Footwear Plus | June 2023

FEATURES

12 Utopian Vision Evan Schwartz, president of Aetrex, on building a company to benefit the entire industry.

By Greg Dutter

26 Go West

From coastal cowgirls to Swifties, everybody’s ranch dressing.

By Kathleen O’Reilly

DEPARTMENTS

4 Editor’s Note

6 This Just In: Vancouver

8 Scene & Heard

Belinda Pina Publisher

Greg Dutter

Editorial Director

Nancy Campbell

Trevett McCandliss Creative Directors

EDITORIAL

Kathy Passero Editor at Large

Kathleen O’Reilly

Fashion Editor

Ann Loynd Burton

Contributing Editor

Melodie Jeng

Marcy Swingle

Contributing Photographers

ADVERTISING/ PRODUCTION

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Circulation Director

Catherine Rosario

Office Manager

Mike Hoff Digital Director

WAINSCOT MEDIA

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Chairman

Mark Dowden

President & CEO

Steven J. Resnick Vice President & CFO

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Photography by Trevett McCandliss; styling by Mariah Walker/Art Department; fashion editor: Kathleen O’Reilly; model: Bianca Redmerski/Supreme Model Mgmt.; makeup: Maya Ling Feero; hair: Vera Koumbiadis; photo assistant: Ben Bitton; styling assistant: Eileen Viglietta; production assistant: Olivia Mannarino.

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CIRCULATION

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For Love of the Game

AS A KID growing up in Northern New Jersey, I could usually be found on a playing field or a court. I chased down balls hit, kicked, or swatted at me year-round. In fact, I think I really might be part Golden Retriever.

From spring through late summer, I spent hours fielding grounders, leaving the field covered in diamond dust. I played pepper with my older brother in our backyard night after night, until it got dark. He was really good and went on to play college ball, whereas I was more of a human backstop. But I took my lumps and bruises and, eventually, practice made better. I got to be a “decent glove,” as they say, although never much of a stick. (Hence, the journalism career.) My father, a die-hard Orioles fan, wanted to name me after Brooks Robinson, considered by many to be the best-fielding third baseman in history. I daydream, now and then, about how far I might have gone with that name because, as we all know, branding can play a huge role in success. Personal branding what-ifs aside, I loved playing baseball—the smell of the grass, the chatter among teammates, and the supreme satisfaction of snaring a hard-hit short hop.

From fall through early winter, I spent countless hours on soccer fields. I started out as a goalie, which seemed like a logical transition from baseball, as I was accustomed to trying to stop balls hit at me. This ball was bigger, and not nearly as hard. Easy enough, right? By the end of practices and games, I’d be smeared head to toe in grass and mud. While I got pretty good at stopping shots hit to my left and right, my downfall was above me. I wasn’t goalie tall, so any dreams of graduating to the Premier League were snuffed out by middle school. Still, I loved playing soccer. It really is a “beautiful game.”

I logged a fair amount of time on tennis courts, as well. My neighbor at the time was quite skilled, and he used me for practice. I’d chase down his forehand smashes and deft backhand lobs. Eventually, as those summer evenings wore on, I figured out how to put up a fight with decent rallies. He was a tough love coach who, unlike my older brother, never let me win. Turns out, what I loved most about tennis was that it was all on

me—the good and bad shots. That’s probably why I transitioned well to bike racing during high school and college. It was (and still is) the sport that I believe best taps into my Golden Retriever DNA, with its pursuit of finish lines and a lifetime mileage log that offers milestones but no finality. And while bike racing is often a team sport, no one pedals for me. I love bike riding to this day—the mental escape it offers, the physical fitness attributes, and the efficiency of machine and man working as one, especially when that machine is (now) an Italian-made work of art with a carbon frame and wheels. As we all know in this industry, you often get what you pay for. There is foot covering and then there’s genuine wearable art as well as performance technology that truly makes a difference. It’s the same with bikes.

That brings me to this issue’s Q&A with Evan Schwartz, president of Aetrex (p. 12). Since he and his brothers Larry (CEO) and Matt (chief revenue officer) took the reins of the family business about 25 years ago, the company has continually evolved to get better at whatever it does. This now spans orthotics, footwear, and technology, the latter led by its Albert 2 Pro foot scanning devices. Now the brothers are applying their quest for improvement to benefit entire industry through a Foot.com data portal that harnesses the power of Aetrex’s 40 million (and counting) foot scans so all brands can potentially make better footwear. The exclusive data is a gold mine of information about feet, fit, function, and brand/style preference, Schwartz says. And if the idea works, wholesalers, retailers, consumers, and Aetrex all win. This is utopian in scope. Numerous brands are already in partnership, including direct competitors. It’s a potential game-changer. The fact that the Schwartz brothers are some of the most genuine and likable people in this industry makes rooting for their success that much easier.

As we all know in this industry, the playing field is in a constant state of flux. So are the rules. Winners, losers, all-stars, rookies, and veterans battle it out every day. You have to be prepared for whatever comes your way, just as you do in baseball, soccer, and tennis. And similar to cycling, there is no end to the road in this industry. There’s always “next season.” I love that about this game.

Greg Dutter Editorial Director

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Road Warrior

JAMES ROWLEY IS living the van life—and loving it. But his lifestyle change isn’t fueled by midlife wanderlust. It’s strictly business. His upstart Woolloomooloo brand needs to increase retail penetration nationwide, but in the post-pandemic world traditional approaches like trade shows and multi-line rep agencies aren’t cutting it for the upscale, wool-based casual brand. So Rowley decided to head in a new direction: a year-long road trip—in a tricked-out showroom van—to visit existing accounts, prospect for new ones, and sell DTC at various festivals. (The festival stops help fund the trip.)

With high gas prices and hotel rooms nearly double pre-pandemic rates, “It’s just become very difficult and expensive for sales reps to travel,” Rowley says. “Plus, we’re the fourth or fifth brand out of their bags, which is not special like I want it to be.” Trade shows haven’t been all that special either, he adds. Aside from The Atlanta Shoe Market, many have become splintered and regional. Retailers are traveling less due to costs, and the ones who do attend shows are often pressed for time and distracted, which doesn’t enable Rowley to put Woolloomooloo’s best foot forward. Hence the van.

“I decided to invest in this van to show retailers that we’re investing in them by driving around the country to see them in person,” Rowley says. “I’ve cherry-picked 100 or so stores that we really want to be in but just haven’t had the exposure I want, and we’re visiting lots of our [approximately 300] existing customers to educate staffs and hold trunk shows. We’re making targeted appointments with some of the best stores in the country to showcase our entire line in a beautifully merchandised mobile showroom.”

What retailers see when Rowley rolls into town is the complete Woolloomooloo line merchandised on slat walls ensconced in the full-on brand vibe. That includes complimentary servings of Australian chardonnay and cheddar cheese. “Just showing up at their doorstep makes a great impression, which is quite different than showing up with a bag full of shoes and having to lay them out in a stockroom,” Rowley says. “This van is a trade show-type set-up in an environment of how our brand should be merchandised.”

