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Upload to FTP: ftp.formula4media.com:8888/Login nm:f4mgftp pw:uploadfileshere 1/3 Square Jeff Nott Publisher 516-305-4711 jnott@formula4media.com SALES Beth Gordon 949-293-1378 bgordon@formula4media.com Jeff Gruenhut 404-4849-4156 jgruenhut@formula4media.com THE VOICE OF INDEPENDENT SHOE RETAILERS Footwear Insight provides the market with leading edge reporting in every issue. No fluff, no designers. Just ideas and useful information retailers can use to make buying decisions and run their businesses. PLAYING IN PEORIA KIDS’ POINT OF VIEW A FEMALE CAT SHOE CARNIVAL / THE FINISH LINE / STYLE UNCORKED Sandals get NEXT LEVEL PERFORMERS feminine. Technology And Style For Spring 2015 (and fun) Troy Leonard 352-624-1561 tleonard@formula4media.com 1/2 Vertical Full Page Mark Sullivan Editor-in-chief 646-319-7878 msullivan@formula4media.com Sam Selvaggio 212-398-5021 sselvaggio@formula4media.com Bold Beautiful 1/4 Square 1/2 Horizontal FOOTWEARINSIGHT.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 MEET THE HOTTEST NEW CONSUMER AT RETAIL OUTDOOR FOOTWEAR SLIPS INTO STYLE FOOTWEARINSIGHT.COM • JULY/AUGUST 2014 1/4 Horizontal SPECIAL SECTION: THE FOOTWEAR EVENT PREVIEW SKATE SHOES: ON THE RUN 50 YEARS: ECCO’S ANNIVERSARY COMFORT STRATEGIES Production: Brandon Christie 516-305-4712, bchristie@formula4media.com Side Box 300w x 250h pixels $350 per month 3 month minimum Digital Specs • 72 DPI, RGB • Max file size: 50KB • gif, jpeg, all rich media • Supply working URL Email files to Brandon Christie: bchristie@formula4media.com Kic K ’8 0s up :t HE PO Box 231318, Great Neck, NY 11023 www.formula4media.com Publications Footwear Insight Outdoor Insight Running Insight Sports Insight Team Insight Textile Insight Trend Insight Trade Shows The Running Event The Running & Fitness Event For Women it $500 per month 3 month minimum pu m p Top Banner 728w x 90h pixels BA cK W it H RE viv Al St yl ES footwearinsightmag.com W viE tER t in FEE Et FlE t FuElS cRoSSFi 21ST CENTURY RETAILING AT HARRYS, NEW YORK CITY S tREnd FitnESS Wom En’S com FoRt Styl ES pu SH tH E dE Sign EnvE lopE FOOTWEARINSIGHT.COM • MAy/JuNE 2013 FOOTWEARINSIGHT.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2013 2015 MEDIA PLANNER #11 footwearinsightmag.com 2015 CALENDAR Category Coverage Deadlines • Outdoor Lifestyle • Women’s Comfort • Surf • The Boot Book • Athletic • Socks Ad Close 12/22/14 • Men’s Style • Retailer’s Guide to Walking • Accessories • The Gold Medal Retailer Awards • Comfort • Athletic • Shoe Care Ad Close 2/25/15 • Women’s Athletic & Active Lifestyle • Classic Comfort • Made in USA • New Materials Ad Close 5/1/15 Features Jan/Feb May/Jun Jul/Aug Sep/Oct Nov/Dec Material Due 12/29/14 Show Calendar • ORWM • FFANY • Platform • Atlanta TITLE CHANNEL Sports Specialty Stores (Outdoor, Running and Sporting Goods Stores) Store Manager 18% 13% 8% 4% Material Due 5/8/15 • Surf meets Outdoor • Sandals • Insoles Ad Close 6/26/15 • Women’s Comfort • Beach Lifestyle • Women’s Comfort • Socks • Kids Ad Close 9/3/15 • Women’s Boots • Running • Workplace Footwear • Recovery Material Due 7/6/15 • PFA Material Due 9/10/14 Ad Close 11/2/15 54% Buyer Owner/President • ORSM • Platform • FFANY • Atlanta IN EVERY ISSUE BRAND STRATEGIES Manhattan’s iconic shoe store offers its take on 21st Century retailing Material Due 11/9/15 Photo Frank James 1x Full Page $7,815 1/2 Page $5,090 1/4 Page $3,920 $3,140 footwearinsight.com 3x $7,050 $4,610 6x $6,335 $4,135 10% discount Guaranteed Position Premiums: Back Cover: 25% $3,540 $2,835 $3,540 $2,535 SNEAKER BOOTS A HYBRID STYLE ON THE RISE STRATEGY earing a pair of Vibram FiveFingers at a New York City café during a recent sit-down interview, Michael Gionfriddo described to us how he once walked into quite a “muddy” situation at work. A promotion catapulted the exec from COO to CEO of Vibram USA in July 2012, just around the time Vibram was experiencing some of its biggest challenges ever. Becoming CEO meant cleaning Fashion-infused style runs throughout the CAT women’s line, which includes