Footwear Plus | The Source for Retailers | 2012 • December

WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA • TREND SPOTTING: CAP TOES AND LACE • 2012 STYLE HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

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DECEMBER 2012

12 What’s the Big Idea?

Seeking the next big trend, industry insiders debate the pitfalls of trying to be everything to everyone and why eclectic has become the new black.

By Angela Velasquez

16 Q&A: Fast Forward Footwear Martin Berendsen, CEO of Fast Forward Footwear, distributors of Inuovo, discusses the Turkish brand’s hot qualities. By Greg Dutter

22 Trend Spotting Cap toes add panache to basic flats and lace makes a fine and dainty wrap.

By Angela Velasquez

27 Style Hall of Fame

PAGE

34

This year, Tod’s Gommino driving moc and Keds’ Champion sneaker are inducted into our Style Hall of Fame. By Lyndsay McGregor and Maria Bouselli

34 Hot Tropics Delve into a world of fantasy dress styles, featuring lush tropical prints, saturated color and a flair for the unexpected. By Angela Velasquez

Caroline Diaco Publisher Greg Dutter Editorial Director Jennifer Craig Associate Publisher Nancy Campbell Trevett McCandliss Creative Directors EDITORIAL Angela Velasquez Fashion Editor Lyndsay McGregor Associate Editor Maria Bouselli Assistant Editor Kathy Passero Editor at Large Tim Jones Senior Designer Judy Leand Contributing Editor ADMINISTRATION Alexandra Marinacci Operations Manager Laurie Guptill Production Manager Melanie Prescott Circulation Manager

6 Editor’s Note 8 This Just In 10 Scene & Heard 32 What’s Selling 40 Shoe Salon 42 Bridal 44 Street 48 Last Word

On the cover, from top: Bettye Muller crystal embellished platform pump, chunky sandal

by Very Volatile, feather embellished printed stiletto by Eric Rutberg Transparent.

From top: Oclay Gulsen spike platform pump, crystal embellished sandal by Nina.

Photography by Michael Brian.

Illustration by Benjamin Marra. Hair and makeup by Leah Rial/Exclusive Artists Management. Model: Dina @ Q Model Management.

Mike Hoff Webmaster Theodore Hoffman Special Projects Director OFFICES Advertising/Editorial 36 Cooper Square, 4th fl.

New York, NY 10003 Tel: (646) 278-1550 Fax: (646) 278-1553 editorialrequests@ 9Threads.com Circulation 21 Highland Circle Needham, MA 02494 Tel: (800) 964-5150 Fax: (781) 453-9389 circulation@9Threads.com Corporate 9Threads 26202 Detroit Road, #300 Westlake, OH 44145 Tel: (440) 871-1300 Xen Zapis Chairman Lee Zapis President Rich Bongorno Chief Financial Officer

FOOTWEAR PLUS ™ (ISSN#1054-898X) Vol. 23 issue #10 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. ©2012 by Symphony Publishing NY, LLC. Printed in the United States.

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2012 PLUS AWARDS EXCELLENCE IN DESIGN

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WORK BOOTS Wolverine Rocky Carolina Red Wing

BEST LAUNCH Cobb Hill NoSox Ugg Australia (men’s) Inuovo

ATHLETIC LIFESTYLE Converse Vans Adidas Originals Nike

MEN’S DRESS Florsheim Allen Edmonds Johnston & Murphy To Boot New York

OUTDOOR Teva Merrell Asolo Sorel

BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE (Write-in only) ___________

MEN’S COMFORT Rockport Clarks Ecco Mephisto

WOMEN’S DRESS L.A.M.B. Dolce Vita Ted Baker Corso Como

MEN’S STREET Wolverine 1000 Mile OluKai Sperry Cushe

WOMEN’S COMFORT Dansko Naot Earthies Thierry Rabotin

CHILDREN’S Ralph Lauren Skechers Primigi Crocs

WOMEN’S STREET Melissa Ash Minnetonka Toms

BOOTS Ugg Australia Born Steve Madden Frye

PRE-WALKERS Pediped See Kai Run Robeez Little Me

MADE IN AMERICA Justin Allen Edmonds New Balance Wolverine 1000 Mile

BRAND OF THE YEAR Toms Nike Ugg Australia Sperry Steve Madden COMPANY OF THE YEAR Wolverine Worldwide Nike New Balance VF Corp.

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editor’s note thirst-quenching thoughts

Reading the Tea Leaves IN HINDSIGHT, IT’S clear why Mitt Romney fell short in his attempts to become the 45th president of the United States. It’s demographics, stupid! A party that appeared hell bent on appealing to a shrinking minority of white male voters while alienating the nation’s fastest growing demographic (Latinos) had a huge impact on the Republican challenger.

This was particularly evident in his loss of every must-win state. Not helping matters was the Grand Old Party’s uncanny ability to enrage millions of female voters, thanks, in a big way, to some election eve Cro-Magnon-like statements from two party senators with regards to rape victims and the possibility of conception as a result of rape. (Both lost their races, by the way.) Throw in Romney’s “whole binders full of women” debate gaffe and it’s obvious why the candidate didn’t endear himself to many members of the fairer sex. To say the Republican party is falling out of touch with the sentiments of mainstream America might be the understatement of 2012. Let’s face it, if there was ever a candidate who was vulnerable when it comes to the economy—the biggest issue in this election by a landslide—it was Barack Obama, and he still won handily.

In our industry such miscalculations about how consumers are feeling and what they will want to buy have similar win-or-lose repercussions. Winning lies largely in the ability to read the tea leaves accurately. While it entails knowing what consumers have wanted and what they are currently buying, the real challenge is predicting what they will want before they even know it or see it. It takes plenty of research coupled with a good dose of intuition and talent, and the confidence to go with those beliefs.

It all has to tie together to be successful. Sometimes, it requires the courage to shift courses—even if that goes against what has worked successfully in the past. Just because it worked before doesn’t mean it always will. Just ask Mitt Romney about that one.

This leads me to the recent passing of Arnold Greenberg, one of the founders of the Snapple Beverage Corporation. If there ever was an example of an entrepreneur who was willing to look at the demographics facing his business and make the necessary adaptations successfully, it was Greenberg. As legend has it, Greenberg was running his family’s food store in New York’s East Village, making, among other unique delicacies, their own sour pickles wrapped in newspaper for a loyal and pre-

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dominantly Jewish clientele. But, during the ’60s, when the hippies became the dominant demographic, Greenberg changed to a health food store format. In the early ’70s he partnered with two school friends to sell fruit juices to a growing number of wellness stores. Later that decade they embarked on selling a carbonated fruit juice that, although an epic failure (the apple juice fermented in the bottles and the caps exploded upon opening), resulted in the company’s future name, Snapple. During the health and fitness boom of the ’80s, Snapple succeeded with its growing line of fruit juices and, in ’87, hit the big time with the introduction of its all natural flavored teas. In 1994, the Quaker Oats Company bought Snapple for $1.7 billion.

Now if only we could all be as clairvoyant as the Snapple founders. It’s no easy task, but reading and reacting correctly to the surrounding demographics is a huge part of the equation.

And that’s exactly the philosophy of Martin Berendsen, CEO of Fast Forward Footwear, distributors of the Turkish-made Inuovo brand. The subject of this month’s Q&A (p. 16) has spent decades accurately deciphering what consumers crave from a footwear perspective during managerial stints at Dr. Martens, Camper and Vans, among others.

His crystal ball now says women, in particular, are seeking a broader color palette, not to mention affordable shoes that are simply fun to wear. Berendsen’s track record of pinpointing the wants of his target demographic bodes well for Inuovo.

Reading the industry tea leaves is a major part of our mission at Footwear Plus. We do that in every article and pictorial story we publish. This month’s Special Report (p. 12) tackles the topic head on as we ask leading industry execs and style experts just what the next big thing might be. It’s always a timely question. Many are saying eclectic has become the new black. Perhaps.

But is the next billion-dollar, Snapple-like idea awaiting for those who read the signs correctly?

This brings me to congratulating the latest inductees (p. 27) to the Footwear Plus Style Hall of Fame: the “Gommino” driving moc by Tod’s and Keds’ “Champion” tennis sneaker. They are two perfect examples where the designs line up beautifully with not only the original demographic but with ensuing generations as well.

Further proof that the search for the next big thing will never cease—nor should it.

Greg Dutter Editorial Director

ILLUSTRATION BY MCCANDLISS&CAMPBELL

The search for the next big thing never ceases but, often, clues are in plain sight.

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THIS JUST IN

Training Heels Wedge sneakers combine comfort with old-school cool.

By Melodie Jeng

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¡+¢ scene and heard And the Plus Awards Nominees Are… FOOTWEAR PLUS HAS announced the nominees for its 14th annual Plus Awards in recognition of design excellence in 2012. The Plus Awards are the footwear industry’s only accolades determined by the votes of thousands of retailers nationwide.

Winners will be selected by voters in 19 distinguished categories spanning the breadth of the footwear market, including athletic, comfort, dress, outdoor, children’s, work boots, wellness and street. This year’s ballot features the addition of a “Made in America” category. The nominees are Justin, Allen Edmonds, New Balance and Wolverine 1000 Mile. Another new category recognizes the “Best New Launch” in 2012. The nominees are Cobb Hill, NoSox, Ugg Australia (men’s) and Inuovo. This year’s ballot will also include a write-in only category for “Best in Customer Service.”

The coveted “Brand of the Year” honor will be decided between Toms, Nike, Ugg Australia, Steve Madden and Sperry, while the nominees vying for “Company of the Year” are 2011 winner, Wolverine Worldwide, and challengers VF Corp., New Balance and Nike.

“Congratulations to all of the 2012 Plus Award nominees,” says Caroline Diaco, publisher of Footwear Plus.

“Our industry continues to be a beacon amid a struggling economy, delivering a kaleidoscope of dazzling designs that millions of consumers need as well as crave. I urge retailers to make their voices heard so we can once again recognize the best of the best our industry has to offer.”

The 2012 Plus Awards ballot appears on page 3 of this issue. Retailers are urged to vote exclusively online at www.footwearplusmagazine.com. Winners will be announced Feb. 5 during the FFANY show in New York.