So far so good. Around 17 states, dozens of stores, and 8,000 miles into his journey, Rowley says the reception has been terrific. Even the occasional dropins have been a success. People are generally willing to take the time to see what Woolloomooloo is about. Only one declined because he was three weeks behind on paperwork and just too busy. “I said, ‘What’s the difference between three weeks and three weeks and 10 minutes? I’m parked four steps outside your store, so why not check us out,’” Rowley recalls. “Nope.”

For those retailers who have taken the time, Rowley believes the van has been a difference maker. It serves as the ideal classroom to educate existing customer staffs and get them pumped up to sell the brand. The prospect visits are paying strong dividends too. “Woolloomooloo might have caught their eye at a show, but they didn’t have the time to look more closely to understand what we’re all about,” he says. “But when I show them the brand in this van environment, the positive reaction is absolutely undisputable.”

Rowley believes Woolloomooloo fills a void in the marketplace. “We’ve found a gap that we slip into very nicely, which is capturing that customer who’s been living in their Hoka or On running shoes for the last two to three years but now doesn’t want to always look like they’re just on their way back from the gym,” he says. “They want to be a little more dressed up, but not to a point where they

Woolloomooloo’s James Rowley is taking the Aussie wool brand on tour.

Man with a van: Woolloomooloo’s Jame Rowley (above) is putting the brand’s best foot forward at leading comfort stores nationwide.

throw on a Gucci loafer. It’s in the middle, and our very simple Merino wool design, colors, and lack of logos planted all over shoes fit nicely between the athletic and dress categories.” Rowley credits his store visits for helping bring this niche into focus. “Conversations with retailers have really opened my eyes to this gap in the marketplace,” he says.

It helps that many of these retailers are on the hunt for new brands, especially in the face of a consolidated landscape the likes of which have never been seen. “We’ve always had to deal with one Ugg or Birkenstock in the marketplace, but now a handful of giants are just dominating the independent channel,” Rowley says. “So, a lot of retailers are concerned and looking for options to spread the risk a little bit. They’re looking for new blood, for sure.”

Consumers on the festival circuit are equally enthusiastic about the van. It’s been a hit at wool festivals, in particular. “People show up head to toe in outfits they’ve knitted themselves, yet they aren’t usually wearing wool shoes. So, when they see ours, they just love them,” he says, noting that the van carries 100 pairs of inventory. “We have enough inventory to make sure people get their size right and can pick the color they want, but most purchase through our Shopify site where we drop-ship directly from our warehouse.”

DTC sales aside, the driving force behind Rowley’s odyssey is to meet face-to-face with leading specialty retailers. For starters, he believes this is where new brands can become established ones. “These are the stores where you build a brand—it’s where your shoes get talked about the right way, because the people working on those floors really care and want their stores to be successful,” he says. “They merchandise and sell your line well. They speak the language that I want them to speak.”

In addition to seeing the country, Rowley’s trip has given him an inspiring reminder of how great these stores are—and shown him that, despite all odds, they’re succeeding. It gives him hope for a bright future.

“Stores like Shoe Market in Massachusetts, Maine’s Lamey-Wellehan, and Comfort One in the D.C. area are beautiful and just so well executed,” he says. “I love seeing these thriving independent retailers who have great people working the floor and really understand shoes. It’s just been one great stop after another.”

Buzz Worthy

FOUR YEARS AGO , a cannabis market research firm estimated the CBD market would spike from $5 billion to $23.7 billion by this year. That’s a lot of green! Specifically, the market potential for hemp-based products that alleviate pain, reduce anxiety, and improve sleep is enormous. In fact, it’s pretty much anyone and everyone, as these products do not contain THC (the ingredients that makes users high), are organic, and vegan. These products present a big add-on sales opportunity for shoe retailers.

“They can complement a retailer’s existing product line, such as athletic shoes or footcare products,” says Mike Berkis, cofounder and chief brand officer of A.Leaf, makers of CBD creams, roll-ons, tinctures, and bath and foot salts. “Additionally, CBD products have been gaining popularity in recent years, and offering them may help shoe retailers attract a new customer base.”

Berkis says A.Leaf’s roll-ons, creams, and tinctures are doing particularly well due to their effectiveness in reducing pain, improving relaxation, and alleviating stress. (There’s plenty of that need going around in the world, for sure.) Additionally, consumer trends towards naturaland plant-based ingredients are contributing to the popularity of these types of products, he adds. “The target customer for A.Leaf is anyone who is looking for natural alternatives

for managing various health conditions such as pain, anxiety, and insomnia.”

For those concerned about potential side effects, Berkis assures A.Leaf product are safe. “Consumers shouldn’t be afraid of trying A.Leaf because our products are made from natural ingredients, use no GMOs, and are sourced locally,” he says. “Additionally, we undergo thirdparty testing to ensure quality and purity, and our products are made in a FDA- and GMA(Good Manufacturing Practices) approved facility in California.”

As for the add-on sales potential, Berkis recommends retailers display A.Leaf products near existing wellness-related accessories, such as insoles and footcare products. Another good spot is near the checkout, as he says these products serve as a great opportunity to start a conversation about CBD. “Retailers can provide educational material about CBD and its potential benefits to help customers understand their effectiveness,” he says. Of course, feeling can be believing, too. “A key to our success is allowing customers to experience the product in store with samples and test trials,” Berkis adds. “I always say the proof is in the pudding.”

On that note, Berkis has high hopes for A.Leaf’s new MK Nano Kinesiology tape debuting this August. The exec claims it’ll be a game changer for people who suffer from plantar fasciitis, Morton’s neuroma, heel spurs, lower back pain, nerve damage, and other various aches and pains. “Our MK tape provides the highest bio availability nano CBD, CBG, and CBC—our proprietary recipe to help with prevention, performance, and recovery,” Berkis says.

A.Leaf CBD pain relief products boost add-on sales.

A.Leaf pain relief products

Rack Room Shoes Unveils New Store Design

WHAT

PROBLEM DOES

RACK ROOM SHOES’ new lighthouse store design solve? It helps customers (particularly busy moms) battle the “poverty of time” challenge by providing greater efficiency in their family shoe shopping experience, says President and CEO Mark Lardie.

“We see her poverty of time accelerating and the need for an efficient shopping experience continuing to grow,” Lardie says. “This new lighthouse model—with its QR codes, guest wifi, and digital sizing device—allows her to easily access a wealth of information in-store. We’ve also enhanced our directional signage and deeply curated the assortment to the local customer, to allow for a seamlessly efficient shopping experience.”

The design, in collaboration with the retail design group, CallisonRTKL, made its debut recently at the Mount Pleasant Towne Centre near Charleston, SC. Highlights include an enhanced Athletic Shop, which showcases an extensive selection of performance running sneakers, providing customers with a shopping destination. A Kids Club features a wide

our customers have and exaggerated the key elements of the store in a more refined and elevated fashion,” he says. “We want to show that our brand has a bigger reach than one might think for customers, vendors, and developers.”

