the brand; they’re the ones who have supported Naot most retailers, understands why brands sell DTC, but wishes they set aside for so many years and are integral to our business,” Levy says. “We promised more exclusive styles for retailers for differentiation. “It hurts when brands that we would not compete with them, like most of our competitors are doing, offer the same styles to their boutiques and consumers,” she says. and we’re going to continue to stay true to that promise.”

Enselow Shoes & Orthotics, a four-store chain in New York, price-matches While David Kahan, CEO of Birkenstock Americas, agrees that DTC may when a consumer threatens to walk out the store if they find the item cheaper take away sales from its retail partners, he remains unapologetic in the brand’s online. “It’s extremely costly to lose this part of our business,” admits CEO Robert right to share its message in a commercial manner with consumers. At the same Schwartz, who puts the loss in net business at over 20 percent. Schwartz has time, he believes smart brands know how to deftly create consumer demand, asked partner brands not to sell the same items DTC to avoid this scenario, thereby developing their own DTC business as well as creating brand energy but without much support. Thus, he has expanded the chain’s private label for their retail partners. “We never discount on our DTC platform,” Kahan says. offering and carrying brands not otherwise available in U.S. The status quo, he “It’s a level playing field and, in many cases, we launch styles with retailers says, was just too frustrating and costly. “We helped grow the brands, market before on our site.” Kahan expects DTC to be a significant growth vehicle in them and demonstrate their value because of the high-standard reputation of the years ahead for Birkenstock with the website and flagship stores becoming Eneslow,” he says. “Now, the brands are taking these customers.” the hub of the brand in support of its retailers. “Picture it as the sun: it shines RG Barry, manufacturers of Dearfoams, Foot Petals and Baggallini, has been the brand light, and the earth benefits,” he says. selling DTC for about five years because, like many execs say, the consumer As for Birkenstock sharing a portion of its DTC sales with retailers, Kahan expects to be able to shop there. But as CEO Robert Mullaney notes, they don’t says it’s something not being considering at present. Instead, always transact there and often the retailer does get the he says the brand is directing local sit-and-fit accounts to sale. “The best benefit of selling direct? Listening to the stop focusing on third-party marketplaces and even online consumer directly,” he says. “It’s an ongoing focus group, sales. “Put your resources against creating the best in-store and we see our sites being utilized to review products, which experience that can’t be replicated elsewhere, and create a benefits our retailers.” Even so, RG Barry’s first priority is customer data base that you can then mine for loyal busiits retail partners. “Wholesale still dominates, and we’re ness,” he says. “The future for local businesses lies in creating focused on growing our retail partners’ ecommerce sites,” their own store loyalty and engaging consumers not as a Mullaney says. “We have purposely vested in drop-ship to third-party marketplace fulfillment house. We make sure utilize as a testing mechanism to ensure we have a greater that anyone who does online, does so as an adjunct to their chance at success in stores.” store and not as a primary business.”

Drop-shipping is one way brands and retailers can share Routing DTC orders to retailers is one way, but there the wealth in online sales. Retailers can offer a broader selecare other ways to grow the business for both sides. “Strict tion without the inventory risks and brands get the increased distribution and MAP policies, back-up stock strateexposure. “Our drop-ship capabilities have helped us grow gies and store display programs are the keys to being and introduce our brand to the U.S. market,” says Steve good partners to our retailers, not competitors,” says Sedlbauer, president of Cougar Footwear, noting retailers pay Steve Libonati, president of Libonati Co., distributor of a service charge for freight and handling. Kevin Mancuso, Blundstone. “We’re in about 1,000 doors, so our retailers CEO of White Mountain Footwear, says the 40-year-old are our priority. Much of the proceeds from our web sales company recently invested mightily in a new drop-ship are channeled back to consumer efforts, like advertising, warehouse as a way to boost sales for its retail partners. social media and public relations, all which benefit and But that hasn’t stopped the company from operating a DTC –robert schwartz, drive traffic to our retail partners.” site as well. The way Mancuso sees it, consumers now have ceo, eneslow shoes Similarly, Earth Shoes is doing DTC sales, but also more a choice. But drop-ship isn’t without its risks. “You better & orthodics brand marketing to drive consumers into stores. “Our goal have the inventory if those retailers are showing it on their is to get more people to our retailers, and we believe that websites,” he says. “And if it doesn’t sell, you’re stuck with brand marketing achieves that,” says Phil Meynard, CEO. One way Earth is it.” Seeing how White Mountain is, first and foremost, a wholesaler, Mancuso driving traffic to its approximately 600 doors is with a better find a store function says the company is willing to make the investment. “We’re here to service our on its site. “We’ve always believed strongly in find a store, but we’re working retail partners to the best of our abilities,” he says. hard to button up that piece,” says Meynard. “For example, we might have a Brennan does drop-shipping with a few brands, but feels that a broader chain carrying an Earth shoe in one of its locations, but if it doesn’t represent assortment isn’t always the answer. “When customers ask, ‘Does this come in our brand in a meaningful way, we’re just sending them to our competition!” another color?’ I say, ‘I bought it in the best color!’ They want our expertise Beyond that, Meynard says price consistency is the best way for its DTC and and for us to take the work out of their shopping. We’re their stylists.” retailer partner channels to coexist peacefully. “We’re definitely in sync with Overall, execs on both sides of this debate agree that stores need to be reiour pricing,” he says. “If something goes off MAP, automatic emails are sent magined to appeal to the digital age shopper. There’s a happy medium spanning to our retailers. Those communication efforts are key.”

DTC, drop-ship and in-store shopping where everyone gets a meaningful piece But not all that common, according to Elena Brennan, owner of Bus Stop of the pie. Brands need retailers and vice-versa. Going it alone isn’t the answer. boutique in Philadelphia. She cites United Nude as the only one of 14 brands New York’s new retail mecca, Hudson Yards, is a step in that experiential/digital her store currently carries that alerts them in advance of a sale on their DTC direction. The B8ta store, for example, features single items from multiple brands sites. “That really helps,” says Brennan. “Otherwise, we let our customers offering try-on and testing along with kiosks for more information and ordering know that we cannot compete with the sales offered by the brands we carry.” capabilities. “I’m surprised you don’t have more virtual pop-ups within stores,” Unfortunately, that can lead to uncomfortable situations with customers. says Earth’s Meynard. “If sizing is accurate, you can have a small selection for “Customers pull out their phones right in front of me, and it’s infuriating,” she try-on and more options to choose from at a kiosk, and the retailer doesn’t says. “But we don’t price match, unless it’s a small difference.” Brennan, like have to incur the inventory hassles. Everybody wins.” •

We helped grow the brands... now, the brands are taking these customers.

