Footwear Plus Magazine | June 2015

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F O L LOW T H E FA S H I O N L E A D E R : F O OT W E A R P L U S E S T. 1 9 9 0

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JUNE 2015 Caroline Diaco Publisher Greg Dutter Editorial Director Nancy Campbell Trevett McCandliss Creative Directors EDITORIAL Tara Anne Dalbow Fashion Editor Kirby Stirland Associate Editor Laurie Cone Associate Editor Kathy Passero Editor at Large Melodie Jeng Contributing Photographer Judy Leand Contributing Editor

16 Sense Appeal How the right soundtrack, aroma and color scheme can turn passersby into repeat customers. By Kathy Passero

ADVERTISING/ PRODUCTION Jennifer Craig Associate Publisher

20 Dialing It Up Kevin Mancuso, CEO, White Mountain Footwear, on why the timing is right for rapid expansion. By Greg Dutter

Capri Crescio Advertising Manager Tim Jones Deputy Art Director Production Manager

26 The Greater Good Industry members joined forces this spring to help communities in need through Footwear Cares. By Kirby Stirland 28 Second Wind Resale gains traction as more consumers are willing to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes.

By Kirby Stirland 36 Higher Ground Elevated soles up the style ante on men’s brogues and boots with stacked heels and built-up wedges. By Tara Anne Dalbow

Allison Kastner Operations Manager Bruce Sprague Circulation Director Joel Shupp Circulation Manager Mike Hoff Digital Director PA G E

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40 Modern Girl Sky-high platforms with architectural heels and exotic textures stack up for fall.

By Tara Anne Dalbow 10 12 14 50 52 54 56

Circulation 26202 Detroit Road, #300 Westlake, OH 44145 Tel: (440) 871-1300 circulation@9Threads.com

On the cover: Christian Siriano gilded cork platforms, skirt and mesh top by Aysha, Alexis Bittar earrings and bracelet, Renvi ring.

Editor’s Note This Just In Scene & Heard Shoe Salon Comfort Kids Last Word PA G E

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This page: Aperlai python print platforms with Lucite heel, vintage trench by Southpaw, Aysha skirt, Tarra Rosenbaum rings. Deck shoe wedge by Clarks.

Photography by Trevett McCandliss; Fashion Editor: Tara Anne Dalbow; stylist: Alejandro Garcia; hair and makeup by Abraham Sprinkle/ Next Artists; model: Marisol/ Fenton Model Management.

FOOTWEAR PLUS ™ (ISSN#1054-898X) The fashion magazine of the footwear industry is published monthly (except for bimonthly April/May and October/November editions) by Symphony Publishing NY, LLC, 36 Cooper Square, 4th fl., New York, NY, 10003-7118. The publishers of this magazine do not accept responsibility for statements made by their advertisers in business competition. Periodicals postage is paid in New York, NY, and additional mailing offices. Subscription price for one year: $48.00 in the U.S. Rates oustide the U.S. are available upon request. Single copy price: $10.00. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to FOOTWEAR PLUS, P.O. Box 8548, Lowell, MA 01853-8548. Publisher not responsible for unsolicited articles or photos. Any photographs, artwork, manuscripts, editorial samples or merchandise sent for editorial consideration are sent at the sole risk of the sender. Symphony Publishing NY, LLC, will assume no responsibility for loss or damage. No portion of this issue may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. ©2008 by Symphony Publishing NY, LLC. Printed in the United States.

Corporate 9Threads 26202 Detroit Road, #300 Westlake, OH 44145 Tel: (440) 871-1300 Xen Zapis Chairman Lee Zapis President Rich Bongorno Chief Financial Officer Debbie Grim Controller

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E D I TO R ’S N OT E Sweet Charity

A GOOD DAY Taking part in Footwear Cares gave new perspective to the meaning of work.

I’LL CONFESS, PAINTING the walls of a mental health facility the day after closing our 25th anniversary issue was the last thing I felt like doing that late April morning. The preceding weeks of long days and nights—including weekends—culminated in a stressful final dash to the finish line to get the “you only turn 25 once” issue to the printing press. Sure, it was a labor of love and our staff was committed to making it the best we could, but we were collectively spent by the final sign-off. Exhausted mentally and physically and irritable with each other as well as our family members (long hours without a break have a way of bringing out the not-so-nice in people), we were all in desperate need of a day to decompress and catch up on the little details of our lives that had been ignored for too long.

But, weeks before, we had committed to once again take part in Two Ten Footwear Foundation’s industry-wide Footwear Cares charitable drive, aimed at getting shoe people—en masse—to give back to their local communities through charities and causes of their choice. This year’s third annual initiative included a range of do-good projects that involved more than 6,000 industry members from more than 100 footwear companies working with 75 non-profits. Industry members worked with well-known charities like Habitat for Humanity and Meals on Wheels; embarked on solo efforts like cleaning up litter near their offices and beautifying parks and trails; and, in our case, partnered with Catholic Charities to brighten up a floor of Beacon of Hope House in Staten Island, NY, with a fresh coat of paint. (For a complete report, see The Greater Good, p. 26.) Our Footwear Cares point person, Associate Publisher Jennifer Craig, had already coordinated our event. The hospital staff was expecting us. Kaitlyn Butler, Two Ten’s community initiatives coordinator, had booked her train ticket from Boston. Two vans had been hired to drive us there and paint, brushes, rollers, tape and ladders were waiting to be put to good use. Even the local pizza parlor had been notified of a pending lunch order that was probably not on their regular delivery route. In short, it was too late to reschedule, regardless of how tired we were or how daunting the thought of a day of hard labor sounded.

10 footwearplusmagazine.com • june 2015

I’m glad it was too late to say no. As it turns out, our painting project was exactly what we needed. It broke our routine and gave our staff a bigger-picture perspective that came at just the right time. Not just the change of scenery, but the physical work (creating a magazine is largely a sedentary, mind-driven process) was a breath of fresh air in spite of the paint fumes.

We were still in heavy work mode, so our team got right to it. We conquered the long hallway and kitchen areas by performing specific tasks in small teams. We worked efficiently and cooperatively. Sales and editorial members who seldom work side by side got a chance to team up. And as the hours rolled by, I overheard pleasant, casual conversations among our staff members about their lives outside of the office: bands and books they love, family, favorite vacations and college memories. It was an ideal time for our new associate editor, Kirby Stirland, to get to know the staff better.

As it often does when you’re busy and have a job to complete in a set window of time, the six hours flew by. And, while we are by no means professional painters, our fresh lemon yellow coat sure is an upgrade over the dingy off-white hallway and smudged, chipped, mustard-colored kitchen walls. I would be tempted to say, “mission accomplished,” but the sad truth is that state mental health facility budgets continue to shrink.

This facility, like so many others nationwide, is in need of refurbishment beyond a fresh coat of paint. Nonetheless, we made a difference for the patients and staff who spend every day inside those walls. What’s more, Footwear Cares’ commitment to giving back to local communities for a day proved to be a tremendously rewarding personal experience.

It really feels good to do good. I highly recommend taking part next year—or any time. It might be just what your staff needs.

Incidentally, my cargo shorts and sneakers are permanently paint-splattered, but I wear them with pride as a reminder of the good deed I was privileged to take part in and of the great day I spent with my co-workers. I’ll remember it forever.

Greg Dutter

Editorial Director

THIS JUST IN

OH, CANADA! Toronto, Hollywood’s stand-in for New York, is also the setting for star-worthy shoe fashion.

Photography by Nicole Comeau 12 footwearplusmagazine.com • june 2015

SCENE & HEARD

Puma on the Run THE SETTING WAS Sunrise, FL, but it was barely dawn when runners assembled at the BB&T Center on May 3rd for the Wings for Life World Run, a global event with road races commencing at the exact same Former Rutgers football player Eric LeGrand, first time in 35 locations row, second from left, joins across six contiparticipants of the Wings for nents. More than Life World Run in Sunrise, FL. 100,000 participants, from elite athletes and Olympians to weekend warriors, ran varying distances to raise awareness and funds for spinal cord injuries.

The World Run, produced by Red Bull and nonprofit foundation Wings for Life, gained athletic sponsorship from Puma this year. “We are excited to align our brand with a unique global

running platform that is broadly inclusive, yet highly competitive,” says Adam Petrick, global director of brand marketing for Puma. “In the coming years, our goal is to become the preferred apparel and footwear brand of runners competing in the race, and we hope to do more to expose WFL runners to our brand’s products.” The company installed a pop-up shop at the Florida run where thousands of racers were able to peruse its latest running footwear and apparel offerings.

In addition to being the only race to happen simultaneously worldwide, the World Run is unique in that it’s not a set distance—instead, it features a moving finish line in the form of a small fleet of “Catcher Cars” that sets off along the course 30 minutes after the start. Each individual runner’s race ends when the Catcher Car passes them, recording their distance and time. This year, Lemawork Ketema, who ran in St. Polten, Austria, defended his title as the top male runner, covering 49.7 miles. Yuuko Watanabe was dubbed the female champ, running 35 miles in the dark of night in Takashima, Japan.

are Steve and Judy Richards, owners of Jester House, a café beloved by locals and tourists for, among other things, its lush gardens and the friendly eels that inhabit the nearby Aporo stream.

(Stop by between September and May for a chance to feed them.)

Judy Richards says there’s no shoe obsession behind the quirky architecture—just a desire to maintain a sense of whimsy. “A boot is a spaceefficient design, but more importantly, it’s a fun shape and brings out the child in us,” she explains. Judy and her husband built The Boot in 1999 to provide visiting couples with a chance to “take themselves out of the ordinary routine of life and relax in each other’s company.”

The toe of the boot houses a cozy sitting room with a fireplace. A spiral staircase winds up the boot’s shaft, leading to a bedroom with a balcony. Outside, a private patio is the ideal setting for an al fresco meal.

A night at The Boot will run you around $220. If you’re interested in booking a shoe lovers’ getaway, hoof it to www.airbnb.com to make a reservation.

Give ’Em The Boot FOR ANYONE WHO’S ever aspired to be the little old woman (or man) who lived in a shoe, you’re in luck: a bed and breakfast in Tasman, New Zealand provides the ideal accommodations.

Nestled within a verdant grove is The Boot, a footwear-inspired one-bedroom cottage perfect for a couple’s retreat.