Bigger, however, doesn’t include this store’s overall selection. That’s more refined to enhance shopping efficiency, according to Lardie. “[Our customer] expects us to take the first pass at getting the literal sea of choice culled down for her family,” he explains. “We take pride in our ability to ensure we cover her broad family needs with multiple choices of brand and style in a manageable bite.” And while the exec notes that Rack Room Shoes has successfully curated selections by store type, regionality, and history prior to this, the lighthouse concept, with its enhanced storytelling, reflects even more merchandise discipline. “We need space to let our brands and their stories sing, and the trade off is to tighten the number of styles while still filling all her needs,” Lardie says. “It’s a challenge, but we’re experiencing a payoff as we’re able to highlight our authority in athletics and kids, while still providing a canvas for our full family footwear presentation, which endears us to our loyal shoppers.”

Lardie remains a firm believer in the power of brick-and-mortar retailing. It starts with touch. “There’s a tactile portion of the shoe shopping experience that just cannot be replicated digitally,” he says. “Sizing, materials, and fit matter, and going to a store is the only way to currently satisfy these.” This is particularly true for children—a fact that became evident as soon as the lockdown was lifted, even with many restrictions still in place. “This rush to get back in the store told us her digital experience, while good and inviting, couldn’t replace the trip to the family shoe store,” Lardie says, noting that the channel is the is the only one, besides digital, that has grown in market share over the past 10 years. “She wants to see, touch, and feel the fit, and we have to ensure that once she’s made the effort to come to our stores, we provide her a worthy, modern physical experience that will surprise and delight her.”

selection of styles, brands, and assortments to ensure young shoppers find the right shoes. Rack Room Shoes has also invested in its In-Store Pickup options with new self-serve package lockers that enable customers to retrieve purchases seamlessly. Additionally, the store features a stateof-the-art digital foot scanner, allowing customers to measure their feet quickly and precisely. The redesigned space also offers open and direct sight lines, ease of checkout, and an inviting atmosphere that reflects the essence of the local community. In regard to the latter, the merchandise mix includes a smattering of exclusives in the form of unique colors and prints from Reef, Hey Dude, and Asics. The goal is to provide local flavor, a personal touch, and a sense of community.

Above all, Lardie says the design showcases Rack Room Shoes’ forward approach to retailing. “We’ve enhanced the digital connection

Despite a recent focus on DTC sales, Lardie believes many wholesalers understand the importance of the family footwear channel as well. “Our vendors know this is a space broadly accepted by many consumers as the place to buy shoes,” he says, noting that Rack Room Shoes’ 500-plus locations provides access to millions of shoppers, enhancing the reach of brands without sacrificing their positioning. “We see ourselves as an amplifier of their messages by giving them a way to tell their story to a consumer who might not currently shop in their preferred distribution.”

Lardie says additional stores will receive a lighthouse makeover, but on a selective basis. A second one should open this year and more will in 2024. “While not designed to replace our existing store, we think it can enhance our position in all our major cities across the country,” he says. “As always with new ideas, you have to digest, incubate, and refine.”

The family chain’s reimagined shopping experience embraces efficiency.

Exclusive local-themed assortments are a lighthouse store highlight.

Q&A

BY GREG DUTTER

UTOPIAN VISION

EVAN SCHWARTZ MAY or may not be a Trekkie, but he does have a Spock-like interest in science and medicine. Specifically, his interests lie in ways to live a longer and healthier life. He’s currently reading Outlive by Peter Attia, MD, and is inspired by the great work many scientists and doctors are doing on the brain, cellular makeup, sleep, diet, and exercise. In fact, Schwartz believes younger generations have a realistic chance to live very long and healthy lives.

So, what’s this “live long and prosper” sentiment got to do with being president of Aetrex? For starters, the Vulcan blessing could serve as a tagline for the 77-year-old, third-generation-run, family-owned, Teaneck, NJ–based company. That’s because Aetrex is uniquely built for longevity. Since Evan and his brother Larry (CEO) took the day-to-day reins in the mid-’90s—and soon after were joined by their brother Matt (chief revenue officer)—the foot-health-driven company has evolved into what now spans two thriving divisions: footwear as well as technology and orthotics (T&O). The latter is led by the company’s state-of-the-art Albert 2 Pro foot scanning devices. The divisions serve as a multi-pronged lifeline for retailers: The scanners draw traffic and address various footrelated ailments, recommending Aetrex orthotics, which contributes to add-on sales that bolster bottom lines. The scanners also recommend proper-fitting shoes from a retailer’s entire selection of brands. Everybody potentially wins. Taken as a whole, Aetrex is an intelligent design run by three close-knit brothers whose relentless curiosity and ability to evolve make the company, in many ways, forever young.

For many execs, a business that’s been on a solid growth trajectory for 20-plus years would be more than enough. But the Schwartzes are embarking on a much more grandiose vision of longevity—one that extends to the viability of the entire footwear industry. This next level utopian thinking involves data. Namely, the 40 million foot scans (and counting) that Aetrex possesses. Schwartz says that exclusive information, housed in its Foot.com portal, can help all manufacturers make better

Evan Schwartz, president of Aetrex, on building a company to benefit the entire industry

footwear, which he believes will result in happier, repeat customers. Again, everybody wins.

“Data is king, and we can provide a ton of it to brands,” Schwartz says. “We have 21 years worth of consumer information about feet, fit, function, brand preference, etc. It can help design better lasts and better-fitting footwear. We want to help everybody make better shoes, which we believe will result in a case of a rising tide lifts all boats.”

Aetrex is already partnering with several manufacturers and has donated a scanner to Detroit’s Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design. The Schwartz brothers met with Dr. D’Wayne Edwards, the school’s founder and former designer, last fall and instantly connected on what the Albert 2 Pro and its data could bring to students. “They can learn so much about different foot types and design better,” Schwartz says. “We can learn so much from each other, and we expect to do great things together going forward.”

Aetrex’s aim here is not exclusively altruistic. The preference is that Aetrex be the brand consumers buy following an in-store foot scan, be the purchase shoes or orthotics or both. The data portal is another revenue stream for the company. Still, Schwartz believes the potential industry-wide benefits dwarf those Aetrex will reap. “If we can look back and say we made our industry better, that’d be incredible,” he says. “That’s what we’re shooting for, which is pretty powerful and could be extremely rewarding.”

Is this all pie-in-the-sky thinking? It’s a fair question. Historically, getting direct competitors in footwear to exchange pleasantries, let alone partner to make their product better, is unheard of. Can one, for example, envision Nike ever offering such a service to Adidas? But this is where the Schwartz brothers’ unique standing in the industry comes into play. They are considered the “nice guys” in both retail and wholesale. Their enthusiasm for the business is infectious, and their willingness to share ideas is unprecedented. “We’ve had multiple competitors meet with our teams to learn about what we do and how they might be able to run their warehouse or websites differently,” Schwartz offers. “We open our doors to anybody who wants to come meet with us.”

