After swimming with the ‘Sharks’ on ABC-TV and striking a deal with Daymond John to help grow a fledgling beef jerky business, Miami’s Jordan Barrocas has pivoted over the last seven years to become a full-fledged, albeit younger, ‘Shoe Dog’ with his new If/Then men’s athleisure brand.
In the latest Footwear Insight Extra podcast, footwear industry veteran Michael Rich discusses PSUDO, the sneaker brand he started with his wife, Kortney, in 2020 and its latest partnership with Blumaka’s solar-powered factory in El Salvador.
In the latest Footwear Insight Extra podcast, Dr. Dan Feeney discusses the principal focus of the BOA Performance Fit Lab, its relationship with Aetrex and what might be ahead for BOA technology and fit.
In the latest Footwear Insight Extra podcast, we talk with Jan Deding, CEO and president of IMBOX Protection, North America about how the company’s in-store shoe protection system works and about its pending launch in the U.S.
The latest Footwear Insight Extra podcast features a discussion with Netvirta CEO and co-founder Jeff Chen about 3-D body and foot scanning and how the technology can improve not only the fitting process for consumers, but also the return rates for vendors and retailers.
The latest Footwear Insight Extra podcast features a conversation about virtual shopping, VR technology and the metaverse with Olga Dogadkina, co-founder and CEO of London-based Emperia. The company develops immersive virtual experiences for the retail, fashion and art sectors. Luxury brands have adopted the VR experience to help keep their consumers engaged. More mainstream brands could be next with VR.
The latest Footwear Insight Extra podcast features a discussion with the CEO and founder of TrusTrace, a Swedish and Indian company, founded in 2006, that is all about sustainability. TrusTrace considers itself “a one-stop shop” for firms that want to make sustainability part of their DNA. Adidas, which signed on in 2020, is one TrusTrace’s 40+ customers.
Cold is at the core of everything Baffin does and produces. In the latest Footwear Insight Extra podcast, Mark Hubner, Senior Vice President of Brand and Strategy for Baffin, discusses the Canadian company’s heritage, commitment to domestic manufacturing and its second-year Canadian collection of products.
In the latest Footwear Insight Extra podcast, Alex Fernando Klein Engelmann, Intl. Business Manager for Pegada Shoes, and Letícia Sperb Masselli, manager of the Brazilian Footwear Project for Abicalcados, discuss the Brazilian footwear industry and how it hopes to make inroads in the North American market.
In the latest Footwear Insight Extra podcast, Bob Gatta, CEO of Data Display Systems, details the purpose and usefulness of retail content management systems and how retailers, larger or small, can benefit from them.
In the latest Footwear Insight Extra podcast, Frank Fox, co-founder of Sustainable Composites, discusses the science and engineering used to develop the company’s material from recycled leather scraps and how it changes the environmental landscape for leather products.
In the latest Footwear Insight Extra podcast, Rob Gregg, founder and CEO of Gales Inc., the San Diego-based Smart PPE Footwear firm, discusses how and why he pivoted from a luxury shoe business to domestically produced footwear protection for healthcare workers. The brand, Gales, is named after the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale.
In this week’s Footwear Insight Extra podcast, Sam Garzon, founder of soccer footwear brand UNOZERO, describes how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the soccer specialty market and how his young, premium brand is surviving.
In this week’s Footwear Insight Extra podcast, John Eades talks about the iconic sandal brand and some of its creation and sustainability strategies going forward.
In this week’s Footwear Insight Extra podcast, Terry Schalow, executive director of the Running Industry Association discusses the running industry’s health, challenges and resilience.
In the latest Footwear Insight Extra podcast, Harmony783 co-founder Sharon Whiteley discusses the “grounding” and “earthing” concepts focused on by the young, stylish footwear brand. Grounding aims to reconnect people with the Earth’s natural energy and enables them to optimize their health and wellness by wearing shoes.