The proprietors of the unusual bed and breakfast 14 footwearplusmagazine.com • june 2015

FDRA SUMMIT FOCUSES ON INNOVATION MORE THAN 150 attendees of the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA) Footwear Innovation Summit held recently in Washington, D.C. got exactly what was advertised: innovative ideas and solutions across the retail and wholesale spectrums. FDRA President Matt Priest says the topics discussed were timely and informative. Footwear tariff policy presentations were made by U.S. Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY) and Wayne Monfries, vice president of corporate tax and financing for Nike. Retail presentations were given by Cliff Sifford, CEO of Shoe Carnival, on how technology converts browsers into buyers, and Kristyn Levine, of Demandware, on how software tracks sales and inventories in real time. John Burch, head of global operations for Wolverine Worldwide, addressed the future of product design, development and sourcing.

“Consumers are changing how they shop for footwear and, at the same time, sourcing is changing how wholesalers bring shoes to market,” Priest notes. “And the topic of trade is hot right now: the industry has to be engaged and speaking with one voice on what we need to accomplish in this window we have to lower duties and eliminate some of the $2.7 billion in duties that are paid every year.”

Priest adds, “The key takeaway of the summit was that innovation is driving the industry in a lot of different ways today, and it has to because the consumer is changing dramatically. If you’re not engaging the consumer in multiple facets and you don’t have the strategies to achieve that, then I think you are going to be behind the eight ball.”

The same proactive rule of thumb applies on the sourcing side. “As costs continue to rise, our [wholesale] members are looking for different places from which to source. You have to constantly be thinking about making improvements and using new innovations in the supply chain in order to drive production,” he notes.

Priest says the summit timing was ideal as the U.S. government attempts to pass key trade bills.

“The President has obviously made it a priority of his last two years in office and Republican leadership in both the House and Senate want it to happen,” Priest says of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). “There are still lots of moving parts, but I think we’ll eventually get there because there’s too much at stake not to.”

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of comfort and home. In a retail setting, an aroma can make your heart race or calm you down and encourage you to linger.

Sense Appeal How the right soundtrack, aroma and color scheme can turn passersby into repeat customers.

BY K AT H Y PA S S E RO SENSORY MARKETING HAS become a hot topic in retail in recent years.

Recognizing that every aspect of the ambiance can influence a shopper’s mood—color, music, signage, even the height at which racks are placed—stores now do everything from painting display cases green to inspire feelings of good health to piping in the scent of coconut to make shoppers think of summer.

The goal? Get customers to stay in your store longer, spend more and come back. And research shows sensory marketing really works, if you do it right.

A recent Loyola University Maryland study showed that color increases brand recognition by as much as 80 percent, while Nike found that adding scents to stores made shoppers 84 percent more likely to buy shoes.

Here, experts share the secrets of sensory marketing.

SCENT: Caroline Fabrigas is the CEO Scent Marketing and the Scent Marketing Institute. Now a nonprofit organization, the Institute was founded by her late husband, Harald Vogt, to educate the public about scent marketing and promote best practices.

1) How do scents affect shoppers?

Your olfactory bulb, which controls your sense of smell, is in your limbic system, your brain’s memory center. That’s why scent can bring up a memory even more quickly and powerfully than an image or a sound can. The classic example is the aroma of baking cookies. It triggers memories of walking into Grandma’s house as a child for many adults and gives them an instant feeling 16 footwearplusmagazine.com • june 2015

2) How does scent marketing work and why might a retailer want to use it?

A scent marketer works with you to craft a signature scent that captures your store’s identity and, if done right, creates a positive emotional effect on customers as powerful as the baking cookies example. You can even develop a sort of cult following. We created a scent for a hospitality chain in 2007, and guests loved it so much that, at their request, we developed candles and room diffusers they could buy. That’s a great brand extension because every time they use them, it triggers memories of the hotel chain and their visit.

We start with a brand analysis to help pinpoint the client’s identity. Then we translate this to our master perfumers and they distill it into three to six aroma profiles for the client to choose from during a sniffing session where we come to their store with a tabletop unit. We’ll smell the scents on blotters and then in the air through a special device because it’s the best way to discern ambient scent. It’s completely different from perfume on your skin.

3) How does the scent get diffused in a store?

Scent marketing companies provide clients with equipment that goes into the HVAC system or can be put somewhere discreet on the store floor. They’ll help you calibrate it for the time of day and days of the week you want it to go on and off, depending on whether you want shoppers to smell it on an ongoing basis or have gentle wafts come in and out. Then you just refill it once a month.

4) Do certain scents appeal to certain kinds of shoppers?

It’s not that simple. Citrus is clean and bright, so it gives you a fresh, uplifting feeling. But there’s a whole range of citrus scents. Some are much more exotic.

They make you feel a whole different way. People tend to think woody notes appeal more to men, but some woods are very sensual and elegant. To a scent marketer, creating the right scent for your store or brand is about figuring out where that citrus or woody note might fit within what you’re trying to communicate and balancing it the right way.

5) Could a store on a tight budget just buy plug-in fragrance or scented candles, or would you caution against that?

It depends on your end game. When you do a signature scent, you’re creating something emblematic of your store or brand’s values. You put in the same amount of time and care you would to creating your logo. If you just want your store to smell better, there are a lot of pleasant single-note aromas like vanilla and grapefruit. But your customer will smell those scents elsewhere, so they won’t give him an affinity with your store.

One of the worst things you can do is pick an arbitrary scent that isn’t associated with anything in your store. You confuse the customer. Make sure the scent you choose fits the environment.

For stores on a limited budget, we have a portfolio of ambient scents. Customers may encounter the aroma in a different part of the country or distribution channel, but the aroma will be unique enough to help distinguish your store.

6) Is working with a scent marketer affordable for an independent retailer?

It absolutely can be. There are leasing programs, smaller units and more basic scents that are less precious and exotic, so they’re less costly.

7) What about customers with allergies or adverse reactions to aromas?

Anybody can be allergic to anything. I spent 28 years in the beauty industry, and even with hypoallergenic brands, some people claimed to be allergic. But

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the molecules from ambient scents are very small and travel high in the air, so they don’t touch shoppers. Also, members of the Scent Marketing Institute have rigorous safety standards and make sure scents are calibrated and diffused in the right way, so we hear complaints very seldom.

3) Do you have advice for retailers who prefer to create their own music mix?

U.B.: The biggest problem with curating your own music mix is that even if you use iTunes or Spotify, they are for personal use, not commercial use. And that can get you into trouble with music licensing companies.

8) What would you say to retailers who argue that leather is the best scent for any shoe store?

I had a client that sold shoes and handbags, and leather was an important part of the aroma we created for them. But that’s like assuming coffee shops and bakeries naturally smell good. The truth is that in a bakery they only bake at certain times of day. They don’t get the smell all day long. So guess what?

They pipe it in so they’ll have that yummy smell all the time. The same is true of coffee shops. Let’s say they’re making grilled cheese sandwiches at lunch.

The shop will smell like grilled cheese. That’s enhancing, but it’s not what they want. So they imbue that delicious coffee aroma because they know scent has such an immediate, powerful visceral impact. It’s one of the most powerful marketing tools you can use for your business.

4) Are retailers really taking a risk by playing an iPod in a store?

U.B.: Absolutely. ASCAP, SESAC and BMI—the three largest music licensing companies—have a staff that actually goes out and looks for this. They’ll walk into a store and say, “Hey, love your playlist! What are you guys playing?” And someone from the store will innocently say, “Oh, we have an iPod in the back.” That’s how they find out that people are breaking the law. The fines are quite hefty.

SOUND: Prescriptive Music is a music-branding company with offices in Toronto and Los Angeles. In addition to independent retailers, the company works with Lululemon and Marriott Hotels & Resorts and offers a program combining scent marketing with sound. Below, Vice President of Business Partnerships Uri Burstein, Director of Music Programming Alix Rumsey and Director of Communications Bryan Osuszek share their insights on sensory branding through sound.

5) What can retailers do aside from hiring a music-branding firm?

B.O.: Music-branding services tend to be pretty affordable. The core of our business is mom-and-pop single location retailers and restaurants. But for those who don’t want to use a music-branding company like ours as a curative consultant, we have software they can use to legally curate their own playlist from our library under our licensing umbrella. They can change it or add songs as they like.

A.R.: Whatever you do, don’t let the people who work behind the cash register control your music.

Licensing issues aside, even if your shop assistant says she has the best taste in music, she doesn’t necessarily have the best taste for your store.

“ W h at e v e r y o u do, don’t let the people who work behind the cash r e g i s t e r c o nt r o l your music.”

6) Once you’ve created a playlist for a client, how does the client actually get the music?

A.R.: We give them a hard drive that stores the music.

Tracks are downloaded into the system, transferred through the Internet and held on the player on the client’s side. We don’t stream because if there’s a thunderstorm, everyone loses music.

1) How can music help a footwear retailer?

U.B.: Having the right music in a store triggers an emotional response, the same way good interior design does. If you get the mix right, you draw in your core demographic and create a level of both —Alix Rumsey, heightened interest and comfort that makes them 7) How often do you change the music for clients? feel this space and this product are perfect for them.

U.B.: We update the playlist every 30 days, taking director of music BO: The wrong music does the opposite. If it doesn’t out some tracks and adding others to make sure the programming, fit the product and the clientele, shoppers feel music stays on brand. If the retailer’s core demographic uncomfortable and eager to leave. It would happen is young, it’s a constantly moving beast. Our music Prescriptive Music if a 17-year-old girl walked into Forever 21 and heard supervisors literally listen to music all day, trying to Brahms. Or, say, a middle-aged man decided to get find the next big thing. When they do, they make healthy and walked into a store to buy his first pair of running shoes. If he sure it’s properly licensed. We also have deejays and other music style-makers heard techno music, he’d instantly think, “This isn’t for me.” working for us to make sure the playlists are as ahead of the times as possible.

If the music is incongruous, it’s jarring. One of the best real examples we’ve heard is having “Jingle Bells” in Spanish playing in July because a worker put 8) How important is it to make sure the music in your store fits with other his iPod on “shuffle.” aspects of sensory marketing?

A.R.: They’re joined together quite dramatically. If you walk in and hear a 2) How do music-branding companies help a store get the right music mix? great soundtrack but the place looks like it hasn’t been redecorated since 1973, A.R.: We start by finding out what makes them tick. We read all it’s not going to make sense. their branding information and interview key personnel about their core demographic, what separates them from their competition and SIGHT: Amy Troutman is a senior color consultant at Mandil, an architecwhat makes people come into their store. Then we translate those ture and design company located in Denver, CO. She is also secretary of the cues into playlists for different times of day and days of the week.

International Association of Color Consultants/Designers—North America.