The openness, Schwartz believes, creates opportunity. One never knows where such meetings might lead. For Aetrex, they often become partnerships that turn into friendships. “We travel socially with some of our retail partners, and we attend concerts with some competitors,” he says. “Life’s too short. If you’re successful, we’ll be successful. There’s enough shelf space for a lot of us to be successful.” Perhaps this utopian business philosophy ties to Schwartz’s interest in longevity. “We’re in it for the long term,” he says. “We only

want to be good partners and make our industry healthier and stronger.”

It’s already been quite a run for Aetrex, and Schwartz believes there is plenty more runway ahead. Not too shabby for someone who, as a kid, wanted to become an orthopedic surgeon. He changed course when he started working for a small company during high school that made coagulators to treat hemorrhoids, then worked in his father’s foot care factory during his college years. “Turns out I loved business operations—improving efficiencies, and making something I can sell,” he says. Particularly, Schwartz loves making products that make a difference in people’s lives. “We make

shoes with great comfort features and orthotics that genuinely help people,” he says. “I love that. I also love continually building something bigger and better off of that concept.”

What makes Aetrex so unique?

Platform and product diversity. There is no other footwear company like us. While we face competitors in footwear, orthotics, and a few in scanning, nobody does all three, and none do two vertically. That uniqueness is intertwined in our DNA. It’s also the key to our longevity. It makes us resilient and nimble, enabling us to muscle through difficult times and be successful. And looking into

OFF THE CUFF

What are you reading? Outlive by Peter Attia, MD. It’s a fascinating take on the science behind living a longer, healthier life. I’m also reading Bono’s Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, which is also fascinating.

What was the last series you watched? Shrinking and The Last of Us. I always watch two series at once. I like something lighthearted and something darker.

What might people be surprised to know about you? I’m a music snob. I definitely know I’m right on what’s good or bad. (Laughs) I’m also one of the last few people who cares about the album as an art form. Music just puts me in my happy place, and my brother Matt (Aetrex’s chief revenue officer) and I are obsessed. Every day we talk about new releases. We’ve never shaken out of our 14-yearold selves when it comes to music.

What was the best piece of business advice you ever received? Never be complacent and always be curious. Being curious is only a positive, especially in our industry. Our company is so very different, and I think it’s based on that curiosity.

Who is your most coveted dinner guest? Over the years I’ve

wanted to sit down with various world leaders. But I’m pretty much turned off by all of them currently. Now I just want to have a few cocktails with Keith Richards.

What is your favorite word?

Platypus, which is a nod to my niece. She just applied it to everything. It goes back like 20 years. It’s a soft spot that our family has for just a sillysounding word.

What is your least favorite word? I have a love-hate relationship for zoom and hybrid. Also, I hate irregardless because there is no such word. I hear it all the time and it drives me crazy.

What did you want to be when you grew up? When I was really young, I wanted to be a garbage man because I had to give my pacifier to that man and I always wanted it back. That was short-lived. Then I wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon.

What was your first-ever paying job? At 15 I stocked produce at a small grocery near my school. I made just over $2 an hour, so that too was short-lived.

First concert and best concert? Technically, my parents took me to see Sister Sledge. Maybe they were into “We are Family,” which is very apropos of my family. But I count my first as U2 in May of ’87 during the Joshua Tree tour. I also saw Nirvana in a high school auditorium, which was pretty special. My all-time favorite, though, is Bruce Springsteen at MetLife Stadium on Aug. 30, 2016. David Kahan (CEO of Birkenstock Americas), my brother Larry (CEO of Aetrex), and I stood in the pit against the stage as the band played 34 songs for over four hours. Our heads were exploding by the set list. We were like kids.

What is your motto? Be yourself, be the best you can be, and if you make a mistake, learn from it. Also, have the humility to let others do the same.

What is your favorite hometown memory? I grew up in Woodcliff Lake, NJ, and it’s of playing in the neighborhood and nearby woods. I have amazing memories of that innocent time, as well as the notso-innocent Dazed and Confused times. If I narrow it further, it’s the memories of my brothers and me riding our bikes to our local record store to buy the latest album or cassette. That store, Music Merchant, somehow still exists.

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the future, we believe that success will continue, led by the tech space. The team we have in place, the AI engines we’re working on, and knowing that we’re never going to stop developing adds up to endless opportunities to grow our business—and to benefit many others.

The data portal seems utopian in concept. Would you agree?

We believe we can make the industry a better experience all around. And by doing so, the consumer wins, whether it’s our brand or another, and whether it’s purchased in a store or online. Whatever and wherever it ends up being, we want to help provide the best consumer experience, and that’s by better fit and function, which reduces returns, making the likelihood of a consumer to come back to that brand and store greater. We want to do that together.

Direct competitors, even?

asked why we’d let competitors into our doors. I said, “Why wouldn’t we?” We’re not hiding anything. We’ve welcomed plenty of competitors into our technology, orthotics, and footwear divisions for meetings. You just never know where that might lead. I believe most people are decent. Also, we spend a lot of time at work, so we might as well have more fun working with people we enjoy. It just makes it more enjoyable.

How’s the reception been to the Foot.com data portal so far?

On the retail side of scanning, we were told no for years, but it’s since become essential. It’s an amazing technology that offers a great consumer experience and generates additional revenue through orthotic and footwear sales. It also reduces returns as well as captures the most amount of data. And now our scanners work in all kinds of retail environments, as we invested in new

technologies during Covid. So, it’s a lot easier to get yeses from retailers. On the brand side, data is hugely important, as consumers are more aware than ever about fit, function, and wanting to feel good. Brands can’t get away with doing the same old, same old anymore. They can no longer be complacent and assume consumers are going to come back to them. Getting the product right is critical. So, we’re finding brands are receptive to putting our scanners into their flagships and innovation labs, and accessing our data through our 3D Fit platform. It’s been a lot of work to get here, but our overriding mission is that consumers buy great products, and not just from

So, the ’90s are a bit of a blur because we were in the office all the time. It’s a family business, and we took it very seriously. Fortunately, we’d been studying feet our whole lives, as our dad has been a great teacher of foot care and proper alignment in shoes and orthotics. We believed we could build off that knowledge by making better products under our own brand name. That shift happened in the first couple of years, and it’s been full steam ahead ever since.

How much has Aetrex grown since you arrived and how much do envision it growing in the future?

Without counting our Apex medical division, which we sold in 2015, we’re about 25 times the size. Our goal, within the next five years, is to be two to three times our current size. We think there’s a lot of opportunity in all areas of our business. Plus, our tech capabilities insulate us from the normal ebbs and flows of the footwear business. Tech is seasonless. Of course, you never know what might arise—like a pandemic. Fortunately, we grew through that despite the many challenges we faced.

How so?

The pandemic forced us to hunker down and focus on our business. We quickly realized that we needed to answer the needs of consumers who started to demand better. Many became more active, and they want products that are healthier for them. They want to have better experiences. That means better fit and improved comfort and performance in their shoes. Aetrex offers both product and technology that helps answer all this at a time when consumers rightfully demand it.