2019 september • footwearplusmagazine.com 11

BY

GR EG

D UT T ER

September 2019

Moon Shot Mission On the heels of meteoric growth and expansion, David Kahan, CEO of Birkenstock Americas, delves into why the brand has only just left the launch pad.

TALK ABOUT YOUR late growth spurts…

Birkenstock has been on a seven-year tear, fueled by double-digit gains that have enabled the 247-year-old brand to double in size in the past three years alone. Numerous product introductions have transformed the company, once perceived as a “sandal” brand, into a yearround entity. (Some of its best-selling styles have been introduced in the past year.) Eye-popping collaborations with trendy boutiques and leading designers have generated gossip page–worthy

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buzz. The brand is no longer strictly the domain of granola types and older people with foot issues; a broad demographic of fashionistas and hipsters now embrace Birkenstock’s comfort-is-cool-for-everyone ethos. Two new flagships that opened this past year—in New York and Venice Beach, CA— now serve as showrooms for the entire collection and offer an immersive brand experience.

A soon-to-be-launched skincare line will highlight Birkenstock’s transformation into a global lifestyle and wellness brand.

Perhaps most impressive is the fact that the growth and expansion come in the face of tremendous industry headwinds. What’s more, in an effort to elevate its brand equity, Birkenstock dropped its top two volume brick-and-mortar dealers at the start of this run and discontinued selling Amazon in 2017. The latter decision generated Davidtakes-on-Goliath headlines in the media mainstream.

You might think Birkenstock could set it on cruise control for a bit and let everyone get accustomed to its roomier, snazzier ride. But you’d be dead wrong. David Kahan, CEO of Birkenstock Americas, says the brand is just getting started. There’s no plan to let up in sight and plenty of room to grow and expand.

It’s just how he and Birkenstock co-CEOs Markus Bensberg and Oliver Reichart are wired. A recent analogy Kahan used with a major department store buyer went like this: It’s halftime at the Super Bowl and the New England Patriots are up by three touchdowns.

Instead of taking it easy in the second half, Tom Brady and company sprint onto the field and score a touchdown in the first five minutes of the third quarter. “That’s how Birkenstock is operating,” he says. “We obliterate mediocrity.

We abhor cruise control.”

The full throttle approach, Kahan says, is only

logical. It stems from a labor of love. “We bring a passion to the brand that we hope raises the energy of all we partner with by bringing products into the world that people love,” he says, citing its mission statement to sell products that bring people happiness and satisfaction. “Is there a limit to how much happiness and satisfaction you can bring?” Kahan believes the answer is no. There is no limit or, at least in the near term, Birkenstock will shoot for the moon.

In honor of this summer’s 50th anniversary of the lunar landing, Kahan has declared Birkenstock’s own “Moon Shot” initiative: to become a “global lifestyle and wellness brand.”

He believes the talent is in place in the Americas, and the global leadership shares the vision to attain such lofty goals over the next few years.

“I feel even more potential than I did three years ago,” he says, noting that 2020 will mark the eighth straight year of growth. “We have

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Spring 2020 46 Sizes & 4 Widths 1-800-970-VITA

strong global leaders, a big vision and interaction across key functions, especially merchandising and product creation, where our Americas team is deeply integrated in the global process.” It’s all driven by an outside-the-box approach. “Nothing we do is business by the books; it’s not marketing 101,” Kahan says. “Many times we’ve gone against the norms, but in ways that have been right for us and, in turn, right for our partners.”

Take distribution, for example. It’s a luxury brand model where brand equity is paramount and, if necessary, at the expense of volume. In the case of pulling the cork on Amazon, enormous volume potential. Yet Kahan says the decision was a no-brainer. “As steward of a brand with a 247-year history of quality, you have no choice but to ensure that brand equity is never compromised,” he says, noting the rule applies to any retailer. “Amazon just happens to be the most visible and, quite frankly, most blatant in their total disregard for brand equity.”

For Kahan, there is no gray area, nor regrets. “What we did has been great for our brand,” he says. “We’ve been able to ensure the lion’s share of our business is done in places other than the Amazon market, where the experience is far inferior to our betterquality points of distribution, which only raises our brand equity even higher.”

The proof is in the numbers. Birkenstock’s growth continues despite eschewing the world’s largest retailer. And it’s not beholden to Amazon like many other brands that, Kahan estimates, are doing as much as 25 percent of their total volume through its platforms. “That’s dangerous. It makes a brand highly transactional, and we’re not a transactional brand,” he says. “We’re an emotional brand.” It means that wherever a consumer interacts with Birkenstock—online, in stores or through its DTC channel—the brand story must be consistent, clear and uncompromised. It requires supreme diligence.

“Distribution is becoming murky with global challenges, and the more desirable a brand gets, the more it encourages bad behavior,” Kahan says.

He likens brand management today to requiring martial arts skills in order to fight through all the distractions and temptations. But it’s a fight Kahan is eager to lead. “I’ll be the Bruce Lee of the industry in how we manage and protect our brand,” he says.

Of course, disciplined distribution amounts to only so much if the shoes are lackluster. Kahan cites Birkenstock’s continuous product innovation as the key to driving the sustained demand. “Six years ago, we never allowed our business to become a one-item phenomenon,” he says. “Instead, we managed our brand across many silhouettes and created a brand phenomenon versus a style trend.”

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The Holy Grail, he notes, has been introducing the feel of a Birkenstock sandal into closed-toe styles.

“Our closed-toe styles have been gaining traction and are now some of our best sellers,” he reports, adding, “Once consumers experience the incredible benefits of what Birkenstock brings to their lives, it’s relatively easy to transition into platforms, wedges, closed-toe shoes and, soon, natural skin care.” The attributes of cork, Kahan notes, go well beyond benefitting feet. “The skin care launch is very exciting,” he says. “The global beauty market is far bigger than footwear, and everyone who has tried it is raving about it. So imagine when our brand fans have access to this product.”

