February 2020

The Boot Book

Fashion

Style for All

Whether it’s animal prints all day or cozy knits or plaid aplenty, there’s a boot for every mood this fall.

There’s a reason boots are perennially a fashion must for fall — there’s one for every taste, as these Fall 2020 styles show. Looking for casual cool? Uptown style? Sneaker feel? Check, check, and check. Another reason boots top the list: There’s no better or more versatile style to check all the boxes consumers are looking for. Read the full story.

The Boot Book

Work / Tactical

On The Job And Off The Clock

There’s a new breed of work boots in town. High-tech, high style, high comfort and high energy, they are designed to work 24/7, and when the job is done, they know how to walk away and play hard, too. Fashionable and functional, the boots debuting in Fall 2020 have the look and... Read the full story.

The Boot Book

Rain

Stormy Weather

Rain boots continue to make a splash, in bold colors and prints that can add accent to an everyday outfit without so much as compromising an inch of function. Stacy Cail, marketing director for Washington Shoe Co., parent company of the Chooka, Western Chief and Staheekum brands, says that wearers are looking for... Read the full story.

The Boot Book

Outdoor

All-Around Performers

The line between performance and lifestyle continues to blur in the outdoors as stylish boots are packed with tech details and core performers flash a fashionable aesthetic. Versatility is often the No. 1 trait consumers are seeking in outdoor boots. Read the full story.

Crowd Source

A Change Would Do You Good

The last decade brought change in spades to independent retail. The relentless rise of online and mobile shopping, massive growth in vendor DTC and seismic shifts in the way shoppers consume media and promotions have all shifted the landscape. Read the full story.

Profile

Feetured Players

For Feetures, business is a family affair. And for 2020, the Hickory, NC-based sock brand is preparing for its newest frontier: Expanding its sock story in the independent shoe store channel in a significant way. Read the full story.

Running

Full Speed Ahead

Run shops have a lot to look forward to in 2020. A surge of fresh technical product, the summer’s Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo catalyzing consumer interest, and product growth at the premium side of the shoe market are... Read the full story.

January 2020

FEATURE

Go Everywhere

Outdoor brands have doubled down on the trail-to-tavern ethos for Fall ’20

The shoes we want right now? They’re the ones that do it all. Boots that keep up on the trail and look at home on a night out. Trail runners that bring you up the mountain and through town. Shoes that make life easier, more comfortable and more fun no matter what the day has in store.
Read the full story.

State of the Market

What to Expect in 2020

The New Year is always a fresh start, but 2020 is a whole new ballgame. The start of a new decade, 2020 sees major issues like climate change, retail realignment, shifting trends and technological innovation driving the market. Read the full story.

Interview

Rapid Fire with JackRabbit’s Bill Kirkendall

Bill Kirkendall, CEO of active retailer JackRabbit Sports, is bullish on the specialty channel. The Denver-based group, a division of CriticalPoint Capital, now operates 135 brick-and-mortar shops in 17 states after the October 2019 acquisition of 75 Olympia Sports doors. Read the full story.

Product Spotlight

Running Wild

The fresh crop of Fall ’20 trail running styles are engineered to tackle the toughest terrain (and the pavement on the way) with protective features that don’t sacrifice comfort under and around the foot. Read the full story.

Product Spotlight

Hike Squad

At home in the woods, on the trail, in the snow or even in the city, these Fall ’20 hiking boots are the versatile, protective, durable all-rounders consumers are looking for. Read the full story.

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