Is Aetrex still dealing with supply chain issues?

It’s gotten significantly better. Everything is now on time, freight costs are

down, and our spring season is going gangbusters. Last fall, however, some of our deliveries were months late and freight costs were through the roof. Fortunately, we have great relationships with our factories. We never had delays from that side; it was always the freight companies. For example, on the tech side, it was hard to get cameras, which delayed the launch of our Albert 2 Pro scanner. Components that used to take weeks took six to 12 months to deliver. But we muscled through.

I hear a lot of concern about high inventories now.

I’d be lying if we hadn’t had some tough conversations with some great retailers about inventory. Fall came in late, and people are over inventoried. Plus, consumer demand is down overall. Fortunately for us, our spring line is performing well, which I think will help us going into this fall. I also believe consumer demand will be better than expected, and there will be a scramble for inventory. I believe this is the last piece of a messy two years.

Why, exactly, are you optimistic?

While everyone I speak with is trepidatious amid high inventories, inflation, and general negative consumer sentiment, the consumer is still out there shopping. I believe inventories will eventually shake out and everybody is going to head into Spring ’24 feeling good. I said this in a meeting about a year ago and I’m sticking to it. It hasn’t been the year everyone has hoped for as we were coming off high consumer demand and the money flowed into the market thanks to the government, but I don’t believe it’ll be as scary as some people think.

What is your outlook for the rest of this year for Aetrex, specifically?

I’m relatively bullish. We’re having a good spring and our fall projections >37

READING THE GREENS OF LIFE

DEAR BILL, You’re only 14 years old, cocky, a bit rebellious, and you think you know everything about life, but you actually have so much more to learn. Spoiler alert: You are going to achieve great things, but your path won’t be smooth; instead, it will take a few twists and turns, and may even seem a bit rocky at times. There will be no gimme putts, and sometimes you’ll land in the rough. So, get a good grip and get ready for the course of your life!

At 14, you’re fortunate to begin working in the family business, started by your Grandpa and Dad, as a salesperson at Golden Shoes in Traverse City, MI. Even better, you get to work alongside two of your older brothers, Craig and Jocko, who yearn to teach you everything they know about the shoe business. Pay attention! They are many years older than you and their experience is invaluable. Your dad may not be involved in the day-to-day operations in the same way as your brothers, but his insight and experience will also help guide all of you in ways you won’t realize until later in life.

After two years, you feel like you’ve learned all you need to know about this business, and you’re not sure it’s the career for you. You’re only 16, still cocky and more rebellious, and ready to make a change. Maybe you’re bored. Maybe you think you’re better than your brothers. Or maybe you want to prove to yourself that you can find success in something else. Maybe it’s a combination of all of the above. Whatever the reason, you decide to move on, and you find a new job as a “bag boy” at the local Kroger store. This new job gives you the chance to split your time between school and work—bagging groceries in the mornings and attending high school in the afternoons. It’s the best of both worlds—earning a paycheck and hanging out with your friends at school.

Another two years go by in a flash, and you graduate from high school in 1981. Your graduation is on Friday, and on Monday, you start work again at Golden Shoes! Your “bag boy” job is behind you, and you decide maybe the family business isn’t such a bad gig after all. This time around, you get to be a part of something different—working at the new Golden Shoes location in Petoskey for the summer. You soon realize, however, the slower pace of life in this Northern Michigan resort town is a bit too slow for an 18-year-old, so you land back in Traverse City, selling shoes alongside your brothers again!

You’re content being home…for a while. By the following year, 1982, your love for golf (inspired by your dad) overpowers your desire to sell shoes, so you move to Florida to become a golf pro. What could be better than living in sunny Florida with your best childhood friend and playing golf every day? At first, it seems like the best decision you’ve

ever made. You’re once again making your way in the world, on your own, and outside of the comfort of the family business. Eventually, though, the newness wears off, and even the beautiful weather can’t make up for the reality of what a golf pro’s life is really like: You have 350 bosses and each one wants to tell you how to do your job. Within a year, you end up hating your job and realize you’ve come full circle. You head back to Traverse City and get serious about your career at Golden Shoes.

You settle back in like you never left. You don’t regret your adventure in Florida; in fact, you realize it helped you find your true passion and lead you back home. You’ve been humbled a bit and you’re ready to learn from your brothers and Dad. You dig in and become part of the fabric of not only the business, but also the downtown vibe. Over the years, you discover you’re great at meeting people and making connections. You take your job seriously and become an excellent salesperson. You and Craig work your way up to comanager along the way. Jocko also forges a new path and moves to California for many years where he sells shoes at a Nordstrom location. It’s no surprise, though, that he eventually finds his way back to Traverse City and Golden Shoes. Northern Michigan and the family business run through our veins.

You and Craig take over as owners at the time of Dad’s death in 2012. You make Dad proud by growing the one-stop family destination, which is now in its 140th year of operation! In fact, the overall growth hits more than 40 percent! The success rubs off on the downtown district. You become involved in several organizations, including USRA, Traverse City DDA, and Michigan Retailers Association. Your list of accomplishments continues to grow, and you make a name for yourself in the business world. Just keep in mind a few Golden Rules for a successful retail business as you continue to grow: 1. Your employees are your most valuable assets and the backbone of your operation. Treat them right. 2. Work hard every day but also remember to take time for yourself and your family. 3. Always give back to your community because they are a major part of your success.

Your path may not be conventional, but you find great business and personal success, and you grow a family shoe business larger than anyone ever imagined. Keep on the path you started, and everything will fall into place!

See you down the fairway,

Bill

Bill Golden, co-owner of Golden Shoes, reflects on a career come satisfyingly full circle.

Links to the recent past: Bill Golden on the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland.

BOHO A GO-GO

A little bit country and a whole lot of Coachella, western notes top the fashion playlist.

Stivali

Spring Step

Corkys

Azura

Lamo

Diba True

Aetrex

Kork-Ease

Can We Talk…Comfort?

HOW DOES ONE define comfort? It’s an openended question. There’s no right or wrong answer. Definitions can be quite specific. A favorite pair of slippers, for instance. Or they can be as esoteric as the comfort of knowing something or someone. Indeed, comfort can be defined as a physical sensation or an emotional one. Of course, the same rule of thumb applies to discomfort.

For nearly 30 years, Born Footwear has defined comfort from a physical standpoint. Its shoes are comfortable. That comfort starts with Born’s signature Opanka construction. The old-world, hand-stitched technique produces a lighter, more flexible, and durable shoe with no unnecessary components or cements that will eventually break down. This cohesive, less-is-more construction allows the shoe to flex and move with the foot for a natural feel. Combine it with supple leathers, specialty padded footbeds that rebound with every step, and wide toe boxes, and Born shoes house feet in total comfort.

To date, that physical comfort message has been well received by Born’s broad base of loyal fans. The brand has a well-earned reputation for making shoes that look as good as they feel. Artistic touches, unparalleled craftmanship, and exquisite materials provide comfort and style. The Born faithful ranges from the Instagram generation to the Facebook crowd. Still, the brand believes it can do better. Specifically, Born wants to connect with consumers on a deeper, more emotional level. To that end, this spring the brand kicks off its new marketing campaign, “Join the Comfortsation.”

