Footwear Plus | October/November 2016

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Caroline Diaco Publisher Greg Dutter Editorial Director Nancy Campbell Trevett McCandliss Creative Directors EDITORIAL Ann Loynd Senior Editor Emily Beckman Associate Editor Kathy Passero Editor at Large Melodie Jeng Contributing Photographer Judy Leand Contributing Editor ADVERTISING/ PRODUCTION Jennifer Craig Associate Publisher Katie Belloff Associate Art Director Production Manager Allison Kastner Operations Manager Bruce Sprague Circulation Director

D E P A R T M E N T S

PA G E

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F E A T U R E S 12 Family Ties Todd Wolff, president of Wolff Shoe Co., on leading the fourth generation, familyowned company amid a retail paradigm shift. By Greg Duttter

28 The X Factor A ladies wardrobe staple, the latest crop of cross strap sandals—in a range of fresh, neutral hues and materials—fuse style with stability. By Ann Loynd

14 Life and Style Leading comfort brands are blending the best of both worlds for Spring ’17 with versatile, all-day styles that look as good as they feel. By Ann Loynd

30 Model Citizens From chukkas to Chelseas, check out stylish, lightweight and versatile men’s boots that stretch the silhouette well into the spring season. By Ann Loynd

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Editor’s Note This Just In Scene & Heard A Note to My Younger Self What’s Selling Trend Spotting Shoe Salon Street Last Word

On the cover: Dr. Martens DM’s Lite combat boots, sleeveless shirt by Wood House, Combatant Gentlemen jeans.

Photographer: Trevett McCandliss; Fashion Editor and stylist: Ann Loynd; hair and makeup: Karla Hirkaler/ Next Artists; Phillip M./Major Model Management.

This page: oxford boots by Florsheim, Cole Haan chukkas, Wolverine sneakerboots.

Mike Hoff Digital Director OFFICES Advertising/Editorial 135 W. 20th St., Suite 402 New York, NY 10011 Tel: (646) 278-1550 Fax: (646) 278-1553 editorialrequests@ 9Threads.com Circulation 26202 Detroit Road, #300 Westlake, OH 44145 Tel: (440) 871-1300 circulation@9Threads.com Corporate 9Threads 26202 Detroit Road, #300 Westlake, OH 44145 Tel: (440) 871-1300 Xen Zapis Chairman Lee Zapis President Rich Bongorno Chief Financial Officer Debbie Grim Controller

FOOTWEAR PLUS ™ (ISSN#1054-898X) The fashion magazine of the footwear industry is published monthly (except for bimonthly April/May and October/November editions) by Symphony Publishing NY, LLC, 36 Cooper Square, 4th fl., New York, NY, 10003-7118. 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. Symphony Publishing NY, LLC, 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 Symphony Publishing NY, LLC. Printed in the United States.

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E D I TO R ’S N OT E A Separate Peace

WHO’S THE BOSS, ANYWAY? REAMS HAVE BEEN written about how the consumer has become the boss of bosses in the Internet Age. Never before have shoppers had such immediate access to the latest trends, product news and reviews, pricing and shopping choices. They are more informed than ever, in the driver’s seat when it comes to purchase decisions and more influential in what gets made, thanks in part to their ability to voice a collective opinion through social media almost immediately.

In response, businesses across a wide range of industries are being radically transformed into consumer-centric models where the opinions of John and Jane Q. Public are weighted more heavily than ever in planning processes.

They are being let behind the proverbial curtain like never before. Lead times are being shortened in an effort to deliver goods before consumers inform brands that they’ve already moved on to the next big thing. The old go-to-market model is being phased out for a leaner, faster, consumer-driven buy now/wear now supply chain management approach. Similarly, designers have been transforming runway shows into show now/buy now consumer events so as not to risk a collection falling flat months later in stores. Indeed, the days of manufacturers and retailers dictating when, what, where and for how much goods are sold are ending rapidly. But might consumers be wielding too much influence in what gets made? And is the increasing rush to market shortchanging the overall creative process?

Too much influence can be a bad influence—a case of too many cooks in the kitchen. I understand the value of consumer focus groups and similar forms of market research, but an increasing level of input by consumers in the early planning stages seems like overkill. Since when have they become the experts, rather than designers, manufacturers and retailers who have made careers out of determining what shoes get made and how they are sold?

It’s time to take back ownership of our industry’s creative processes. Why not leave a little mystery and intrigue about what’s in the pipeline and let shoppers rediscover the enjoyment of the discovery process (i.e. shopping) in store settings where experts in the art of curation and merchandising introduce the latest and greatest shoes? For more than two decades, I’ve had the good fortune to enjoy a ringside seat to the creative process of shoemaking and retailing, and I trust in the many talented, creative and visionary people in our industry to get that job done.

Perhaps I’m being overly literal. Consumers aren’t really sitting in design rooms having the final say on what shoes get made…or are they? I suggest we leave that level of hands-on involvement to DIY design platforms like NikeID, Mi Adidas, Shoes of Prey, etc. Call me old school, but I want shoe people to make shoes for the people. Some of the greatest product breakthroughs were ones consumers never saw coming. These items blew consumers’ minds because they could never have envisioned what would soon become their must-haves. Brands that are able to create breakthrough designs (think Nike) earn the reputation, following and trust to do it again.

The same goes for retailers, who have made tremendous investments of time, money and talent (not to mention blood, sweat and tears) to become arbiters of taste. Most have spent years shopping the market and learning about shoes— their features and benefits, differences in quality, past performance at retail—to determine which brands and styles get on shelves each season. The stores that are most successful at this process become destinations where shoppers go to be entertained, enlightened, waited on and shod. How could any form of crowdsourced curation be a better alternative? Let’s leave curating to retail experts rather than consumers, too many of whom consider cheap flip-flops the epitome of style and, worse, proper fit.

For the future of shoe fashion and foot health, our industry must show who’s the boss here. We owe it to consumers to save them from themselves.

Greg Dutter

Editorial Director

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Photography by Melodie Jeng 6 footwearplusmagazine.com • october/november 2016

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SCENE & HEARD

The Purrrfect Pair

Runway Look IN AN EFFORT to raise funds for Soles4Souls, Virgin America airlines and its marketing agency, Eleven, have teamed to create the “First Class Shoe,” giving a whole new meaning to a footwear upgrade. The white leather hi-tops come as fully loaded (video display, mood lighting, USB phone charger, wifi-enabled hotspot and stainless steel clasp) as one of its first-class seats. Only one pair has been made to be auctioned on Ebay with all proceeds being donated to the industry charity.

“It’s hard to say how high the bids will go,” says Mike McKay, partner and chief creative officer for Eleven. “We created one pair, so we hope to create a bidding frenzy. We’d love to help Soles4Souls provide clothing and shoes for as many people living in poverty as possible.”

Eleven and Virgin America spent nearly eight months making the First Class shoe. “Our biggest challenge was finding components that were small enough to be built into the shoe,” McKay notes. “The cell phone charger, the video monitor and the wifi hotspot all had to be very small and lightweight enough for the shoe to be wearable and comfortable.”

As for whether First Class might become a frequent footwear option down the runway, so to speak, McKay believes the potential demand is there, but the fare would be pretty steep at an estimated cost of $500 per pair. “The big barrier will be the cost to mass produce a shoe with so much technology,” he says. “But I think consumers are ready for this type of wearable technology in a shoe, especially if you’re solving a problem like recharging a phone or providing wifi connectivity.” McKay already envisions the target customer: “Sneaker enthusiasts, collectors, early adopters working in the tech start-up culture, musicians and celebrities.”

8 footwearplusmagazine.com • october/november 2016

MEET MASH, THE beige-and-white tabby with a Grumpy Cat-like kisser who’s big in Japan. The handsome feline has 182,000 Instagram followers and counting, most oohing and ahhing over photos of him playing with toys, posing on pillows and, of course, cat napping. The cool kitty has become so influential he now has a women’s shoe collection named after him in collaboration with the Japanese fashion brand, Randa.

The Mash Randa collection, available now in Randa stores, features faux fur pumps and pointy toe flats (complete with paw print bottoms) that match the totally rad tabby’s warm fur shades. As for the the style with the most meow? Paws down it’s the pump featuring Mash’s face on the sides of the heel with a bell collar, no less.

It gives a whole new meaning to hello kitty.

Rack Room Shoppers Help Schools in Need CELEBRATING ITS 10TH year in operation, Rack Room Shoes’ charitable initiative Shoes That Fit surpassed its $1 million goal for 2016 by a hefty $500,000. The annual back-to-school charitable drive encourages the chain’s customers to donate funds in support of their local schools.