A knowledgeable music supervisor understands what will appeal to your core customers. For instance, women like some hip-hop because it’s cool 1) How do the colors in a store affect shoppers? and modern, but you have to be very careful about lyrical content if your People don’t analyze why they’re only spending five minutes in one place and store is predominantly patronized by women. They also tend to like artists several hours in another, but color has a definite psychological impact. When such as Justin Timberlake, but men don’t like the female equivalents. They you want people to stay longer in a retail space, you paint it a cool, welcomdon’t respond well to hearing Katy Perry or Taylor Swift in a retail setting. ing color that doesn’t overwhelm them. If you want them to be drawn >51 18 footwearplusmagazine.com • june 2015

Dialing It Up With new digs and two new brands added to the portfolio, Kevin Mancuso, CEO of White Mountain Footwear, explains why the timing is right for rapid expansion.

IT’S A GOOD sign when a major national retailer asks a wholesaler to develop a new brand from scratch rather than go the usual route of using an established name brand. It shows admiration and trust that the wholesaler will deliver the goods. That’s what White Mountain Footwear (maker of White Mountain, Rialto, Cliffs and Summit brands) has been doing for nearly 40 years. The company has a proven track record of delivering quality, on-trend product (on time and in full) that sells through, generating a buzz among shoppers. In short, the request is a testament to White Mountain’s shoe-making chops.

20 footwearplusmagazine.com • jume 2015

Its styles do the selling regardless of the name imprinted on the sock liner.

In this instance, the target audience is a junior customer—one the retailer believes needs something fresh and exciting. That’s how it was presented to Kevin Mancuso and his team a year ago when the retailer in question (who he prefers not to name) approached White Mountain about creating a new brand. The brand is Seven Dials, a contemporary line catering to women from 14 to 30. The debut fall collection of boots and booties ($59 to $79, suggested retail) and shoes ($39 to $49) spans the latest fashion trends in terms of silos, colors, materials and embellishments.

Think plenty of fashion boots, from shoeties to over-the-knee styles, and lots of heavy lug sole bottoms. But, don’t bother looking for sneakers. Mancuso says Seven Dials won’t go into that (crowded) space. Similar to Steve Madden, but more affordably priced, Seven Dials is “trend correct” in Mancuso’s opinion. He believes it’s a solid bet for its retail partners, given their need for something fresh. “Some brands were having their difficulties at the time and it was a combination of right place, right time, right pricing, right styling,” he says. “Retailers have been more receptive to something new and fresh. Timing is so important, and we were able to strike while the iron was hot.”

What makes the Seven Dials launch even more unusual is the fact that the common route in the junior business is through an established brand name acquisition or license agreement. In fact, Mancuso admits White Mountain was looking

into doing just that when this retailer “smartly suggested” creating a brand from scratch. “They felt comfortable with who we are, what we are capable of, what we are trying to achieve and what they wanted,” he says. “They didn’t think the name was as important.” As for that, Seven Dials is a reference to a trendy section of London near Covent Garden where seven roads converge into a rotary—seven dials. The name, pardon the pun, has a nice ring to it and, for shoppers in the know, references a fashion hot spot. And while Mancuso believes there are plenty of advantages to launching a collection under an established brand name, it always boils down to product.

“Product is king and the shoes must speak for themselves,” he says, adding that he has high expectations. “I’m very confident that once other retailers see the success I expect to have this season, they’ll react in a positive way too. I would anticipate that Seven Dials is going to turn into one of our larger divisions.”

Beyond good product and the fortunate timing of the Seven Dials launch, there’s White Mountain’s record of success. In an era where timely and efficient sourcing is becoming increasingly difficult and expensive, the risks of partnering with wholesalers who have either spotty or short resumes are too great, not to mention costly. Mistakes on this level can be really big. The industry, in this regard, is increasingly becoming a business of too big to fail. That’s why Mancuso believes a key factor in a wholesaler’s ability to land big orders today is its established relationships. How solid are they? How vetted? How

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O&A flexible? How successful? Mancuso believes White Mountain has all those bases covered—and has for decades. “We’ve always developed wonderful relationships with our customers and have always tried to build a better mousetrap—giving them a little bit more for their money and perceived value,” he explains. “I believe they have developed a comfort level of doing business with us over the past 35-plus years.”

Mancuso believes this comfort level has contributed to White Mountain’s recent growth spike, which includes the launch of the upscale Summit brand and now Seven Dials in the past year and a half. Its four other divisions are all consistently beating sales plans and its e-commerce site is growing exponentially. Business is growing so much that the company recently moved into bigger offices in its current Westwood, MA, base. “We really needed a bigger office to accommodate all of our recent expansions of late,” Mancuso reports. The company had been in a 10,000-square-foot facility and the What are you reading? Edge new space, about a mile away, offers of Eternity by Ken Follett. It’s an additional 7,000 square feet. “We’ve the third in a trilogy of historihad a great year so far,” he adds. “We’re cal novels as seen through the very pleased with the way things are eyes of five families around the going and we have no complaints at all.” world. It takes you through White Mountain’s recent expansion all the major historical events evokes images of a teenage growth and how they impacted their spurt, albeit in the company’s midlives. It’s entertaining and, at dle-age years. What for decades had the same time, a great history been one brand (White Mountain) lesson. and a steady private label division, has mushroomed, in the past five What is inspiring you most years or so, into six divisions. Call it right now? My two granda case of better late than never. “It’s daughters, who are nine months fair to say that we’ve probably been and two-and-a-half years old. busier than ever,” Mancuso says. “It’s been very challenging, but also a lot What is your motto? A phrase of fun and a lot of excitement.” He my co-workers would probchalks the growth spurt up largely ably like to shoot me for sayto timing, a willingness to adapt and ing because they’ve heard it so change, and having the right people many times is: “There are many to make it all happen. “People make reasons for failure but never a up companies, and the strength of our good excuse.” company is our employees, top to bottom,” he says. “They are free to speak What sound do you love? their mind and, even if we (by that he Raindrops on a window. means White Mountain’s four partners, which include himself, brothers Nick and Greg Connors and Peter Fong) don’t always agree, we’ll listen.” Mancuso adds, “We’re not opposed to change, which is probably the biggest challenge for all of us as we get older because no one likes entering unchartered waters. But I think we have the right people on board to help steer us.”

we’ve become much more important to our retail customers. We are able to have a much greater impact with them. It’s a very positive adjustment that we are making as a company. The recent additions have rounded off the entire package and every line complements one another.

How important is it to be a multi-brand resource amid today’s retail consolidation?

It’s very important today to have complimentary brands. When you sit down with the major retailers they want to feel comfortable with the company they are working with. Now, with household brands like Ralph Lauren, Chanel, Calvin Klein, etc., there’s a certain comfort factor and brand identity that crosses into ready-to-wear, accessories and footwear. Our company, in contrast, has always been footwear only and is not necessarily a household name. So, we’ve always been If you could hire anybody, compelled to offer a greater perceived who would it be? I would hire value in our product. That’s part of Martin Luther King Jr. as a our culture today and goes without motivational speaker. saying. That said, in order to grow today, you need to be in different marWho would be your most covket grids and you can’t do it all under eted dinner guest? My grandone label, nor does it make sense to do parents. I would love to ask that. A nice $150 stiletto pump with them about their experiences a White Mountain sock label doesn’t immigrating to this country make sense, for example, when I’m from Italy and Ireland, respecalso selling styles under that label for tively. I heard tidbits, but to talk $79. You need to have different lines at length about what that whole to stand for different items. experience was like would be enlightening.

It’s almost a requirement of business today, correct?

What might people be surAt one time under just the White prised to know about you?

Mountain label we tried to achieve That I’m pretty reserved. I’m not all of the above. But as retail became ostentatious. more specialized, one brand couldn’t be all things to all people. In other What are you most proud words, the shoes a mother buys for of career-wise? Longevity is herself are not desirable to her teendefinitely one aspect. Also, that age daughter. So, there’s a justificaI was given the opportunity to tion to have a junior brand (Seven succeed and I was able to take Dials) as well as a moderate brand advantage of it.

(White Mountain). And there’s a justification to have a dress brand, which is what Rialto has become.

And a comfort-casual brand, which is where Cliffs is evolving. And the Summit brand is our high-end brand for a consumer that appreciates both the high quality [priced between $150 and $400 retail], beautiful fashion and the cache of it being made in Italy.

Overall, we felt the need to bring to the table five distinct lines that each have their own identity and can stand on their own. More importantly, our retailers seem to agree.

OFF THE CUFF

Did you ever think White Mountain would undergo such rapid expansion nearly 40 years into the game?

It wasn’t necessarily the plan. But I think a combination of the right timing, having the right people and the overall mood in the marketplace are the factors behind it all. While we should probably change our name to White Mountain Group, what the expansion and growth allow us to do is have complete representation on the entire floor. We really needed to add a few new brands to be able to achieve that goal. Now with the diversity of our brands 22 footwearplusmagazine.com • jume 2015

Easier said than done, of course.

Listen, this is far from a cakewalk. It’s not easy. I think business is more difficult and more challenging than ever before. I don’t think anything is easier. But I guess it’s in our blood. The four [partners] enjoy it. We have our differences, but generally speaking, at the end of the day, we come around to whatever is best for the company as a whole. We also have great middle

O&A management at our company. People who come to work for us have tended to stick around for a long time, which I think is reflective of a healthy work environment. In general, we are very excited right now about the expansion and the opportunities they present for us going forward. Last year, every division experienced growth. And while self-praise is no praise— that’s another motto I use all the time, by the way—we’ve been fortunate and have been able to ascend from year to year and we are looking forward to continued growth.

In what ways might your company’s work environment be unique?

It starts with getting people on our team to be all on the same page. In that respect, we operate a little bit differently where, for example, our line builders critique one another and share thoughts and ideas on a regular basis.

There’s a lot of collaboration within White Mountain. Obviously, they are responsible for each of their respective brands, but I may have the Cliffs or White Mountain line builder critique the Seven Dials line. And I don’t mean it‘s just a bunch of nice compliments tossed their way. I mean really critique it in front of everyone and then I’ll determine what styles I want to keep in or out of the lines. Sometimes it can be a little uncomfortable to have a line builder critique a colleague’s work, but we do it in a way that is constructive.

Along those lines, how would you critique Summit?

It has been extremely well received to date. We are very pleased and it’s nice being back in Italy again sourcing shoes. At one time back in the ’90s we were the largest importer of footwear out of Italy. We were bringing in a tre-

mendous amount of clogs. With regards to Summit, we’re bringing in much nicer merchandise—it’s all leather lined and incredibly crafted shoes. It’s really beautiful product.

And “made in Italy” still possesses that luxury cache?

I think there’s still a cache related to Italian product, particularly if it’s truly Italian-made product from start to finish. In particular, I think there’s a consumer base out there that appreciates the quality and the value that Summit offers. It caters to a 25- to 50-year-old woman. She’s a sophisticated shopper who is serious about fashion and appreciates fine quality as well as a good value. What’s more, we’ve always been in the leather business and this is an opportunity to get back into it in a major way. We plan to stay the course as Summit is growing nicely from season to season.