“We want people to have a comfortsation about what makes them comfortable and uncomfortable,” says Carmine Iandiorio, vice president of marketing. “By connecting on an emotional level, we can better use our skills as shoemakers to provide them with physical comfort. We want them to be able to rely on Born to give them those moments of comfort that can help offset any uncomfortable feelings they may be having.”

What better way to connect emotionally than by inviting consumers to unwind on a comfy sofa or

recliner and talk about comfort? That’s exactly what Born is doing. The marketing team is embarking on a nationwide tour (stops have already included San Francisco and Boston) where a cushy seat is set up in a local park and consumers are encouraged to sit down and share what makes them comfortable and uncomfortable.

“The concept is that you can ‘take comfort’ anywhere, and our comfort travels with you,” Iandiorio explains, noting that interviewees are offered the chance to try on select styles. “We’re hitting them with the message that our product line is diverse and there’s something that’s comfortable for them and will bring them some emotional comfort as well.”

Born will be creating links on its landing page that encourages consumers to join the comfortsation. The hub features video interviews to encourage participation. “It’s a platform for people to offer their stories to create a human connection to our brand,” Iandiorio says. He believes this new approach will be a difference-maker. “Anyone can claim to be the ‘most comfortable’ brand in the world, but what does that really mean? We want to go beyond that, and we believe this is a good way to convey our broader mission, which is not to just make comfortable shoes. We want to make consumers feel comfortable physically and emotionally.”

What has Born learned so far about what makes people comfortable and uncomfortable? Answers range from clothes to friends to chocolate, stability, family, streaming, sleep, a nice couch, home, equal opportunity, and a feeling that anything is possible. Causes of discomfort? Social media, heat, injustice, lack of stability, public speaking, and negativity in the world.

“We’ve interviewed people in their 50s to college kids, and they’re all connected by this idea of comfort and discomfort,” Iandiorio says. “This campaign is going to really ground our brand message so that everyone will be able to relate to Born. Who doesn’t want to be comfortable? It’s a very attainable aspiration that speaks to a broader audience. What makes you comfortable? What makes you uncomfortable? Born makes you comfortable.”

A new marketing campaign by Born seeks a ‘comfortsation’ with consumers that goes beyond shoes to connect on an emotional level.

Chocolate, heat...San Franciscans joined Born’s running comfortsation about comfort and discomfort.

COUNTRY HITS

Mammas, do let your babies grow up to be cowboys.

Ariat

Durango

Smoky Mountain

Twisted X

Double-H Boots

Justin

Georgia Boot

Tony Lama

Thank you to all of our corporate partners who have supported the mission of the Two Ten Footwear Foundation in the past year, especially those who've made multi-year commitments. Your generosity ensures that we can continue bringing hope and opportunity to the footwear community.

We truly could not do our work without you!

NATURE CALLS

Off-road and on trend, versatile trail runners merge style with substance.

Merrell

Lowa

Forsake

Propét

Ecco

Astral

Clarks

Roper boots with vamp stitch detail by Franco Sarto.

Clockwise from top right: NeroGiardini suede slouch boot; bootie with hidden platform heel by Kork-Ease; suede roper bootie by Rieker; bootie with whipstitch detail by Bed Stu; snip toe roper by Smoky Mountain Boots; Dansko leather Chelsea boot with gore inserts; suede ankle boot with stacked heel by Andre Assous Opposite page: Corkys crocembossed roper with side zipper.

Dolce Vita leather ropers. Opposite page: pull-up boot with block heel by Diba True

From top: Stivali cowboy boot with wrapped leather heel; tall shaft leather boot with tonal stitching by Naked Feet; upcycled leather cowboy boot by Twisted X; tall roper with hidden calf stretch insert by Ariat Opposite page: western boots with rubber soles by Steve Madden

Patrizia mid-calf leather cowboy boots with contrast stitching. Opposite page: Sanctuary suede ankle boots with back zipper.

Fashion editor: Kathleen O’Reilly; model: Bianca Redmerski/Supreme Model Mgmt.; makeup: Maya Ling Feero: hair: Vera Koumbiadis; photo assistant: Ben Bitton; styling assistant: Eileen Viglietta; production assistant: Olivia Mannarino.

Taking Care of (Daily) Business

Alessandro Bracalente, managing director of NeroGiardini, on the Italian brand’s all-encompassing design philosophy. By

ONLY FOOLS SUFFER for fashion these days. If the pandemic taught people anything, it’s that they didn’t have to be uncomfortable in a world gone epically uncomfortable. The desire for comfort continues, spanning work, food, and clothing, i.e. daily life. Of course, there are nuances within those parameters, but being comfortable reigns supreme.

Enter: NeroGiardini, the Italian label that makes a closet full of women’s and men’s styles (including sneakers, boots, booties, loafers, sandals, oxfords, slingbacks, derbys, ballerina flats, and slippers) with one stipulation: every style must be comfortable. “We don’t believe comfort is optional for today’s customer—it’s a requirement,” says Alessandro Bracalente, managing director and second-generation shoemaker. “Our shoes are made with the highest specialized manufacturing standards, from sketch to technical pattern making to production. What really distinguishes us is the enormous time we dedicate to fit. All of our products are tested and worn by different types of feet for many days, allowing us to make adjustments as needed. Only when a style, last, and outsole are perfectly correct do we proceed into production.”

Currently, NeroGiardini employs approximately 2,000 people that produce 18,000 pairs of shoes daily. Bracalente assures every single style meets its standards of “ultimate design, quality, and comfort” with an overall daily life aesthetic. “Our women’s footwear, for example, is always feminine, cool, and comfortable,” he says. “The secret to our comfort is that your feet never get tired while wearing our shoes. In fact, our goal is that you don’t think about your feet because you’re so comfortable.”

For Fall/Winter ’23 that includes a focus on moccasins and loafers, spanning mid and core styles to dressier high heels to street/rock silhouettes. “We also see growth and diversity in our glamour collection, everything from kitten heels with pointy toes to sexy platforms to cozy heels with square toes,” Bracalente says, adding that the muse for the season was street life from around the world. “It’s crucial to keep our eyes on street style from the coolest cities in the world:

London, Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen, Barcelona, Tokyo, Seoul, New York, L.A. and, of course, Milan and Rome,” he says. “It’s the authentic and inspirational way to be in step with the times.”

NeroGiardini is keeping step with its growth plans, as well. Recently, the company extended beyond its European base to South Korea, Japan, and the U.S., which is a prime target for growth. It helps, Bracalente says, that the pandemic is now in the rearview mirror. “This season, we’re seeing an increase compared to the last few years, which were challenging for everyone,” he says. “Our top priority is developing our identity in the U.S., where our design, quality, pricing, and service are being well-received.” Bracalente is confidant NeroGiardini will achieve its three-year goal. “We see our brand as a leader in the U.S. market, partnering with the best independent stores in the country as well as seen on the coolest streets,” he says.

