Editor in Chief Mark Sullivan [email protected] 646-319-7878 Managing Editor Cara Griffin Senior Editor FOOTWEARINSIGHT.COM Bob McGee Contributing Editor Jennifer Ernst Beaudry Art Director Francis Klaess Associate Art Director Mary McGann Contributors Nancy Ruhling Tim Sitek Suzanne Blecher Publisher Jeff Nott [email protected] 516-305-4711 Advertising Beth Gordon [email protected] 949-293-1378 Jeff Gruenhut [email protected] 404-849-4156 Troy Leonard [email protected] 352-624-1561 Katie O’Donohue [email protected] 828-244-3043 Sam Selvaggio [email protected] 212-398-5021 Production Brandon Christie 516-305-4712 [email protected] Business Manager Marianna Rukhvarger 516-305-4709 [email protected] Subscriptions store.formula4media.com PO Box 23-1318 Great Neck, NY 11023 Phone: 516-305-4710 Fax: 516-441-5692 www.formula4media.com Formula4Media Publications Sports Insight Footwear Insight Inside Insight SEPTOCT15 Outdoor Insight Team Insight Textile Insight Trend Insight Running Insight Footwear Insight® is a trademark of Formula4 Media, LLC, Great Neck, New York. ©2015 08 16 20 28 30 34 All rights reserved. The opinions expressed by authors and contributors to Footwear Insight are not necessarily those of the editors or THE FOOTWEAR EYE B CORPS BRANDS QUIRKY & COOL AMERICAN BEAUTY DESIGN EVOLUTION LINES WE LIKE publishers. Footwear Insight is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or artwork. A roundup and Taking a closer look at Checking in with three Boot brand Khombu is Execs from leading Shoes that do more Articles appearing in Footwear Insight may not analysis of key what it takes and what cool & quirky retailers. collaborating with the performance footwear than just look good. be reproduced in whole or in part without the industry happenings the benefits are of being What makes them U.S. ski team on a cool brands discuss the We highlight a few express permission of the publisher. and trends. certified as B Corps. different? Take a look. made in USA product. new design paradigm. brands that give back. Footwear Insight is published bi-monthly: Jan/Feb; Mar/Apr; May/Jun; Jul/Aug; Sep/Oct; and Nov/Dec by Formula4 Media LLC. Subscriptions: one year, $24.00 (U.S. Funds) On The Cover: The Iguana Racer by Carson Footwear. Above: Sperry collaboration with retailer Extra Butter. Cover photo by Frank James. in the United States. All other countries, $54.00 (U.S. Funds) for surface mail. Postmaster: Send address changes to Footwear Insight, P.O. Box 23-1318, Great Neck, NY 11023 4 • Footwear Insight ~ September/October 2015 TIMEOUT | MARK SULLIVAN the healthiest shoes you’ll ever wear® The Perils of Riding Trends I AM TEACHING MY TEENAGE SON TO DRIVE AND IT’S INTERESTING TO explain in theory something that most of us do without thinking. Recently we discussed how to react in a skid and I gave him the advice we all learned in driver’s education class: “steer in the direction of the skid and pump the brakes.” As soon as those words were out of my mouth, my son stopped the car, put it in park and said to me, “Dad that makes absolutely no sense.” And I couldn’t argue with him. It sounds like the exact opposite of what you should do. And let’s face it, if you’ve ever been behind the wheel of a car and gone into a bad skid, your reaction is more instinctual than logical. Logically, you would say “I am in a skid, let me turn the wheel 40 degrees in that direction and pump the brakes until the “Oh my God, I’m car comes to a complete stop.” going to crash and Instinctually, you would most likely say “Oh my God, I’m going to crash and maybe maybe die. I hope my die. I hope my underwear is good and that underwear is good and I cleaned out my browser history before that I cleaned out my leaving work today.” And then cut the wheel every which way until the car comes to a browser history before complete and full stop. leaving work today.” Riding trends in the footwear business is like driving a car at high speeds. It’s thrilling, fun and a little bit dangerous and the goal is to go as fast as you can before things hit the skids. Because one thing I am sure of is that trends always end. And in today’s market, they end all at once. It used to be things tapered off and stores and brands could slowly disperse of hot product a little at a time and everyone was left with some dignity. Today, when a trend ends, it’s like someone hit a switch and it’s just over: a skid that crashes into a wall before you can act logically and pump the brakes. Brands often contribute to these ugly endings by jumping on a trend a little too late or leaning in on a trend when their product gets hot. About 10 years