Might this consumer be buying Summit instead of name-brand designers?

I think it’s in addition to. A woman who enters a store looking to buy Prada or Chanel is going to buy Prada or Chanel. But for a woman who wants to buy great fashion at great value and has an appreciation of it, then I believe they are going to react in a positive way to Summit—and have been. The fact that the U.S. dollar has gotten so much stronger against the euro has also helped. Right now, for instance, we can offer leather-lined pumps with leather outsoles for under $125. We even have some leather ballet flats for under $100 retail. As always, we are putting all of the extras into the product. I don’t think anyone offers the value we do for this level of product.

These are great, great value.

Any thoughts on how long this currency windfall might continue?

Obviously, I have no control over the economy of scale and my crystal ball broke a long time ago, but I would say over the next two to five years, hopefully, the dollar versus the euro will be advantageous for us. Hopefully, during that time span we will continue to deliver great product at attractive prices and make our impact in the marketplace to the point where the consumer becomes accustomed to the Summit name and will want to buy more in the seasons ahead.

And you will be able to meet the demand within those Italian factories?

Absolutely. We are dealing with a select group of about six factories primarily based in the Tuscany region. In fact, we are working with the same agent that we did many years ago. So it’s been a very enjoyable and exciting experience.

When you last left Italy, did you ever think you might return one day to source shoes?

No, particularly with how the dollar had gotten so weak against the euro.

And, quite frankly, we never would have come back if it weren’t for doing a better-grade line like Summit.

I guess if you’ve been in this business long enough you learn never to say never, right?

Correct, you can never say never. And actually what’s happened because of this venture and the favorable currency rates, is we’ve even tested some product for White Mountain and Seven Dials. Because those factories are ahead

of the fashion curve, we’ve been able to react quickly as a result. It’s a limited scale, but we are able to get a much faster delivery and can easily save six or so months. For instance, we saw some clogs that we liked when we were visiting the factories this past March. We bought the styles in April and we are going to deliver them in the end of June. That’s pretty quick. We were able to buy about 10,000 pairs, but trust me, they would have been happy with a bigger order. Now, if I wanted that shoe made in China, I’d have to send it there and do all the development work, which would take four to six months to finally get it shipped to market.

Speaking of which, there are major sourcing shifts now and in the works out of China. What’s your take on that?

There’s no question that China’s becoming more challenging. We’ve already begun testing the waters in Vietnam and Cambodia. Some people that we have worked with in China have opened up factories in those countries, so it makes it a little easier for us. We’ll test the waters before we dive in. In addition, the potential new Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement could open up sourcing possibilities in other countries. That said, 95 to 98 percent of our product is still manufactured in China and there are still plenty of factories there that are willing and able to make footwear, although they aren’t in the same location where we first started.

Did you ever think a few years ago that you would be sourcing shoes out of Cambodia?

I’ve been around so long that it seems to go through cycles of about >55

THE GRE ATER GOOD Industry members joined forces this spring to help communities throughout the country as part of Two Ten Footwear Foundation’s third annual Footwear Cares initiative. By Kirby Stirland LEAVE IT TO a charitable organization to have a glass-half-full outlook on the recent harsh winter. Maureen Lederhos, director of marketing at Two Ten Footwear Foundation, recalls how the punishing weather took a toll on volunteerism, particularly in the Northeast. But beneath the snow and ice lay opportunity: the Boston-based organization had no trouble arranging local large group volunteer projects for its Footwear Cares drive.

It also seems good deeds are contagious and word is spreading about what a rewarding experience taking part in a Footwear Cares event can be. What began as a one-week effort in 2013 evolved into a month-long event in 2014; this year, volunteer projects will extend into the summer.

“The fact of the matter is, more and more people have gotten wind of what’s happening,” Lederhos says. “Footwear Cares is sort of inspiring corporate giving and volunteerism year-round.”

This year’s initiative involved 6,500 volunteers from 110 companies working with 75 nonprofits across 23 states. More feel-good stats: 12,570 pairs of new shoes distributed to children in need, 3,256 children provided with clothing and 540,000 meals packed, prepared or served. Footwear Cares events were as varied as the companies, employees and shoe styles that 26 footwearplusmagazine.com • june 2015

Clockwise from top left: Dr. Martens employees preparing food for Meals on Wheels in Portland, OR; Two Ten president Neal Newman, fourth from left, and Finish Line Youth Foundation president Marty Posch, far right, packing meals for deserving families at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN; hundreds of Finish Line employees hard at work and having a blast.

make up the industry. Dr. Martens, for example, packaged food for Meals on Wheels in its hometown of Portland, OR. Skechers did landscaping work at a home in Los Angeles, CA, with The Compton Initiative. Vans performed beach cleanup in Southern California. Clarks prepared clothing, books and toys for needy children through Cradles to Crayons. The Footwear Plus team put a fresh coat of paint on the walls at the Beacon of Hope House in Staten Island, NY. Dansko cleared trash from highways near its base in West Grove, PA, and the Washington, DC-based Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA) provided food for the homeless in partnership with SOME (So Others Might Eat).

he says. An appearance by WNBA MVP Tamika Catchings capped off an allaround great day, Posch recalls.

Tracey Attis, vice president of human resources and operations services at Marc Fisher Footwear, reports a similar vibe at the company’s Habitat for Humanity job site in Yonkers, NY, where employees worked on a house for a U.S. military veteran. Attis considers meeting the vet and his family a highlight of the experience. She recounts how, the day after the project, a number of employees told her they wanted to go back to work more on the job. Attis herself ended up returning to the job site four more times, while two other employees went back for a second day of work. It’s a testament An Industry to Newman’s point that selling shoe With Soul companies on the notion of workNeal Newman, president of Two ing with a local charity isn’t difficult Ten, calls Footwear Cares “a wonto do. In fact, he says, most already derful expression of who we are as have a relationship with one. “I think an industry.” He believes its growwe’re tapping into something that ing success stems from a tradition of everyone feels,” he says. “Giving back values in the footwear industry that’s is not a single moment in time—it’s evident in the way members interact something we all feel and want to be with their peers, customers and local a part of 365 days a year.” communities. It seems that culture of Along those lines, volunteering empathy—upon which Two Ten was is woven into the fabric at Brooks, founded in 1939, when a group of according to Tom Ross, vice president shoe salesmen got together to anonyof strategic planning. The company mously provide aid to their colleagues encourages employees to take a day in need—may be what distinguishes out of each year to devote to service, footwear from other industries, and and Ross says programs like Footwear what makes its members so eager to Cares facilitate that effort. He felt a give back. Newman notes that compersonal connection to this year’s projpared to the other industries he’s ect of working on the Burke-Gilman worked in, footwear is unique in its Trail, which is located near the comgenerosity of spirit. A superior level pany’s headquarters in Seattle. As a Tracey Attis of Marc Fisher Footwear (center) and co-workers at of consumer focus and engagement runner who spends a lot of time on their Habitat for Humanity home building site in Yonkers, NY. is built into the DNA of people who the scenic trail, Ross says it was meanare drawn to the industry, and giving back “is part of the value system we all ingful to put effort toward taking care of a place he actually uses. About 20 bring,” he says.

Brooks employees joined another 20 from Amazon Fashion (Footwear Cares’ That ethos is apparent in how companies—often competitors—have come title sponsor) to clear trash, plant trees and otherwise beautify the area. Ross together to work on various Footwear Cares projects. Meaghan Lawson, mardescribes a pleasant spring day working on the trail as runners, hikers and keting manager at Coolway USA , says it’s one of the most inspiring aspects bikers passed. “There was a sense that people could appreciate the value that about the charitable initiative—the sense of unity, particularly when multiwe were bringing to their experience,” he says. ple shoe companies join forces. “No one would ever know that we’re competitors,” she says. “Everybody just pulls together. We have one common goal—to Time Well-Spent help people.” Lederhos agrees, attesting, “Everybody [leaves] with the same Lederhos acknowledges that companies have to weigh the opportunity cost feeling: they made a difference.” of spending time out of the office for community service projects, but that The third annual Footwear Cares kicked off April 1st with an event in ultimately it’s worth it. Attis agrees wholeheartedly, recounting how Marc Indianapolis that Newman counts as a personal highlight. He describes the Fisher Footwear employees learned skills on their Habitat For Humanity job scene at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse, home of the NBA’s Indiana Pacers, as site that transferred to the office, like leadership, communication and team“remarkable.” Within three hours’ time, 900 Finish Line employees packed building, in ways that couldn’t be duplicated at work. “The things that we over 300,000 meals for deserving local families. Marty Posch, president of were doing were not things that most of us would normally have any experithe Finish Line Youth Foundation, explains that since 2014, Footwear Cares ence with. You had a head of sales working the chop saw. You had a designer has become an integral part of the company’s national managers’ meeting. hanging siding,” she describes, calling the experience “humbling.” Ross agrees “We understand that there’s plenty of business that needs to be done at the that there’s something to be gained from getting out of the office and doing meeting, but giving back to the community is one of the pillars of what Finish community service with your co-workers, particularly those with whom you Line stands for,” he says. “We really wanted to make sure our employees felt may not work closely. “It’s sort of like running. I often say that you can learn that and were a part of it.” Surely, they did, as Newman says the gratitude of more about someone running 10 miles with them than you can working with those volunteers was extraordinary. “When I went around to every table to them for 10 years,” he says. “When you’re collectively trying to dig a hole or say ‘thank you,’ I can’t tell you the hundreds of people who told me this is a rip out a blackberry bush, you get a connection with people. Just getting to highlight of their year and that it was a blessing for them to be a part of it,” know them on a different level has a lot of value,” Ross adds. Posch says >53 2015 june • footwearplusmagazine.com 27

Consumers are increasingly willing to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes—and actually pay for it. By Kirby Stirland

Second Wind AT A BUFFALO EXCHANGE in Brooklyn, NY, a store that buys and sells secondhand clothing, the footwear selection tells a story about the customers who provide the inventory: a pair of cycling shoes belies a lost interest in a fitness pursuit while a sculpted mixed-media heel from All Saints was a twisted ankle waiting to happen. As for the black lace, thigh-high, stiletto Sergio Rossi boots showcased behind the register? Use your imagination. The basis for resale is this: An item that was once cherished has ceased to fit, inspire or serve a purpose. But, rather than have it clutter a closet or meet its ultimate demise in a landfill, why not try to make a few bucks or trade up for something new(ish)? As the saying goes, one man’s trash may be another’s treasure.