In short, Birkenstock’s transformation has been out of this world. It’s a meteoric ride and

like a wunderkind. “We have a mantra: We’re not in the footwear business; we’re in the show business,” Kahan says. “The stars of the show happen to be shoes, but make no mistake, consumers demand entertainment. That is what is driving how we think about our business in whatever we bring to market.”

So Birkenstock is just getting started?

Yes. We’re just now creating the foundation for what will be a global lifestyle and wellness brand.

It’s only been in the past 12 months that we’ve launched two owned stores in the U.S. that create a brand immersive experience. We took pains to ensure each store captures the dynamics of the respective area. In our New York Soho location, where luxury retail is close by, we made sure the

OFF THE CUFF What are you reading? I just read two books by The New York Times best-selling author and Pulitzer Prize winner Charles Duhigg: The Power of Habit and Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business.

We connected recently and have become friendly. The books share simple tools for living a more productive life and leading a more productive team. He explains complex subjects in layman’s terms, plus my parents would be impressed that I’m ‘friends’ with a Pulitzer Prize winner.

What was the last movie you saw? Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Tarantino at his best. He captures the feel of Hollywood in the late ’60s

and deftly illustrates how it represented the broader cultural shifts in society.

Which phrase do you most overuse? Really? Really? Really?

Who is inspiring you now?

The Rolling Stones! The best straight-on rock ‘n’ roll band of all time, and they’re blowing people away every night on tour—in their 70s! And there’s nothing ‘old’ about what they do.

What is your greatest fear?

That society has moved towards a fear-based mentality rather than one of hope and expectancy. We’re far more polarized than ever before and fear begets more fear. I believe people have to carry the torch for acceptance and globalization based on mutual respect. That

reaffirmation that, despite all that may be going wrong around you, focusing on doing what’s right for yourself can be the best strategy. The brand has embraced a youthful, can-do spirit and is living proof that age is merely a number. At nearly a quarter millennia young, Birkenstock is behaving

includes companies that embrace that philosophy, which can inspire others to do the same.

The next song you’ll listen to will be… Badlands. I listen to (the Springsteen song) at least five times a week. Every time, it’s like the first time. It’s on my playlist for the morning drive to work, and it’s always a live version.

Where is your moment of zen? I just started surfing, and while I’m a long way from being a real surfer, just bobbing in the waves, waiting for the right moment, is a total zen experience. It’s lifechanging even after the first few times.

taste level is on a par. In Venice Beach, a true So-Cal lifestyle destination, the store is more laid back with an open-air area and a cork surfboard as décor. Our creative team did a great job capturing the DNA of our brand and melding it with the DNA of the areas.

How are the new stores doing?

Both are already exceeding our best targets. We wanted to prove brick-and-mortal retail isn’t dead.

What is dead is bad retail. The world didn’t need another shoe store, and that’s not what we created.

The brand is brought to life in two of the most dynamic and eclectic retail environments, and it’s incredible to see people’s reaction. In both locations, non-sandals are almost 50 percent of the business.

As I said, great retail is what people need. Unlike many comfort stores that have a large number of cookie cutter mall locations where their most visible communications piece is a 30 percent-off sign, our stores are very different. It’s a brand experience.

Doesn’t that also say something about how we can develop the brand with our retail partners as well?

Amid the retail chaos and consolidation, are survivors upping their game?

I like to think so. However, some who play to survive may or may not, while those who play to thrive will. It’s about better consumer engagement.

How are you communicating with your customer base via social media and in-store experiences? I believe traditional, full-service independent retail can thrive. But we advise many to shift their focus

to experience and conversion. Carry brands that create consumer demand, service the heck out of your clients and be involved in the local community.

Become the first choice for local shoppers.

What might the typical shoe store look like in five years?

I don’t think there is a typical shoe store. I believe there’s a place for full-service independents; family self-service chains that carry great brands and are easy to shop; specialty athletic dealers; trend/fashion boutiques; great department stores where the consumer can accessorize footwear with ready-to-wear; and DTC and flagship stores.

Whichever of those formats, the key is to make your brick-and-mortar stores mirror the emotional experience on your digital site. Easier said than done, but that’s the objective. Our digital business is barely 24 months into its newest iteration, and we’re just now beginning to create great content and engage our brand fans.

How might Birkenstock be better positioned in this new retail order going forward?

Ultimately, I believe great brands will find the balance between DTC interaction and the best

partners in those aforementioned channels. It requires long-term vision, innovation with regards to product and true discipline. It also comes from challenging yourself to be ahead of the curve and mandating that you choose partners who share your vision and do everything in your power to make it work. For example, while it’s not the sexy part of the business, I know our retail partners are happy that our logistic capabilities have come a long way, and we now better service their needs. We now import 20 times the units we did seven years ago. Our global supply chain, sales and production planning have been a major focus so we can better capture the demand we create.

How’s business this year?

It’s been strong. No surprises, but I’m encouraged by the success of new sandal silhouettes, like the Yao, which has been fantastic at retail, as well as our new shoes, clogs and wedges. The Buckley, a mock toe clog, sold out almost immediately after being introduced this summer. However, the industry overall isn’t doing great, and I’m not super-positive about the U.S. economy. I believe people are becoming more fearful and retail in general is suffering. The traiff war, the country’s

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political divide, mass shootings...none of it helps. While we’re far outpacing the industry, it would be better if retail traffic and overall spending increased.

We need our retailers to be healthy, and this environment isn’t helping.

What are your main goals for the rest of this year?

The balance of this year will be focused on operational and logistics upgrades so we can support the sales growth across the Western Hemisphere. In addition to our Novato, CA, headquarters, which I call mission control, we now have a New York office with our commercial, digital and data analytics teams. We also have an office in Montreal to manage Canada and one in Brazil where we do our own retail as well as manage distribution across Latin America and Mexico. We’re growing up as a company and making sure the talent and structure exists to support our Moon Shot initiative.

What gives you the confidence to shoot for the moon despite the industry headwinds you’ve cited?