ago, Timberland got real hot in the urban market. Kids loved the boots because they were beautiful, well made, performed and were unlike the athletic shoes that had dominated their closets for years. Timberland attempted to embrace this trend by developing products for the urban market, which was the polar opposite reason why these consumers liked their product in the first place. It did not end well. And other brands, such as Tommy Hilfiger, have taken similar bumps and bruises in the urban market place. We’ve seen similar perils in the youth market recently. Boat shoes and the prep look have enjoyed a resurgence. And brands such as Sperry have tried to lean in to the trend, rather than sit back and enjoy the benefits of a bump in business. Once a brand is perceived as trying, that’s usually the sign that the trend is waning and it’s time for retailers to move on. In fashion journalism, there is an old expression “If two people are doing it, it’s a trend.” The flip side of that of course is “if 20 people are doing it, the trend is about to die.” Here’s hoping that everyone gets to pump the brakes in time this fall. O www.aetrex.com the healthiest shoes you’ll ever wear® www.aetrex.com THEFOOTWEAREYE Sneakers as Works of Art ON DISPLAY Converse All Star/Non Skid from 1917. Pierre Hardy Poworama from 2011. Converse Gripper from the late 1940s, early 1950s. Nike Waffle Trainer from 1974. adidas x Run-DMC 25th Anniversary Superstar 2011. adidas Micropacer from 1984. Louis Vuitton x Kanye West Don from 2009. Photos courtesy American Federation of Arts/Bata Shoe Museum, photographer Ron Wood. Nike Foamposite from 1997. Nike x Tom Sachs. NikeCraft Lunar Underboot Aeroply Research Boot Prototype from 2008-2012. or those who believe that sneakers are works of art of fitness, hip-hop and basketball that fueled brand recognition and that deserve to be displayed in glass cases, the “Rise sales in that decade for the likes of Adidas, Reebok and Nike. of Sneaker Culture” exhibit recently on display at Highlights for even the seasoned sneaker observer include dozens Brooklyn Museum was definitely on point. of rare sneakers on display from private collectors such as hip-hop The exhibit, whose run is scheduled to end on legend Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, sneaker guru Bobbito Garcia and October 4, aims to “explore the complex social his- Dee Wells of Obsessive Sneaker Disorder. Also featured are one-off Ftory and cultural significance of the footwear now worn by billions styles from Louis Vuitton, Prada and other fashion design houses, of people throughout the world.” Less about technology and more as well as those made in collaboration with artists including Damien about the sneaker as a cultural object, the exhibit features more Hirst and Shantell Martin. Film footage, interactive media and design than 150 sneakers from a variety of brands, most notably Nike, drawings contextualize the sneakers and explore the social history, Converse, Puma, Adidas and Reebok. technical innovations, fashion trends, and marketing campaigns There are allusions to the influence of sports cars on sneaker that have shaped sneaker culture over the past two centuries. design. There is also reference to the late start that brands got in “The Rise of Sneaker Culture” exhibit was organized by the designing for women. And there is a nod to the overall 80s collision American Federation of Arts and the Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto. O 8 • Footwear Insight ~ September/October 2015 footwearinsight.com RUNNING SELECT The RUNNING SELECT Line from Sof Sole is perfect for anyone racking up miles on their feet. We implemented the best in targeted cushioning and breathability into this sock, while still keeping it at a great value for your customer. Non-binding top Back tab prevents provides comfort rubbing and protects Achilles heel Arch band for secure fit Mesh venting for breathability Seamless toe Deep heel pocket minimizes movement and friction PERFORMANCE RUNNING SERIES WWW. SOFSOLE.COM/RUNNINGSELECT ©2015 Implus LLC. Sof Sole® is a registered trademark of Implus LLC. 9.15 THEFOOTWEAREYE RUNNING Saucony’s Game- Changing Tech for Spring Saucony Men’s Triumph ISO 2 with Everun. By Jennifer Ernst Beaudry the foot. As soon as you put the shoe on, you can feel it.” And while the material has an immediately apparent rebound, oston-based Saucony is bringing Everun, its he said, Saucony was conscious of keeping the same general springy new cushioning material to market for “feel” to its franchise models even as they incorporate the new Spring ’16, and the company is feeling bullish.