“Shoes That Fit strikes a chord with our customers and our associates knowing they are contributing directly to children in need in their own community,” says Mark Lardie, CEO of the Charlotte, NC-based chain. “Keeping those contributions ‘local’ matters. I’m genuinely inspired by the generosity of our customers.”

The in-store and online contributions were channeled via community liaisons to local school systems in need in the form of funds and new footwear.

This year’s donations provided shoes to nearly 25,000 students. “For us, it’s as simple as being a good neighbor,” Lardie offers. “We want to steward our resources in a way that betters the world around us.”

Say hello to heels you never have to carry.

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A N O T E T O M Y YO U N G E R S E L F

BACK TO THE FUTURE Bob Mullaney, president and COO of ShoeBuy, on a fortuitous life and career aided greatly by the ability to stretch and embrace change.

HERE’S THE SYNOPSIS: You will be lucky. You will have an amazing family, great friends and fulfilling work. But will you heed your now late father’s advice to slow down? To stretch, breathe and embrace change? Well, not at first.

I know you crave a few details about what to expect. You will meet your wife at an office printer while working for the Stride Rite Corporation’s Tommy Hilfiger license. On your first date, you will attend a Sting concert and go home knowing that you will marry her. (By the way, The Police will get back together for a tour, but it’s debatable whether they should have.) You and your wife, Sara, (it’s spelled without an “H”, and note that paying attention to such small but important details will help you in marriage and life) will have three amazing children: Maddie, Grace and Drew. Every day with them will be astounding, sometimes overwhelming and often humbling. They will stretch you.

Take note that physically stretching will help you to focus, to appreciate, to be resilient, to grow, to change, to be patient, to stay positive and to deal with challenge. It’s a powerful tool that will force you to slow down and breathe. So remember to stretch and stretch often. Of course, no one is perfect and you will make mistakes. But striking out isn’t always fatal. It’s what you do in your next at-bat that counts. You are not perfect, nor is the path you’ll take. But it will be a fun ride. Serendipity and relationships will impact your career immensely.

Take 1992 for example. After one of your college baseball games, you’ll be racing to the campus cafeteria before it closes, eye black running down your face, when your friend Joe Bean will introduce you to his employer’s head recruiter. This meeting will land you at an entry-level sales job at Filene’s/May Company in Boston. From there, you will cross over into the wholesale shoe business, steadily climbing the corporate ranks by holding executive positions at Timberland, Stride Rite, Vida Shoes, Brown Shoe Company and Rockport.

You will be fortunate to work in an industry that is dynamic and epitomizes

both art and science. You will have great experiences and meet many great friends. As I said, you will be lucky. In 2013, your best friend since second grade will invite you to join him for dinner with ShoeBuy CEO Mike Sorabella next door to the building where your first post-college job was located.

By this time, the world will have changed dramatically. Think of the movie Back to the Future. Your kids won’t know what a VCR is, and the Sony Walkman will be replaced by a sleek handheld mobile phone with no wires. (Note: Invest a few dollars in Apple stock.) People won’t travel around like they do in The Jetsons just yet, but there will be drones and hoverboards. Also, there will be this thing called the Internet that facilitates a new retail channel, e-commerce. People—millions of them—will buy shoes and clothes without trying them on first. An increasing number will do so via their mobile phones, which everyone—from kids to adults—will use constantly. These smartphones will be the Flux Capacitor of your time; they will be able to research anything from anywhere, communicate through numerous platforms and provide access to goods and services 24/7 that will be delivered to people’s doorsteps, often overnight. The e-commerce revolution will be the quintessential example of the importance of embracing change.

Because, guess what, you’ll work for an e-commerce company, ShoeBuy.com.

You’ll join the e-commerce revolution on the front lines, helping to shape the way consumers shop for shoes—improving their access, convenience, enjoyment and efficiency. You will indeed embrace change, making the leap into this new retail frontier. And you will be very glad you did.

On that note, there will be a sixth-round pick out of Michigan, Tom Brady, who will perfectly exemplify the ability to embrace change successfully. He will provide 15-plus years of great football memories, including four Super Bowl victories! (It will offset your first 30 years of suffering as a Patriots fan.)

And—brace yourself—the Red Sox will finally win the World Series…twice!!

Further proof that success requires resilience as well as the ability to embrace change and overcome challenges. This is true in sports, work and life.

SINCER ELY, BOB, A.K.A. MARTY MC FLY

10 footwearplusmagazine.com • october/november 2016

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FAMILY TIES

To d d Wo l ff , p r e s i d e n t o f Wo l ff S h o e C o m p a n y, m a k e r s o f S e s t o Me u c c i , Va n e l i a n d E r i c Ja v i t s b r a n d s , on leading the fourth-generation, family-owned company during a paradigm shift in retail.

T

ODD WOLFF GOT his start in the family shoe business early—really early. At the tender age of five, his job was to sweep the Wolff Shoe Company’s warehouse floors. Ever the entrepreneur, he took it upon himself to speed the process up by slapping on roller skates. “I thought I was a big trendsetter when I figured out that I could make it up and down the aisles a lot faster,” Wolff recalls with a laugh. While he was never pressured to make the family business a career, it was in his blood; deep down he always knew it was what he wanted to do for a living. “I love the creativity,” says Wolff, who was named president in 2014 following 12 years spent learning every facet of the company. “I love the interaction with people, whether it be in sales, manufacturing or product development.”

Many of Wolff ’s coworkers have been with the St. Louis–based company as long as he has been alive, and the company’s Italian factory agents are a family-owned business with whom they’ve partnered for more than 50 years.

It’s always been a yearly handshake deal. “We’ve been blessed to have wonderful technicians through the years,” Wolff says. “Everywhere we’ve made shoes, our technicians have made sure that they meet both our standards and our customers’ expectations.” Wolff takes great pride in the enduring partnerships his company has maintained, something he believes makes it unique. “It’s about respect, trust and working toward the greater good for both parties,” he offers. “These are basic principles of what’s right in business as well as being a decent human being. That’s what allows you to have a handshake deal with somebody for 50 years.”

Nurturing such ties and leading the family business into its second century of operation are Wolff ’s top priorities. “It’s an extraordinary opportunity,” he says. “I’ve embraced the notion of wanting to follow in my family’s footsteps and take it further than it has gone—for our family as well as the multitudes of families who work with us.”

Wolff has definitive plans to grow the company, but he is a Midwesterner through and through, reserved and practical when it comes to fine-tuning what his predecessors built. “You don’t get to be about 100 years old [98 to be exact] by trying to revolutionize everything,” he explains. “But we’ve made some strides updating the product—new constructions, lasts and styles—as well as our e-commerce site, and we are installing a new wholesale computer system.”

Wolff Shoe Company is a unique blend that knows how to make casual, comfortable shoes for its target audience of middle-aged women and understands how to retail its brands, in part through its 24-store Marmi specialty boutique chain. “We are positioned at an upper moderate price point [retail

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O&A range is $150 to $300], depending on whether we are making the shoes in Europe or China,” Wolff explains. “It’s a really good position to be in right now,” he adds, noting that another competitive advantage is the company’s extensive sizes and widths program. “A lot of people have gotten out of the business of making those sizes,” he notes. “We still see it as a very large market that needs to be serviced, and we are filling that niche.” Wolff believes recent upgrades are also taking hold. Five years down the road, “I see an expanded wholesale business with updated product,” he predicts.

“Opportunistically, I envision some more stores and a bigger presence online.”

In some ways, Wolff’s approach remains What are you reading? unchanged since he began working fullBe Prepared. A Practical time, the day after he drove home from the Handbook for New Dads.

University of Colorado Boulder, business We had our first child at degree in hand, in 2002. The next mornthe end of July. ing, he flew to China with his grandfa-

ing us alone”—the company has fared well, all things considered. “There have been some challenges, but, on the wholesale side, we have been received quite well,” he reports, adding that Marmi has held its own, too. “Every month we’ve come within a couple of points of either making or missing that month, and we’ve had more wins than we’ve had losses,” he says. “But they are not giant gains by any stretch of the imagination.”