Steps in the Right Direction THE SKECHERS FOUNDATION raised more than $750,000 for children with special needs and education through its annual Pier to Pier Friendship Walk in the company’s hometown of Manhattan Beach, CA. The 2012 donations were significantly higher than last year’s total of $580,000, thanks to the record number of walkers—more than 8,500 participants—and the many donations by local and national businesses, including presenting sponsor Nickelodeon.

“Four years ago when the Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk began we had 2,200 people come out,” says Michael Greenberg, president of Skechers. “Now we’ve surpassed 8,500 walkers, which is a testament to the compassion and dedication of our community.” Greenberg adds that the $750,000 raised will help many children with special needs continue to thrive through the Friendship Circle programs. “It’s inspiring to see what a big impact small gestures can make. Many education foundations that are in dire need of funding will also

benefit from the money we’ve raised through this year’s walk” Greenberg says.

The 3.4 mile walk from the Manhattan Beach Pier to the Hermosa Beach Pier and back was hosted by fitness expert Denise Austin (pictured), who rallied the crowd at the start. Los Angeles Dodgers and Hall of Fame baseball manager Tommy Lasorda also spoke about the importance of giving back to make a positive impact in the Skechers community, and Dancing Pier to Pier with the Stars co-host Friendship Brooke Burke-Charvet Walk. congratulated Skechers and all the walkers for making a difference to help children with special needs and for supporting education foundations.

In addition to presenting sponsor Nickelodeon, additional sponsors included True Religion, Wells Fargo, DIRECTV, Kids Foot Locker, Marshalls, Diners Club International, United Legwear and countless others who have provided funds and support to make a difference in children’s lives. For more information about and how to get involved in next year’s walk please visit: www.skechersfriendshipwalk.com. —Greg Dutter

Soles4Souls Names New CEO SOLES4SOULS, A NASHVILLE, TN-based charity that supplies footwear to those in need, announced that Buddy Teaster has been named the new CEO. Teaster first encountered the charity while working as president and chief operating officer for holding company Executive Business Services, which includes StarKart, the National Association of Local Advertisers and RTM Networks.

“I loved the mission of Soles4Souls and they were great to work with,” he says. “I’ve always had a positive image of them, so when I got contacted by the head-hunting firm I was very interested in talking with the charity.”

Teaster says as CEO he will combine his more than 20 years Buddy Teaster experience in both business and not-forprofit, as he worked as chief network officer of the Young Presidents’ Organization, a non-profit organization pledged to advancing business leaders under the age of 45. His main focus during his first months as CEO will be on his team, to learn what they need and how to help them overcome obstacles, and on the people Soles4Souls strives to help. “The first thing is to understand the audiences that we serve— who are the people that need our shoes and how can we do that better or faster,” he says, adding that he has long-term goals for the company as well. These include encouraging and expanding the Soles4Souls community; completing the community center in Fermathe, Haiti; creating a microenterprise plan that uses shoes in a way to support sustainable businesses; and forming a board of footwear industry leaders to play a governing role in the charity.

“I’m looking forward to meeting a lot of the people who, over the years, have been incredibly supportive to Soles4Souls and who contribute to work that’s been done and work that we will continue to do,” he says. —Maria Bouselli

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SPECIAL REPORT

What’s the Big Idea?

JUST THREE DAYS after Hurricane Sandy a heel year or a flat year, reshaped Manhattan into The Hunger Gamesbut 2012 has been about esque districts, divided into those with essentials both, and neither category like electricity, working supermarkets, ATM was really able to pull ahead machines and open museums to those who had from the other one,” he explains. to endure ice cold darkness and fear looters, Women are wearing both, often in the gleaming beacon on Fifth Avenue known the same day, transitioning in and out of as the the Apple “cube” Store, re-opened. Amid heels and into flats after work meetings and other the surrounding chaos—believe it or not—the occasions. As a result, Cohen says it contributed to sales store sold out of the brand-new iPad Mini in leveling off. Beyond that, he says there was simply no less than two hours. Leave it to trendsetting runaway hit this year to ignite sales behind one direction.

New Yorkers to spend hours outside waiting Instead, he says, consumers were “bored to death.” to shell out big bucks on an electronic gadget “Too many things have been thrown against the wall that many wouldn’t have been able to power up and the market is oversaturated,” suggests Chuckies New for another 48 hours. When was the last time York owner Ritch Erani. Whether it be a bootie, single-sole a shoe stirred up that much must-have desire? pump or flatform, he sees designers trying to be everything Sure, wedge sneakers are selling well now to everyone and, in the process, diluting their point-ofand cut a fresh profile on the street (editor’s view by offering broad and confusing collections. “And then note: see “This Just In”; p. 8), but retailers are everything is knocked off in the same season,” he quips. already questioning if they have the legs to Less is more, at least for Sari Ratsula, brand president of carry into next spring. Neon burned out and Seychelles. She says the company is satisfied with the size is now the “pop” to neutrals like nude, which of its loyal following and recently told a supplier in China we’ve seen in just about every matte and patent that it didn’t have to hit on every trend. “They said it was incarnation imaginable since 2010. On the unheard of because every brand they work with says they athletic side, products may have become too want to be the next Steve Madden,” she says. niche too fast for some people with minimal Brands seeking the next big fashion item may be styles à la Vibram FiveFingers requiring a user barking up the wrong tree. According to Cohen, the manual. In a year where you see ethnic prints, casualization of footwear has helped erode opportunities Top to bottom: Restricted, Seychelles and Earthies. studs, tropical brights and pastels peppered in for new styles to kick into gear. Take this summer’s brief with clear heels, pumps and boat silhouettes all flirtation with bright minimal athletic shoes. “Fashion in the same showroom, you might say footwear is facing an identity crisis. trends that we traditionally look for are not emerging because consumers’ This year, for the first time in the U.S. in more than a decade, Marshal priorities are shifting,” he says. Instead of perusing Vogue for inspiration, Cohen, chief industry analyst at the NPD Group says, the footwear market their time and energy was spent learning about minimal shoes. And as more was divided by multiple trends that conflicted with one another. “It’s usually brands continue to infuse fashion styles with athletic technology into soles

ILLUSTRATION BY TIM JONES

Some say eclectic is the new black, while others argue that it’s the result of a shotgun approach in the hopes something catches on and becomes the next big thing. By Angela Velasquez

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SPECIAL REPORT

continued from page 12 and materials, consumers are being lured for their comfort and versatility, even though it isn’t a new look.

In fact, Daniel Silver, sales manager for Earth Inc., believes comfort is already the next “It” item. An unsteady economy combined with a smarter customer has spiked the interest in styles that can be worn for multiple occasions and extended periods. In the past, he says trends were more dependent on a look, but now it is about technology and constructions, not just something dictated by the French or Italian fashion soothsayers.

But if you can combine the two, you can strike gold. “This is something that some comfort brands have figured out,” he offers. To this end, a number of brands are enlisting in-the-know trendsetters and fresh-faced fashion ingénues to act as style ambassadors.

Blogger and model Christina Carr is seen sporting Ecco booties in her blog Trop Rouge and, last year, Rockport partnered with celebrity stylist Annabel Tollman for a number of fashion events.

Similarly, designer labels known for gravity-defying heels are gaining market share by adding chic flats to their collections. “The only thing that really hit mega-status lately was Lanvin flats,” Erani reports. Chuckies New York went through approximately 300 pairs this year. Women scooped up the tasteful skimmers to wear with leggings and skirts. “We’ve always been a high heel store,” the retailer says, recalling as far back as the ’80s when supermodels Cindy Crawford and Iman were its stiletto customers. “I always

“The smoking slipper came on big and fast, and then dropped off. We kill off trends before they get started” —James Matush, general manager, Restricted

thought it was strange that 6-foot women wanted to be even taller, but now it feels a bit dated,” he notes. “Christian Louboutin and the Real Housewives ruined [heels] for everyone.”

That increasing interest in wearable shoes is the same reason designer Jay Litvack is focused on low heel heights and stretch fabrics—done up in a new and modern way—for the upcoming seasons. He says trends are now based more on need. “A lot of contemporary brands that look to the high-end side of the business for inspiration, which is where all of the dress and embellishment come from, are missing the bigger picture because the reality is that average girl is not buying shoes if they don’t have an everyday usefulness to her wardrobe,” he explains. Cohen doesn’t foresee any changes in consumers’ habits in this regard, either. “They’re buying for need and replenishment,” he says. “They might buy that dress shoe around party season, but then they’re not picking up another until something unique comes along.”

All signs point to tried-and-true flats as next year’s headlining trend. Silver calls them “power flats” that pack in comfort and support elements but can be dressed up or down.

For fall, Earth introduced the silhouette and is going full tilt with it next season. “Flats are ringing the registers in all different channels because it is a year-round trend that anyone can wear,” he says. Last month The Wall Street Journal reported on power flats’ growing emergence in the workplace, describing the look as one “borrowed from the boys” and—in vivid colors and bold patterns—can make as big of an impact as classic power pumps. Plus, the easy shoes fall right in women’s quick strides as times are becoming busier and more demanding. “Mega models and actresses are wearing them, and they’re turning up in the pages of Lucky,” Silver notes.

But these are not your dainty ballet flats. They come in the form of spikey pointed toes and smoking slippers, the latter resting in limbo with the fashion gods. “The smoking slipper came on big and fast this year and then dropped off,” says James Matush, general manager of Restricted. “We kill off trends before they get started,” adds Ratsula >46

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Let’s Talk Turkey Martin Berendsen, CEO of Fast Forward Footwear, distributors of Inuovo, reveals why buyers are gobbling up the colorful Turkish fashion brand and that it’s only the appetizer.

BY GREG DUTTER

t’s not uncommon for a wholesale exec to proclaim the brand he or she is pedaling is the hottest thing since sliced bread. In fact, if I had a dollar for every time I heard that, well, let’s just say I could buy a whole lot of shoes. So when industry veteran Martin Berendsen, whose managerial resumé includes stints at Dr. Martens, Camper, Vans, Caterpillar and Geox, claimed during last February’s FFANY show that his latest venture, Inuovo, was hot, hot, hot, I was not surprised. However, taking into account the fact that many of the previous brands Berendsen has managed were more than tepid, I was inclined to believe his assessment of the Turkish-made line. That, coupled with the fact that Berendsen is a genuine product guy, intrigued me.