Secondhand shopping is not new; the first Buffalo Exchange opened its doors in Tucson, AZ, in 1974, and thrift and consignment stores have been around for decades. But, in a world of Uber and Airbnb, the “sharing economy” is red hot, and resale is right in stride. Experts point to several macro factors contributing to the surge in secondhand retailing.

For one thing, there’s a growing eco-consciousness that believes gently worn shoes, for example, are better on someone else’s feet than in a garbage dump.

There’s the less-is-more minimalist movement, where followers eschew the mass accumulation of generic items in favor of fewer, better-quality goods. And finally, the rise of mobile e-commerce is helping to fuel the second-hand retailing boom. What was once a slow hunt-and-pick process through dusty thrift shops can now be done instantaneously with a few taps on a smartphone.

Discovering that elusive and lusted-after find is streamlined, and the thrill is immediate. Plus, the ability to de-clutter and make a few bucks at the same time (or replace something old with something newto-you) is tempting to millions of consumers.

The Internet has given the market for buying and selling pre-owned duds a bionic boost, as evidenced by a number of fashion-oriented startups that have entered A Buffalo Exchange store in New York’s East Village. the space over the past

28 footwearplusmagazine.com • june 2015

few years and put a unique stamp on the concept.

While eBay may get most of the credit for moving the marketplace for secondhand stuff online, these companies have improved on the format, making transactions a breeze. California-based Twice, founded in 2012, brings a level of efficiency and curation that eBay lacks. “What sets Twice apart from other online secondhand marketplaces is our high emphasis on convenience for both the buyer and the seller,” says Chris Luhur, director of marketing and community, noting that 92 percent of people who shop on eBay never sell anything because the process is too much of a hassle.

In contrast, Twice sends a potential seller a shipping kit and pays to have their goods sent to its warehouse, where they are inspected and processed. Twice then makes the seller an offer based on factors like brand, quality and condition. If the seller accepts, payment comes via store credit, check, Venmo, PayPal or a Target gift card. For the seller, there’s no taking photos from all angles, no writing lengthy descriptions and no dealing with complicated auctions and shipping costs. “Twice takes all the heavy lifting off of the consumer and makes selling as easy as shopping,” Luhur declares.

Though the typical Twice customer is female and between the ages of 25 and 34, the site caters to both men and women; menswear accounts for 5 to 10 percent of sales.

Taking convenience a step further—straight to users’ smartphones—is Poshmark, a mobile fashion marketplace that recently announced $25 million in new funding. Co-founder and VP of merchandising, Tracy Sun believes the popularity of resale is part of a trend that empowers consumers to “use what [they] have to purchase something new,” and she sees no signs of a slowdown. In fact, Sun believes the trend is indicative of a new type of consumer

“who [doesn’t] really feel the need to own things and to build a massive inventory of stuff.” She explains that this generation of shoppers prefers to experience things rather than own them. It’s an ethos that’s not limited to fashion, as Sun points to the runaway success of ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft that make buying cars superfluous. Similarly, Poshmark aims to make selling clothes and shoes nearly as easy as booking an Uber. Just snap a few photos with a smartphone, write a quick description and with a few more taps, you’re in business. When an item sells, Poshmark e-mails a prepaid shipping label with the buyer’s address. Pop the package in the mail and receive payment within a few days. As the middleman, Poshmark takes 20 percent of the item’s listing price (or a flat rate of $2.95 for sales under $15).

MAN POWER While many online resale marketplaces are geared toward women, Grailed caters to guys.

The site actually got its start in footwear, when founder Arun Gupta found himself lusting after a pair of rare (and pricey) Visvim FBT boots. Grailed has since become a hub for high-end, pre-owned menswear. Marketing director Jake Metzger describes the typical Grailed customer as “the savvy men’s clothing enthusiast who wants to get the best value out of both his purchases and his sales.” He points out that men have a “newfound and increased desire to dress well and experiment with different types of clothing and shoes” fueled by the Internet, which exposes them to fresh brands and styles. The secondhand market lets the apprehensive male fashionista take a risk on a new look without paying full retail.

While Grailed is still in the early startup stages, Metzger affirms sales are growing monthly and new site features, as well as an app, are on the horizon.

From top: Men’s shoes for sale Men are also largely helping fuel another consignon Grailed; Twice’s stocked warehouse in San Francisco and its ment retail category: sneakers. Any sneakerhead selling kit makes resale a breeze; worth his salt is well aware of the resale value of Secondhand Nike Air Yeezys classic kicks and limited-edition collabs. Sneaker can go for big bucks; consignment shops—as well as the newest iteration Poshmark’s user-friendly in the form of mobile apps like Slang—cater to this mobile app. demographic, providing a more convenient alternative to the individual selling his shoes online. For example, Chicago’s Air Gordons stocks more than 750 sought-after styles and offers the ever-changing inventory true collectors crave. Owner Jordan Lovis says his customers span “the younger kid getting his first pair of Jordan retros up to the dad who had all of the original releases and is rebuying a classic.” As for why customers sell at Air Gordons, Lovis says that while some are just trying to bank some extra cash, many simply “have too many shoes and want to make some space.” Lovis was an early adopter of the online sneaker consignment trend in 1999 and opened his brick-and-mortar shop in 2014 because it was the logical next step. “Chicago didn’t have anything like it,” he says.

Shu Cheng, manager of Image in Queens, NY, compares the culture of sneaker consignment boutiques to another niche shopping experience: comic book shops. In both cases, he notes, aficionados go to great lengths to hunt down and procure that perfect addition to their collection. At Image, the inventory is more or less a 50-50 30 footwearplusmagazine.com • june 2015

split between new, unworn sneakers that customers bought specifically to flip for a profit and pairs they grew tired of and decided to resell. Cheng says sellers come to Image because “we do all the legwork for you,” like taking professional product photos. Plus, sellers get the benefit of Image’s large in-store and online audience.

Still, research shows women dominate social media.

Appropriately, Poshmark’s unique selling proposition is its social aspect—buyers and sellers interact directly with each other online, forging friendships through shopping each other’s closets just like real-life friends. That’s part of the reason Poshmark is limited to women’s inventory; Sun says she saw room for improvement in the female shopping experience. “Women shop very differently from men,” she asserts. “Men tend to be much more search-focused. I’m not even sure they’re worried about finding [things] for the best price. To us, this was not a problem that needed fixing.”

Many women, on the other hand, take pleasure in the act of shopping. “[It] may start with search but it often leads to a meandering path…it doesn’t have to end in a purchase.” On Poshmark, users don’t just shop—they chat, negotiate and even style and shop for their “Posh friends” by tagging them in posts for items they think they’d like.

Poshmark’s business is booming. Sun reports that the company recently hit $100 million in revenue and is on track to double that figure within six months. Millions of users post over 2 million items of inventory each day and shop from 700,000 closets, resulting in an item being sold every 5 seconds. Sun says the company’s new financing will help them “focus on scaling the business to work closely with designers and brands in the marketplace, expand our services beyond women’s fashion and eventually expand Poshmark’s services outside of the U.S.” B UYI N G THE D REAM Designer fashion is out of reach for many consumers, but the secondhand market can make the loftiest shopping dreams come true. Sun says Poshmark has a contingent of “aspirational luxury shoppers” who can’t quite afford a new pair of Christian Louboutins, but are thrilled to snap up a lightly worn pair for 30 percent off on the app. “Consignment makes expensive brand-name items more accessible to a larger demographic and elevates the exposure and value of these traditional retail brands,” adds Twice’s Luhur. She points out that high-end items have a strong resale value since they are crafted to last rather than mass-produced.

Overall, the resale market seems to have shed its “used” stigma. Once a distribution tier primarily for the budgetminded, it is increasingly becoming a market of savvy,

Hot Retreads

Here are some of the top styles getting a second chance in the resale channel.

POSHMARK: Not only do the app’s social media followers go nuts for shoe-related posts, but shoes account for about a third of all sales. Casual brands like Nike, Sperry Top-Sider, Vans and Converse are popular with the app’s millennial shoppers, while young professionals go for higherticket items like Christian Louboutin and Jimmy Choo. Prices range from $25 for Nikes to as much as $1,500 for new designer heels.

GRAILED: Shoes are a huge part of the company’s business, and the marketplace is “reflective of the booming luxury sneaker market that has really come to dominate men’s fashion,” according to Jake Metzger, marketing director. The site’s inventory is consistent with the casualization trend, as high-end sneakers outnumber dress styles.

“Brands that represent both inno-

vation and timeless style are big right now,” he says, naming sporty standbys like Nike, Adidas and Reebok as well as fashion labels Raf Simons, Rick Owens and Saint Laurent as strong sellers. A recent perusal revealed several styles from Common Projects’ Achilles tennis sneaker

artisan brand Yuketen ($100 to $400), Common Projects’ Achilles kicks with a little dog-chewing damage for $200 (half the price of a new pair) and Kanye West x Louis Vuitton collabs for a tidy $2,430.

TWICE: Around 8 percent of purchases are shoes, with flats and sneakers emerging as the

most popular styles. The selection reflects Twice’s classic aesthetic, according to Chris Luhur, director of marketing and community.

It translates to timeless styles in neutral colors from brands like Ann Taylor, J. Crew and Nine West.

Around 90 percent of Twice’s sales are in women’s clothing, shoes and accessories, but the company recently started accepting men’s shoes and plans to offer them as a purchasing category soon.

AIR GORDONS AND IMAGE: Nike reigns at both sneaker consignment shops, where pairs generally go for $150 to $300. “We know the market pretty well on used shoes and, in general, how much sneakers are worth,” says Image store manager Shu Cheng, who notes that he’s seen limited-edition styles, like Air Yeezys, go for several thousand dollars. —K.S.

2014 Footwear Plus Excellence in Design Award for Children’s Footwear

Fia, Spring ‘15

INSPIRED BY

IDS, ESIGNED FOR NATURE

sophisticated shoppers who know a good item when they spot it. A sweet secondhand score is like a badge of honor: Not only did one find a coveted item, he or she didn’t pay full retail.

And there’s more nuance to the resale market today. After all, there’s no mistaking a Goodwill for a curated designer consignment boutique selling Chanel and Valentino. Similarly, modern resale marketplaces have various methods of curation to strike the right merchandise balance of desirable and affordable. Twice, for example, regulates inventory to emphasize quality by only accepting items from an approved list of brands (think J. Crew and Coach, not H&M or Old Navy) and requesting that sellers learn their ABCs—Age, Brand and Condition. A summery pair of gingham Stuart Weitzman wedges, for example, was recently up for grabs for $90.95 (compared to its $325 retail listing) while Dolce & Gabbana kitten-heel mules were a steal at $211.95 ($850 retail).