As a fourth-generation leader of a nearly century-old family shoe business, Wolff knows that to succeed you need the ability to run a marathon, not a sprint. Recessions, wars, new retail formats…they come and go. It’s how one adapts and evolves without If you could hire anybody, losing one’s identity that enables a comwho would it be? My older pany to survive for decades rather than a sister. She is brilliant, talfew seasons. This (crazy) year has been no ented in many of the ways different, Wolff says. “You tighten your belt that I am not and would be and just try to keep going,” he says. “As my a great asset to our comfather likes to say, ‘I wasn’t smart enough pany. She graduated early to become a doctor or a lawyer, so I’d betfrom Parsons School of ter figure out how to make it in the shoe Design, she’s earned a doubusiness.’” How, when and where consumble master’s degree, she ers shop for shoes is rapidly changing, but speaks nine languages Wolff takes solace in one industry conand she’s lived all over the stant: “The world isn’t going to go bareworld. She’s the “smart foot any time soon. We’ve just got to figure Wolff ” and is head copyout what types of shoes people want and writer for women’s apparel make them for them.” for Barneys.com.

OFF THE CUFF

ther to visit shoe factories. Wolff got right What is inspiring you to learning the shoe business. And who right now? My son, better to learn from than his grandfather, for one thing. I’m also who has been working in shoes for more inspired by the people at than 60 years and making sourcing trips our company. We’ve been to China since 1982. (The Wolff family was installing a new comamong the first Americans to break into puter system after 30 years the Asian sourcing market, beginning in of the old one, and it has Hong Kong after making shoes for about been a very challenging a decade in Italy.) transition. But I’ve mar“I listened a lot and talked a little,” veled at everybody’s detersays Wolff. Over the ensuing decade, he mination, grit and openearned the equivalent of master’s degrees mindedness to the proin just about every facet of shoes, includcess. We also recently lost ing sourcing, product development and an employee suddenly design. “I had great teachers. They are who had been with us for true pros,” he says. “I learned a lot, first more than 30 years. She by carrying their bags and setting up at was our receptionist and shows.” Indeed, Wolff has done his share good friend, and I’ve been of heavy lifting. “I was on the road 300 inspired by how everyone days a year for pretty much the first 13 here has come together. years of my career,” he says, noting his air mile odometer has surpassed four million.

What is your motto?

(His father’s tally eclipses 10 million.) “I Under-promise, was visiting factories in China every six to over-deliver. eight weeks, going to shows and meeting with retailers,” he says.

What sound do you love?

One of the key lessons Wolff learned Any noise my son makes. from his father and grandfather was, “Make your yes a yes and your no a no,” he says.

“If you are going to do something, tell everyone you are going to do it and then follow through. If you’re not going to do it, state it outright and stick to it.”

Another memorable business tenet of his grandfather’s: “A shoemaker sticks to his lasts.” Translation: “Do what you do, do it to the best of your abilities and don’t try to be something you’re not.”

That’s sound advice in a chaotic year when many companies have grasped at straws trying to survive. Flip-flopping and stabs at radical reinvention are not the best courses of action, according to Wolff. While this year has been no cakewalk—“retail is tough for everybody and, trust me, they are not leav-

What talent would you most like to have? The ability to draw.

What was your first-ever paying job? Busboy.

What is your favorite hometown memory?

Just enjoying what St. Louis has to offer, whether it be going to a Cardinals game— everybody here loves the Cardinals—or enjoying good food and good times in a great place surrounded by friends and family.

Did you foresee this retail shakeout coming this year? Is it really a surprise, all things considered?

Some of the moves have been drastic.

Macy’s announced it will close 100 doors.

That’s no laughing matter. But then again, some drastic moves needed to be made.

There was such an expansion push a couple of years ago that some of these closings were inevitable. I’m not going say I had a crystal ball and I predicted everything. But you could see some of the writing on the wall, so it hasn’t caught me so off guard as to be totally shocked by what’s going on in the marketplace.

What exactly is going on?

Well, there’s a lot of consolidation going on, tightening up as far as companies buying other companies. Those that have money are deciding to spend it on acquisitions, whether it be brands buying other brands or investment firms buying brands. As interest rates have stayed low, you are not making any money really with it in the bank, and money doesn’t really cost that much, so the ability for companies to acquire others is there. In addition, there are people looking to get out of whatever they are in, be it retail or wholesale—and that’s not just in regard to the shoe business. Retail is really challenging right now.

You are seeing some store owners switch into year-to-year agreements when their leases are up because they do not know what the future holds, or many

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TWO TEN

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O&A are at an age where they feel comfortable enough to retire and think it’s not worth the fight anymore.

To what do you attribute Marmi’s ability to hold its own this year?

Well, we’re geographically diverse, which helps. And we have been offering more new products, which is helping draw new customers every day. We have been offering our core customers something that they haven’t seen before—something that isn’t in their closets already. That is key right now, because everybody is interested in having something that they don’t already have. What was good yesterday, isn’t necessarily good again today.

Who is your target customer?

Overall, she’s 45 and up with a want to be fashionable but also has an appreciation for customer service, fit and quality. The Sesto customer, in particular, is a little bit more upscale, and the product is more casual in vein and flavor. She values the name more and the fact that it is manufactured in Europe. Some consumers still don’t like “made in China” even though just about everybody makes something there. Our Vaneli customer is more of an updated, contemporary woman, and Eric Javitz features a lot of casual and colorful styles like the designer’s wonderful hats and handbags. The shoes coordinate back, using a lot of his signature straw braid material.

Are you a firm believer in the future of brick-and-mortar shoe retailing?

We are believers in brick-and-mortar stores because shoes, unlike a lot of things that you can get online, are a tangible product. Customers enjoy that interaction in being able to try things on and see what fits, what works and what looks good. Not only does a knowledgeable salesperson assist with what

FW_10_16_QA_05.indd 16

is appropriate fit-wise, but they also often act as impromptu stylists for a lot of our customers. I just believe you don’t get that level of interaction online.

You can do a lot with pictures, pop-ups and what not, but you don’t get that one-on-one, personalized, “Ms. Smith, this looks great and you can wear it with this and with that,” type of interaction. There’s no way to recreate that online and I think for shoes, in particular, there is still a want from customers for that type of experience.

Any plans to expand the number of Marmi doors?

Opportunistically, we’re always open to the idea. To say, however, that I would jump on a bunch of new store openings right now would depend on where they are, for starters. In addition, we want to make sure that we would be opening successful stores, because anybody can open stores and get out of them quickly. We would want to make sure that we open stores properly— to do our customers justice. Since we make sizes and widths—from size 4 narrow to 13 wide—in all of our brands, our stores must be comfortable environments to meet the needs of what is a broad range of customers. We also would want to make sure as to not step on a bunch of toes wherever we might open a store.

What advantages are there as a wholesaler to have a retail arm when working with other retailers?

It’s a testing ground for new products, ideas, concepts and constructions.

We can take a lot of the risk for new items. It also helps to be able to get shoes made. As our wholesale reps know, if we are buying the shoes for our stores, then those particular styles have a 95-percent chance of being made, so they can sell to their customers confidently, because nobody likes

11/1/16 2:07 PM

a bunch of cancellations. Our stores also provide a lot of brand recognition.

That said, we’ll never try to underprice anybody; it’s a very clean retail operation. It’s not like we price the shoes $15 to $20 less than everybody else because we own the business vertically. So it’s not bad competition, and it boosts brand awareness.

Speaking of growing retail competition, what’s your take on the online tier?

The customer we target, in particular, is not as online focused as Millennials that shop, if not exclusively, very close to exclusively online. Our customer still likes to be serviced. But the ability to sell shoes everywhere and the convenience of online shopping helps. And online shopping is only going to get stronger as people get more accustomed to it and younger generations age into our market. It’s a force that has to be addressed and embraced, and that’s why we launched a new website in April. We wanted to make sure that we are able to hold our own in the ring.

What have you done, in particular?

A lot of it is backend stuff that you can’t necessarily see, which has been met with tremendous success. On the front end, the site features a different look as far as offerings, ways we showcase the product and shopper interaction features. It’s been very well received so far.

What’s your take on the expanding direct-to-consumer (DTC) efforts of many brands?

It’s another way to service the customer and a way to avoid the pricing issues online. With increased competition everyone is basically saying, I might as well as throw my hat into the ring, too. The assumption is it’s only one more domain and that it won’t hurt anybody. It’s also pretty cost effective to do, depending on how in-depth your site is.

DTC has to hurt retailers, though. These are sales they would have had.

True, but it’s the norm now and not the exception.

I get a multitude of brands offered on one site, but shopping brand site to brand site doesn’t seem all that efficient.

It all depends on how consumers are shopping. To be able to type a specific brand name into a search engine, it’s pretty easy to then click on that brand’s site to see what they have. If the customer wants that brand’s loafer specifically, it can be an easy way to get it. Now if you are looking for a general style and there are 4,000 brands offering it, then that would be quite different.