Who is the NeroGiardini customer? They have a busy lifestyle. Our core customers are between 30 and 55 years old—fashionable women and men who need to be comfortable for days in the office, leisure activities, and special occasions.

What are some signature design features? A NeroGiardini shoe is made with the highest quality standards, no matter the season or trend. Each new collection follows the latest fashion originality in terms of style, without losing sight of our comfort and made-in-Italy DNA. We develop new silhouettes while expanding existing constructions with new accessories and details, and

Alessandro Bracalente

Greg Dutter

always keep our eye on the latest trends. Right now, the trend that has our attention is what we call Daily Business, which includes eclectic, comfortable, and fashionable styles. We are embracing this emerging attitude in society where you’re cool, easy, and comfy in your own skin. And while that includes sneakers, which has represented an important category for us the last few years and continues to be a significant part of our collection, we see the Daily Business trend growing. It gives our customers options beyond sneakers.

How has the pandemic impacted NeroGiardini most in terms of its approach to design? We felt the urgency to design footwear suitable for cozy times and indoor activities. That continues somewhat as there’s still plenty of uncertainty in the world, be it economic issues and other tensions. We never stop thinking about our customer, and we want to continue helping them feel cool and comfortable despite challenging times. We also understand that they want other options. They want to dress up. They’re not going to wear sneakers or slippers every day.

What is the best design advice you’ve ever received? To make people forget they’re wearing shoes. If you can put on our shoes in the morning and never think about them again until you take them off at night…that’s our goal. That’s the secret of NeroGiardini: Our shoes are so comfortable, you’ll forget what you’re wearing without giving up style.

Who are some designers you admire? I admire Giuseppe Zanotti. I feel it’s similar to us in terms of product typology: heels, sneakers, loafers, boots, and sandals—a true lifestyle brand.

What is an early shoe-related memory? When I was about 18 years old, I started to train in our factory with a quality check controller. I learned a lot that summer, and it’s a pleasant memory of just starting out in the business.

What do you love most about shoes? Nowadays, it’s the combination of craftsmanship mixed with our superadvanced technology services. It’s exciting to find ways for us to stay authentic while keeping up with today’s fast-moving market. I believe shoemakers are the true gems of shoe manufacturing. We call them artisans because they are artists in their field.

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are good, not great. But we’re prepared for great, because we’re running our business without a ton of debt and we have inventory. I think we’ll end the year in good shape on the footwear side. The T&O side has a lot of stuff in the pipeline and I think fall will be ok. The silver lining of our industry is everyone needs shoes, and it’s multiple pairs for different occasions. So, while consumers may pull back at times time, at some point they’ll always shop for footwear again. Previous downturns in the economy saw, for example, men go to the repair shop instead of buying new a new pair, but in the long run, they come back to buy new shoes. You might have to take it on the chin for a bit and tighten up your business, but those who survive will come out of it stronger. If you provide a great in-store experience, consumers will come back. If you make products that are unique, fit well, and perform, they’ll come back. But you can’t be complacent in any way, because then they won’t come back.

How much are you involved in the line building process?

While we have great design and product development teams that make my life really easy, I still like being in those meetings as much as possible. I try not to push my way, but I just love the development process. I love being in our factories. I just love making stuff. I get a kick out of all it, from start to finish. The ability to see something through from concept to design to development to commercialization to sell-in to sell-though, and do it all relatively quickly is incredible to me. It involves so many hands and processes, and yet shoes are relatively inexpensive. Even up to $200, that’s pretty cheap when you think about all that goes into making that product.

Shoes may be undervalued, but are they underappreciated as well?

To some extent. But I’m hearing more and more how much shoes matter to people regarding function and comfort. People want to be active and comfortable. They are smarter at making informed choices. We have to back up what we say and make. It’s really great to be a part of this conversation.

Do you and your brothers sleep much?

No. Although, some of that is self-inflicted, because we love to have fun. We blow off steam because we take our jobs very seriously. While I don’t have any desire to retire, that’s when I’ll sleep.

It helps that you three get along so well, which is not always the case in family-owned businesses.

We’re lucky in that we get along amazingly. We hang out together outside of work. We travel together. We work together on everything, and any arguments we might have are over nuances. But we never let work bleed into our personal lives. We have the same goals, and we’re always striving to be better.

What do you love most about your job?

I love so much of it. I love the people I work with. I’m sure you hear this all the time, but I’m so fortunate to work with great people, and I love building great teams. I also love making widgets that are beneficial to people. For example, you can look inside a shoe and see the secret sauce is an Aetrex orthotic that makes a shoe better and, by extension, that person happier and healthier. Similarly, our scanners drive customers into stores, and that feels really good, too. We sell authentic products. It’s a great feeling. •

Loafers play a big role in the Fall ’23 collection.

Family Style

Bob Thorp, CEO of Smoky Mountain Boots, on how being small plays big.

he says, adding that affordable pricing carries through the entire collection. “We offer retailers a variety of price points that appeal to working families,” he says. “Our target consumer is anyone who wants a good boot without spending a ton of money, and our line offers families the option to have matching boots or different styles to match personalities.”

IT SEEMS ONLY fitting that Smoky Mountain Boots, the Lawrenceville, GA-based western company that prides itself on being family-owned and operated, started out in children’s. That’s because it’s as if the Thorp family has raised a brand that, over the past 31 years, has grown to include men’s and women’s collections along with wide widths. And while the company has become bigger and more worldly, it holds dear its family values approach to business.

“We pride ourselves on being a reliable line that fills retailers’ needs consistently with quality, price, and style,” says CEO Bob Thorp. “We try to focus on being a family brand that offers something for everyone.”

Smoky Mountain’s tagline, “Quality Boots at Affordable Prices,” is a slogan that Thorp takes seriously. “Quality is always at the forefront of our designs, and being a mid-priced line, we know our customers are looking for boots offering a good profit with low returns,” he says. “That’s why we consult with our reps and retailers when designing: to make sure we are filling our customer’s needs while staying on top of trends.”

Filling a market need has been Smoky Mountain’s approach from day one. Back then, most brands carried only a few children’s styles, and not much depth. Thorp’s team saw a need for a more extensive line with price points that would appeal to parents. “Parents often don’t want to pay a large sum for boots that a child will quickly outgrow,”

Delivering quality at an affordable price requires good sourcing partners. Thorp believes Smoky Mountain’s India-based factory partner of 20 years fits the bill—and then some. “We’re fortunate to have found a wonderful, reliable factory,” he says. “They’re capable of producing new styles and constructions quickly, and we’ve found India to be a more stable location for production.” Thorp notes that there is a large range of available materials, especially quality leathers, and the factory is always able to quickly source any special requests. What’s more, India has been a reliable supply chain. “Most ports had delays the past few years, but India recovered quickly and that helped us maintain a consistent flow of goods during a time where others were struggling,” he says.