When Berendsen first told me about Inuovo, I was all ears but my eyes, unfortunately, would have to wait as he regrettably said his samples went M.I.A. The thought that the hotter-than-hot shoes had possibly been spirited away under the cover of darkness only added to my sense of intrigue.

Months later, at the Platform show in Las Vegas, I finally got to see Inuovo in the leather, so to speak. Even then it was not easy, which was another sign that Berendsen’s hot assessment might be on target. The bare-bones booth was jammed with buyers. Samples were strewn about the floor and passed around amongst visitors. There was no fancy signage or buildout—Berendsen’s intent was to let the shoes do the talking. And they appeared to be doing plenty, as I’ve seen my share of major booth buzz over the years and it’s something that can’t be staged.

Word travels fast, because any buyer worth their salt knows a potentially hot brand is, for all intents and purposes, like giving away money—so long as you’re able to place the orders.

So what is it about a Turkish fashion brand that appears to be so hot? A brand that, Berendsen says, isn’t technically “comfort” yet is very comfortable to wear? One that has taken the counterintuitive approach amid a difficult economy by going extremely wide on its selection and color palette—17 at last count for its Spring ’13. A brand that, Berendsen believes, offers an incredible amount of fashion at relatively low prices—suggested retail range is $49 to $60 for spring—and terrific margins. Berendsen admits it’s tough to pinpoint exactly what makes Inuovo so unique and appealing, accept that it’s all of the above and then that special something that designer Ismet Doganer brings to the table. “Ismet takes simple constructions and creates them in such an artisan way where they look very rich and natural and, combined with all of the colors, trigger a huge reaction,” Berendsen says from his

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O&A new home away from home at the company’s headquarters in Istanbul, Turkey. “It’s the little details—a woven material here, a flower appliqué there— that might not seem so special until you see the collection and realize it is.”

Berendsen goes so far as to say that the 34-year-old Doganer, who comes from a long line of shoemakers, is a design prodigy. “It’s absolutely mindboggling the volume and quality of styles he produces,” he says, noting the Fall ’13 collection is no different. “He’s just popping out different styles and even though I say, ‘That’s enough,’ he’s got more. We’ve now got something like seven different heels, six different soles and I know he’s going to feature a boatload of different colors in all of them.” Berendsen is What are you reading? resigned to the fact that Doganer is going Bonhoeffer by Eric to crank out the styles, but it’s worth it in Metaxas. It’s a terrific book the end. “The designs are unbelievable,” about a German priest he gushes, noting that several trusted colwho fought against Hitler’s leagues have said Doganer could name his beliefs. price to head design for their companies.

The wide selection, Berendsen believes, What one word best makes for a refreshing alternative amid an describes you? Passionate. industry landscape where going narrow has been the norm since the recession kicked in.

Who is inspiring you The result is a largely monochromatic traderight now? My family. It’s show floor of similar constructions. Less, unbelievable that my wife Berendsen says in this case, is not more— and children allow me to just more of the same. “When you walk into spend so much time away our booth, there’s a tsunami of styles and from home and don’t hold colors. People are really struck by that,” he it against me. says. And, he notes, customers are often picking 10 styles or more. “It’s not too diffiWho is your favorite cult, at those prices and margins, to write an character in literature? order,” he says. “What’s not to like?”

Ed Grimm in the book Berendsen has his brother-in-law, a felDark Horse. He’s a minor low shoe industry colleague, to thank for official chosen to replace the Inuovo opportunity. If it weren’t for a presidential candidate him looking to sell the brand in Holland who dies shortly before and Belgium, he would never have learned the election. Forty years the company was seeking someone to run later the story of behindsales in the U.S. The recommendation was the-scenes brokers that made, an appointment in Istanbul soon folmake all the big deals is as lowed and that’s where Berendsen said he relevant as it was then. was interested—albeit under one condition.

“I made it very clear that there is only one Who is your most coveted captain on the boat,” he says, noting that dinner guest? Richard he believed Inuovo had enormous potential but would implode quickly if certain distribution guidelines weren’t followed. It turned out to be a non-issue, as Doganer, a designer by trade and heart, wanted nothing to do with that end of the business. “He doesn’t like the CEO aspects of the job,” Berendsen says.

“He used to get all the grief if any issues arose. Now any time there is a problem, he immediately points to me and says, ‘That’s the CEO, talk to him.’”

This CEO, specifically, helms Fast Forward Footwear, which is based in Portland, OR. Berendsen has already added another brand, Fast Forward, to the mix that is expected to hit stores next spring. It’s built on a design premise that shifts vertical power into a horizontal action. In other words, it makes walking more efficient. Berendsen, who admits to being a cynic when it comes to a lot of techy mumbo-jumbo, was sold on its rejuvenating

comfort merits after the first try-on. “I tested one shoe while wearing my old shoe on the other foot and was amazed,” he says. “I confess that I don’t know exactly what this technology is, but it really works.” It allows Berendsen’s young rep force to sell a men’s brand that is also more year-round to the same account base as Inuovo. In addition, with retail price points ranging $149 to $249, the 10 percent commission generates a healthy return. “The retailers who buy Inuovo for the fun fashion will also buy Fast Forward,” he predicts. “It’s a shoe that you can wear all day.”

After all of these years, the shoe passion that fuels Berendsen remains as strong as ever, and that’s despite the extended Branson. He has enormous time away from family and the many long drive and gets people flights he must endure to get Inuovo off the around him to make things ground here. Then there’s the cultural hurhappen. I would love to dles a 6’10 Dutch guy faces when roaming talk to him about how he the streets of Istanbul. “The biggest chalgoes about achieving that. lenge is I don’t speak Turkish. So, basically, I talk with my hands and my feet,” he says, What might people be adding that many Turks drive with a sense surprised to know about of wild abandonment and smoking appears you? That I’m very shy. to be a national pastime—“preferably five After all of these years, cigarettes in one’s mouth at the same time.” when I present in front of a But Berendsen says he’s there to work, new customer it still takes which he does daily from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 me a while to get over my p.m. “I don’t lead a very thrilling life at the nerves. moment,” he admits. “I work, go home, eat and then go to bed. And while I was never What is your motto? the person to want to hang out in the bar all Carpe diem. day, even if I were to go to one here, 99.9 percent of the people wouldn’t know what I What is your favorite was saying, anyway.” hometown memory? I’m Berendsen is confident his hard work will from Den Haag, Holland, pay dividends to the point that Fast Forand it’s the times when ward will be the last company listed on his we celebrated Sinterklaas, resumé. “I want to build a nice company which is basically our with people who I really like and who really version of Santa Claus. like me, and if it’s $50 million in size, then It’s celebrated on Dec. 5th fine. But if it’s $20 million and we are all and marked by special happy, so be it,” he says. “If I can have a nice songs and candies. I just life where I enjoy my co-workers as well as heard one of the songs my customers, what else is there?” a short while ago and it

OFF THE CUFF

brought back very good memories.

Inuovo appears to be hot. But you already knew that.

What I didn’t even realize until I became totally involved with the company is how their European distribution is a who’s who of the best stores. During my first Micam and GDS shows, the booth was jammed the whole time. People were buying the shoes like crazy, arguing about how many they could buy and telling others to stop touching their samples. It was a frenzy. So yes, it’s very hard not to be motivated when you see that level of excitement. You can smell the potential success.

We just need to make it happen.

Although, not everyone is willing to leave their family behind and move to Istanbul. What made you willing to make such a commitment?

Because this company has such incredible potential, but it was very much

18 footwearplusmagazine.com • december 2012

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underperforming and I believed I could help. The talent and the will to do it is here, but in some cases they didn’t have a clue how business is conducted in certain countries. For example, I always worked off the premise that the delivery date is when you want the shoes to actually be delivered. Here, it was when our factory had the shoes ready, and then it’d be another month before the shoes were actually shipped. So with respect to any U.S. buyers, the shoes would already be a month late.

There were also issues with sizing, boxes, quality control and importing from Turkey, as there are not a lot of boats leaving this country for the U.S., for starters. Importing was especially a challenge for the smaller customers who generally buy 160 pairs—a tenth of a container. That was rectified by basing the company in Holland so we could first ship goods there and then onto our European customers so they don’t have to pay import duties upfront. It makes their lives a lot easier. So there were a lot of these types of issues that were preventing the company from maximizing its full potential.

Had there been similar problems with regard to the U.S.?

They were dabbling a little bit in sales here and I could right away see if they were not careful, they would screw it up. For example, they would literally be willing to sell Nordstrom and Payless the same shoes. They had no clue who was who and would just write the orders. I immediately advised that distribution should be much more selective.

How do you define selective?

Simply put, we want the best retailers. That means, for example, Little’s in Pittsburgh, Benjamin Lovell in Philadelphia, Tip Top Shoes and Eneslow in New York, Hanig’s in Chicago, Shoe Mill in Portland, Oregon, and Karavel in Houston. The goal, in two years, is to be in the best stores in the U.S., which are not necessarily the ones that make 5,000- pair orders. But that’s not the issue right now. We want to take it one step at a time and build the brand in the right stores.

What do you think those retailers will see in Inuovo?

I think they will see the same design qualities and brand potential. Let me put it this way: When you walk into our booth at a show you cannot be in a bad mood looking at the collection. It’s impossible. Retailers will say, “At that price and for this margin, I can sell this one, this one, this one and on and on.” Picking the styles is simple, but they often argue for hours about which colors to choose. In all my years, I’ve never seen that level of debate. And it’s because they want every color, and we actually make all of them. You want orange—here it is. You want three shades of brown; we’ve got that too. You want three shades of blue, here it is. Purple? Got it. Gold, green, etc. Every color that is shown our retailers can order. If anyone were launching a brand today, I would tell him or her to bring it in wide. Don’t bring in one shoe in 17 colors; bring in 40 shoes in 17 colors. For those retailers who have been playing it overly safe of late and buying mostly black and brown styles: Why would anybody want to shop in your store? Because I’m convinced every woman and man in America has at least one to four pairs of black or brown shoes already in their closet.

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Are consumers willing to buy color—provided they see it in stores?

I think consumers are very receptive to color. It’s like Zara and H&M, where my daughters will buy sweaters often in the oddest colors, but as they are priced at $25 they can buy four or five versions and they don’t mind taking the fashion risk. But they do not want to buy another black or brown sweater because it’s boring and they already own that style.

Might the willingness to embrace color be reflective of an improving consumer mood overall?