Similarly, at Buffalo Exchange, sellers are encouraged to bring in current styles in like-new condition. That second part is especially true when it comes to shoes; pairs with too much wear can be a tough sell because of the highly personal nature of fit and hygiene concerns. A rigorous training process for store buyers, which includes studying the latest trends and learning about materials and construction, as well >53

www.gabor.de

Purveyors of luxury European comfort footwear Tel: (800) 361-3466 - info@kannercorp.net

THIS JUST IN

ART CLASS The opening of the Whitney Museum in New York’s Meatpacking District and the city-wide Frieze Art Fair brought out the avant-garde.

Photography by Melodie Jeng 34 footwearplusmagazine.com • june 2015

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Cynthia Vincent suede sandals, patent leather top by Olivier Borde, bracelets by Alexis Bittar, earrings

by Moo Moo Designs, Renvi rings, sunglasses by Le Specs.

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Diane von Furstenberg python print ankle strap platforms, vintage dress

by Southpaw, Carolina Amato gloves, vintage belt by Southpaw, Alexis Bittar earrings; strappy sandals by Alexandre Birman, Olivier Borde patent leather top, Harbison coat, earrings and bracelets by Moo Moo Designs, Renvi ring, socks by Saint Laurent.

Opposite: OYSBY London tri-heeled peep toe platform.

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Laurence Dacade crochet sandals, beaded trousers by Sylvio Roubertto Kovacic, Linie top, earrings and wooden bracelet (left hand)

by Moo Moo Designs, bracelets (right arm) by Erika Dray, Alexis Bittar cocktail ring.

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Salvatore Ferragamo flatforms, Nude blouse worn under coat by Sylvio Roubertto Kovacic, Lucite bracelets by Erika Dray, Monica Knutsson earrings; Alejandra G. patterned platform boots, dress by Aysha, vintage flower pins

by Southpaw, bracelets

by Erika Dray, earrings by Chelsea De Luca.

Opposite: Sophia Webster T-strap floral sandals.

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Python patterned platforms with Lucite heel by Aperlai, vintage trench by Southpaw worn over bathing suit

by Norma Kamali, Aysha skirt, earrings

by Chelsea De Luca, Tarra Rosenbaum ring.

Fashion Editor: Tara Anne Dalbow; stylist: Alejandro Garcia; hair and makeup by Abraham Sprinkle/Next Artists; model: Marisol/Fenton Model Management.

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Matthias Weber, Niklaus Hodel and Florian Feder

POWER TRIO

Matthias Weber, Niklaus Hodel and Florian Feder.

WHILE FASHION DUOS are aplenty in this industry, a designer trio is rare. But, that’s what Niklaus Hodel, Matthias Weber and Florian Feder, makers of WeberHodelFeder (WHF), became after meeting by chance in 2012, at a mutual friend’s party, weeks before graduating from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Belgium.

The trio got to work, designing a forward-thinking collection of shoes that blends their commitment to artisanal savoir faire with their streetwear sensibilities in time for their graduate fashion show. The collection caught the eye of designer shoe boutique, Coccodrillo, famous for picking up Martin Margiela’s first collection. The retailer bought 49 WHF styles straight off the runway.

“The mix of a former stylist (Weber), an art director (Hodel) and an industrial clerk with several years of experience as a shop manager (Feder), was a match made in heaven and left us with little doubt that we could make it work,” says Hodel of their successful working relationship.

Where do you look for inspiration? N.H.: We often go back in time, remembering the many things we liked and maybe even wore 5, 10, and even 20 years ago. Apart from that, we are openminded enough that inspiration can come from anywhere, as long as we are able to create something new and personal out of it.

What’s the one shoe style every woman should have in her closet? N.H.: Our Original Velcro shoe—men, too.

Any celebrities you’d love to see wearing one of your designs?

N.H.: Frank Ocean and Christoph Waltz in a movie directed by Jim Jarmusch set in Sicily.

If you weren’t designing shoes, what might you be doing? N.H.: We would most likely still be working as stylists, art directors and industrial clerks, respectively, and feeling sorry for ourselves for not having followed our dream.

What shoes in your closet are getting the most wear? M.W.: My white Velcro Shoes. N.H.: The hand-woven desert boot from our Spring ’15 collection in a brushed dark brown. F.F.: Totally agree with both.

EDITOR’S PICKS

Color My (Small) World

Chooze

Vans

Bonpoint

A rainbow of candy hues for little sweeties.

Plae

50 footwearplusmagazine.com • june 2015

Maá

EDITOR’S PICKS PHOTOGRAPHY BY TREVETT MCCANDLISS

DESIGNER CHAT

Combined, the three have two decades of fashion experience.

The line of Italian-made men’s and women’s shoes is a fusion of old and new world tastes that translates well with its factory partners. “We always laugh thinking back to when the three of us arrived at the factory for the first time wearing hoodies and sneakers, not speaking a word of Italian and being eyeballed by the 60-plus-year-old factory workers with whom we eventually started to work with and still do today,” quips Hodel.

“That collaboration of contrast is what WHF is about.” Standout styles include heritage brogues with Velcro straps and crepe sole wedges and brightly colored hand-woven desert boots. “We try to create a strong image without becoming superficial,” notes Hodel. “Being relevant means to be real.”

The Fall ’15 collection, dubbed “Zulu-Skater Goes to Aspen,” features exotic uppers, like alligator-print leathers and leopard-print pony skins, combined with heavy lug soles for a durable seasonless look. “The skater boot with a mountain outsole and hand-stitched Norwegian construction is the top style,” says Hodel, noting that all details are crafted by hand and feature the best materials available. “We try to be a real alternative to the large-scale house offerings; we are a bit less compromising,” he adds. —Tara Anne Dalbow

continued from page 18 / Sense Appeal in but leave quickly, you use a more agitating color like bright yellow or red.

Restaurants often use bold colors because they don’t want people to stay that long, whereas coffee shops tend to have colors that create a relaxed atmosphere that invites patrons to linger over their cup of cappuccino.

shoes, make them an eye-catching shade like a bright orange or use a texture like wood. Then consider your space in general. What else do you want to highlight? Obviously, you want people to know where the cash register is so they can pay for their shoes easily. Give that wall a punch of color.

2) Do people of all ages respond to color the same way?

We’re all wired somewhat the same way in our response to color, though there are certain considerations. Teenagers want to see trendy, fashionforward colors, while most older people feel more comfortable with more subdued shades. You have to adjust your color selections based on the age group you’re targeting.

5) Is there a rule about the number of colors retailers should use?

Our rule of thumb is three to five. You don’t want too many contrasting colors in a space because psychologically speaking, it can irritate people. They won’t know why they feel annoyed, but they’ll be eager to leave. It’s also a good idea to use complementary colors. (You can find these on a color wheel.)

3) Should the product you’re selling play a role in the color you choose?

Absolutely. Your product and even your logo should be incorporated into the three-dimensional environment. That’s why Starbucks uses so much muted brown in its stores. They’re trying to evoke that dark chocolate espresso tone. As a customer, you don’t recognize this connection unless you analyze it, but they’ve put their brand into their environment through color. So, if you’re selling men’s shoes, you might use a rich leather tone for, say, a back accent wall.

4) Why not paint all the walls that color?

You don’t want shoppers to walk into your store and see the walls first. You want them to notice the product. People often use paint to make an impact in a retail space without realizing they’re overpowering and distracting from the product they’re selling.

To make sure the shoes are what draws shoppers’ attention, do display pieces in pops of color. If you have a front window with pedestals that hold

6) Should the colors you use change seasonally?

That depends on how trendy your product is. If you’re selling men’s dress shoes, you could pick a color scheme that works and stick with it because the colors of dress shoes are always the same. If you’re selling fitness shoes, the colors constantly change. I would find a neutral palette and stick with that, then change your display pops to coordinate with changing trends.

7) How can a color consultant help a retailer market through color?

Color consultants understand the dynamics of people’s psychological response to color. They will sit down with you to develop a profile of who your buyer is, what your product is, what you’re trying to achieve through color and to analyze what colors would work best based on these factors as well as on the space and configuration of your store. If there’s a competitor that sells the exact same product, a color consultant will help you figure out what can set you apart from the competition. When you get the right colors in a retail environment, it can make a big difference for your store and your sales. •

UPCLOSE COMFORT

Feeling Groovy MIA celebrates 40 years by re-introducing its Swedish-made clog collection, circa 1976.

Yogatta Believe Ahnu debuts a Blake Brody collaboration.

“HEY, DO YOU have shoes for yoga?” Jacqueline Van Dine’s aunt asked her in 2011. Van Dine, co-founder of multi-tasking performance brand Ahnu, replied, “No. Shoes for yoga? You don’t really wear shoes for yoga.” Van Dine recounts the story with a laugh and says that was her lightbulb moment.

She realized yoga apparel was starting to trend and the wellness activity was gaining in popularity, but there were no complimentary shoes. Ahnu, a division of Deckers Brands, launched its initial yoga footwear collection, YogaSport, the following spring and is now expanding with a collaborative project featuring Blake Brody, a well-known pilates and yoga instructor.

The new shoe is dubbed, In Studi-Om. Van Dine discovered Brody through a pilates footwear collaboration with one of Ahnu’s sister brands. She reached out to her in 2013 and the two began working on a yoga footwear concept. “We’ve really honed in on the best use of her technology and blended it with our know-how” Van Dine says. “We’ve done a ton of testing; we wanted to make sure the gripping, undersole support and stretch in the toes were right. All of the components had been thoughtfully engineered and tested.”

The In Studi-Om features a split-toe construction, cushioned underfoot, stretch microfiber and an ultra-grip silicone outsole. “It literally fits like a glove,” Van Dine says. “It’s a nice, luxurious product. You feel like you’re barefoot, yet you’re getting the support you need.” Besides fit and grip, Van Dine cites benefits of hygiene and the ability to practice yoga anywhere.

“We’re finding that more studios are requiring some type of footwear for hygienic reasons,” she notes, and with grip features, doing yoga in a carpeted hotel room, for example, is more feasible.

The In Studi-Om collection hits shelves next month, retailing for $49.95.

It will be available in black, gray and magenta, but Van Dine is already planning to expand the palette and introduce new textures and prints.

Distribution is aimed at retailers who carry yoga apparel, like Dillard’s, Nordstrom and Paragon Sports, and Van Dine is also targeting yoga studio shops. To this end, Ahnu has created a Yoga Teacher Ambassador program (it already boasts more than 2,200 yoga instructors nationwide) who will soon be wearing the Blake Brody style. “We feel very happy about how the product turned out and the response so far has been phenomenal,” Van Dine says. —Laurie Cone 52 footwearplusmagazine.com • june 2015

“WE’RE INCREDIBLY PROUD of those three letters: MIA,” says Garry Leith, brand president. “When you are an American, family-run business in the fashion world and you can sustain in today’s dog-eat-dog market for 40 years, it tells me that our product has validity and our customers like us.”