Consumers once had to go to a store for selection, curation, service, advice, etc.

A lot of that is easy to do from the comfort of a couch. But you still don’t get that personal service. Any good sales staff has the ability to help >43

Tamaris USA INC. · 4767 New Broad Street, Orlando, FL 32814 · office (407) 514 2734 · theschuh@tamaris.us · theschuh.com

It’s not easy and requires a lot of investment to sell online properly.

I wish it were easy. And while, in theory, consumers can just go to Amazon, being able to offer our own products through our own site gives us a bit more control. Especially when you are not just selling 6 to 10 mediums. We offer something different, our customers realize that and know they can get

it from us. And we offer more of our own product on our site than anyone else does, which is only natural.

Tamaris_FZ_USA_28203_FootwearPlus_7.75x5_Inch_quer_RZ.indd 1 FW_10_16_QA_05.indd 17

13.10.16 15:19 11/1/16 2:07 PM

DEFINING COMFORT: SPRING ’17

More Than a Feeling Comfort, by definition, should be given. But in the annals of footwear history, the ability to be comfortable and stylish has long been an either-or scenario. No more, as brands increasingly blend the best of both worlds to produce versatile, all-day wear that looks and feels great. For Spring ’17, fashion spans trend-right athleisure looks to casual classics, reflecting the go-to wardrobe staples these brands are becoming. —Ann Loynd

Earth The Finer Points THANKS TO THE rise of athleisure, comfort is now cool, according to Angelo Romero, executive vice president of Earth Brands. And if the company’s 2016 sales are any proof, he would be correct. “We had to revise forecasts numerous times to attend to a much higher-than-planned demand for the Intrepid open-toe shoetie silhouette,” Romero cites as one example.

Director of Marketing Katie Dobbs adds that Earth’s health-and-wellness heritage is playing to the brand’s advantage with today’s overriding health-conscious culture. “We began as a wellness shoe company over 40 years ago when the original Kalso Earth Shoe was created by Anne Kalso, a Danish yoga instructor,” she says. “To this day, we pride ourselves on developing shoes for women that remain true to her founding beliefs that comfort and whole-body wellness begin from the ground-up.” Dobbs adds that for Spring ’17, marketing efforts aim to refocus on telling Kalso’s story and how she continues to inspire the brand.

Specifically, the spring collection draws on active-fashion inspiration with an expanded variety of materials and colors. “Comfort is made cool by combining athletic technology with classic silhouettes,” Romero offers. “The Earth/Earthies collection for Spring ’17 [pays] special attention to leather finishes and manual burnishing that highlight the artisan approach we bring to product manufacturing.” He cites such tech- and fashion-forward aspects as laser cutting, reptile print and metallic finishes as well as floral prints “borrowed from high-end fashion houses.” What’s more, Romero says, a

broad retail price range ($90 for sandals up to $180 for summer boots) offers a little something for everyone.

But for an authentic comfort brand, looking good is not necessarily as important as feeling good. Earth tapped consumers for feedback, who said that while other comfort brands provide some anatomical support, footbeds are typically too hard or not supportive enough to allow an optimal degree of softness. For example, Romero notes that while there are offerings in the market featuring memory foam insoles, those don’t offer much actual support.

In contrast, he cites Earth’s new multi-density footbeds, designed to combine anatomical structure with different densities. “With the

18 footwearplusmagazine.com • october/november 2016

multi-density footbeds, we have been able to provide the consumer with a more complete, balanced support and comfort experience,” Romero explains.

Buyers at the recent round of trade shows (bookings were at an all-time high) gave their vote of confidence, reports Romero. “We are having considerable growth in a very competitive environment,” he says, describing the comfort category as crowded. “But I’m not surprised by that,” he adds. “Recently I was in Italy attending the Micam show, and it was obvious that the focus on comfort was prevalent in women’s footwear.”

So how does Earth set itself apart from the sea of comfort brands?

“The key factor is while staying true to our comfort roots, to push the design boundaries of what people perceive as comfort shoes,” Romero says. He adds that part of the category’s over-crowding is due to a favorable exchange rate causing European brands to push into the U.S. market. It means brands have to be even more on top of their game to present a meaningful difference. “We differentiate ourselves by working very closely with key retailers in different distribution channels and identifying ways in which we can partner to attend market opportunities,” Romero says, noting that Earth is able to get cutting-edge ideas into fruition faster than its competitors. “Our advantage over other brands is that we are nimble. Our development/ sourcing center in Asia materializes concepts and turns ideas into actual product very quickly.”

Freestyle by Coolway Offbeat Athleisure SCOTT HOME, PRESIDENT of Coolway and its new offshoot Freestyle by Coolway, is the first to admit that the athleisure/comfort category is already a crowded market.

So when parent company Yorga Group decided to dive into said category with the new brand for Spring ’17, Home knew the product would have to be truly unique to garner shelf space. And with young CEO Carlos Mayordomo at the helm, Freestyle by Coolway is aiming to capture a young, trendy consumer looking for something slightly offbeat.

“We’ve sold okay within this category in the past, but the [shoes] weren’t different enough than everyone else’s,” Home admits. Enter Mayordomo. “Carlos has never worn a pair of shoes that aren’t sneakers in his life,” Home says. “We told him he needed to design the line, and he did!”

The idea, Home explains, is to create a young, colorful aesthetic that mixes athletic/casual styles with technical aspects. The resulting Freestyle by Coolway is truly different from typical trainers and classic sneaker silhouettes. The collection, for example, features colorful slip-on styles and sandal/sneaker hybrids with ghille lacing systems, straps, mixed materials and sock-like uppers. “Freestyle is not meant to look like a typical athletic collection,” Home says, noting he grew up wearing Converse Chuck Taylors. “Freestyle by Coolway doesn’t look athletic in that traditional sense—it’s sandals to booties to tennis shoes.”

Aside from trend-right aesthetics, a myriad of technical features raise the comfort bar. Examples include a combined EVA midsole and sockliner to absorb impact and provide all-day comfort, low-density PU footbeds to accommodate different foot proportions and an overall ultra-light construction. “We didn’t put separate insoles in the shoes; it’s part of the outsole,” Home explains. “They have a black outsole with little holes in the bottom [for breathability] and are very soft and lightweight.”

While Home says the Freestyle by Coolway isn’t claiming to compete with a performance shoe designed for the Boston Marathon, he hopes to land product in some sneaker/athletic stores (like Sporty LA and David Z.) as well as department chains and boutique retailers who understand athleisure fashion and draw its target audience of young Millennials, age 14 to 25, who are looking for something that will stand out. So far so good as Home reports buyers have reacted strongly to the new brand. “The rep for Paragon Sports said these shoes are the freshest thing out there,” he notes, adding, “These shoes look different than other athletic-genre things on the wall. This consumer doesn’t want Nike, Skechers or Adidas; they want something different.”

Samuel Hubbard Quality Over Quantity When Bruce Katz launched Samuel Hubbard in 2014, it wasn’t his first rodeo.

Katz, along with his father, Saul, built Rockport from the ground-up before selling it to Reebok for millions and then taking some (well-earned) time off— 28 years, to be exact—from the shoe business. After the passing of his father, Katz got to thinking about re-establishing the family’s place in footwear and decided to do it in a way that would honor his family’s legacy.

“Hubbard was the name of my grandfather’s shoe factory in New Hampshire, where I hung out as a kid sliding in boxes from the stitching room to the last room,” Katz says. “I thought one day I might go back into the shoe business and turn Hubbard into the brand it never was.”

That he has, but a good pedigree won’t sell shoes on its own. So Katz enlisted industry veteran—and his father’s right-hand man—Werner Wyrsch and set out to make “the most comfortable shoe we’ve ever made.” Instead of trying to keep up with the market’s ever-speeding calendar, Wyrsch and Katz took their time—a year-and-a-half, in total—to develop a shoe that met their strict comfort criteria. It’s a devotion to getting things right, Katz says, that sets his brand apart from the sea of comfort brands in the marketplace. “A lot of people put comfort features in shoes now,” he says. “Everyone wants to make light shoes with orthotics and linings, but because of the way the shoe business runs—make 100 shoes then 100 new ones—it’s very hard to make a shoe right.” Katz recalls recently going into the company store of a leading athletic brand that was boasting a “revolutionary” new technology. When he tried them on, the shoes didn’t fit properly. “Here’s a company with billions of dollars worth of shoes, and they didn’t get it right,” he says.