I don’t know about that. I hope the mood is improving, but I still think

11/14/12 9:38 AM

that in the U.S. as well as in other countries there’s a general lack of trust among consumers. They don’t trust their government, their banks or big companies. The feeling is you have to be very careful because everyone else is trying to screw you. But that’s also why I believe simple pleasures like Inuovo shoes, which are fun and make a woman feel good, become more attractive.

Exactly how would you describe Inuovo?

It’s a fashion brand that actually feels very good. But the word comfort is nowhere to be mentioned. It’s for a customer that spans 16 to about 28 years of age. They want something new where the dress may cost $100 and the shoes $60. My daughters, who helped me sift through samples, were good bell weathers. In return for helping, I said they could pick out a style they liked which, at the time, I thought was a good deal for me. However, the two of them asked for like 16 styles. So I knew I was onto some-

“The fact is there aren’t any ‘old’ women anymore... Making them feel happy and fashionable is a better approach than offering another ugly and depressing comfort shoe.” thing big perhaps, which was soon confirmed at the Atlanta show when a retailer from Hawaii came into our booth and immediately bought 210 pairs. Actually, I had 12 customers walk into our booth, which couldn’t have been in a more out-of-the-way location, and they all made buys. The Hawaiian retailer later happened to be in Istanbul and asked to visit our showroom, which was an absolute zoo at the time. I wasn’t really trying to sell her more shoes, but in a half hour she picked nine more styles. I just think the brand makes retailers feel good—an $18 sandal that sells for $49 is a nice way to make some money. A similar scenario played out, albeit on a much larger scale, with Nordstrom buyers during another show. They came in at 7:30 one evening and I laid out the styles and colors that I completely believed in so they wouldn’t have to sit there for hours. But they went back to the rack and picked more styles. And then when we visited them recently they asked for more styles.

Does the buzz remind you of any other times in your career?

We have some shoes that remind me of my Dr. Martens days. And some retailers have told me the same thing, and that if we keep doing this the right way, we can become a very big brand.

Are you capable of keeping up with potential jumps in demand?

We are in the process of building a factory on top of our offices. We >47

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P LU S

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Keds “Champion” Tod’s “Gommino” 2012 december • footwearplusmagazine.com 27

R E E B O K “ F R E E STY L E ” ; ST R I D E R I T E “ PA R K E R I I ” ; B I R K E N STO C K “A R I ZO N A” ; 2 01 0 : CO N V E R S E

“ C H U C K TAY L O R A L L S TA R ” ; H U S H P U P P I E S “ E A R L ” ; 2 0 1 1 : S P E R R Y T O P - S I D E R “A U T H E N T I C O R I G I N A L ” ; T E C N I C A “ M O O N B O O T. ”

F O O T W E A R

2 0 0 8 : N I K E “A I R FO R C E 1 ” ; U G G “ C L ASS I C S H O RT ” ; B E R N A R D O “ M I A M I ” ; D R . M A RT E N S “ 1 4 6 0 ” ; 2 0 0 9 : F RY E “ C A M P U S ” ;

2 0 0 7 : VA N S “ C H E C K E R B OA R D ” ; F E R R AG A M O “ VA R A” ; C L A R K S “ WA L L A B E E ” ; M E R R E L L “J U N G L E M O C ” ;

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11/14/12 2:32 PM

INDUCTEE : KEDS “CHAMPION” SNEAKER

Vintage ads of Keds’ Champion sneaker, courtesy of Keds.

We Are the Champions Keds continues to delight customers, new and old, with its classic design.

By Maria Bouselli A CANVAS WHITE upper, a rubber sole, a vulcanized bottom and some plain shoelaces—it doesn’t sound revolutionary today, but in 1916 the U.S. Rubber Company made its mark with this design known as the Champion. Due to the abundance of rubber, and its accessible price, the company decided to make a simple shoe that would fit into the new trend of that time period dubbed “sportswear,” and the Keds company (marked by its subtle blue-and-white logo on the heel) was born with the introduction of this iconic shoe in colors navy, white and black.

The original sneaker—advertising firm N.W. Ayer & Son coined the term to refer to the Champion’s ability to allow the wearer to “sneak up” on others—the shoe has made a fashion statement for almost 100 years in American culture with the same versatile and timeless construction. While first introduced as a tennis shoe, worn by many pro-tennis players in the ’20s, the Champion soon transitioned into a lifestyle shoe. “[The Champion] was worn by icons in the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s—from Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe to Jackie Onassis,” says Rick Blackshaw, president of Keds, now a division of Wolverine Worldwide. “Each of those ladies had a different style aesthetic but in some sense were uniquely American.”

Stephanie Brocoum, Keds’ vice president of marketing, describes the Champion as

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quintessentially American. “It embodies the American ideals—it’s about innovation, accessibility and fashion,” she says, adding that the designers of the sneaker were pioneers in the footwear industry who embodied “good American sensibility, and had respect and admiration for American ideals.”

Louis Mastrogiacomo, vice president and DMM of women’s shoes at Macy’s, which has carried the brand for more than a decade, believes that the slight updates to the style are what keep the shoe relevant in American culture today. “They’re always re-inventing the Champion, whether they’re using new fabrics, colors or prints—they’re constantly reinventing it to fit in with the right trend for the time period,” he notes. In the ’80s, for example, Keds’ Champion was available in brighter colors, such as pink, green, red and yellow for a price of about $17, appearing in such TV series as Happy Days and Saved by the Bell. Today’s Champion line also includes a “Brights” collection, with aqua and orange as two of the colors, as well as star, paisley and calico prints, and metallics, with the lowest price at around $40 retail, still making it relatively affordable.

Mehran Esmaili, owner of Shoe Biz in San Francisco, CA, notes that price is one of the reasons he believes the Champion continues to be one of the top sneaker styles. “It’s very simple, practical and affordable,” he says, adding, “And they haven’t really surprised us,” in regards to construction.

Size and fit are other aspects of the Champion that keep customers coming back. The sneaker comes in narrow, medium and wide widths to ensure comfort and proper fit.

While throughout the years Keds has targeted customers from young and old to even men, today the brand is turning the Champion’s attention to one main group: 13- to 24-year-old women, which Mastrogiacomo believes is the right step for the shoe. “The millennial customer is the future and I think it’s very smart on their part,” he notes. As part of this initiative, Keds recruited Taylor Swift, pop-icon and multi-platinum recording artist, to be the new face of Keds, even naming a Champion design after her new album, Red. After seeing a picture of Swift in a retro-polka dot swimsuit while wearing a striped Champion, the company was inspired by her Americana style, and her positive image as a role model for girls throughout the world, and recruited her to represent their “tribe of girls,” as Blackshaw describes them. “Our girl is without limits or without boundaries,” he notes of the Champion’s target customers. “She’s not jaded, very positive, the center of her social circle and a catalyst in her community.”

Blackshaw says Keds is collaborating with Swift on product and brand direction. “We’re really opening the aperture in terms of footwear, creating a diversity of style that hasn’t necessarily been a part of the brand,” he adds.

He also notes several licensing partnerships, including with Kate Spade, that Keds is currently working on, which will help transform the Champion even more, as well as low-profile and slip-on versions of the style for spring.

As the Keds brand develops into the future, one thing is certain: Customers can always look to the Champion as a source of comfort and nostalgia, as it combines the style of yesteryear with the trends of today. “It is our icon,” Brocoum says, adding that inside its corporate offices the shoe is referred to as “their girl.” “It’s inspiration for every style and inspiration for the fashion Limited-edition Champions shoes to and colors we apply.” • commemorate Swift’s album, Red.

From left: Style icons and Champion wearers Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn.

Below: Taylor Swift, the new face of Keds.

2012 december • footwearplusmagazine.com 29

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11/14/12 2:55 PM

INDUCTEE : TOD’S “GOMMINO” DRIVING MOC

The Driver’s Seat The road map to how one shoe turned a humble Italian company into a Colosseum-reviving colossus of footwear. By Lyndsay McGregor AS A WIDE-EYED teenager accompanying his father on a United States business trip in the 1970s, Diego Della Valle was fascinated by the relaxed, preppy attitude of the East Coast. And when he discovered that Gianni Agnelli (Fiat head, sartorial icon and fellow Italian) wore the same driving shoes Della Valle had seen many a middle-class American wearing while on his travels, he had a light bulb moment. Eager to prove his worth in the family business (the Della Valle shoe company founded by his hand-cobbling grandfather, Filippo, in the 1920s) he picked up a pair in New York, tweaked the idea into a kid-soft leather moccasin and arranged for a pair to be placed in Agnelli’s shoe cupboard. And the rest, as they say, is shoe fashion history.

The Gommino—so named for the gummy rubber pebbles on the sole that continue up the heel—was an instant hit with the tycoon and put Tod’s, as the company was re-named a few years later, on the map.

Today Tod’s is up there among the biggest Italian fashion houses,

raking in close to 1 billion in revenue annually. In fact, the leather behemoth has mushroomed into a global fashion beast so wealthy that it’s donated more than 20 million to renovate the Colosseum in Rome.

Not bad for a company that started out as a humble cobbler.

It was Della Valle’s father, Dorino, who initially expanded the business in the 1940s (making women’s dress shoes for Azzedine Alaia, Calvin Klein and Neiman Marcus, among others) but it wasn’t until the Gommino that the company achieved worldwide recognition.

Diana, the late Princess of Wales, and off-duty supermodels including Carla Bruni all took to Tod’s handmade, rubber-soled luxury. Recent converts include actresses Zoe Saldana, Selma Blair and Jessica Biel, and Samantha Yanks, editor-in-chief of Gotham and Hamptons magazines, has always been a fan. “Season after season the brand is able to manipulate color and material, kicking the classic up a notch,” she notes, adding that the limited-edition iridescent calfskin version is on

30 footwearplusmagazine.com • december 2012

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PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF TOD’S.

her holiday wish list.

Although the driver is the cornerstone of Tod’s, Della Valle doesn’t claim to have invented it. No, the company’s 58-year-old president and CEO says he merely improved upon existing designs.

Specifically, a tread that extends from the sole to cover a rounded heel prevents scuffing the back of the shoe (which typically occurs when driving in dress shoes) and soft soles give drivers a better feel of the pedals, while 133 rubber pebbles provide traction for driving and walking.