A lot of people ask how long this Birkenstock thing will last, which drives me crazy! People in the industry have been trained to think it must have a limit. The minute something gets hot it becomes, ‘How fast can we exploit this before it ends.’ We never use the words trend or hot. It’s just plain wrong.

Brands end because of this type of thinking. It ends because, somewhere along the way, they compromised the end user. Why do TV shows ‘jump the shark’?

Because they lose the creative spark. They dial it in and then lose viewers.

The Sopranos was just the opposite. The series received higher ratings each year because the writers and actors never compromised. They got better and knew if they took their fans along for the ride, they would follow. The same rule applies to a great restaurant: the minute it starts serving smaller portions or cuts back on the Bolognese sauce...you don’t come back.

Birkenstock is giving the people what they want—and then some.

The message is simple: never compromise consumers. We never compromise our brand quality or integrity. We never compromise the respect we have for the people who wear our products and the amazing health benefits they receive by way of our footbeds. We embrace them and think about where we want to take them next. When you have loyal fans like we do, it’s inherent upon us to take them to places they may not even know they want to go. It’s like how The Beatles took their fans from three-minute pop songs to the psychedelic sounds on Sgt. Pepper. Great bands and brands take their consumers to new and exciting places.

How do collaborations fit into this formula?

We’ve taken collaborations to a higher level. Our Rick Owens collab was a huge success. We didn’t just do ‘brand x brand.’ Instead, we partnered with a designer who fully understood and appreciates the uniqueness of Birkenstock, rather than just slapping a logo on one of our styles. He brought his unique taste level and aesthetic to our designs. They sold out immediately. But instead of

resting on that, this year we took the concept to a level never before seen. One of our long-time brand fans and Oscar winning actress, Frances McDormand, premiered our collab with Valentino by wearing it on stage at the Academy Awards to accessorize her Valentino gown. It generated headlines around the world and, 24 hours later, the shoes were sold out in Valentino boutiques and on our website. Not even the athletic brands, who created the launch/drop concept, have done something like that. It created a halo of brand buzz that carried from luxury sector to all our points of distribution. Plus, it’s just fun.

The industry needs more fun.

Is the industry at least working toward a more stable landscape?

I’m not sure a stable landscape ever existed. The 20th century has been a time of constant turmoil, and this has escalated into the 21st century. Also, waiting for the landscape to stabilize before taking your big shot is counter to historical success. Some of the Fortune 500’s biggest companies of the 20th century launched during the Great Depression. And during the Great Recession, Apple, Facebook and Uber took off. One of my favorite quotes is from Warren Buffet. When asked in 2009 what he was going to do about the recession, he replied, “I choose not to participate.” We think the same way.

We believe Birkenstock as a brand and a company can be in the industry but not of the industry. We don’t follow anyone. We think out of the box and big.

So it’s less about waiting for the environment to stabilize and more about determining one’s own destiny by seizing opportunities that the disruption

creates. I believe the currency for future success in business is cultural literacy.

It’s about having an understanding of the macro factors—politically, socially, economically, environmentally—with regards also to art, fashion, music and lifestyles, and then determining what products may best serve a purpose and connect with people. We’re living in the age of Netflix. Twenty years ago, it was all about what TV show would get the largest audience at 8 p.m. on a Thursday night. Now it’s about how we slice and dice all the people who view content and make a connection where we, in turn, create a loyal fan base. It’s about finding your tribe versus being the biggest, broadest thing on the planet.

This is so consistent with Birkenstock.

With brands ramping up DTC and retailers pursuing private label, will the sides need each other for much longer?

I believe retailers desperately need strong consumer brands. Not just ‘industry brands,’ but authentic consumer brands—ones that help validate them. While some private label can supplement the brands they carry, historically it’s never been a basis for success. Consider that the world’s largest athletic footwear chain, which knows its consumer inside and out and has a ton of name recognition, has never launched a private label brand. Why? Because the major brands in that space have such incredibly strong emotional connections with consumers that their focus is best on how to partner and bring those brands to life in its stores.

On the brown shoe side, many retailers have put their toes in the private label water but make no mistake, it’s not a brand, it’s a label. That’s why the >39

MULES RULE Mules get smart and sophisticated.

Clockwise from top: Naot, Staheekum, Sperry, Earth, Ugg.

18 footwearplusmagazine.com • september 2019

P HOTO GRA PH Y BY T R E VE T T M CC A N D L ISS ; P ROP STY L IN G BY RO BI N Z AC H A RY

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

P HOTO GRA PH Y BY T R E VE T T M CC A N D L ISS ; P ROP STY L IN G BY RO BI N Z AC H A RY

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

LEISURE CLASS Dainty details elevate old-school kicks.

From left: Ron White, Gabor, Restricted.

2019 september • footwearplusmagazine.com 19

SLIDES RULE D o t h e m a t h : a m e n’s s u m m e r s t a p l e , s e a s o n a f t e r s e a s o n .

From left: Sperry, Mephisto, Haflinger.

20 footwearplusmagazine.com • september 2019

P HOTO GRA PH Y BY T R E VE T T M CC A N D L ISS ; P ROP STY L IN G BY RO BI N Z AC H A RY

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

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

D R E A M C AT C H E R W h e n o p p o r t u n i t y k n o c k e d , Jo h n C a r p e n t e r, o w n e r o f I s l a n d S l i p p e r, answered and has been grateful ever since.

DEAR JOHN, So, you just turned 18 and you’re having the time of your life. What young, California boy doesn’t look up at a big Peterbilt 18-wheeler and want to know what it would feel like to get behind the wheel? It’s something you’ve always wanted to do. From Sacramento to Tucson and dusty farm fields to wild nights in Mexicali, your young life of adventure starts rolling along.

You’ve always been ambitious, willing to try new things and looking for opportunities. But I advise against the one where you get robbed and left stranded miles south of the border. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help but you probably wouldn’t have listened anyway. I’m just thankful your guardian angel was watching over you that night.

They say opportunities come along but if you’re not looking, they’ll pass you by. When you get the chance to visit Hawaii, you don’t hesitate. It turns out to be one of your best life decisions. Trading your cowboy boots for slippers—what Hawaiians call sandals—seems like a good fit. Little did you know that slippers would not only change your lifestyle, but soon your entire life.