a mix of pumps, sandals and boots ranging in price from $70 to $220. W The Harrys Team: Sister and brother Randi and Robert Goldberg. March/April 2013 ~ Footwear Insight • 23 hen Margaret Doran joined CAT Footwear earlier this year to head up sales for its women’s line, she admits that some retailers questioned the logic of a women’s shoe brand named after a tractor. “Most retailers know us as a men’s industrial boot brand,” says Doran of the line produced under license by Wolverine Worldwide. “But once people began seeing the product the common reaction was ‘this is not what I expected’.” In fact, CAT has had a rather large women’s business outside the United States for a number of years now. CAT has more than 100 mono-branded stores in 141 countries that carry men’s, women’s and children’s footwear and a range of accessories. CAT women’s is particularly strong in Latin America, which Doran attributes to a strong distributor and the fact that 8 • Footwear Insight ~ September/October 2014 a decade at Brown Shoe, joined CAT, stores and consumers don’t necesthe women’s line was sold by the same sarily associate the CAT brand with sales force that handled the men’s gigantic yellow tractors. work boots. Doran has assembled a The CAT women’s line features a team of 10 agencies who mix of pumps, sandals and handle only the women’s boots with retail prices product and has made sigranging from $70 to $220 nificant inroads thus far. with an average of about The line has been picked up $120. The consumer, by a range of online sellers according to Doran, is an including Zappos and Shop age 20+ shopper looking HQ as well as Zumiez and for quality, comfort and many independents. The understandable fashion. line will also be featured in For Spring 2015, CAT Hilton Hotels and Resorts women’s introduced its Margaret Doran shops. first major collaboration, The line currently features 150 a line designed by London-based skus and Doran says that number will graphic print designer Camille Walala double in the next year. “It’s an excitcalled Cat Footwear X Walala. The ing time for the brand,” she says. “I collection includes Walala’s version want retailers to start thinking of us of work-influenced boots and will ship as a footwear brand that also makes to retailers starting February 1, 2015. tractors.” O Until Doran, who spent more than footwearinsight.com Michael Gionfriddo, CEO of Vibram USA out a closet cluttered with SKUs and ending a roller coaster ride of cyclical sales figures. In addition, a recent class action lawsuit having to do with alleged false claims about Vibram’s FiveFingers running shoes drained company resources, including time and money. To right the ship, Vibram decided to settle claims that it had falsely advertised health benefits associated with the FiveFingers shoes – including that shoes prevent injuries and strengthen muscles – and set up a $3.75 million settlement fund. The brand also voluntarily took down its “5 Reasons” platform from its site, which listed Vibram’s ability to improve range of motion, stimulate neural function and improve posture. “5 Reasons” was a large part of the brand’s DNA and competitive advantage over other minimalist offerings. While independent studies – some commissioned by the brand – concerning health benefits exist, Gionfriddo decided to drop the issue and start fresh. “We did it to move on,” the exec says. Since the announcement of a settlement in May 2014, Vibram has witnessed a 17 percent increase in retail accounts, according to the firm. “It brought a lot of publicity, some bad, some good,” says Gionfriddo. In the press, some have equated settling with implied guilt. On the consumer side, “there has been an increase in online activity and purchases. People may have seen it, heard about it and said, ‘I’m looking for these shoes again,’” says Michael Martin, business unit director for Vibram FiveFingers. For consumers who may still be on the fence, Vibram has made a guarantee. Anyone who purchases a pair of FiveFingers from now until the end of the year through VibramFiveFingers. com and is