By not adhering to a rigid calendar schedule, Samuel Hubbard completes a shoe from the last outward. The overall focus is on function where every point of contact is designed to be smooth and comfortable. For example, a hidden padded collar means no hard contact around the ankle, custom Vibram replaceable outsoles provide lightweight shock absorption and a removable triple-density Poron insole is leather-lined and conforms to the unique shape of each foot.

The line, made in Portugal, retails from about $200 to $350, and Katz believes consumers are willing to pay a premium for better product.

For Spring ’17, that includes the debut of a Gore-Tex-line all-weather collection spanning an eyelet plain-toe banker shoe to lightweight hikers. “We went at it as shoemakers—genuine leather, with all-leather lining, padding and Vibram outsoles,” Katz says. “You can go anywhere in them.”

Because Samuel Hubbard’s product requires more education and appreciation than your average men’s shoe, Katz is focusing distribution on specialty retailers. “There are department stores we’ve said no thank you to, and we’ve taken it off Amazon and made a decision not to sell on Zappos,” Katz says, adding, “We are betting on the independents.” Katz believes that almost all specialty comfort dealers have a customer for Samuel Hubbard, even if it’s slightly more expensive than other comfort brands. More importantly, he believes these retailers are better able to explain the brand’s features and benefits and why it’s worth the investment.

To bolster that bet, Samuel Hubbard has been running an extensive consumer print campaign—more than 1.5 billion impressions to date—to drive consumers into brick-and-mortar stores. Katz notes that the higher price point is also good for business. “If you’re selling shoes for $150 when you can be selling a pair for $200, that’s a missed opportunity,” he says.

2016 october/november • footwearplusmagazine.com 19

DEFINING COMFORT: SPRING ’17 Clarks Revival Festival

Hopp Studios Minimal Chic SAS CEO Nancy A. Richardson gets a lot of requests to manufacture product in the brand’s renowned San Antonio, TX, factory, but it was a cold call from first-time footwear designer Eree Kim that finally made her say yes. “Eree was the first person who had actually worn SAS shoes and could articulate a sincere respect for our brand and what it stands for,” Richardson says, adding, “It was her knowledge of SAS and sincerity that made her desire to work with us more interesting than the average request.”

But first thing’s first: Richardson says Eree was not a shoemaker and that SAS had to educate and train her. That it did, beginning with Kim’s three-week training program in the SAS factory. The hands-on training culminated in 38-year-old Kim’s debut Hopp (meaning “bounce” in Swedish) collection this past fall. It featured a range of minimalistic oxfords and booties retailing between $160 and $215. Like SAS, Hopp consists of lightweight, flexible soles made from rubber or PU, padded upper linings and leather footbeds with arch support. Richardson notes, however, that the two brands serve different demographics and don’t consider each other competition. Instead, she believes they have met at the intersection of comfort becoming fashion and fashion becoming comfort.

Specifically, Kim (who previously designed knitwear for Opening Ceremony) set out to create a comfort line from what she saw as a void in the high-fashion space. “It was so hard to find shoes that were comfy and stylish,” she explains.

And unlike lines manufactured in Italy or Brazil, Kim was interested in SAS’s stateside capabilities.

Hopp will introduce three new styles for Spring ’17, including flats and a stacked heel, and continues to add colors to its oxfords, which Kim considers a season-less basic.

The no-fuss style fuses Normcore and athleisure influences for a look the designer says resonates with the fashion set.

“My customer varies in age and style,” she says. “There are girls that are more creative and stylish, but I also have older women looking for something sleek.”

So far, Kim has distributed Hopp direct-to-consumer online but says she is seeking select retail partnerships. The goal, she says, is to keep the line in a balance of being wearable, unique and always comfortable. That’s an ethos SAS can get behind. “One should not to have to suffer for fashion,” Richardson says. “Everyone deserves happy feet.”

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FOR NEARLY 200 years, Clarks has been towing the line between honoring classic styles and making breakthrough designs in comfort footwear. The recent return of President Gary Champion (who worked for the company’s North American subsidiary for 25 years, culminating in a successful run as head of sales until his exit in 2008) is the perfect representation of such: It’s both a move forward and a return to what has worked in the past in one fell swoop. Similarly, modern takes on the brand’s classics, particularly in collaboration with trendsetting streetwear boutiques like Concepts and Supreme, have earned the brand serious fashion cred of late. And it doesn’t hurt when hip hop stars like Drake hit the town—superstar girlfriends in tow—sporting classic Clarks Wallabees.

For Spring ’17, the collections sport a similar theme of new and heritage that was well-received by buyers at this season’s trade shows. “Many accounts said the line represents the best of what we do at Clarks and then some,” confirms Christopher Scinto, senior vice president/chief marketing officer. “We’ve repeatedly heard that design innovation in premium programs was a highlight of the line presentations.”

Such innovations can be found in two of the brand’s more recent introductions. The first, Cloudsteppers by Clarks, promises incredibly light construction using materials like microfiber EVA; flexibility through a reengineered relationship between upper, insole and outsole; and soft comfort with an Ortholite footbed and high-rebound foam inlay. The other, called Unstructured, features dual-density Ortholite footbeds, added foam underfoot, a new EVA foam compound outsole and air circulation system for breathability. Most importantly, all those features are enclosed in stylish silhouettes spanning moccasins, sandals and wedges for women and casual sneakers and driving mocs for men.

In the core line, Scinto says consumers will see “twists on design favorites and brand new styles.” The women’s line is chock-full of feminine oxfords, driving mocs and stylish wedges while guy’s offerings feature a mix of contemporary classics. “From relaxed, sporty styles to heritage-infused classics, men’s styles mold tradition and skill with contemporary detailing,” he says, adding that many of the sneakers, driving mocs and loafers feature knit uppers or perforated suedes “ideal for barefoot wear.”

In order to help spread the word, Clarks will launch a new global lifestyle ad campaign that, Scinto says, “celebrates the spirit of the brand” and highlights spring collections. In step with the spirit of revitalizing the old and celebrating the new, Clarks is opening a new North American corporate headquarters in Waltham, MA, this fall, located in the historic Polaroid building. It’s that ability to build upon what’s already great that has made the brand successful for so long, Scinto adds. “Clarks has been making footwear for nearly two centuries, and that comes with an authenticity that can’t be fabricated or imitated,” he says. “We’re constantly evolving and expanding our technologies, using our expertise to craft shoes that are both stylish and a pleasure to wear.”

PHOTO: CARLO NASISSE / HED HI MEDIA

outdoor

in every form.

Running to runway, Winter Market brings the best of outdoor and lifestyle to you.

ALL MOUNTAIN DEMO JANUARY 9, 2017 WINTER MARKET JANUARY 10-12, 2017 R e g i s t e r a t o u t d o o r r e t a i l e r. c o m

W H AT ’S S E L L I N G

Sit & Fits

adds that while some brands, notably Birkenstock, are trying to control online distribution, many have yet to follow suit.

Her solution? “We need to keep ourselves special, so we shop the GDS and Micam shows for product that isn’t seen everywhere.” —Ann Loynd What’s the biggest challenge facing your business? We have two major issues: One, our street is so popular that rent is crazy.

What we did five years ago in terms of profitability is not necessarily going to cover that today. So we rely on our partnerships and have to be smarter. We try to maximize incentives with our vendors, but it forces us to be much more operationally driven.

The other issue is why we travel so much: We’re looking for unique product that our customers will love and we can get at first cost.

That adds some margin dollars. We have a good relationship with those trade shows and get information about what companies are reliable. We feel we have an edge that way.

What are the best brands you’ve added into the mix lately?

In terms of sell-through and probability, BeautiFeel and Kanna have been awesome.

How about accessories? We have an explosive business with socks. We sold a couple-thousand pairs this year, particularly novelty socks with footballs, cigars, etc. We’ve also been blowing out of little accessory and fashion bags.

VINCE CANNING SHOES

L

Delray Beach, FL

OCATED IN DELRAY Beach, FL—named “Most Fun Small Town in America” by travel publisher Rand McNally—Vince Canning Shoes owners LaRonda and Mark Denkler aim to make shopping for comfortable and stylish shoes equally as entertaining. The pair’s comfort shoes emporium first opened its doors in 1952 when Mark Denkler’s grandfather, a traveling shoe salesman, bought the business as a way to semi-retire. An uncle took over the reins in 1958 and ran the business successfully for four decades before the couple took charge in 1994. In fact, Vince Canning Shoes is the longestrunning, family-owned business on Delray Beach’s main strip.