Before we get to that altering moment, there are people who will impact your life greatly. Bill and Daisy are two of them. Bill is your first boss after you land a job at a Nordstrom store on Oahu. He mentors you from stock clerk to department manager. He’ll also be your best man and a lifetime friend even after you crossover into wholesale where you learn the shoe marketing and manufacturing ropes at Scott Hawaii.

Daisy, meanwhile, is your first true love. You were both 19 when you met and unaware of what life would bring, but you are soulmates and you’d be nowhere without her love and support.

In addition to being a dreamer, you believed you could never reach your full potential unless in charge. It’s probably why you’ve always seen the potential and never consider the downsides. Today, I would advise a more prudent evaluation of your rose-colored ideas, but you’re young and don’t have me to coach you. So when you are approached to buy Island Slipper in 1985, naturally you jump at the chance. Daisy is scared to death and if Matt, your then two-year-old son, could speak up, he probably would have said, “Are you crazy, dad?” But true to form, you go for it. Somebody had to make a decision, right?

What a deal it is: 100 percent owner financed, which is perfect for

you since you didn’t have any money. Company losing money? Never mind such minor details. Manufacturing footwear on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean? Perfect, it’s where you want to live. Never mind the logistical challenges and high production costs.

You see your dream. Daisy sees a nightmare. You had no idea how tough it would be. Banks, for example, don’t loan money to businesses that are losing money, nor are shear guts and determination considered collateral. Who knows? If you foresaw the challenges, it might have scared you off. Fortunately, destiny, divine intervention, luck, hard work, passion and a love of your dedicated employees turn Island Slipper into the profitable, beloved, family-owned business for three-plus decades of your leadership and counting.

Be proud! It’s not easy to do. You and your team make it happen. You never lose your two greatest qualities: hope and vision. They are essential to being an entrepreneur.

Speaking of which, a sandal you design in 1989, the “Classic,” is your No. 1 selling product to this day. It’s recognized as a fashion icon by some of the world’s leading retailers. It’s but one example in a long line of successes, starting when you take over a business founded in 1946 and give it a new life.

You build a successful export business and open flagships in Hawaii’s most prestigious shopping destinations. When others suggest a modern company name change, you decide against erasing 40 years of history and tradition. You’ve always gone with your gut, and there’s no reason to change. At 73 years of age, Island Slipper is one of the oldest brands still made in the U.S.A. Be very proud of that fact, as well!

Island Slipper is your vision and dream come true. Enjoy the ride.

It’s amazing when you discover what God has in store for your life.

P.S. Like father like son: Matt has found the love of his life, Tersha, and after a brief stint of living off the island, they’ve returned to become the next generation of Carpenters to lead Island Slipper. You were sad when they first left, but Matt would have said, “Dad, you taught me to be independent, what did you expect?”

P.P.S. I’m thrilled to report that history may be in the process of repeating itself again as your grandson, Zac, plays at the factory just like Matt did.

Aloha!

2019 september • footwearplusmagazine.com 21

kids’ review

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NO IN-CROWD IS LEFT OUT AS DESIGNERS DELIVER A RANGE OF SEASONAL APPROPRIATE STYLES. B Y E M I LY B E C K M A N

22 footwearplusmagazine.com • september 2019

An expert at scroll-stopping fashion, this trendsetter understands the importance of detail—starting from the ground up. Bright colors, bold patterns and a plethora of pretty embellishments will make every summer look worthy of a double tap.

Nina Jessica Simpson

Twisted X

Kenneth Cole

Michael Kors

Sperry

L I L ’ YA C H T Y

Joules

Be it boating, badminton or basking poolside at the country club, this prepster maintains a prim and proper aesthetic with classic silhouettes, summer hues and nautical details.

Izod

Livie & Luca Khombu Keds

Beverly Hills Polo Club

Sam Edelman

Sporto Saucony

BEACH BUM Bathing suit on and beach bag packed, this youngster will hit the sand from sunup to sundown.

Shimmering scales, daunting dorsal fins and crabby crustaceans add summery sizzle to sneakers and sandals.

Laura Ashley

Emu Australia

Keen Western Chief

Merrell

ADVENTURE SEEKER

Joseph Allen FishFlops

With a jam-packed summer full of climbing trees, riding bikes and chasing ice cream trucks, all-terrain kicks are essential for a high-energy explorer. Keeping it practical with durable outsoles, breathable uppers and—Mom’s favorite feature—easy-to-wash materials, there’s nothing this kid can’t do!

2019 september • footwearplusmagazine.com 23

F I T TO PRI N T

High Hopes

SOLE MAN Industry vet turned philanthropic entrepreneur Wa y n e E l s e y o n h o w h i s l a t e s t b o o k a b o u t t h e p o w e r o f hope and unity was inspired, in large part, by the kindness of shoepeople. By Greg Dutter

WAYNE ELSEY IS an industry lifer, having started out as a teenager working the floor of his hometown GallenKamp Shoes in Fredericksburg, VA, and then becoming a regional vice president for Stride Rite by the tender age of 25.

He then crossed over into wholesale, where he managed leading outdoor and work brands. But he’s perhaps best known for launching the industry charity Soles4Souls, in 2005, on the heels of the Boxing Day tsunami that claimed approximately 230,000 lives.

The tragic event served as impetus for Elsey to “get off the couch” and do something to help the millions of survivors who lost everything. He did what he knew best: get survivors shoes by encouraging consumers to donate gently worn pairs as well as brands and retailers to give discontinued inventory and unwanted stock to the charity. Soles4Souls rapidly evolved into a worldwide effort, delivering donated shoes to victims of natural disasters as well as impoverished people to this day. Beyond that, Elsey’s creation helped make corporate social responsibility (CSR) fashionable as well as all-inclusive.

Elsey moved on from Souls4Souls and day-to-day shoe industry involvement in 2012, establishing Elsey Enterprises, a branding and marketing firm, and, the following year, Funds2Orgs, a social enterprise for helping nonprofit organizations raise funds. (Donated shoes are a key component of that effort.) He also added public speaker and author to his resume. His latest book, Tied Together: A Pathway to Hope, is a timely message about how people can join together to make the world a better place.