Luxury New York retailer Bergdorf Goodman introduced the moc this fall to coincide with the launch of The Shoe Library on the main floor of its men’s store, inspired by the Villa Necchi in Milan and smacking of the 1960s and Mad Men. “The Tod’s Gommino is the original driver, from which all other drivers are derived. That in itself makes it very special,” says Mimi Fukuyoshi, vice president and DMM of men’s sportswear and shoes, of the oft-imitated shoe. “There will always be that customer who wants the real thing.”

Now, after years of focusing on middle-aged men, Tod’s is aiming more shoes at women and younger buyers. Each season new materials and styles are added and the basic ones are tweaked slightly. Variety used to mean loafers in light, medium or dark brown leather, but today they come in a rainbow of colors and wide range of materials, spanning fluorescent calf leather options for men to women’s styles with hand-embroidered crystals.

“Initially what drew men to the driver was the comfort; today it’s all about color and the brighter the better,” says Tom Kalenderian, executive vice president and GMM of men’s at Barneys New York, who has seen his fair share of trends throughout his 30-plus year tenure in the industry.

“Think of the Tod’s driver the way most men collect fun colorful cashmere sweaters; you can never have too many.”

Though more than 100 steps are involved in building the Gommino, the company churns out some 15,000 pairs daily. At the company’s Casette d’Ete headquarters, sketches are sent to a modeling room where about 20 employees print 3-D casts for patterns. In a workshop, roughly 50 people make prototype shoes from leather cut manually along the blueprints. After Della Valle approves a model, it moves into one of the six company-owned factories where 300 people stitch shoes from a vast selection of colorful leathers culled from all over the world, as well as python, alligator and crocodile hides. Most of the work is done by hand, which helps to account for the prices, starting at $425 for a basic black loafer. At Tod’s U.S. flagship on Madison Avenue in New York’s tony Upper East Side, customers can custom order their Gommino from a selection of exotic skins. Delivery takes around four months and prices vary, but are definitely for the well-soled set.

Yanks calls the Gommino the ultimate symbol of handcrafted indulgence and Elizabeth Kanfer, fashion and co-brand director at Saks Fifth Avenue, agrees. “The accessory merchants have always been passionate about Tod’s,” she says. “More importantly, our customers are equally as passionate. They appreciate and understand the quality and innovation that Tod’s embodies.” Kanfer adds, “The brand represents luxury and translates this into chic, yet practical, accessories. The Gommino driver defines all of these qualities: it’s legendary, iconic and luxurious.” •

From left: Zoe Saldana; Diana, the late Princess of Wales; Jessica Biel. Below: more than 100 steps are involved in building the handmade Gommino.

Left: Tod’s CEO, Diego Della Valle.

31

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what ’s selling

RUIA New York, NY

designer boutiques

By Maria Bouselli

What has been the best new label added to the mix this year? Grey Mer. We’re just the fifth retailer here to carry them. They’re really comfortable, with lots of extra cushioning, even the sky-high stilettos. People are surprised at how comfy they are.

What is your store’s go-to label? Loriblu, which we have carried since we opened. They offer a fabulous range, from comfortable everyday styles to eveningwear with sparkles from Swarovski, as well as over-the-knee boots.

KAJAL RUIA OPENED her boutique in December 2010 in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan with one main objective: to bring unique European brands to the Big Apple. “Our customer wants something different and wants to make a statement about what they’re wearing,” she says, adding that only one style in each size is carried. “Our selection is really limited.” In her 650-squarefoot, two-level store, Ruia makes customers feel at home in the cozy and intimate setting, offering refreshments and a space where the less-interested shopping partners can lounge while watching TV. Leading labels: Abel Munoz, Dora by Mi Piaci, Baldan, Cleo B, Guava, Dibrera, Gode, Grey Mer, Twice, Korada Boots, Loriblu, Missoni, Luis Onofre, LbyO and Lislie Yeung.

What is your current best-selling label?

The Portuguese brand, Guava. It has a funky aesthetic with bright colors and interesting shapes in the heels, but it’s also practical.

The brand uses various fabrics, such as knits, and has an interesting range. This all combines to make it very unique. We’ve sold out of summer and are now quickly selling out of winter.

What has been the best thing to happen to your business this year? The fact that I’m still open. A lot of people say most small businesses fail within the first year. I took a gamble to do this, but I had a mission when I opened and customers have responded.

We’re growing, getting more repeat customers and improving every day.

What’s most important to your customers: comfort, style or designer name? It’s a combination of the three. A lot of what we sell is very high, yet our customers want something they can wear through the evening, so the design aspect is important. They also want something that will last; they might not wear it very often but they can wear it for many years. As for price, the brands that we carry don’t have huge marketing budgets, so the cost of the shoe isn’t inflated [because of the] Any particular designer label. trends that you are high on for Is there anything Spring ’13? Some missing in the of my favorites: designer market right python and now? I know wedges crocodile patterns are everywhere, but and bows. we could use an elegant wedge that’s not mainstream. It’d be a really slim-line wedge that has the comfort and height of a wedge but the elegant look of the stiletto. .

Where do your customers look for the latest trends? We get some who have seen exactly what they want in a fashion magazine, and celebrities are also very influential.

Would you say the majority of your customers shop monthly or seasonally? Monthly. While men tend to shop seasonally, women are more apt to shop when they feel like adding to their wardrobe or have an event they need an outfit for.

It’s more about the experience of shopping [for women] and wanting to add new items to their collection.

How would you describe the overall mood of your customers of late? They’re increasingly looking for something more practical that will work with a lot of what they have in their wardrobe. When we first opened, it was a lot of impulse purchases, whereas now they think about it a lot more.

Has this season met your sales expectations?

Yes, so far. September and October were better than I thought. The additions of Grey Mer and Guava have really helped. And we always get a big push in November.

What has been the biggest challenge? The aspect that makes us unique is also my challenge, and that’s the brands I carry are not household names. Customers are not always willing to invest that much money in a brand they don’t know. It’s the job of our salespeople to let them know what they’re investing in.

Are you optimistic about business going forward? Definitely. I’ve had two years of experience to tailor my buying, and now I have a really good understanding of who my customer is and what they want. I’m really excited about the future and, hopefully, the economy will improve as well.

What is this fall’s hot color? Forest green.

32 footwearplusmagazine.com • december 2012

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ARTHUR BEREN SHOES

Thierry Rabotin

San Francisco, CA

A MAINSTAY IN the Union Square area for 28 years, Arthur Beren Shoes continues to sell by one key statement: “Elegance in every size.” Larry Fertig, store manager, says the two-story store carries sizes 4 to 13 for women and men’s widths in sizes 6 to 15. “We have shoes

that actually fit people rather than trying to make shoes fit people,” he says, noting its inventory houses 12,000 pairs.

“I’d say we are one of the last true shoe stores in our area, which is the mecca of shopping for San Francisco.” With an “outstanding” location between Gucci and Chanel, Fertig says fashion is equally important and price isn’t an obstacle.

“Our customers want to feel good about what they’re buying,” he says. “Whether they’re spending $400 or $1,200, they want to know it looks great, feels amazing and that they’ll get multiple uses out of it.”

Leading labels: Anyi Lu, Stuart Weitzman, Thierry Rabotin, Ugg, Vaneli, Eric Javits, Mephisto, Robert Zur, Cole Haan, Gravati, Ralph Lauren, Salvatore Ferragamo.

Is there a particular style that is uniquely popular to your locale? Thierry Rabotin flats, because this is a real walking city.

What is the hot color this fall? Color has been doing well, in general.

Brights have been great— oranges, yellows and purples.

It’s refreshing in both flats and heels.

Thierry Rabotin wedges and heels have some edge to them.

Attilio Giusti Leombruni’s flats have some beautiful colors as well.

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Any trends that you’re high on for next spring? Wedges and high-color are going to continue on.

Would you say the majority of your customers shop monthly or seasonally? I don’t think it’s as seasonal as it used to be.

People like to shop more frequently rather than doing it all a couple times a year.

How would you describe the overall mood of your customers?

By and large everybody is eager to buy. I don’t think that people are sitting at home worrying as much as the media likes to dictate. Our customers are out and about, and they certainly come in wanting to spend.

What has been the biggest challenge this year? They’re putting in a subway system right through the heart of Union Square, which has certainly made things challenging. But you just have to deal with it.

Are you optimistic about business going forward? Absolutely. With our clientele and the type of business that we’ve run for nearly 30 years, we’re not in today and irrelevant tomorrow. We may never give the hugest increase, which also means we never have the largest decrease either. We don’t make drastic changes to our business plan, which allows us to move forward the way we want rather than out of panic or reaction.

Is there anything that you think is missing in the designer market? Finally, we’re starting to show that women and men can wear color without it having to be so high fashion. It’s a nice opportunity to take classic looks and recolor them into something fun.

Where do your customers look most for the latest looks?

Probably magazines first and foremost, although social media is becoming huge. And seeing celebrities wear certain looks is always helpful.

What are your current best-sellers? In women’s, the head of the class is Thierry Rabotin. In men’s, we do very well with Santoni, Gravati and Donald J. Pliner.

Stuart Weitzman

What is your store’s go-to label? We have two: Thierry Rabotin and Stuart Weitzman. We are the largest carrier of Thierry Rabotin in the country.

The shoes are comfortable and fit well. The same with respect to Stuart Weitzman—they are real shoes that fit real people.

What has been the best new brand added to the mix this year?

Donald J. Pliner for men has been outstanding. We’ve also added Pura Lopez. It hits a niche we didn’t really have covered, offering something much younger not only age-wise but young at heart.

Pura Lopez

11/13/12 10:30 AM

Dress

Dress trends for spring take a trip into the jungle where tropical prints flourish and intense colors thrive.

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11/14/12 9:56 AM

From top left: Ryan Haber ankle wrap stiletto, Bernardo 1946 gold sandal, jagged edge platform pump by Abel Mu単oz.

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11/14/12 9:57 AM

HAIR & MAKEUP BY TK FOR TK.

Opposite, from top: Goffredo Fantini fringe slide, Q by Pasquale colorblock platform stiletto, hologram heel by Ingelmo.

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11/14/12 9:57 AM

HAIR & MAKEUP BY TK FOR TK.

Clockwise, from top: Earth beaded and woven wedge, SoftWalk metallic thong with metal ornaments, cork flat by Arcopedico.

