Outdoor Preview: Spring 2016
URBAN RENEWAL In an effort to build broader consumer appeal, outdoor brands are blending trail-worthy designs and performance benefits with metro style touches. By Judy Leand
VER THE PAST few seasons, urban influences have been permeating the outdoor market. From New York to Seattle, we’ve seen the rise of the Urban Woodsman, the fully bearded, Paul Bunyanesque alter ego of the typical hipster in his plaid flannel shirt, skinny jeans and beefy leather hiking boots. Next came the Lumbersexuals, with a more rugged take on the meticulously manscaped look. And most recently, we have the sportier MetroJack movement that’s inspired more by modern mountaineering than retro forestry school. What’s the common thread running through these various motifs? Industry experts point to younger, tech-savvier, more sophisticated consumers in rural, urban and suburban areas and their growing desire to take it outside, so to speak, through activities like hiking, camping and mountain biking. An increased interest in the great outdoors is fueling the popularity of the products and fashions involved in these pursuits—as is the obsession with looking the part, even if one never sets foot on a trail or spots a single firefly. In addition, today’s consumers—of all ages and genders—increasingly seek performance versatility, such as waterproofing and durability, as well as styling that can go seamlessly from the asphalt jungles to off-road. Technical yet wearable designs are in step with the ‘smart products’ movement that’s spreading across all consumer categories. “It used to be all about function in this world, but things have changed,” says Carl Blakeslee, creative director of
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Woolrich Footwear and co-founder of its licensee, Portland Product Werks. He notes that everyone demands great design these days, whether shopping for a coffee maker, a climbing harness or a pair of shoes. “It’s forcing brands to focus more attention and resources on design and storytelling,” Blakeslee says. “It’s not enough nowadays to come to the table with another light hiker at a key price point. Brands must tell stories about who they are.” Merrell Creative Director Martin Dean and Global Marketing Director Jamie Mandor Glassman both note that although the movement has been building over the last decade, now more than ever the outdoors is a lifestyle and not just a destination for many consumers. These users are more likely to go on a weekend camping trip or a day hike than to conquer an epic climb, and they want versatile products that take them from the trail to the streets at a moment’s notice. “Textile, color and prints play a bigger role not only in creating more unique aesthetics, but also [in offering] more affordable performance solutions,” Dean says. “The biggest shift, however, comes with cross-pollinating looks—true hybrid silhouettes that are just as at home on the trail as they are in the city.” It marks an about-face from the traditionally heavy, single-use hikers of the past. The new buzzwords are ‘versatile,’ ‘lightweight’ and ‘stylish.’ “These young-at-heart adventurers range in age and location, but all seek dynamic active experiences, selfbetterment and social interaction,” Dean observes. “This is a significant shift away from the outdoorsman of Sorel old and we believe it is a long-term shift for the category.” The outdoor category used to be entirely tech-driven, but as Linda Grosser, VP of merchandising at Rockport, puts it, “Because of the evolution of apparel and consumers’ more active lifestyles, it’s critical to bring a more stylish, brown shoe interpretation to the category.” Greg