“I set out to write a book about how I was able to find hope and create ways to bridge the gap between people in need around the world and others who want to make a social impact,” Elsey says, noting that when the book was almost completed, he reached out for testimonials. “What happened

24 footwearplusmagazine.com • september 2019

next was humbling. I had hundreds of people who wanted to contribute a few words in support of the work of my team and me, and also for the hope of making the world a better place.”

That’s when Elsey enlisted the services of his daughter, Melissa ElseyPitts, to help put into context what others had to say. The book details Elsey’s philanthropic/entrepreneurial journey and the many people who aided and inspired him along the way.

It’s a story of bold vision, adventure in distant lands, a dash of world traveler humor and, Elsey hopes, a legacy for others to create their own destinies in shaping the world for the better.

The book’s themes of hope and unity are especially poignant amid the recent mass shootings, political division and racial discord. How can it inspire readers to unite for a greater good? We are one—one blood, one people, and that human connection is what it’s all about. We all have issues but, at our core, we’re all in this together to be one voice for all. How we approach each day and each situation is what defines us. While writing this book with my daughter, we had many discussions around her children about the future of making ‘one’ a priority.

What are a few of the book’s tenets that industry members can apply to their day-to-day jobs? I’ve always said to treat others as you want to be treated. We forget this too often. We trash others, we point fingers, we make fun and we divide. Whether it’s a consumer, a competitor or even a hater, take the high road and treat them as you want to be treated. As simple as it sounds, it’s forgotten. One thing I’ve consistently told my teams since a young age is, ‘you matter.’ I learned this from my homeroom teacher in 1981, which helped me through a dark time in my life.

move millions of pairs of shoes to developing nations to support micro-enterprise operations. In addition, schools, churches and civic groups are getting paid for the collections versus selling cookie dough, wrapping paper or other traditional fundraising products. Last year, we also launched a wildly successful Reverse Logistics division within Funds2Orgs. Now retailers and brands can receive a donation of cash for their store returns, excess inventory, odd lots and order cancellations to give to their favorite charities. On the back end, we’re also helping to keep shoes out of landfills while employing more than 30 people in our world headquarters in Orlando, FL. Actually, I’m in the shoe industry now more than ever—cleaning out Americans’ closets to make room for them to buy more!

Of late, shoe companies are ramping up their sustainability and CSR efforts. Are you encouraged by these “green and good” initiatives? Can the industry lead by example—like it did with Soles4Souls? I’m super encouraged, and I believe it’s just the beginning. There’s much more green and good to come. And the more CSR projects that our industry can execute, the more unity we have. Oneness is front and center now, and getting your hands dirty helping someone is a great thing. We have been involved in hundreds of CSR events this past year, and they always feel like a win-win for all. It also gives us an opportunity to have more product available for our over 4,000 micro-enterprise locations worldwide.

As Birkenstock Americas CEO David Kahan’s eloquent forward notes, you could have remained in the shoe industry and lived comfortably ever after. Why has it been worth the risk to leave that nest? I’ve been in the shoe industry since I was 15, and I’ve always had a philanthropic heart.

For me, there was never a question of risk, I knew the need was there and moved forward with Funds2Orgs to help communities both locally and abroad. Today, Funds2Orgs is the world leader in shoe drive fundraising. We

“I’VE BEEN IN THE SHOE INDUSTRY SINCE I WAS 15, AND I’VE ALWAYS HAD A PHILANTHROPIC HEART.”

SAVE THE DATE

DECEMBER 4th, 2019

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What do you miss most about the day-today Shoe Dog life? What I miss are some of the connections that I’ve made over the last 40 years. Thankfully, many of them are still working, having fun and are encouraged to hear from me when I call. In fact, many are now working with our Funds2Orgs Reverse Logistics operation. They’re the people who’ve inspired me and, without their support, none of this would have been possible. I’m forever grateful. •

Taos sneaker, Sperry boat shoe, Marc Jacobs blouse, honeycomb pieces jacket by Comme Des Garรงons.

26

Hello

Photography by Trevett McCandliss Styling by Amit Gajwani

Ron White sneaker, Patricia Underwood felt hat, flower appliquĂŠ dress by Junya Watanabe, Rochas tulle skirt. Opposite, from top: Hush Puppies flat, sneaker by Remonte, Chooka rain skimmer.

29

Maison Rabih Kayrouz top.

Opposite: Restricted sandal, wedge by Aetrex.

30

Dr. Martens boots, black pleated dress by Maison Rabih Kayrouz, Elie Saab blouse, belt

by Iris Van Herpen. Opposite: Bella Vita slide, Felicity Brown ruffle dress, feather headpiece

by Sonia Rykiel, vintage earrings.

32

33

34

Clockwise from left: All Black studded slingback, Marc Fisher slingback, pump by FS/NY. Opposite: Bearpaw moccasin, espadrille by Earth, yellow capelet by YSL, J.W. Anderson sweater, Junya Watanabe skirt.

Hair and makeup by Nevio Ragazzini/Next Artists, using makeup by Kevyn Aucoin Beauty@VivianaMartin and hair product by Living Proof and G3; stylist assistant: Aya Sakai; model: Nakai/Fenton Model Mgmt.

35

EDITOR’S PICKS

Chooka

Nicky Hilton x FS/NY

C H R I S T I NA D U R A N T E

CHRISTINA DURANTE HAS been designing shoes since her days attending the Fashion Institute of Technology. Living in Manhattan’s East Village, Durante frequented vintage shops for leather pumps she would take home and paint. Despite her original intent of focusing on textile design, when her upcycled bespoke heels were featured in magazines like Lucky and Cosmo Girl, she decided to stick with designing shoes. “I wanted to learn how to make a shoe, and four days after graduation I was hired at Dolce Vita,” she says.

A few years later, in 2015, Durante quit her job at then Anne Klein to start her own label. Having worked with a number of mass market and contemporary high-end brands, she knew many of the buyers and used her factory connections to launch Femmes Sans Peur (translates to “fearless women’) with a focus on blending custom ornamentation, sex appeal and comfort. “Most high-end footwear negates comfort features, but why would women want to wear fashion if it will hurt her feet?” Durante says, adding each design is handcrafted in Brazil featuring Italian leathers, flexible constructions and memory foam insoles. Durante’s first trade show that same year, FN Platform in Las Vegas, showed that she had found the right balance, taking home a slew of orders and the show’s Glass Slipper award for best new exhibitor.

