Q&A BY GREG
DUTTER
BROTHERS IN ARMS
J o e a n d D a n i e l S a f d e y e , m a n a g e r s o f S C L F o o t w e a r, o n s e i z i n g t h e o p p o r t u n i t i e s t h a t have helped double the business since the pandemic.
THE SAFDEYE BROTHERS, fourth generation shoe industry lifers, had been waiting all their lives for this moment. Not a pandemic, mind you, but a window of disruption that could enable a small, nimble company like SCL Footwear (makers of Harborsides and licensors of Goodyear, NASA, Daisy Fuentes, Outdoor Life, Mario Lopez, Bisou-Bisou and Nanette Lepore) to strike. And that’s exactly what the brother have done, beginning in mid 2020, by adding new licenses (Mario Lopez, Outdoor Life and Nanette Lepore), creating a Goodyear Racing offshoot brand and expanding the brands within the existing portfolio. When a lot of larger companies pulled back or pulled the plug entirely amid the shock and awe of the pandemic, SCL Footwear has stepped into the breach—and has doubled in size in the process. It started by simply picking up the phone. “Some companies were taking days, if at all, to return calls,” says Joe Safdeye, executive vice president. “Whereas we’d pick up on the second ring. As such, we were able to secure some good business during that time. It was exciting for us.” The Safdeye brothers, who encamped to Joe’s house along the Jersey Shore in the early months of the pandemic, have stayed busy ever since plotting moves. The duo has also acted like ports in the storm. Plenty of people have been in panic mode, especially early on, as a lot of companies stopped operating at full capacity while others went under due to cash flow and inventory issues. A few SCL Footwear employees freaked out, too. Joe recalls the day his father, Sam and CEO of SCL Footwear, called and was depressed about how the world seemed to have shifted into the Upside Down a la Stranger Things. “He then asked why I seemed excited, and I told him I’d been waiting my whole life for opportunities like this to get market share,” Joe says. “When has there ever been an opportunity like this where we could be aggressive and score because other companies were cutting back or shutting down. These are the moments in time that can make companies.” The Safdeyes were bullish because of their ability to act quick. Joe uses the analogy of 18-wheeler-sized companies like Nike and Skechers getting flats in all their tires, all at once, whereas SCL Footwear, cruising in an economy car, needed only to replace four flats. “Who the hell do you think would get back on the road quicker?” Joe says. “We’re small,
Joe and Daniel Safdeye
but we can move quick. We saw the opportunities, acted aggressively and grabbed market share.” The Safdeye brothers relied on their years of experience and deep family ties in the industry to adapt quickly amid the new normal. SCL Footwear has strong factory connections in Asia, for starters. The company has continued to make and deliver goods without any major hiccups. The brothers also doubled down on their overall shoemaking philosophy, which starts and ends with delivering above and beyond the expected. That approach has become even more noticeable as many companies have cut back on quality as a way to control costs. “A lot of people in this
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