Opposite, from left: Naot slides with chain accents, laceups by Birkenstock.

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11/14/12 9:57 AM

Opposite, from top left: Pelle Moda multi-strap stiletto, spike platform by Iron Fist, Carrano peep toe pump, zipper shoetie by Ask Alice.

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11/14/12 9:58 AM

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11/14/12 9:58 AM

FASHION EDITOR: ANGELA VELASQUEZ; HAIR AND MAKE-UP: LEAH RIAL/EXCLUSIVE ARTISTS MANAGEMENT

Kzeniya metalaccented clutch.

Chainmail covered clutch

by Whiting & Davis.

D E S I G N E R C H AT : JOANNE STOKER

In the Clutch Imago-A mixed media clutch.

Small yet bold, mini purses with unique shapes and intense metalllics steal the limelight.

E DI TO R’S P I CKS

design aesthetic as “futuristic glamour” and hopes her modern approach will appeal to U.S. luxury retailers like Saks as well as quirky boutiques.

Just like her shoes—cutting edge but with ties to a nostalgic place—Stoker says she’d like a “good mixtures of retailers.” —Angela Velasquez

shoes, and Nicholas Kirkwood is amazing.

Who is your target customer? She’s adventurous and likes to buy unique pieces. She doesn’t have a signature look. She likes to try something new and fun.

What is the favorite part of your job? The beginning, the end and nothing in between (laughs). I always love designing the collection and receiving new samples. It’s nice to see what you have been working on for months for the first time.

Which shoe in your closet is currently getting the most wear? My black Velvet Magic platform peep-toes. I tend to wear a pair of shoes everyday for a while and then I get bored.

Which shoe designers do you admire? I always love what Prada does each season, especially with

What is your favorite store? There’s a new underground store in London called LN-CC that sells a lot of Japanese labels. I would love to have something that is conceptual like that.

If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be? It’s a shame that there are not many factories in the U.K. It would be great if they were on our doorstop because there’s so much travel involved, especially since my shoes have so many components. It’s a challenge.

EDITOR’S PICKS PHOTOGRAPHY BY TREVETT MCCANDLISS

FOR BRITISH DESIGNER Joanne Stoker, good things come in small packages.

Initially focused on fashion design, Stoker made the leap to footwear when she kept thinking the textiles she liked would be better suited on a smaller scale. “They were a bit over the top, but I was nervous about going into footwear because it is so specialized ” she recalls. Her panache for bold prints, textures and color coupled with some time spent working at an architecture firm led her down the path to create one-of-a-kind, sculptural shoes that are as theatrical as award-winning.

As the recipient of the British Footwear Friend Award sponsored by the British Footwear Association, as well as the winner of the First into Fashion Award with Jimmy Choo and Melanie Rickey, the Cordwainers College graduate completed a mentorship with Choo before she established her own eponymous label in 2009. “I was working in his couture shop, getting great advice about shoemaking and literally used it as a studio space,” she describes.

Past collections have been inspired by travels spanning the eclectic colors and textural combinations of India to the sharp Art Deco lines of Cuba. Spring ’13 beckons the seaside fun of Coney Island, NY, and other famed, idyllic boardwalks. Gingham print, hologram fabrics and laser cutout lace panels atop candy swirl heels, striped foam soles and architectural wedges create a carnival-like vibe for the collection. Retail prices fall between $500 for sandals to upwards of $1,000 for Swarovski covered platform T-straps.

Still inspired by her fashion and architecture roots, Stoker describes her

40 footwearplusmagazine.com • december 2012

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11/13/12 10:19 AM

THE PENSOLE FOOTWEAR Design Academy,

founded by D’Wayne Edwards in 2010 in Portland, OR, is partnering with the MA-based Two Ten Footwear Foundation to give life to the footwear designs of 210 college students. The chosen footwear styles will be displayed at a “shoecase” at the FN Platform show in Las Vegas this February, with at least 12 students in attendance.

“It’s a great show for an aspiring designer showing to footwear companies—they can’t ask for a better platform for their career,” Edwards notes.

“It’s a nice jumpstart to the next step as they’re trying to become a designer in this industry.”

The Two Ten Footwear Foundation will give scholarships to 10 students who will be able to take a footwear-design master class at Pensole, during which they will have a chance to fully develop a design concept. The 200 other students will be able to take an online class offered by the academy.

In choosing the students, Edwards is looking for designers with a natural talent who express passion through their designs. “Design is a very visual activity, and I can tell if a person is passionate or not from a simple sketch,” he says. “I also look for natural ability to see if they understand how to draw and how to design footwear.”

Edwards notes that the partnership between Pensole and Two Ten was a natural fit. “I’ve really wanted to develop a program specifically around attracting college students and the next generation of employees, whereas Two Ten mostly deals with working professionals, so it was something they wanted to do—reach out to more college students,” he explains. Edwards credits Two Ten with easing the burden on students when it comes to education (the organization gave $700,000 in scholarships in 2012 alone), and he hopes through the Platform “shoecase,” the two together will be able to increase brands’ awareness of “the talent that’s out there.” —M.B.

Peachy Keen Footwear Plus would like to thank Keen for answering the urgent request of our publisher, Caroline Diaco, to send donations to victims of Hurricane Sandy in Like a hurricane: Staten Island, NY. Within two days of the call, the Staten Island, NY, post Sandy. company donated 2,300 pairs of much-needed work boots to a local V.F.W. outpost—a grassroots initiative that has been manned by many of Diaco’s high school friends. Diaco, a born-and-bred Staten Islander, is forever grateful as several close friends of hers lost their entire homes in the flooding.

PHOTO BY CAROLINE DIACO

Pensole and Two Ten Encourage Aspiring Designers

Pinterest of Interest

ACCORDING TO A recent survey by Bizrate Insights, one of the world’s largest generators of consumer-generated review content, the number of online consumers becoming aware of and opening an account on the picture-driven social networking site, Pinterest, is growing rapidly. Specifically, 42 percent of Pinterest users visit the site once a week or more where apparel ranks as the top category purchased and footwear comes in sixth.

While the retailers and brands that drove purchases on the site were varied, the report states there is currently a distinct trend favoring smaller stores and individual sellers.

FW_12_12_S&H_02.indd 41

11/13/12 10:28 AM

ATHLETIC STREET OUTDOOR KIDS BRIDAL A wedding party puts its best Toms forward.

WORK

Wedding Casual More brides turn to comfort as they take their walk down the aisle.

FORGET YOUR HIGH-stiletto wedding shoes—brides are saying yes to comfort this upcoming season. A new trend in the bridal industry as of late has been more street brands tackling this special occasion market.

Most notably, Toms, Ugg Australia and Gotta Flurt have all curated bridal collections for customers looking to trade in their pumps for a more casual and comfortable look.

Customers already sporting Toms for their wedding inspired brand founder Blake Mycoskie to create a wedding collection. “Over the years, our customers have sent in pictures of how they have incorporated Toms into their special day,” he notes. “It just seemed to be a natural fit to make a

The Original Après Since 1962

FFANY November 28-30 Booth #2302

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FW_12_12_UpClose_dress_02.indd 42

special collection for this milestone in our customers’ lives.” For the bride and her bridesmaids, Toms offers the brand’s classic silhouette as well as a wedge in neutral and blush tones in fabric that gives off a hint of shimmer.

“Also included in the lineup is a Blue Glitter Classic to meet the ‘something blue’ tradition,” Mycoskie shares.

For the men, neutral tones are offered in the cordone, desert oxford and classic styles, and are available in velvet or leather to make the shoe a little more formal, if the groom so desires. The collection retails from $44 to $100, and Mycoskie hopes to evolve the line going forward, adding more colors and prints to the existing styles. “The bridal collection has definitely been a successful addition to Toms. Every detail in a wedding is important and Toms allows even the shoes to be a reflection of the bride and groom,” he says, noting that he does see a trend towards brides wanting to purchase a shoe they can wear throughout the day.

Laurence LaHaye, senior vice president of design and product at Gotta Flurt, has seen an increase in this trend as well. “We were getting calls from brides-to-be who wanted to have something comfortable and cute, and what they were used to wearing, instead of strappy high heels,” he explains. The Gotta Flurt team, however, does dress up its casual footwear with glitter materials, sequins, and faux pearls and diamonds. Styles in the the brand’s bridal line for Spring ’13 include takes on the classic Chuck Taylor and penny loafer, as well as sandals encrusted with crystals.

He describes the collection, which wholesales from $22.75 to $26.50, as younger and contemporary, and says by 2014 the brand hopes to double the size of the bridal line and include styles such as high-tops. “People were kind of blown away—it’s a different and cool idea,” he says of showing the collection at the FFANY and FN Platform shows. LaHaye believes younger brides will identify with the comfort of the flat styles that they will be able to wear all day.

Ugg Australia, on the other hand, is looking to pamper brides before and after the big day, delving into the “luxurious comfort” segment of the bridal market. “The styles give brides and bridal parties the option to indulge in Ugg, whether they are getting pampered before the ceremony or after the reception,” says Leah Larson, creative director. The brand’s “I Do” collection, launched in May 2012, includes a sparkling take on its classic boot; a jeweled Bailey Button, complete with Swarovski crystal; and the shearling-covered flip-flop—“the perfect slipper to get pampered in.”

The three styles range in retail price from $80 to $225. Larson says the collection received a positive response from customers and the brand is looking to expand its “I Do” line for the upcoming season. “We are honored that they have chosen Ugg to be a part of their big day and have plans to add new styles for spring, including handbags,” she says. “We will also be taking care of flower girls and bridesmaids, [and] for men, we are introducing a velvet Ascot slip-on, which will be ideal for grooms and groomsmen.”

—Maria Bouselli Gotta Flurt

11/13/12 10:12 AM

French Sole

FAME INDUC TEES • 2012 STYLE HALL OF CAP TOES AND LACE • TREN D SPOT TING: WHAT ’S THE BIG IDEA

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HAWAIIAN

Paul Mayer Attitudes

PUNCH

Lush prints and tropical colors add zest to dress

Brave Brides Brides say “I do” to something new.

MODERN BRIDES ARE trading veils for beaded headpieces, sit-down receptions for garden parties and cakes for cupcake tiers. So it’s perfectly natural that they’re rejecting the ivory satin pumps of past generations, too.