But stereotypical comfort shoes these shoes are not. Durante approaches each design as a form of architecture chic, inspired by a mix of ancient Egyptian art and art nouveau styles. “Our niche is jewelry for your feet, but you have to be able to walk in them comfortably,” she says. The signature Aurora style, for example, features a gilded dragonfly queen on the back adorned in Swarovski crystals.

For Spring ’20, Durante has turned the opulence factor up a notch. In the brand’s first official partnership with Swarovski, she’s designed three avante-garde versions of her Aurora sandal. The signature crystal hummingbird on some styles is asymmetrical, with the left and right shoes complementing but not matching. In bridal, she’s focused on the boudoir with clusters of ruffled flowers and feathers. Other styles feature holographic leather and heels with more than 160 Swarovski stones. “Our shoes help women awaken their soles and the trendless, opulent style gets them excited about dressing from the ground up,” Durante says. —Aleda Johnson Who is the Femmes Sans Peur customer? We’ve had a number of influencers buying our shoes, and we sell all over Europe, the U.S. 36 footwearplusmagazine.com • september 2019

Restricted

S PO T O N! Polka dots aren’t just for itsy-bitsy bikinis.

and places like Qatar. We’ve brides who are lawyers and dental hygienists. They’re different kinds of women, but they’re all fearless and love looking confident.

What does it mean to dress fearless? When a woman puts on our shoes, she‘s in awe of how comfortable her feet feel. She stands a little taller and thinks, ‘Wow, I got this.’ They can feel beautiful and walk fearlessly with conviction that they’ll conquer their day.

How’s business? Since we’ve been picked up by Galeries Lafayette, we’ve had a lot of inquiries from other boutique buyers. We’re starting to scale up our marketing by using a new online program for entrepreneurs.

Using their tricks of the trade, we’ve been able to reach new clients and sell way more than without it. Instagram has been the biggest player for us, because we can reach out to our clients and get instant feedback.

What is your favorite Femmes Sans Peur design? I love our new Devon pump

(pictured) out this fall. I was inspired by my best friend from Madrid who loves vintage Asian fans decorated in beautiful watercolor. The shoes are all watercolor with a metallic lizard and pleated leather uppers that open like a fan around the ankle.

Who are designers you admire? I’m always inspired by Balmain and Azzedine Alaïa, even though he passed away. Giuseppe Zanotti is my biggest shoe inspiration. I feel like he’s always very rock ‘n’ roll and taking risks. He plays with jewelry and woven designs, and that’s always something that has resonated with me.

What do you love most about designing shoes? That there’s an architectural aspect to the process, because you have to be able to walk in them. It’s a wearable art form and, if done correctly, makes you feel good about yourself. Shoes should give you confidence—to feel truly fearless. I’ve never been a shy person, and I want my women to feel the same way.

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Green Dreamer OrthoLite adds sustainability expert to the team.

High Times Ara launches highest heel yet for Spring ’20.

KNOWN FOR 70 YEARS as being a leading comfort dress shoe brand, Ara is reaching new heights for Spring ’20. As part of its Frauke collection in collaboration with German TV star Frauke Ludowig, Ara is releasing its highest heel yet.

“We have had great success with our pumps featuring our HighSoft construction, and we think women will love both the height and comfort they will find with the Frauke collection,” says Sam Spears, president of Ara Shoes North America.

“This collection exemplifies our goals to combine the highest quality and perfect fit with fashion forward design.”

At 80 mm, or just over three inches, heels in the new collection stay within Ara’s comfort ethos by using its HighSoft construction, which translates the feel of a running shoe through soft upper materials, flexible outsoles and padded insoles.

For each pump, the heel counter wraps all the way around to just under the ball of the foot. The shoe is built around the counter, holding the foot in place for better stability. “These heels may not be typical Ara, but the fit, form and function is just like every other shoe in the collection,” Spears says, adding, “Ara is owned by fifth generation shoemakers, and they make a shoe right.”

HighSoft enables a bread-and-butter comfort brand like Ara to compete in a shrinking dress market, where customers demand both style and comfort. “We’ve had conversations with our customers and, while older, she doesn’t want to be restricted to looking like how her mom looked when she was 55,” Spears says. “Our women are looking for something that suits her lifestyle, wanting to look good and feel good, and not compromise one for the other.”

In addition to the added heel height, the Spring ’20 Frauke collection ($210-$225 SRP) will feature bright colors and sandal silhouettes introduced this spring. The versatility in colors and silhouettes is yet another step toward modernizing Ara, which is known best for its black dress shoes. “We’ve had this stereotype of being an East Coast dress shoe brand that sold primarily black shoes and Gore-Tex boots,” Spears says. “Our Spring ’19 collection looked like a peacock in comparison.” Styles for Spring ’20 include sport casuals in fun prints and pumps and ballerinas in bright colors. “People would walk by our booth and then back up, glance up at the brand name and then back at the booth because we were so bright,” Spears adds.

The change in design direction has boded well for Ara, with this spring being the brand’s single best sales season to date and Spring ’20 bookings already showing signs of topping it. Spears reports its booth was buzzing at the recent FN Platform and all three days of the Toronto Shoe Show were booked. “At first we got a healthy dose of skepticism from buyers, but once we had them walking around in samples, they didn’t want to take them off,” Spears says.

The increase in interest has encouraged Spears to ramp up marketing efforts.

Spring ’20 will see the launch of a redesigned website, facilitating independent retailer business with shop/finder systems and customer service to direct consumers to stores. “We have a fan base out there, we just need more women to discover Ara,” Spears says. “Then the comfort sells itself.” —Aleda Johnson 38 footwearplusmagazine.com • september 2019

CONTINUING ITS EFFORTS to develop eco-conscious products, OrthoLite has hired Rob Falken as vice president of global innovation. With extensive experience in sustainable product development, Falken is the right fit for the industry’s largest insole supplier. Going forward, OrthoLite will answer growing vendor and consumer demand for environmentally-friendly products.

“Since day one, we have prioritized sustainable processes and product, bringing solutions that give our brand partners the ability to address consumer demand for eco-conscious footwear,” says CEO Glenn Barrett. “We know Rob Falken will be a huge asset as we work toward our ultimate goal of zero waste manufacturing.”