not satisfied after six weeks can return the shoe and get a full refund. For Spring 2015, Vibram has slimmed down (SKUs have been cut by 50 percent over the last year) and refashioned its offerings. Gone are the Classic and the KSO models; in are new versions with better materials, along with the addition of several training and fitness shoes. For off-roading (mud runs), the Spyridon MR has a molded 3D Cocoon nylon mesh technology midsole with a “rock block” effect to disperse impact over a wider are barely visible. “This is what women have been asking for,” Martin commented. Similarly, consumers may squint to see those trademark toes in the Furoshiki lifestyle shoe. The digital-printed shoe is a fun, functional fashion piece that hugs the foot and showcases Vibram’s ability to produce fabrics interwoven with rubber. The For consumers who may still be on the fence, Vibram has made a guarantee. Anyone who purchases a pair of FiveFingers from now until the end of the year through VibramFiveFingers.com and is not satisfied after six weeks can return the shoe and get a full refund. area of the shoe. Bikila EVO and Bikila EVO WP are positioned as offerings fit for those making the transition from traditional to minimalist running shoes. The KMD EVO can be used for running, as well as for cross training/ CrossFit activities. Specifically for women, the Alitza is positioned as an “elegant” offering for barre, yoga and training, while the Alitza Loop offers a barefoot experience with optimal traction. Unlike in other VIbram FiveFingers shoes, toes shoe could also open some new distribution possibilities due to its fashion quotient. “I can envision this in a fashion boutique,” says Martin. The company’s execs feel that the slimmed down portfolio has benefits. “This is the first time retailers are saying we’re rightsized and stable,” Martin explains. Moving forward, the goal is to be lean and mean and continue to seek ways to serve unfulfilled needs. O — Suzanne Blecher 14 • Footwear Insight ~ September/October 2014 footwearinsight.com BUSINESS REPORTS Comfort& JOY Dansko Bonita, a cut-out bootie from the Barcelona Collection. MSRP $185. FALL 2014 FORECAST Inserts: Vibram FiveFingers Bikila EVO W They’re part sneaker and part boot. Some people are calling them sneaker boots. Whatever you call them, they’re a style on the rise. What exactly is a sneaker boot? It’s more laid back than a “dress sneaker” and less techy than a hiking boot. The recipe is simple: Combine certain elements of a sneaker, such as a high-top athletic silhouette, and add in a few boot-like ingredients, such as fancy upper materials or thick, molded rubber soles. From the outdoor vibe of Patagonia to the skate style of Vans to the urban appeal of Palladium, the trend is crossing boundaries. Sneakers + Boots = Style. please call for rates THEFOOTWEAREYE A Female CAT Vibram Plots its Next Move Story by Mark Sullivan / When Manhattan’s Harrys Shoes planned its expansion a little more than a year ago, Robert Goldberg and his sister Randi wanted to do more than make the store bigger. They wanted to create a 21st Century footwear store: one that combined the caring service of the store in which they grew up. But also a store that would offer a compelling selection of merchandise, purchased and displayed around the taste level of a demanding and sophisticated consumer base. Six months after the grand re-opening, industry pundits would say they’ve succeeded on all fronts. “This store is fantastic,” says Bruce Munro, the president of Munro Shoes and one of more than 100 vendors to Harrys. “I can see consumers driving hours to get here and shop.” Harrys has always drawn consumers from the tri-state area, but in the complex social geography of Manhattan – where longtime residents don’t leave their neighborhoods except to go to work – it was important to the Goldbergs that they offer a store that would appeal to residents of the Upper West Side, where Robert lives (and where the store is located) and the East Side where sister Randi lives. The goal was to “get younger” and in the process “more elegant and ophisticated,” according to Robert, who said before the re-model the average age of the shopper was about 50. “The average age in the country is 51, so we weren’t far off from that,” Robert explains, “but the store felt stodgy to us.” MARKET INSIGHTS All others: 10% 1/3 Page THEFOOTWEAREYE WILD ABOUT HARRYS • FFANY • The Running Event Black & White: Manufacturers Independent Footwear Stores, Boutiques and Chains Published 6X each year. Key issues published for Outdoor Retailer Markets, FFANY, Platform, Atlanta Shoe Market, The Running Event, and The Running & Fitness Event For Women. RETAIL PROFILES 2015 RATE CARD #11 (NET) Others Allied to the Industry 9% 65% • FFANY • The Running & Fitness Event For Women Pedorthic Stores 8% 22% Material Due 3/4/15 • The Boot Book • Outdoor Lifestyle • Trail Ad Size Department Stores and Mass Merchants WOMEN’S STYLE Issue Mar/Apr CIRCULATION: 14,179 INSIDE THE HEARTS, MINDS & WALLETS OF TODAY’S RUNNERS The running market remains the hottest category in the footwear business. The business has grown by almost 40 percent since 2006 and runners have shown they will run through the recession and continue to buy the latest and greatest shoes, apparel and accessories. Retailers, of course, are clamoring for this alpha consumer. Dick’s Sporting Goods has opened a run specialty store, True Runner, to target the running consumer. Finish Line has formed a joint venture with Gart Capital Partners and has already rolled up 25 run specialty stores, including the highly regarded Run On! in Dallas. And Internet sellers love targeting the affluent run consumer with choices and bargains. What do runners make of all this attention and craven desire for their wallets? We asked them. In a survey of about 1000 dedicated runners nationwide, conducted exclusively for Formula4 Media by Leisure Trends Group, we learned plenty. For this study, we wanted real runners, so The Competitor Group, publishers of Competitor magazine and owners of the Rock’N Roll Marathon series of races, supplied us with a list that allowed us to obtain 967 responses nationwide from individuals who run at least 10 miles or three times a week. Respondents also had to have purchased shoes, apparel and accessories in the last year and most recently at a run specialty store. So many choices and so much money to spend. Our exclusive consumer research study reveals what runners think about the burning issues of the day: the specialty shopping experience, why they buy online and what they really think of the minimal footwear movement. The answers on the following pages offer up great insight, a few surprises and a road map to their spending. Fall 2014 is just about a year away, but some clarity is already starting to emerge. The boot trend that has put money in everyone’s pockets over the past decade will abate and give way to a range This study breaks runners into three groups: High Frequency: 25-plus miles a week Medium Frequency: 16-24 miles a week Low Frequency: 1-15 miles a week of shoes that emphasize design, color and material texture. Women’s shoes emphasize sleek feminine silhouettes mixed with built-in comfort features, while color and new upper materials Vivobarefoot: The Scott (in black, above, left), MSRP $185 and the Gobi Suede, MSRP $150. The Scott is a winter-proof boot. The Gobi combines sneaker style into a desert boot style. Vans: The Breton Boot (above, far right), MSRP $140, has a Vans OTW sneaker silhouette with a Vibram outsole for maximum wear and grip. The upper’s shape, materials and colors offer a more sophisticated boot look. s&OOTWEAR)NSIGHT^.OVEMBER$ECEMBER More than half of consumers sampled have an income of $80,000 or more. are creating interest for the men’s category. Here’s a sneak peak at directional styles for Fall ’14. 28 • Footwear Insight ~ November/December 2012 FOOTWEARINSIGHTCOM s&OOTWEAR)NSIGHT^.OVEMBER$ECEMBER FOOTWEARINSIGHTCOM Consumers ages 45-plus are particularly likely to belong to a running club/group. footwearinsight.com footwearinsight.com November/December 2012 ~ Footwear Insight • 29