In order to maintain that record, the Denklers travel to trade shows around the world in an effort to set their stores (they operate a fashion boutique, Tootsies Delray, across the street) apart from the competition and attract the discretionary dollars of the area’s predominantly older clientele. “They’re not necessarily on the cutting-edge of fashion, but they want something that looks great and is really comfortable,” offers LaRonda Denkler of the store’s core customers, who are also well-seasoned travelers. Vince Canning Shoes does well with mainstream brands like Cole Haan, Naot and Sperry, along with a selection of niche players like The Flexx, Sesto Meucci and Fly London.

The more exclusive European brands provide higher margins that help combat rising store rents and online competition. “We want to keep a small percentage of unique product that is not [widely available],” Denkler explains, noting, “Vionic or Sperry can be purchased anywhere on the Internet.” She

22 footwearplusmagazine.com • october/november 2016

How has business been so far this year? First quarter was a little bit of a downshift, but the second was really explosive.

We had strong double-digit increases in both stores. The third quarter has been a little more flat. We get a little nervous since it’s an election year but, generally, we peak in January through April. As a resort business, we’re giving customers new spring product before they see it back home.

Do you plan on expanding into any new shoe categories? We will be expanding into the athleisure/sneaker category. We currently sell Keds, but with the athleisure craze, we plan on offering more brands. We got great sell-throughs on vulcanized sandals this spring, and I predict it will get stronger next season. The great thing about our locations is, if something’s selling well in our fashion boutique, I can order it for the other store. For example, I want to add the Stan Smith–style sneakers in Vince Canning. I never would have carried that look there before—it’s not really pretty, but it’s a trend. A friend of mine at Village Bootery calls it “fash-leisure.” We think it’s an important category.

Do you think athleisure is good for traditionally non-athletic retailers? I think it’s good for independents. It’s another trend to get excited about and offer our customer. And to have a trend that’s comfortable is doubly exciting for us.

We love giving our customers cool-looking shoes that are comfy and trendy.

What’s the most effective way to reach your audience? We have the benefit of a lot of foot traffic, but we get an incredible return on our investment when we do postcards or make phone calls.

What makes your customer unique? When a customer comes to us, she’s often on vacation and she’s relaxed. We know that she can buy plain brown loafers at any number of stores back home, so that’s why we sell the croc-print loafers instead. That’s why she shops our stores.

TO WEAR versatile, feminine, comfortable

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INTRODUCING THE EASY COLLECTION FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE EMAIL INDEPENDENTS@EASYSPIRIT.COM OR CALL (800) 284-9984

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Left to right: Jon Josef, Lola Cruz and Bleemer. Necklaces by Reshma B Chains.

24 footwearplusmagazine.com • october/november 2016

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The

Factor Cross-strap sandals fuse style with stability.

PHOTOGRAPHY

BY TREVETT MCCANDLISS

Top row, left to right: Sebago, Clarks, Bernie Mev, SAS, Bella Vita and Tamaris.

Bottom row, left to right: Spring Step, Geox, Wolky, Dansko, Gabor, Ecco and Summit.

28 footwearplusmagazine.com • october/november 2016

2016 october/november • footwearplusmagazine.com 29

BY POPULAR DEMAND: L I G H T W E I G H T, V E R S AT I L E A N D S N A Z Z Y BOOTS FOR SPRING.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY TREVETT MCCANDLISS ST YLING BY ANN LOYND Left to right: Florsheim chukkas, shirt and suit by Combatant Gentlemen, Spectre & Co. tie, Ben Sherman tophat; distressed-leather chukkas by Cole Haan, striped suit by Max ’n Chester, Combatant Gentlemen shirt; Wolverine white-sole lace-ups, Combatant Gentlemen suit and shirt, pocket square from Sprezza Box. Opposite: Bar III button-down, Etnia Barcelona sunglasses.

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Left to right: Pskaufman zip-front boots, INC t-shirt, David Hart leather jacket, Big Flower sweats; desert boots by Dr. Scholl’s, INC t-shirt, vest and shorts by Blake Hyland; Ben Sherman sporty chukkas, INC faux-leather pants, Blake Hyland sleeveless shirt, Spectre & Co. beanie; Clarks sneaker boots, Blake Hyland shirt, Wood House pants. Opposite: Chelsea boots by Aetrex, Happy Socks, polo by David Hart, Mavi jeans.

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Left to right: SAS chukkas, Happy Feet socks, Combatant Gentlemen jeans, INC shirt; moc-toe lace-ups by Bluprint, Ben Sherman slacks, Reef button-down.

Opposite: Richer Poorer t-shirt, Bar III smoking jacket, Stetson tophat.

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Wallabee by Twisted X. Opposite, left to right: Pull-on boots by Naot, Aston Grey socks, Richer Poorer t-shirt, jacket by David Hart, Blake Hyland shorts, Etnia Barcelona sunglasses; J Shoes desert boots, socks by Richer Poorer, Big Flower shirt, jacket by Lucio Castro, Combatant Gentlemen shorts; Chelsea boots

by Jo Ghost, Aston Grey socks, Wood House jacket, shorts by Blake Hyland, Stetson bowler.

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Top to bottom: T.B. Phelps gum-sole lace-ups, Exkite bomber jacket, Mavi jeans; Hawke & Co. hikers, Exkite windbreaker, Berenik joggers; Exkite jacket, Richer Poorer t-shirt, hat by Spectre & Co. Opposite: Big Flower sweatshirt, Mavi jeans.

Fashion Editor: Ann Loynd; hair and makeup: Karla Hirkaler/Next Artists; models: Reuben R./Red Model Management; Phillip M./Major Model Management; Dennis O. 39

EDITOR’S PICKS

BOW HUNTING The search is over: swee t sandals topped with trendy ties.

Seychelles

Inuovo

D E S I G N E R C H AT

EMY MACK HAS always been a self-proclaimed shoe fanatic, and her mother has a shoebox full of grade school art projects—all crafts and drawings of shoes—to prove it. “It’s a thing with women, we love our shoes,” says the designer, maker of an eponymous collection. “Take an inexpensive outfit, add a great pair of shoes and an awesome handbag—it just changes everything,” she adds.

Mack’s footwear love affair goes deeper than an Instagramworthy outfit. With a clothing designer/seamstress grandmother, she believes the creativity is “in my blood.” Plus, with family in Italy, Mack grew up spending lots of time in the epicenter of designer footwear. “I appreciate Italian leather goods and how they craft a product,” she says, adding, “It’s always an art for [Italians], as opposed to a business like in China or Brazil where the main focus is making money.”

After college, Mack lived and worked in Italy, landing internships and working as an apprentice for several private label designers. When she began working on launching her own shoe line, the decision to manufacture in Italy was a no-brainer. “It was always very personal,” she confirms. “We identified a luxury space where there was opportunity for great quality at a slightly lower price point.” Aiming for a penetrable sweet spot, Mack says her collection, which debuted in 2011, retails for less than Jimmy Choo or Manolo Blahnik but more than Stuart Weitzman.

At first, Mack sold her line direct-to-consumer online and through trunk shows but has since landed product in a handful of boutiques—an expansion she plans to continue. The designer’s catch phrase is “go-to luxury,” an ethos that fuses high-end design with wearable comfort features. To that end, Mack says every new style must pass her “airport test,” getting her from point A to B through a long day of traveling. “One of the best compliments I get is when a customer says, ‘When I’m going on a trip, I only pack Emy Mack shoes,’” she says, adding, “There’s nothing totally overthe-top, but it’s really well-made, beautiful and always comfortable.” —Ann Loynd Where do you look for design inspiration? There’s broad inspiration of glamorous things like travel and design, but I also pay a lot of attention to my customers’ feedback. This whole era is focused on being comfortable but with an elegant or edgy feel. That’s one 40 footwearplusmagazine.com • october/november 2016

Kannas

Sigerson Morrison

of the reasons we got into making sneakers with great leathers.

Will the sneaker will ever trump the dress shoe? To a certain extent, maybe. My grandmother wouldn’t have been caught dead in a pair of sneakers, literally. She had to go to the hospital once and put on nylons and high heels. But I love the feeling of each era and its evolution. Now we can mix so many time periods and they’re all relevant. Like the stiletto or chunky heel, you can wear either and be on-trend. In regards to sneakers, there are some people who wear a dress and need a high heel but some feel equally empowered in a flat. I’ve had so much fun with my flats.