Falken’s resumé includes having conceptualized and developed the world’s lightest and most buoyant flotation foam as well as 100 percent biodegradable and compostable alternatives to EPS for surfboards and watercraft. Since the early aughts, Falken has been working with flexible and rigid foam, including EVA, which ultimately led him to the footwear industry. “I branched into footwear as a contractor, gaining experience in sourcing, supply chain optimization and product development for a handful of large global shoe brands,” he says, adding his interest in eco-friendly foam came by way of mixing natural fibers and composites to replace plasticbased foam—like the creation of an algae-based EVA foam. “My passion for innovation and sustainability go hand-in-hand,” he says.

“I won’t invest my time and energy into developing something unless it will benefit either people or the planet, and preferably both.”

Falken views the OrthoLite opportunity as a home run, for the industry and personally. “I’m absolutely thrilled to be a part of a company that prioritizes innovation in sustainability, and we’re in a great position to make a huge impact as we develop new technologies,” he says. OrthoLite’s 400-plus brand partners worldwide offer a unique opportunity to do just that. “Through these relationships, our eco-friendly technology reaches hundreds of millions of consumers worldwide each year,” Falken says. “Knowing that I have the ability to make such a tangible impact motivates me to invest the time and resources to really accelerate sustainable innovation and invention.”

Thanks to OrthoLite’s vertical integration model, solid infrastructure and strong financial footing, Falken has a strong foundation to start right out of the gate. “My job is to accelerate the development of new and innovative technologies in this space, and OrthoLite is uniquely positioned to continue to be a game changer in the industry,” he says. In addition to the opportunity to make an impact, Barrett’s management style and vision for OrthoLite’s future was a key reason Falken jumped at the chance to work for the company. “Barrett leads by example, which is evident through the entire company,” he says. “Joining the OrthoLite team is a dream opportunity for me.” —A.J.

continured from page 17 onus is on us to insure we continue to drive consumer demand. And while I’m 100 percent unapologetic in saying we have a right to engage our consumers in a commercial manner, we do so in a way that’s respectful to our retail partners, many who have been with us far before ecommerce was invented. It’s why we maintain strict MAP standards, we don’t discount on our DTC and we maintain strategic segmentation to ensure differentiation across channels—all of which helps retailers’ ROI. We treat our retail partners with the ultimate respect, and while we have a robust DTC business, it’s managed so as to build broader consumer demand and not compromise those partners. As an industry, we need to stop thinking of the business as a zero-sum game.

Some execs gripe the business has become much harder, with some longing for the days of making shoes, attending a trade show, selling to brick-and-mortar retailers and repeat in six months. Has it really become that much harder?

I don’t think so, at all. Honestly, I think a lot of execs are stuck in the past.

Going to a show and selling shoes…Really? Is that how they want to run their business? How about creating products and brands that change people’s lives?

How about bringing higher levels of happiness and satisfaction, not just to the footwear industry but to a broader society by the products you create? How about creating a company where employees can thrive and love going to work every day? Instead of a business as usual approach, our management team saw this brand as a diamond that needed to be shined. Does Nike just ‘sell sneakers,’ or do they bring products to market that share the highest energy of sport? Does Apple just ‘sell phones,’ or do they change the world by bringing technology to your fingertips? Steve Jobs didn’t ask people, ‘Do you want your entire record collection on a handheld device?’ He took them there. He didn’t ask if they wanted a camera or internet access. Apple thought differently. It’s why we’re thinking differently across all functions of our organization.

Hermès hot right now? Who cares. What I can tell you is, in 20 years, those brands will likely still represent the ultimate in taste and sophistication. The brand is sacrosanct. The definition of that word is clear: to be too important or valuable to be interfered with. This defines how we operate on all fronts: product development, service and distribution.

What fuels this relentless drive, because I’m guessing it goes beyond purely financial gain. Might having been a sneaker gopher for (a surly) Spike Lee back in your early Nike days have something to do with it?

Being Spike’s sneaker gopher was certainly humbling, but so was working part time in a Macy’s shoe department during college. Helping customers one at a time, climbing up and down stockroom ladders to get shoe boxes.

I’m a firm believer in self-actualization. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to believe that self-actualization isn’t enough. It’s about actualizing yourself so that you can serve and help others. Our mission is to sell products that bring people happiness and satisfaction, so it’s about doing my best to help bring that mission to fruition. If I develop the insight and skills to help manage this business to achieve our Moon Shot, surely that’ll benefit our end users who love our products, our retail partners who share in our success, and our entire team and their families who share in the success. Managing this brand is both an honor and an awesome responsibility that drives me every day. Whenever I’m in our Novato headquarters, I always walk into our customer service area and ask everyone the same question: “What’s the most important day?” And they all answer, “Today!” Every single customer, every single day. •

Seeing how Birkenstock pulled out of FN Platform last month, how are you thinking differently about trade shows?

Trade shows can provide good environments for buyers to see the market. For us, however, our cycle is ahead of the normal trade show window, so FFANY’s dates provide the most significant point of interaction with many of our key retailers. After that, our reps travel their territories. Also, shows must be cost effective and, as a consumer brand, we believe resources are best allocated towards the consumer versus the industry. In addition, as the industry shifts to a far higher percentage of sales done with fewer and larger strategic accounts as well as DTC, that leaves traditional trade fairs largely to the independents.

We already have a lot of high touch with most of our significant dealers in that tier. So the large trade show format isn’t as necessary for us. That said, every vendor has to do what’s best for them, and we value any concepts that encourage greater interaction.

You have a reputation for being one of the hardest working people in this business. Is that just what it takes?

What can replace hard work? Nothing. Work smart and hard. Look at Bruce Springsteen. He said it wasn’t about some 10,000-hour rule to master the guitar. It required countless more hours and now we benefit from his hard work. As long as the hard work I do serves others, it goes beyond even calling it ‘work.’ But no one is bigger than this brand. Our focus is not on the next few weeks, months or even year. It’s about where we take Birkenstock over the next decade and how we’ll leave it for future generations. Will Nike, for example, have a good quarter? Who cares. What I can tell you is, in 25 years, Nike will likely still be the dominant sports brand on the face of the earth. Is Chanel or

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