In celebration of this milestone, MIA has come full-circle, re-introducing the clog collection that put the brand (known as MIA Clogs back then) on the map in 1976. During the late ’70s and early ’80s, MIA sold the highest volume of authentic Swedish clogs in the U.S.—more than 20,000 pairs a week during its height. The brand’s bestseller was the Heidi, a traditional block wood heel clog with a woven leather centerpiece upper. The same design (still dubbed the Heidi) will anchor the re-released collection this fall.

Leith expects the re-issue to once again be a hit. For starters, the ’70s are certainly having a fashion moment, in both footwear and apparel. Plus the fact that many women participating in the trend today were not alive during that decade renders the retro style fresh for a young audience. “This is something she’s never had,” Leith offers. “This is so cool, so fresh and so vintage—all at the same time. Footwear can make or break the outfit, and these clogs will really make the outfit.”

The re-released collection features authentic details like all-wood bottoms, traditional nail head and staple construction and Italian dip-dyed leather and suede. “The line is really built around the authentic, original designs with some updated features for a modern market,” Leith says. “There’s a mixture of closed and open-toe styles, two-pieced sandals that would look great with a bare foot, but also very cool with socks. We’ve got classic patterns with woven braids and slingbacks.” Modern upgrades include darkstained wood bottoms and heavier-weight platforms. All styles will be made in Sweden. “These are the real deal,” Leith proclaims, noting the collection is priced affordably at $79 to $99 retail and is in line with MIA’s business model of offering fashion, fit and value.

Available beginning this August, the collection will be carried by industry leaders such as Zappos, Nordstrom and Macy’s. In particular, Leith says the online tier will be a focal point as MIA’s target consumer “lives” on social media. “[Social media] is where our girl is and that’s where we will be,” he says, adding, “The MIA girl is savvy, she’s confident, she knows how to dress and she loves fashion.” —L.C.

continued from page 27/The Greater Good

continued from page 32/Second Wind as what sells at their particular location, helps achieve the right inventory mix. That mix includes a portion of new merchandise—20 percent of the inventory—to ensure current trends are reflected on the sales floor. For this spring and summer, new offerings include glittery jelly sandals by Bamboo for $21.50, groovy wooden platforms by Soda for $22.50 and ontrend comfort footbed slides by Breckelle’s for $16.50. On the resale side, brands and styles vary greatly from store to store; a recent trip to Buffalo Exchange’s East Village outpost in New York turned up men’s Marc Jacobs loafers for $55, a fresh pair of men’s Adidas skate shoes for $36, some vintage women’s grosgrain Ferragamo flats for $40 and barely-worn heels

by Rachel Zoe ($55) and Sam Edelman ($38).

Poshmark features about 20 percent new and in-season merchandise, some of which is purchased wholesale. Sun says this attracts shoppers who aren’t keen to buy pre-owned duds—at least at first. They often end up “crossing over and learning to appreciate secondhand through our ecosystem,” she says. And unlike regular stores where consumers are usually

Vans’ Jenny Lamott, manager of corporate social responsibility, and Maureen Lederhos, director of marketing for Two Ten Footwear Foundation, are all smiles during a Footwear Cares beach cleanup project in Southern California.

community service shows people that their actions, however small, have real impact—a significant lesson for a company of Finish Line’s size (650 stores nationwide), where “sometimes it’s hard for an employee to grasp how selling one more pair of shoes really does matter.” Plus, it offers participants a much-needed dose of perspective. As Attis puts it, after you’ve done any kind of service work, “that mountain that you’re climbing will seem like an anthill.”

While Footwear Cares is indeed about giving back to communities nationwide and demonstrating the industry’s compassion, Lederhos explains that it also offers many benefits for footwear professionals. “The industry itself is probably 250,000 associates. I look at Footwear Cares as a great opportunity to tell people that just by virtue of the fact that they work in footwear, this is something that’s available,” she says. Lederhos cites Women In the Footwear Industry (WIFI), which connects about 1,000 women in the footwear world for career development and networking opportunities, as well as LIFT (Leaders In Footwear Tomorrow) and the HR Leadership Summit as examples. Attis concurs, stating, “The existence of Two Ten is the definition of community. It’s connecting people for a common goal while enriching those same people’s lives.”

Footwear Cares serves to spread the Two Ten story to industry members, particularly those who may not know about the support system that’s available to them. “As the national charitable foundation for the industry, we want to make sure people are touched by Two Ten,” Newman states.

Through Footwear Cares, the organization reaches thousands of employees every year and reinforces that Two Ten is there for them. “We always see the phones light up for months after Footwear Cares because people are reminded that we’re here,” Newman says. “When an emergency strikes, they’re ready to give us a call, which is what we want.” Attis lauds Two Ten’s “passion and integrity,” adding that the organization’s goal of supporting industry members and their families who are struggling underscores a spirit of empathy. “You feel like you belong and have a responsibility not just to your own company but to people in this industry,” she says.

Newman acknowledges the growth potential of Footwear Cares, but wants to ensure expansion is done in a way that suits the industry. “We’re super optimistic that this is something that has great shelf life and can grow,” he says, ideally another 10 percent next year. “Personally, I like the notion of aiming to get 10,000 employees engaged at some stage in the next couple of years and I’d love to see us have activities in all 50 states.” •

Old school and cool: sneaker consignment boutique Air Gordons in Chicago.

limited to the current season, at Poshmark, they have access to past styles.

“The opportunity for discovering something you didn’t even know existed is definitely part of the Poshmark experience,” Sun adds.

At the very least, the growing popularity of secondhand retailing presents a valuable learning opportunity. “Any time you’re in the business of selling to a consumer and there’s a change in their behavior, it will affect you,” Sun offers. “If you’re a savvy retailer or brand, you consistently seek to understand your customer and go where they are and learn more about them.”

She notes how five to 10 years ago, brands that were quick to look to social media to study the changing habits of their customers benefitted greatly.

Similarly, she believes brand execs can see their current—and potentially future—customers in action on platforms like Poshmark. “This is not just commerce. This is deep engagement around brands and product,” she states, noting that users spend an average of 25 minutes in the app each day and check it up to eight times a day. Metzger also believes traditional retailers can learn from platforms like Grailed “by seeing what’s selling, what’s not and at what price. This should help [them] plan their buying decisions in a more informed way,” he says, adding, “it’s positive for the entire ecosystem.”

While consignment stores and services that let fashion-conscious consumers harness the sharing economy to stock their wardrobes are having a moment, it’s not likely they’ll replace traditional retail entirely any time soon. Rather, the trend may point to shifting relationships among different retail formats. “We will always need traditional retailers—they are the biggest supporters of our business, albeit indirectly,” explains Metzger. “They are our base of supply.” Plus, Sun acknowledges, “There are instances where you might want to unwrap a brand new pair of shoes, and there’s something wonderful about that. It will never go away.” • june 2015 • footwearplusmagazine.com 53

UPCLOSE KIDS

The Bare Facts Expanding its portfolio, LJP Intl. snares the BareTraps license.

LARRY PAPARO, CEO of LJP Intl., makers of Nine West Kids, Mootsies Tootsies and Robert Graham, among others, has been manufacturing kids’ shoes for decades for the likes of Kenneth Cole, E.S. Originals (Rockport license) and Steve Madden. Paparo has a sixth sense for knowing what brands and styles will translate into the kids’ shoe space.

He believes BareTraps, a division of Footwear Unlimited, will be one of them.

“We’ve been watching the brand for a long time and we really like what they do. They have a strong brand footprint and always have had good product in the marketplace,” Paparo says. “The consumer embraces BareTraps from many different perspectives, including quality, price, design and comfort.”

Paparo describes BareTraps’ Fall ’15 collection of casual boots as fun and youthful—perfect takedown ingredients for young girls who now will be able to wear the brand. In particular, he cites the collection’s prevelance of fur, equestrian styles and a Western/urban flair as appealing to younger audiences. LJP will debut a tight collection of boots for holiday and will present a full Spring ’16 line—spanning boots to sandals—at the August trade shows.

In addition to good-looking product, Paparo believes a successful license partnership depends on both parties benefitting. “We make sure every brand has a clear reason for being and doesn’t take away from another brand,” he says. Whereas Nine West Kids, for example, is tailored, dressy and sophisticated, BareTraps will offer bohemian comfort styles and constructions.

(Think molded footbeds.) “BareTraps is the polar opposite, from a consumer standpoint, of the look and feel of Nine West,” he notes.

Paparo also cites a strong working relationship as a key factor to a license agreement’s success. “Being able to have that good working relationship with the licensor—the people—is the No. 1 factor for me,” he says. “Once we have that established, we can get everything else done relatively easily.”

With BareTraps, Paparo says, “I feel really comfortable already. It’s going to be a great fit for LJP and Footwear Unlimited., and there are other brands we could partner with them on as well.”

LJP’s portfolio also includes the recently signed Bruno Magli license. “We are really excited about its potential, which brings us into the luxury and better department store channel the same way BareTraps gets us more into the comfort-driven tier,” Paparo says, adding its recent Ccilu distribution deal brings the company into the athletic channel and its Robert Graham license has brought it into haberdasheries. “Business is good and we keep growing,” Paparo reports. LJP has just added a 5,000-square-foot design studio to its Edison, NJ, headquarters and will open two showrooms in the 1370 building in Manhattan this month during the FFANY show. —Greg Dutter 54 footwearplusmagazine.com • june 2015

Ice Rage Western Chief to debut Frozen raingear collection.

HOW DOES WESTERN Chief CEO Rob Moehring describe his children’s raingear collections of wellies, rain coats and umbrellas spanning Batman, Thomas the Tank Engine, Hello Kitty and Spiderman licenses, as well as characters like a fireman’s get-up, fun prints, wild colors and whimsical animal themes?

“It’s all about play,” he says. Western Chief’s offerings are about to get even more playful with the addition of Disney’s Frozen licensed collection, debuting this fall.

“We’re really excited and the early interest has been terrific,” Moehring reports. With a sequel to the film in the works and a forthcoming TV series, the timing for the collection is ideal—millions of kids will need their Frozen fix as they anxiously await what happens to beloved Princesses Elsa and Anna and friends.

Elsa and Anna adorn boots, with Elsa on the left foot and Anna on the right. The girls’ raincoat is shaped

like a princess gown and includes a cape, combining practical, protective wear with dress-up. Elsa and Anna are paired together in a heart on the front. Olaf , the snowman, decorates the raingear for boys.

While Frozen may seem like a no-brainer for a children’s license, Moehring believes Western Chief ’s ability to bring all of its licensed characters to life in fun yet practical designs is the key to success.