What’s the theme of your Spring ’17 collection? I became very obsessed with

a python floral pattern. We try to design shoes that won’t look “last season, next season.” We need that longevity in our closets! We’ve been creating some great staples for a woman’s wardrobe while incorporating innovative techniques like hot-fix or laser cutting. And with the exception of the sneakers, the platinum sole is our design signature.

What celebrities would you like to see in your shoes? Anyone who appreciates them! For example, Jane Aldridge [Sea of Shoes blogger] took one of our Cinderella shoes and did a great photo shoot that was edgy and cool with black leather leggings. She made it her own. That’s what I love to see.

What is your motto? Find your own future.

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

EMY MACK

SCENE & HEARD

Bus Stop’s New Route AIMING TO COMBAT Internetdriven sameness, Elena Brennan, owner of Philadelphia’s Bus Stop boutique, has shifted into high gear with the debut of her third original collection this fall. The Bus Stop X line, dubbed Elements, offers three shoe and handbag styles each (aptly named earth, wind and fire). Brennan decided to wait until mid October —when it really “felt like fall”—to introduce the collection, a decision she says reflects today’s increasingly popular buy now/wear now sentiment of shoppers.

Combining handcrafted tradition with modern technology, Brennan says the collection balances the forces of nature and an urban landscape. “The goal of these limited-edition capsule collections is to speak to our customer’s wants and needs, and one of them is to be unique and stand out from the crowd,” she says, adding the mixed-material shoetie and a pony hair slip-on do just that by drawing on sophisticated silhouettes and fusing them with luxe materials and athletic influences.

Brennan plans to move forward with Bus Stop X program. “I certainly envision more collections down the road,” she affirms, noting that the store will also release a collaboration with All Black for Spring ’17. “There’s no competition, which suits us just fine,” she says. “It’s all part of keeping my collections fresh and pleasing to my customers, so there’s always something new on the horizon.”

Zappos Launches Loyalty Program

English Beat GOLA IS DEBUTING a collaboration in stride with its European sportswear heritage. The English sneaker brand has teamed with contemporary menswear designer, Lucio Castro, for Gola x Lucio Castro: a graphic-themed capsule collection (two styles in three colorways) that has the designer revamp the brand’s classic Coaster trainer with his flair for prints.

Although the line has a fashion-forward look, Castro says it sports a universal appeal. “I see footwear like the casual equivalent of the tie,” he says. “A person with a pretty basic style might still be willing to wear a brightly colored or printed sneaker.

It’s the space in a man’s wardrobe that seems to be more fanciful and risky.”

Suggested retail for the leather Coaster is $180 and the canvas Coaster High is $150.

IN ANOTHER EFFORT to deliver happiness to its customers, Zappos has launched its first loyalty program, Zappos Rewards, offering free one- and two-day shipping and no fees or minimum orders to members. “We’re always looking to take our customer service to the next level,” explains Director of Marketing Kedar Deshpande. “Developing a rewards program to benefit loyal customers was the next step for the company.”

The e-tailer felt a tiered system offered a point of difference from other retailer loyalty programs. Consumers can sign up online or via the Zappos smartphone app to earn points: 10 points for every dollar spent, 50 points for signing up and 100 points for writing a product review. Plus, an invite-only Elite tier is offered to top-spending customers. “We are always looking to show our appreciation for our most loyal shoppers,” Deshpande says. “From Zappos Rewards members, we’ll measure success quantitatively and with qualitative feedback.”

Known for its extravagant customer-service promotions, the rewards program was announced in true Zappos fashion. “We launched the program by surprising and delighting 1,000 customers with items from their Favorites Wishlist,” Deshpande says, adding, “This is just the beginning—there are many surpriseand-delight moments ahead.”

2016 october/november • footwearplusmagazine.com 41

UPCLOSE STREET

Racing in the Streets Piloti unveils car racing-inspired collections for drivers and passengers.

Girl Power

Creative Recreation reintroduces women’s styles for spring.

BACK BY POPULAR demand, Creative Recreation, a division of Rocky Brands, is reintroducing a collection of female-specific and unisex styles that appeal to the softer sex for Spring ’17.

“Our brand has been around since 2002, and the women’s business has always been a big part of Creative Recreation,” notes Patrick Buchanan, marketing director. Initially, Creative Recreation offered styles in women’s sizes that were takedowns from its popular men’s line, but that practice had been on a hiatus of late. “We took a break to focus on the men’s side,” Buchanan says. Now the brand is ready to please the ladies, too.

The Ceroni silhouette (featuring a knitted upper and rear pull-tabs for slip-on access) is dropping as an early release this fall with the rest of the collection hitting early next year. “It’s one of those sneakers you can wear when you want to be sportier with athleisure happening now, but you can wear as a fashion piece as well,” Buchanan says of the Ceroni, adding, “These transitional pieces are important for women—they’re wearing sneakers with dresses. It’s a good option for when they want to be stylish but not in heels.”

Other styles include the Boccia, a slip-on with a creeper sole available in black, and Orena, a casual running-inspired silhouette with an on/off zip fastening system. “It’s sexy enough to take you from work to a date or concert,” Buchanan says in regard to the latter. “On the other side of it, we have some styles that are very classic.”

Buchanan reports the collection received a strong response during the recent round of spring market shows. He says retailers at FN Platform, in particular, were quite complimentary of the new styles as well as the new Nick Jonas collection, which also includes a few women’s shoes. “The collection is inspired by the same day-to-night idea,” he says of the singer’s debut line. “Think of the life of a pop star: You need shoes that can travel with you, and you can’t fit a lot of pairs in your suitcase.”

Buchanan predicts that the release of a women’s line along with the Nick Jonas collection will be “seamless” as the consumer demand is already there. “Women have always been supporters of the brand—they were telling their guys to wear them,” he say. Along with tapping its longtime retailers—Nordstrom, Shoe Palace and Revolve, to name a few—Buchanan expects to break into new women’s-only accounts as well. “It’s exciting to be back in this space,” he says. “There’s a female counterpart to the Creative Recreation male, and we want to represent the whole family.” —Ann Loynd 42 footwearplusmagazine.com • october/november 2016

FOUNDED IN 1999 as a maker of performance race car and stunt shoes, Piloti (meaning “drivers” in Italian) has earned a pit crew–worthy reputation as the go-to brand among racing professionals. In 2012, the company was acquired by Canadian Tire with the vision of sharing the brand’s racing DNA with car aficionados, big and small. For Spring ’17, that vision shifts into high gear in the form of two new lines for everyday wear—one more athletic-inspired and a luxury collection suited to the boardroom.

Both collections incorporate aspects from the performance line (like roll-control heels designed to provide grip and reduce foot fatigue, thin outsoles for better feel on the pedal and fire-resistant Nomex lining) into styling that doesn’t look like full-on race shoes. “For those who want to get the most of their driving experience, these shoes will help you,” says Piloti spokesman, Brian Findlay. “But when you get out of the car and go into the cafe, you won’t look like you’re trying to be a race car driver.”

The luxury line, retailing for $350 to $500, is led by the brand’s best-selling Campione brogue boot and includes an array of dress styles spanning wingtips to driving mocs. Findlay describes this upscale target customer as “the CEO who finally got the car he wanted.” Casual styles (suggested retail is $130 to $240) look and feel more like a sneaker, featuring plenty of bright colors and contrast stitching. To drive home its racing DNA, Piloti incorporated subtle details that true race car devotees would appreciate. Outsoles, for example, feature Grand Prix tire treads and stitching is inspired by vintage Corvette interiors.

To get the word out, Piloti is partnering with key automotive events like the Barrett-Jackson auctions, Pebble Beach Concours and the French Le Mans race. “We want to be authentic in that automotive community,” Findlay says, adding, “We can’t go out and try to be everything, but we’re true to that automotive history. We’re still a shoe that racers wear.”

Piloti is aiming to reach auto enthusiasts at specialty retailers in the U.S., Canada and Europe. Findlay notes that brick-and-mortar partners are an important part of the brand’s growth strategy. “With the launch, the idea is to get the attention of some key buyers,” he says, noting that working with ambassadors (think stylish, young race car drivers) and focusing on iconic events and everything car culture also aim to raise brand awareness. Along those lines, Piloti is teaming with Camaro for a special 50th anniversary shoe next year. “It’ll tap into the nostalgia of the Camaro brand in the U.S.,” Findlay offers. “The history we have and that point of difference really sings for our customers.” —A.L.

O&A continued from page 17 inform a customer on their shopping decision and be a sounding board.

Unfortunately, however, we are living in crazy times and there are terrible things happening at some shopping malls.