While tradition took precedence at the recently held New York Bridal Week, where designers looked to lace overlays and sleeves for Fall ’13, classic shoes aren’t de rigueur for walking down the aisle anymore.

“We at Nina are noticing that brides, in general, are increasingly focused on individualism. It seems the bride wants to break the glass ceiling, express her style and ultimately own her look,” reports Kerry Magnusson, Nina’s director of bridal merchandising, who says that glitter and brooches are trending.

“Materials and textiles have taken center stage in footwear design,” she adds.

“It’s all about texture and infusing luster into the fabrications. We are also seeing brides who are open to color outside of the typical ivory, champagne and metallic.”

Saadia Hussain, spokesperson for French Sole, agrees: “Bridal shoes used to be just specific fabrics and most likely a pump or heel. Now brides really can wear anything from a flat with jewelry ornaments to a teal colored shoe,” she says. The chic ballet flat purveyor launched its first-ever bridal collection last summer. The line includes glitter and satin styles and wholesales for $85 to $102. “Not all brides want to wear a heel through the ceremony, photography session and reception; brides also want shoes to dance the night away in,” she says, adding, “They definitely love the memory attached to the shoe, but they want something they can wear repeatedly.”

“Bridal shoes are less precious,” notes Paul Mayer, the Parisian designer behind Paul Mayer Attitudes. “Brides are looking for shoes that are stylish, but also will make it through hours of a wedding.” Mayer says his lace ballet flats and kitten heels are popular among brides looking for comfortable shoes that will carry them through the big day. “My shoes offer a drawstring for width adjustment, comfortable soles to help support the lower back and high coverage around the toe area to hide any imperfections such as bunions.”

And while peak bridal season is typically March through October, couples get engaged every day and, similarly, ceremonies are occurring year-round. For this reason Magnusson says it’s important that retailers maintain a bridal presence 365 days a year. “The bridal footwear business is thriving, however in a new direction,” she says. “It’s an exciting time in the bridal design world and I believe the focus on individualism is going to gain momentum in 2013 and beyond.” —Lyndsay McGregor Nina

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11/14/12 9:33 AM

ATHLETIC STREET OUTDOOR KIDS

Beyond the Beach

DRESS

With surf and turf styles, Reef is exploring new options for growth.

WORK

F-Troupe Turns 10 The British brand celebrates by expanding its U.S. presence and doing what it does best.

IT’S A TALE we hear in this business everyday: Joe Schmoe felt there was something missing in the footwear industry, so he created a line to fill that void. Soon after, all too often, the wishful brand goes missing altogether.

That’s the shot-in-the-dark approach Mick Hoyle, founder and designer of British women’s brand F-Troupe, embarked on in 2003, except, unlike most, his tale has been an ongoing one. Today, the London-based label offers 70 styles and boasts more than 150 wholesale accounts in 24 countries. Not bad for a label that launched its first season with just six wholesale accounts. “The Spring ’13 collection will mark our 10th birthday, so we felt that we would revisit some of our classic styles from the past,” Hoyle says. “We mixed in bright colors and a variety of textures and we feel the collection has a happy and easy-to-wear feel.”

Manufactured in Asia, Portugal and the U.K., the shoes wholesale from $20 to $120. Mixing Victorian England with vintage flea market, the women’s styles range from a neon all-rubber “bathing shoe” sneaker to a mesh-and-calf nubuck western boot. It’s an influence that extends to the brand’s flagship store in London, where carefully curated British paraphernalia fills the shop’s interior. Come summer, the brand will re-launch its “Made in England” capsule collection of brogues, handmade in Northampton by an independent factory founded in 1881 that specializes in producing small runs. It will be available exclusively at the flagship.

“We have a real cross section of women who buy our brand,” says Hoyle, a self-taught designer who worked in retail for 20 years. “The age range is from 16 to 60, but I would say that most of the women who buy our shoes appreciate the quirkiness and fun side of the brand.”

Some of F-Troupe’s strongest partners on this side of the pond include Barneys New York, Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie and American Rag. Hoyle says the goal is to expand distribution, but the product must do the talking. “We are trying to focus on our quality and attention to detail,” he says. “At the end of the day, especially in this current market, it’s about giving a product with a point of difference whilst also achieving sell-through.” —Lyndsay McGregor

WITH 28 YEARS of sandal making under its belt, Carlsbad, CA-based surf brand Reef is adding more closed-toe styles for women to its lineup for next spring, and continuing to partner with talented artisans in developing countries around the world as part of its We Heart collection.

“One thing we really understand is comfort,” says Kelley Bruemmer, director of women’s product. “Everything we do ties back to our Reef DNA.” True to form, when the brand first launched Bella Costas (a 19-piece collection of ballet flats and espadrilles) last spring, it fused exotic beach styling with a quilted foam foot bed. “It’s like a pillow top mattress,” she exclaims, adding the collection was inspired by its bestselling Dream sandal. “[Drew Barrymore] was seen wearing our Bella Costas when she was very pregnant—that’s a testament to the comfort,” she adds.

For the upcoming season Bella Costas has evolved and includes a premium group of styles called Del Sur, featuring rich leathers and suedes and wholesaling for $35 to $42. “It takes the Bella Costas one step higher,” Bruemmer says. Think braiding and cutout details, and a touch of Guatemalan fabric underlay and hand crocheted appliqué. Following that up is a line of leather sandals handcrafted in Brazil. “It’s a five-style collection that uses the best of the best leathers from Brazil and ties back to the Reef heritage.

We first launched it this fall, and we’re running with it by adding more styles for spring,” she reveals. Each sandal features a fullgrain leather footbed with anatomical arch support and a durable

rubber outsole. “All of our sandals are lasted—an actual foot form goes into the sandal and then we apply the strap,” she notes.

The beach brand’s design team is continuing its collaboration with Guatemalan artisans by purchasing hand-woven fabrics and applying them to a special selection of shoes across all categories as part of its ongoing We Heart collection and Redemption program.

“Redemption for us means it’s either sustainable in an eco-friendly way or a humanitarian way,” Bruemmer explains. Certain products feature a 25 percent recycled rubber outsole and others are made from 51 percent recycled EVA. A portion of Redemption sales are donated to environmental and humanitarian groups working to preserve oceans, beaches and surrounding communities. It’s an integral part of the overall Reef way of doing business. “When we set out to make new collections, they always tie back to who we are,” Bruemmer offers. “We’re not trying to be somebody else. We love telling our story.” —L.M.

44 footwearplusmagazine.com • december 2012

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11/14/12 2:31 PM

Sizing Up Brian James Pediped’s founder moves into the women’s comfort market this spring.

IT’S NOT EVERY day that moms lust after their kids’ shoes in grown-up sizes, but that’s exactly what pushed Angela Edgeworth, president and founder of leading children’s brand Pediped, to launch Brian James. “Most of the moms who purchase Pediped shoes for their kids have always requested us to use the same technology in shoes for them,” says Cherise Angelle, creative director of Brian James, who calls the move a natural progression.

Brian James—named after Edgeworth’s husband—bows for Spring ’13 with a capsule collection of ballet flats and sandals in an easy-to-wear palette of neutral shades. “The colorways really go well with a woman’s wardrobe, like the cognac and the noir, and then the rouge offers that pop that every woman needs,” Angelle says. Wholesaling for $44 and made in China with all-leather uppers and linings, padded foot beds and soft, flexible soles, the line offers a stylish solution to women who love fashion but don’t want to sacrifice comfort. Or, as Angelle puts it, “a person on the go, whether she’s a worker or a mom who runs around—someone who looks for comfort and style in the same shoe and values quality.”

And just like Pediped, the seamless leather lining stops threads from rubbing painfully against feet, and back zippers and Velcro

closures allow for easy on and off.

“Once you put the shoe on, feeling is believing. You won’t want to take them off,” Angelle claims. “And they have a sophistication about them.” Looking to Fall ’13, the brand will expand into boots and booties in different heights with higher heels and wedges, and the ballet flats will be refreshed in new materials. “We want to use suedes in different types of leathers that have more of a washed feel.

We’ll offer more color options, but still in a very neutral palette,” Angelle reveals.

The line first hits select stores this month and sizes range from 5.5 to 11. Sadly, dads are out of luck as men’s shoes aren’t on the Brian James radar—for now. But, if they keep urging Edgeworth, who knows. Watch this space. —L.M.

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SPECIAL REPORT continued from page 14 of Seychelles. When the slipper came onto the scene, it was introduced at a number of price levels at the same time and didn’t go beyond the trendsetters. “Sometimes it is just about timing,” Ratsula offers.

“Brands push styles too fast, which is a big problem in this industry.

We design something that we think is the next big idea, it hits every market but then it doesn’t work because consumers need to adapt to the fashion. The mass needs to have a comfort level.” Still, the exec believes the smoking slipper might catch fire in 2013.

Too much too soon is a merchandising problem that Litvack says department stores, in particular, are a root cause. A fact being compounded inside the mega shoe departments like Saks’ 10002SHOE department in New York and the recent opening of the “world’s largest women’s shoe department” inside Macy’s flagship. Logic dictates that with such enormous floor plans how can one not show every trend—big or small as well as hits and misses—just in order to fill all of the displays. “They’re overwhelming,” Litvack says, adding that there is still so much duplication despite the bigger assortment and larger square footage. “There’s no specialty. They need to reconsider how they want to define themselves.” That bombardment of heel heights, colors and fashion trends is the same reason why Erani is glad he kept his boutiques boutique-y. “I’ve always wanted to expand the size of my stores, but I think it’s a blessing that I kept them small and curated, because I can bring in the exact shoes that I want. It’s not all over the board,” he says.

Then there’s the lingering weak economy that is causing many designers to play it safe and many retailers to not take chances. It’s a one-two punch that can knock out a fresh trend from ever getting off the ground. Litvack thinks even labels at the top of the chain

FFANY, November 28-30, Booth #2302 www.tecnicausa.com | 800-258-3897

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Too much of a good thing? Saks’ 10022-Shoe department in New York.

have been designing lackadaisical of late.

“Prada, Miu Miu, Dolce & Gabbana, Louis Vuitton… they all have similarities and versions of the same shoe because they are creating from the same design studios,” he says.

These days, the only newness he sees comes in the form of tiny details like a buckle. Down the road, Erani says independent stores like his need to put their foot down and demand the next trend. “It’s easy for [manufacturers] to make samples. We’re the ones that have to buy deep,” he adds.

