June 2020

Customer service used to mean a thorough fit process, thoughtful product recommendations and personal attention. We should know: Footwear Insight has been recognizing shops that excel with the Gold Medal Service Award since 2015. But in the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic and the shutdowns that resulted, the footwear independents who set the standard for treating customers right have had to grapple with an entirely new world: Service with a smile looks a lot different when you’re smiling behind a mask.‍ Read the full story.

Reimagining Trade Shows for the COVID-19 Era

The COVID-19 crisis created seismic change across almost every aspect of the footwear industry — and that included the traditional buying cycle. Faced with retail shutdowns, travel restrictions and stay-at-home orders and product shortages, the hows and whens of getting product... Read the full story.

Forecast

Retailers Look at B-T-S: Walk the Tightrope And Keep Your Eyes Wide Open

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey may have faded into the annals of U.S. history, but there will be plenty of balancing acts to watch this upcoming Back-to-School season as retailers try to figure out a strategy for a B-T-S the likes of which we’ve never experienced before. Read the full story.

Spring '21 Trends

The Sandal Spectrum

As brands look ahead to Spring ’21, they’re planning for a season of opposites. In the wake of the unprecedented disruption the COVID-19 shutdowns caused this Spring, comfort labels are planning for fresh new looks for retailers who... Read the full story.

Lines We Like

Style Statement

These standouts, available now, are designed to honor the LGBTQ+ community and raise money for a variety of charitable organizations during Pride Month this June. Read the full story.

Consumer Survey

The Survey: Shopping After Shutdown

With most areas of the country open or soon to open to shopping, stores are looking to see how consumers will behave. We surveyed 312 shoppers ages 18 to 60 about their expected buying behavior. See the full survey.

MAy 2020

Retail

Running On

In these challenging times, it takes grit, ingenuity and a strong community to get through. Luckily, run specialty retailers have them all in spades. We talked to 20 shops across the country to share their stories of keeping the faith — and planning for the future — during the COVID crisis.
Read Part I • Read Part II

Brands

Taking Action

Whether it was pivoting to PPE, supporting retail customers or building community for at-home runners, running brands have tackled the COVID-19 shutdown head on. HERE, snapshots from across the running industry during this challenging time. Read the full story.

Trend Insight

The Survey: Consumer Expectations Post-Pandemic

As shops begin to plan for reopening and the new normal, the question remains: What are consumers — shaped by weeks of quarantine and confronting rising unemployment — looking for? See the full consumer survey.

Q&A / OS1st

Supporting Independent Retailers

Josh Higgins, president of OS1st, discusses the importance of supporting independent retail and what the future holds.
Read the full story.

Q&A / RIA

8 Questions with RIA's Terry Schalow

As the executive director of the Running Industry Association, Terry Schalow has had a front-row seat to the cascading effects of the near-overnight changes in the industry... Read the full story.

MArch / April 2020

Work

The New 9 to 5

Shoes that work around the clock.

What to wear to the office? Anything you want. When it comes to workday footwear, the only rules are what looks good — and keep you comfortable for a day doing it all. These fall ’20 styles run the gamut: sleek boots and booties, animal prints of all species, sneakers, loafers and everything in between. What do they have in common? Dialed-up comfort and sharp looks. Trust them: They’re Professionals. Read the full story.

Workplace style

Keeping It Real

We asked three consumers with very different
9-to-5 jobs to give us insight on the shoes they wear for work and why they wear what they do:
What is the dress code in your workplace? I work in one of the most conservative fashion environments that still exists outside of maybe a law firm... Read the full story.

Work

Easy as 1, 2, 3...

Three trends to watch in “on the job” footwear options: Made in USA; Comfort on the Job; and Lightweight Style. Read the full story.

Retail

Profile

Looking Ahead

On Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, MA’s downtown thoroughfare, there are plenty of reminders of the past. The right side of the street is lined with a small deli, a three-screen theater, and the 85-year old Theatre Pharmacy. It’s also the home of Michelson’s Shoes, a fourth-generation, family-owned shoe store. Read the full story.

MAde In America

Reinventing Made In America

When Jaclyn Jones wanted to launch her namesake brand in 2015, finding a factory in the U.S. who would take her on was no easy feat. Five years later, not only does she manufacture Jaclyn Jones USA domestically, she owns the factory that makes it. Read the full story.

Kids Retail

Both Sides Now

Serving the kids market can be tough. And it’s not just that the stock demands are high (all those sizes!), margins thin and the market competitive — although all those things can be true. Kids stores have two different sets of customers to impress: Style-conscious kids, and their features... Read the full story.

The Footwear Eye

5 Questions: Belinda Pina

On the heels of February’s announcement that Informa Markets’ FN Platform show would be rebranded MICAM Americas under a new partnership with Milan’s longtime MICAM show, the show announced the departure of longtime head Leslie Gallin. Read the full story.

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Navigating the New Normal