The fear of getting actually killed at a mall might kill malls before online competition does.

It’s a terrible to see and there are a lot of people that won’t go to a movie theater and are increasingly afraid to go to a shopping mall. It is just very sad. Hopefully, we, as a country, can have intelligent and enlightened discussions to resolve some of these issues.

Still, I don’t envision consumers barricading themselves inside their homes and have everything delivered.

I whole-heartedly believe that shopping still involves a want for some human interaction. Studies have shown that even with catalog and home shopping channels, there are some people who order something nearly every day just to interact with the delivery person. That need for social interaction will always be there, and I don’t think everybody is just going to wall themselves off in the hopes everything gets delivered the next day.

Might malls as we now know them exist 10 years from now?

There’s too much real estate already tied up in malls for them to go away completely. But there probably won’t be as many, which will create a lot of space for something else. Regardless, you have to offer valid reasons for the customer to come see you. Malls are going to have ensure safety and be more than just a place to buy something. The days of just being a great mall isn’t getting it done anymore. You have to offer something more, be it dining, entertainment and outside programming to make people want to come. It’s going to be the challenge of both wholesalers and retailers to figure out what it needs to be to remind consumers that it isn’t just lightbulbs or toilet paper that you are buying. There’s something to be said for personal interaction when shopping for shoes and clothing—having a salesperson tell you this is what you need, this will work best with your fit issues, be most comfortable…You can’t get that online. Unfortunately, personal interaction is becoming a lost art. Many people today would rather send an email rather than pick up a phone. Personal interaction, I believe, is something to be cherished, whether it’s in a retail setting or even just in day-to-day life.

That’s a byproduct of the social media age, no?

The whole retail paradigm has been turned on its head as well. Never in the times my father and grandfather were president of our company had the retail environment totally shifted. There were challenges, for sure, but there wasn’t a whole shift in buying mentality. This is not just shifts between big store to discounter to independent to department store. Those all ended with somebody going to an actual store. It’s just such a changing and challenging retail environment today. Back in 2008, right after the financial collapse, my grandfather pulled me aside and said he’d been doing this for 65 years, which is 130 seasons, and that there’s always something that goes wrong. But then he said that this is as challenging a time as you are going to ever see. I don’t know if it’s tougher then or now, but we’re still clicking along and fortunately we’re in a very good position. We’ll see where it goes. The fifth generation was born in July and he might go into the business. He hasn’t let us know officially just yet, but that’s ok. I was never told that I had to and my son will never be told that he has to, either.

What do you love most about your job?

I love that it’s never the same two days in a row. Even from hour to hour it can change. I love working on product one day, sales the next, then retail, marketing, etc. I also love the challenge. It’s exciting because it’s challenging.

It’s not exactly what we used to do five years ago, or even last year. And if it were easy, then everybody would be doing it, which would be no fun either. •

FALL IN LOVE WITH OUR STYLES

“West Gate”

RestrictedShoes.com | 626.961.8889

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4. Issue Frequency: 10 times per year. No. of Issues Published Annually: 10. 6. Annual Subscription Price: $48. 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: Symphony Publishing NY, LLC, 135 West 20th Street-Ste 402, New York, NY 10011. 8. Complete Mailing Address of the Headquarters or General Business Office of the Publisher: Symphony Publishing NY, LLC, 26202 Detroit Rd. Ste. 300, Westlake, OH 44145. Contact person: Debbie Grim, (440) 871-1300 ext. 103. 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor: Publisher: Caroline Diaco, 135 West 20th Street-Ste 402, New York, NY 10011; Editor: Greg Dutter, 135 West 20th Street-Ste 402, New York, NY 10011; Managing Editor: none. 10. Owner (If owned by a corporation, its name and address must be stated and also immediately thereafter the names and addresses of stockholders owning or holding 1 percent or more of total amount of stock): Symphony Publishing NY, LLC; Leon Zapis, 26202 Detroit Rd. Ste. 300, Westlake, OH 44145; Maria Wymer, 26202 Detroit Rd. Ste. 300, Westlake, OH 44145; Donna Thomas, 26202 Detroit Rd. Ste. 300, Westlake, OH 44145; Renee Seybert, 26202 Detroit Rd. Ste. 300, Westlake, OH 44145, Richard Bongorno, 26202 Detroit Rd. Ste 300, Westlake OH 44145 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgages, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities: None. 12. (For Nonprofit Organizations - Does Not Apply) 13. Publication Name: Footwear Plus. 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: September 2016 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation.

Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months/Actual No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: a. Total No. Copies : 17,358/17,351 b. Legitimate paid and/or requested distribution: (1) Paid/ Requested Outside-County Mail Subscriptions:. 9,785/9,709 (2) Paid/Requested In-County Subscriptions:.0/0 (3) Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors, and counter sales:.0/0 (4) Requested copies distributed by other USPS mail classes:.0/0 c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation: 9,785/9,709 d. Nonrequested distribution: (1). Outside county nonrequested copies: 4,928/5,933 (2) In County nonrequested copies:.0/0 (3) Nonrequested copies distributed through other USPS mail classes:17/17 (4). Nonrequested copies distributed outside the mail: 2387/1500 e. Total nonrequested distribution: 7,332/7,450 f. Total Distribution: 17,117/17,159 g. Copies not distributed: 241/192 h. Total: 17,358/17,351 i: Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation: 57.16%/56.58% 16. This Statement of Ownership will be printed in the Oct/Nov 2016 issue of this publication.17. I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete.

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2016 october/november • footwearplusmagazine.com 43

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11/1/16 2:09 PM

LAST WORD

Famous Footwear

The shoes of Ted Kaczynski (the Unabomber), Michael Jackson and ballerina Sylvie Guillem. Photographs from Document by Henry Leutwyler.

WINDOWS TO THE SOLE

R

A photo essay of pop culture’s most famous footwear reveals the soles and souls of celebrities. By Ann Loynd

ENOWNED SWISS PHOTOGRAPHER Henry Leutwyler has spent the past two decades capturing portraits of America’s biggest celebrities including Michelle Obama, Julia Roberts, Rihanna and Martin Scorsese. For his latest famous persons–related project, the photog instead took a bottoms-up approach focusing not on the faces of the famous but their footwear in his compendium, titled Document (Steidl, 2016).

Those in Leutwyler’s inner circle had been pushing for another collection of portraits, but that felt too much like another day in the office. “I said that’s not going to happen, because a book should be a personal project,” he recalls. Instead, the artist thought about how he could create a book of portraits without actually taking photographs of people. “All my childhood heroes had died,” he says. “So I made a list of my heroes and a list of objects I’d be interesting in photographing.”

Organically, footwear became a recurring theme, Leutwyler notes. “I went to photograph Michael Jackson’s glove, and I saw the shoes,” he explains.

“Everyone saw the sparkles, white socks and black pants. When I turned the shoes over, I saw ‘Michael’ written on the bottom and said, ‘That’s it.’” In the case of Gene Kelly, Leutwyler was searching for the shoes the actor wore in Singing in the Rain. “Instead, I found his Converse sneakers, so I went for 44 footwearplusmagazine.com • october/november 2016

those,” he says. Other shoe shots of note include dancer Sylvie Guillem’s ballet slippers, oxfords worn by Charlie Chaplin in City Lights and Muhammad Ali’s Adidas boxing shoe. In fact, Leutwyler spent 12 years pinning down the book’s 124 photographed objects, many of which are shoes. “Very often I went for the shoes,” he confirms, noting he searched private collections, estates and auctions for his subjects. “You really see the wear and tear on shoes; how they cared for them,” he adds.

Speaking of which, one of the most striking shoe images, perhaps, is that of Unabomber Ted Kaczynski’s canvas shoes (complete with an extra smaller sole glued to the bottom) to throw off police. Despite that and a handful of darker-themed shots—like the gun used to kill John Lennon—Leutwyler believes the book’s message overall is positive. “It’s a book on pop culture.

Our pop culture is fantastic: full of hope, pleasure and smiles,” he says. “I hope people get that out of it.”

A portion of Document will be on display as part of a larger exhibition at Foley Gallery in New York, running Nov. 3 through Jan. 8. All proceeds from the Lennon-related image will be donated to Everytown.org, a non-profit seeking to reduce gun violence. “Yes, it’s mainly a book about shoes, but photographers have the power, hopefully, to change the world,” Leutwyler says. “If we all do a little bit, hopefully it will be better for generations to come.” He adds that a follow-up book is already in the works, and plans are to include more shoes of famous women.