In the latest Footwear Insight Extra podcast, Sophie Howe, CEO and Co-founder of Xesto, discusses the advanced computer vision AI start-up that built a 3-D sizing tool for footwear that uses an iPhone camera. Shortly, Xesto intends to launch a direct-from-website extension of the Xesto Fit experience that will enable consumers to size themselves as they shop for shoes.
In the latest Footwear Insight Extra podcast, a trio of attorneys from Knobbe Martens—Susan Natland, Jonathan Hyman and Robb Roby—discuss counterfeiting and intellectual property theft issues related to footwear and soft goods, including possible remedies for small companies looking to protect themselves and U.S. legislation on the horizon.
Third Mind Founder and footwear industry veteran Steve Hamel discusses the Los Angeles-based footwear brand he started and its focus on sustainability.
Barry McGeough, the industry vet recently named VP of Advanced Concepts and Innovation at Rockford, MI-based Wolverine Worldwide, discusses his mission to bring new technologies, materials and other advancements to the company’s portfolio of 12 footwear brands. He also addresses how the COVID-19 pandemic is acting as an accelerant in advancing the adoption of many emerging trends.
As the executive director of the Running Industry Association, Terry Schalow has had a front-row seat to the effects of the near-overnight changes in the industry as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated shutdowns. With stores facing declines in revenue and existential threats to business, the RIA has gotten to work: launching a resource guide, surveying the industry as a whole to determine needs and working to coordinate a response. The RIA itself hasn’t been immune from the shakeup:...
Elias Gröndal, the former footwear sourcing and production planning executive for H&M, discusses his latest venture, Findsourcing.com, and how it can connect brands with suppliers around the world. Gröndal also addresses how the current coronavirus/COVID-19 crisis may impact global footwear supply chains.
Family-owned Original Footwear Inc., the Morristown, TN, parent of the Altama and Original S.W.A.T. brands distributed into military and law enforcement channels, was recently acquired by Brand Velocity Partners (BVP). Original Footwear Company, headed by Kevin Cole, is maneuvering to expand the reach of a new street, military-inspired collection into mainstream footwear retail distribution. Starting this month, Original Footwear’s initial distribution will focus its distribution on military exc...
Feetures, the Hickory, NC performance sock company, is a family affair for the Gaithers. Led by CEO and Founder Hugh Gaither and joined by sons John and Joe and daughter, Catherine Leitch, the brand has set its sights on the independent footwear channel. Here, Hugh, John and Joe Gaither discuss the company’s ascension in the run specialty market and broadening their reach.
Chris Bellamy and Aron Tremble, senior executives with Vancouver, Canada-based Wiivv Wearables, dish on key data findings from 13 million data points on foot size and shape, the increased consumer demand for customized fit products, 3D scanning and how offering customized products can increase store traffic.
Over her career, Caroline de Baere has been involved in footwear from almost all angles. Today, she’s on the faculty of the California School for the Arts, an expert witness in legal cases involving footwear firms and the co-founder of sustainable brand Bendy by Ashbury Skies. In this week’s podcastm she talks with with us about the state of the industry and sustainable fashion. See more at: https://www.ashburyskies.com/shoe-designers/the-bendy/
We recently connected with Michael Kadous, who took charge as head of North American operations for Adidas’ Outdoor business unit in March 2019. Listen to our podcast, where Kadous discusses the transition at Adidas Outdoor, as well as opportunities and strategies for 2020 and beyond.
The founder of the fitness search engine and group fitness instructor for Equinox and Crunch sits down with us in New York to discuss her venture, current trends in fitness, the workout desires and differences of Millennials and Baby Boomers and the Peloton phenomenon.
The chief strategy officer for the Orlando, FL-based payment technology company delves into the proper payment processing strategies for small- and medium-sized retailers. FattMerchant, which says it was the first firm to market subscription-based payment processing plans, offers a one-stop experience to operate all things payment-related.
The longtime industry executive and CEO of the Running Specialty Group dishes on the specialty run marketplace, the Denver company’s acquisition strategy, the future of the Olympia Sports banner in New England, and his hopes for the overall running business in 2020.