Maybe the gateway to the next big trend will be found by tapping into little known brands just as the Russian and Middle Eastern markets have been doing of late. Designer Abel Muñoz says those markets are some of the last vestiges supporting new designers with original designs. “They are style conscious and like being the first on a new trend,” he explains. While their adventurous shopping habits are buoyed by booming economies, Muñoz says their collective buying power is not enough to make up for the reluctant buyers in the U.S. and Europe. “It’s still a limited market,” he says. “It’s not enough to survive on.”

In the meantime, trend spotting can’t be ignored all together (after all, that’s the fun part of the job), but how do you find one if it doesn’t come out of left field and look as odd as Crocs or FiveFingers?

First, trust your gut and hit the trend early. For example, Matush of Restricted says the company hit the oxford trend on its preppy head just as every woman started to grow tired of her ballet flats. “If you find that one shoe in its infancy, you can sell thousands,” he states. But how did Restricted know ballet flats were falling to the wayside? The consumers told them directly through social media. “If the presidential election showed us anything, it was the power of social media,” Silver agrees. “Social networks and bloggers, more so than ever, are adding fuel to trends.”

Elena Brennan, owner of Bus Stop Boutique in Philadelphia holds sites like Street Peeper and Chictopia in high regard. “Local fashion and style bloggers, like Style Maniac, help to weed through all of it and highlight the crème de la crème of fashion to the average shopper as well as the fashionistas,” she says. “People pay attention to bloggers.”

For Seychelles, connecting with bloggers and their followers is an effective grassroots way to have a direct dialogue with their consumer.

“Bloggers are the new tastemakers. It’s a more global, accessible way to look at fashion and girls can relate to them, maybe even better than to their favorite celebrity,” Ratsula explains. “When they see their favorite blogger featured in a campaign, it makes it more organically credible to her.” Or, as NPD’s Cohen puts it: “It could be a movie that stirs up the next trend, but that is the laissez-faire way of looking for the next big thing.”

It’s a new era where consumers are better informed, more cost conscious and, by and large, telling all of their friends about their latest purchases via social networks. “People are having more say in their fashion,” Muñoz offers. “They are more self-sufficient because they see how trends are interpreted instantly and they can determine how they want to be perceived.” Just like Twitter and Facebook, fashion is yet another way to share something personal. And, let’s face it, what better way to use that new iPad Mini you just bought. •

11/14/12 9:28 AM

continued from page 21 hope to make about 800,000 pairs annually in that facility. And we have several factories around Istanbul that allow us to hit 2 million pairs without too many problems.

Might retailers be more receptive of a new brand since there isn’t one brand dominating like it has been the past several years?

I would think so. But there’s still a ton of sameness in stores. If something becomes big like studded shoes this season, then everyone carries 55 variations of that same look and not much else. The reality is for some customers that’s a nice look, but for a lot of others they would never wear it. This summer, for example, a lot of stores were carrying really high heels, but when you looked at most women walking on the street they were wearing flats. You need to sell what people want as well as need. Along those lines, I would say right now the musthave shoe is Toms. But then there are a lot of shoes you see in the comfort sector that are just plain ugly. I mean, I would sleep in the garage if I saw my wife wearing some of those styles.

The fact is there aren’t any “old” women anymore. So I think making them feel happy and fashionable is perhaps a better approach than offering another ugly and depressing comfort shoe that they don’t really want to wear.

“

we have made up for the lost sales from the retailers we discontinued.

When it comes to distribution, the key word is selective.

Yes. If the best store in the world is Nordstrom, then why would you sell Sears? You’re not going to necessarily sell more, and you’re probably going to kill your brand. If we have the right stores and they sell enough pairs, then why would we sell to someone else? Fortunately, we are almost in virgin territory in the U.S. so we can pick the customers that we want to work with and ignore those that we don’t. There’s no history, for example, where a customer has bought for so long and a rep is arguing that we should continue to sell to them. If we don’t believe they are the right fit for the brand, then we simply won’t sell them. Personally, I believe selective distribution is the magic word with regards to the long-term health of a lot of brands across all categories. So if we do our job right, in order to buy our shoes you will have to shop the best stores. And there’s a store pretty much in every town that meets that criteria.

If the best

store in the world is Nordstrom,

then why would you sell Sears?

You’re not going

to necessarily sell

In what ways will Inuovo’s collection evolve for Fall ’13?

One area we believe strongly in is non-functional sport shoes. Think of L.A. Gear 15 to 20 years ago. Sporty looks in great color combinations and very soft materials. One example is a running sole on a leather basketball upper. Another collection features polished leather where one color is covered in black and then burnished by hand for a unique color. We just have to make sure the left and right versions match well enough. We also think creepers are coming back next fall, but with a twist. The sole and last will be tweaked as well as some fresh materials. We will have boots as well, and the simplest description is military boots gone fashion.

more, and you’re

probably going to kill your brand.

What’s your sales outlook for next year?

I think we’ll grow in the U.S next fall, but Spring ’14 is when we expect sales to explode. Thankfully, there is no mandate that says we have to grow a certain percentage this quarter or else. This is much more organic, which it needs to be. As a matter of fact, we closed quite a few European accounts that I thought we should have never sold to in the first place.

And that’s despite the fact that many of them were buying more pairs overall. It has led to increased sales from the better stores and, I think,

FW_12_12_QA_REVISE.indd 47

”

Might your combative reputation with regard to aspects like distribution policy and listening to management be an issue?

I have realized over the years that I have a little bit of an authority problem. My wife uses different words, but I think at times I’m annoyed very easily by people telling me what to do and I can get really frustrated. That’s why I decided that maybe it’s best that I try to run the show myself this time. But when it comes to things like trying to sell only the best retailers, I’m really proud of that record. While there may be those that haven’t always liked how I talked or dressed, or liked the length of my hair, I feel most respect me for that approach.

What do you love about your job?

The people, and they are the most important aspect. I prefer, for example, selling a retailer that might not do the most business, but I like him or her personally as opposed to the one who buys more pairs but is unpleasant. I also love working with the young people in our company. I hope to get to a point where we all have a good life and we are genuinely happy. Let’s say, for example, we do $20 million in sales and we are really happy—where we have a great life, great customers and are able to attend the soccer game of our son and the ballet recital of our daughter, so to speak. What’s wrong with that? So much in this country is geared to wanting more, more and more. While that’s part of the power of America, there are times I wonder if people are able to be happy amid that constant drive. I want our employees to be successful, but not to lose sleep about their jobs. •

11/14/12 9:39 AM

LAST WORD

BORN IN THE U.S.A.

A style from the Jay Adoni fall collection, made in its New York factory.

Workers at the factory in midtown Manhattan, which contributes to the 397 Initiative.

Working for America Jay Adoni is on a mission to bring craftsmanship back stateside.

SHOE DESIGNER JAY Adoni’s story is a familiar immigrant’s tale. He came to this country decades ago as a 17 year old from Israel with just $10 in his pocket, and the relentless desire to work hard to fulfill his American dream. For Adoni, that has involved a rich and rewarding career in footwear design and manufacturing.

He founded L.J. Simone in the ’70s, and more recently, he co-founded Pour La Victoire in 2007.

Currently he is CEO and creative director of the Adoni Group, makers of Modern Vice and Giraffe Walk, among other labels. And now Adoni is giving back to the country that enabled him to achieve his dreams in the form of an industry job creation enterprise—dubbed the 397 Initiative—that encourages manufacturers to produce a portion of their goods in the U.S. “I’m a firm believer that unemployment is the key issue in our country and politicians aren’t going to fix it,” he says. “We’re going to have to make it happen.” Adoni quips that he’s putting his money where his mouth is with his initiative, manufacturing 3 percent of products in the

U.S., and he’s hoping other brands follow suit.

“I figured that if I got too aggressive it’s never going to happen,” he notes of the small percentage. “I wanted to be reasonable and realistic, and not set a goal that would turn people off. Even if it’s 2 percent [U.S. production]—let’s just start somewhere.”

The idea of moving a portion of production stateside came to Adoni when he visited Don Klingbeil as he was in the process of closing his NY-based business, Klingbeil Ice Skates. “We couldn’t believe the talent that he had there—the shoe making ability, the craftsmanship—so we decided to buy it,” he recalls. “I saw the smiles on [the employees’] faces when I announced they weren’t going to lose their jobs.” This instance inspired Adoni to open the only full-production footwear factory in Manhattan on 38th Street. So far the Adoni Group employs almost 100 people in the U.S., and Adoni is hoping to increase this number to 500 in the near future. “There’s a lot of advantages to making shoes here,” he offers.

“We’re helping retailers do more business, and

it helps us in developing those brands. We’re designing constantly—every day there is a new shoe on my desk.”

But, as Adoni revealed, it’s not all a walk in the park. “Employees need to know how to sew, last shoes and cut leather,” he explains. “That generation in this country has died off, but I want to bring it back.” He notes opening schools to teach these skills would be a vital step in that process. Another obstacle Adoni faces is the lack of U.S.-made materials needed to build shoes.

“The support industry has disappeared,” he says.

“I’m on a constant chase of companies throughout the country that make cement, which is the glue, nails to hold the insoles of the lasts, zippers, buckles, chains and boxes.” Otherwise, he imports the materials.

Currently the Adoni Group manufactures 100 percent of Klingbeil Ice Skates, Giraffe Walk and Modern Vice in New York. Nearly one-third of his namesake brand is also produced in Manhattan, and Adoni is looking to expand this even further.

“Our hope is to be able to do a percentage of every brand and have a domestic ingredient to it,” he says. And if other manufacturers follow suit, Adoni believes the snowball effect will create thousands of jobs. “If every single one of us who has done well in this country and wants to say thank you commits to 3 percent [U.S.] manufacturing, we wouldn’t have the problems we have right now,” he maintains.

Though Adoni has traded in his weekends in the Hamptons to work six or seven days each week to give his 397 Initiative legs, he wouldn’t have it any other way. “It’s easy to die and be the richest guy in the cemetery, but I would rather be rich spiritually while still on Earth,” he says. “If I get 40 or 60 companies to join me in this effort, I think we can make a huge dent in bringing some happiness to many families.” —Maria Bouselli

48 footwearplusmagazine.com • december 2012

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