“We incorporate play into utility,” he explains. “Moms love our boots because they have handles and the kids can pull them on themselves. The kids get this feeling of independence and they have fun.” Moehring adds that Disney likes the way Western Chief incorporates its assets. “We spend a lot of time telling a story through our designs,” he says.

The Frozen collection is targeted to boys up to 6 years and girls up to age 8. Raincoats will retail in the $55-$60 range, boots for $36-$40 and umbrellas for $18. The line will be carried by Western Chief ’s leading retail partners, including Nordstrom, Stride Rite, Amazon, Zappos and ShoeBuy. “The beauty of online is how it showcases all of our colors and patterns,” Moehring says. “When consumers click on a Frozen Princess raincoat, the whole screen will come to life.”

Moehring has high expectations for the Frozen collection. “There’s a good run ahead of us,” he predicts and guarantees “more playful, innovative, fun features to come.” Along those lines, Western Chief will also unveil rain collections featuring the character Dory from Finding Nemo, in time for the Finding Dory movie release slated for summer 2016 and Batman vs. Superman in time for its March 2016 premiere from Warner Bros. —Laurie Cone

O&A continued from page 25 15 to 25 years in one country or region before moving onto another. We’ve gone from Italy and Spain to Brazil to Taiwan and to China. We’ve also been in Chile, the Dominican Republic and India, by the way. And, of course, we started in the U.S., first in the Northeast and then to the South. As the cost of living and labor has increased in each of those countries, another thirdworld country has come online. But with regard to Vietnam and Cambodia, for example, they still lack the infrastructure and all the components still come from China. That’s why I expect China to be heavily involved in footwear manufacturing for at least the near term. And there are many areas within China that have yet to be developed so I suspect the footwear industry isn’t leaving entirely any time soon.

Closer to home, what’s your take on the cork footbed trend?

The cork footbed business, in particular, continues to be good. It has been our bailiwick for the past 15 or 20 years and since it became so fashionable, it has enhanced our business. We’ve added a lot of embellishments—sequins, stones, etc.—and we introduced fashion bottoms that have all been very successful. We’ve been able to take advantage of the fashion trend and maximize sales.

Is this classic comfort construction and look a long-term trend? Meaning, do you envision consumers wanting to be uncomfortable again?

I won’t necessarily say that cork footbeds are here forever. But I do believe comfort features are here to stay. While aesthetics will always be the most important factor in the purchase decision, comfort is now expected. It’s no longer seen as an added benefit. Along those lines, there’s no question fitness, health and wellness have become important parts of our daily lives and society has become so casual. That is not going to go in reverse. The athleisure trend, in that regard, is not going away. It’ll continue in some form. That said, whenever you think something is never going to leave, something changes.

only get stronger. I also believe that online gives exposure to brands and, in turn, can drive consumers to the stores as well. My point being, I don’t think the department store is going out of business. But I do believe shopping needs to become much more of an experience—an event that has to be fun. It has to be an experience that makes the consumer want to come back. People like to shop. Sure, it’s convenient to shop online, but at the same time there’s a social element that’s missing. People like to interact. It may require a different sort of service commitment that creates a compelling reason for the consumer to want to leave their house and go to the store.

It definitely can’t be business as is. To that end, Nordstrom and Macy’s are tying their online business with their in-store experience. Customers can buy it online, return it in-store or shop the store and have it shipped. They are trying to make changes. You look at the financial statements of Nordstrom and Macy’s and they seem to be doing it right. Overall, retail is constantly evolving and there will always be something new and different that comes along. It’s probably something that the younger generation will come up with and figure out. They always do.

“Dress has been making a very nice comeback.

I definitely think the pendulum is swinging more to what we would call a dress heel look.”

So the dress shoe market will not go the way of dinosaurs?

In fact, dress has been making a very nice comeback of late. The feedback we’ve received from all of the major retailers is that dress has been very successful. In particular, Rialto, which has always been dress/novelty oriented has been performing exceptionally well. Now, does that mean every woman is going to run out and buy high-heel shoes? No. But I definitely feel it’s never left entirely and that it’s just been tweaked. Meaning, heeled shoes are not going to be as prevalent as the way they were back in the ’70s or ’80s when every woman wore a pair to work. But new fashions always have a way of popping out of the ground.

For example, young women are wearing heels on the weekends when they go to clubs. They are extreme, but they are high heels. And professional women still wear heels and while they may not necessarily be what people of my generation would think of as a dress shoe, per se—it may have a blocky heel or it may be an open-toe shoetie—I definitely think the pendulum is swinging more to what we would call a dress heel look.

What’s your general take on the state of retail?

Retail in general has been pretty good of late. I think that consolidation is going to continue. In particular, I think the industry is going to watch Macy’s newly launched Backstage [off-price] concept very closely. I predict it’s going to be very successful, by the way. I also think that e-commerce will

Where do you envision White Mountain in three years?

There’s already a lot of diversity within our company. We have a very multi-national makeup, spanning Europe to Asia to South America and the States, and I would imagine that to continue.

Right now we don’t need to build any new brands ... at least I hope not [laughs]. We need to consolidate our position to make sure we execute our two new lines. That’s what our main focus will be while not taking our eye off the ball of our other lines. We are also bringing a new generation into the company. I believe having youth come into the company is extremely important. We have a nice balance between youth and experience today. We are a relatively young company overall, so we are very excited about the foreseeable future and I think we can be a player.

You sound as energetic as ever. No plans to retire any time soon, correct?

I wake up each morning and look forward to the daily challenges of running the business. I love launching new lines. I love the shoe business in general. I love the people. I’m particularly enthralled by the people I’m surrounded by here at White Mountain. I still get excited when new samples come in and by every order that gets written, particularly the big ones [laughs]. I enjoy the action and the thrill of the chase from season to season—from the sample stage to getting orders to delivering the product. It’s gratifying if the product is successful at retail. And that’s how all of us feel here. Yes, we want to be profitable and make money—everyone is in business to make money—but at the same time we’re also delivering a product to the consumer who has to be pleased with it or they will not come back and buy again from us. And while we’ve certainly made our share of mistakes, generally speaking we’ve stayed the course and it’s proved to be the correct one for us. In particular, we feel that there’s real potential in the next two areas we are going after, which ironically are two opposite ends of the totem pole in junior and better-grade. We are excited by it.

What’s not to love, right?

I love it all and it keeps the adrenaline flowing. My partners and I continue to enjoy this business. It’s fun and I guess when it stops being fun, that’s when I’ll call it a day. • 2015 june • footwearplusmagazine.com 55

LAST WORD

A Tall Tale

MEN IN HEELS

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The Bata Shoe Museum marks 20 years with a new (manly!) heel exhibition. By Laurie Cone

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HEN ONE THINKS of men wearing heels, drag queens may come to mind. Or, perhaps, John Travolta as disco king, Tony Manero, in the ’70s classic, Saturday Night Fever? Or, rock star David Bowie in his androgynous Ziggy Stardust days?

Mostly though, men wearing heels—displaying artifical means to appear taller—has not been popular for the past 40 years. But, there’s a long history of men in heels and Toronto’s Bata Shoe Museum has mounted an expansive year-long exhibition to acknowledge and celebrate it: Standing Tall: The Curious History of Men in Heels.

As the exhibit’s literature states: “Standing Tall will challenge preconceived notions about who wears heels and why. From privileged rulers to hyper-sexualized rock stars, this provocative exhibition will explore the history of men in heels from the early 1600s to today, delving into the use and meanings of heeled footwear in men’s dress over the last 400 years.” Displays include 17th century Persian shagreen-covered riding shoes, turn-of-the18th century stacked-heel dressing mules, early 1900s lace-ups from Justin Boots, ’40sera biker boots, Beatle boots from the ’60s, colorful (also glittery and appliquéd) ’70s-era platforms and modern-size-16 red stilettos, a nod, perhaps, to society’s growing acceptance of the transgender population. Old and new fashion worlds collide in the exhibit, illustrating the look’s enduring appeal over the centuries.

Notable is a comparison of boots from rocker Gene Simmons and King Louis XIII of France: both are high-heeled and over-the-top with embellishments, proving that wanting to look like a rock star is a timeless affliction.

Senior Curator Elizabeth Semmelhack has been studying the high heel for years. She explains that when heels were introduced in the 17th century, men were the first to adopt them, sporting the style for more than 130 years. Heels originated in western Asia for horseback riding purposes, coinciding with the invention of the stirrup. They went on to

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serve as a way to express power, prestige and masculinity. Across the decades, they have been embraced by a wide range of wearers, including soldiers, laborers, equestrians, frontiersman, bikers, cowboys and musicians.

As for the last golden era of men en masse rocking heeled footwear, the ’70s, Semmelhack believes that the time was ripe for the bold fashion statement. The re-adoption of men’s heels grew partly out of ’60s instability, be it the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., the Vietnam War and massive anti-war protests or the Civil Rights movement.

The jarring events of the decade polarized a formerly optimistic America. New models of masculinity arose out of the turmoil. “Extremely flamboyant heels for men in the ’70s were bold reclamations of heels from men’s fashion in the past,” Semmelhack explains. “They were used in ways that were both hyper-sexual and hyper-masculine as a means of reasserting traditional masculinity, specifically because these models of masculinity—the rock star or Blaxploitation pimp—were represented in the media as inciting female desire.”

Today, perhaps the only widely culturally accepted men’s heel is the cowboy boot. But that begs the question: With height being a perceived factor in masculinity, female attraction and even higher wages, why aren’t more men willing to get a little lift from heels? What’s more, Semmelhack muses, if women gain perceived power from wearing heels, “Wouldn’t men be willing to wear them?”

Semmelhack hopes the exhibition will not only educate, but lead to a re-thinking of how we perceive heels in general. She points out that the heel itself is not gendered; instead our society has assigned it a feminine value.

But, with leading designers like Christian Louboutin offering a men’s heel higher than two inches (the Pedro boot) and Kanye West rocking heeled boots during Paris Fashion Week this past March, the look could be on the verge of a comeback. Maybe the heel could come to symbolize gender-neutral power. “If [heels] ever do come to represent actual power, then I think men would be happy to wear them,” Semmelhack says.

3 1. 20th century cowboy boot by Justin Boots 2. stiletto, circa 2014 3. Ferradini platform worn by Elton John in the mid ’70s 4. turn-ofthe-18th century English thigh boot 5. 17th century Persian riding shoe 6. French or English boy’s shoe, mid 17th century 7. English mules, circa 1690-1715

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FFANY JUNE 2-4 2015 I HILTON HOTEL 2ND FLOOR I AMERICAS HALL I #1008 INFO@7DIALSSHOES.COM