On that note, Thorp reports business of late has been strong. The pandemic-induced roller coaster is evening out, which is helping the company forecast demand better. Still, he says retailers remain understandably cautious as many are carrying high inventories right now. But the exec expects better days ahead, beginning this fall. One factor fueling that optimism is the ongoing Yellowstone effect. While the hit series may have been cancelled, several spinoffs are airing/in the works and a resurgence in western fashion shows no signs of slowing down. “Western goods are trending, and we hope to continue to build on that momentum and gain new followers,” Thorp says, noting that pop culture has always had a strong impact on the segment. “While our core consumers wear western styling daily, it’s always exciting to see a show like Yellowstone bring western fashion to the forefront and more mainstream. We’ve noticed more demand for a little different styling that appeals to a more fashion customer—women’s shorter boots, slightly rounder toes, and classic styling, as well as a cutter toe in men’s, which is between a square and more traditional western toe.”

Trends come and go, and it’s Smoky Mountain’s job to keep pace. Equally important: keeping pace with deliveries, i.e. being a reliable partner to retailers. And Thorp believes being family-owned is key to achieving that. “For us, family-owned means

stability,” he explains. “Retailers know who they’re dealing with personally, our customer service is well known as some of the best in the industry, you can always talk to a person when you call our office, and our shipping department is very quick and accurate. We want to be partners.” That familial approach extends to Smoky Mountain’s sales reps, who Thorp describes as “amazing” and “extremely important” to the Smoky family. “They’re often the day-to-day face of our company, and we’re fortunate to have a group of hardworking people that we trust and count on,” he says.

Smoky Mountain’s family-owned approach is unique in a segment dominated by large conglomerates, Thorp believes. “We use our (smaller) size to our advantage,” he says. “It allows us to make quicker decisions, adjusting to trends. We can develop new styles, leathers, and colors quicker than the larger companies.” In addition, Thorp says all inventory is sold per pair, which he says allows retailers more control over their inventory

levels. “We strive to be partners with our retailers, and to work together to grow,” he says.

There are no big tweaks to Smoky Mountain’s game plan for this fall. Thorp says the goal is to piggyback on the growing western fashion trend and expand into some new markets while working with current customers to build brand recognition. “Our goal is to ship store orders complete with enough back stock to fill any special and dropship orders, as there are always a few holiday styles that take off,” he says. “As always, our main focus is to provide ‘quality boots at affordable prices,’ while providing customer service that retailers can rely on.” —Greg

Dutter

Smoky Mountain Boots offers an array of styles for the entire family.

Smooth Operator

Vendee Pro enables retailers to run their businesses seamlessly.

DATA IS KING, and it’s safe to assume it will only increase in importance amid a pending AI revolution. Yet capturing and using it to benefit one’s retail business remains an elusive challenge—one that various software solutions claim to solve. Vendee Pro is one potential solution.

“Vendee Pro is an innovative application crafted to offer retailers a means to enhance their organizational structure for products and purchases,” says Alex Adeli, founder and CEO. “In addition, it supplies practical tools for improved budgeting, planning, and merchandise presentation.”

What sets Vendee Pro apart from other software solutions, Adeli says, is its emphasis on the critical aspect of a retailer’s success: product purchasing. “We equip retailers with unique data unavailable through other software, including spending patterns, purchase history, fully customizable reports, budgeting tools, product arrival information, and much more,” he says. “Vendee Pro specializes in handling the data you supply, offering a seamless experience for both data input and extraction.”

Currently compatible with the leading POS systems (including RICS, Shopify, Wix, SquareSpace, WooCommerce, SquareUp, and BigCommerce), Vendee Pro continually expands its support, according to Adeli. For retailers seeking a solution to rapidly, efficiently, and effortlessly transfer data between POS systems, the software serves as the ultimate, all-in-one destination. “Retailers can save time and money by making informed decisions early on with Vendee Pro,” he says. “The purchasing companion allows for comparisons of historical data from previous years or product data, such as margin and markup values.”

Gil Mouyal, owner of Bearden Design, a boutique in Birmingham, AL, is a Vendee Pro customer. The store uses the software to identify the categories and vendors it spends the most on, and to determine if it over- or under-purchased for any of them. Mouyal says Vendee Pro has served as a “lifesaver” when it comes to narrowing down product options, enabling the store to efficiently sift through all its merchandise. His coowner/wife, Debbie, appreciates the ability to quickly and easily search for and view products online, as well as track product arrivals. “Vendee Pro has simplified their lives by eliminating the need for catalogs or order forms to access product data; everything is readily available within their personalized online cloud database,” Adeli says.

Is Vendee Pro user-friendly? Adeli stresses that it is. For example, retailers can capture a shoe image while at a show or from the comfort of home, and then input the product information. Alternatively, they can effortlessly import images via URLs from online sources. “Vendee Pro streamlines the process of adding product data with its proprietary product prediction and smart filtration systems, taking mere seconds,”

he explains. “Retailers can then construct their personalized cloud-based database, encompassing all their products and purchases. Once products are integrated into Vendee Pro, retailers can generate order forms with a single click, create fully customizable catalogs, run an unlimited number of tailored reports, track new product arrivals, and more.”

Adeli says Vendee Pro’s versatility ensures that there’s no right or wrong way to utilize the platform, further enhancing its potency. In another nod to being user-friendly, retailers are not obliged to employ every feature in Vendee Pro or input every piece of data. However, the more information retailers enter into Vendee Pro, the more the platform can do for them, he says.

This is the creator extolling Vendee Pro’s virtues. What are customers saying? Adeli reports “rave reviews” so far. “Retailers love the ability to monitor expenses in real-time at shows, allowing them to understand where their money is being spent,” he notes. “They also appreciate accessing their data from any location and on any device, such as a phone, tablet, or computer.” In addition, clients have reported that Vendee Pro enables them to make smarter decisions regarding product purchasing. Issues like double purchasing similar items and exceeding budgets have been eradicated, according to Adeli. What’s more, Vendi Pro is affordable. “At a cost comparable to a few Starbucks coffees per month, Vendee Pro has emerged as an essential tool for successful retailers,” he says, adding that there’s a bonus. “In addition to organizing and enhancing businesses, Vendee Pro helps retailers separate work and personal lives by storing product images in the cloud instead of on their personal devices. This prevents images from cluttering retailers’ devices and mixing with their personal photos.”

Of course, there’s some inherent hesitancy about software systems delivering on their promises. There are lots of claims made, the systems can be quite technical, and there’s always a learning curve. There’s also potential user fatigue. What starts out as a shiny new toy can fall by the wayside as old operational habits die hard. Adeli, for one, remains undeterred. “Once clients experience Vendee Pro’s user-friendly and intuitive design, they have no trouble embracing it,” he assures, noting that many clients were previously reliant on outdated technologies or even Excel spreadsheets to manage their spending and product information. The ease of transitioning to Vendee Pro, he adds, makes the decision a no-brainer. “They can still export data to Excel files if necessary, but they also benefit from centralizing everything in the cloud without worrying about tracking files,” Adeli says. “Vendee Pro’s fluid data navigation becomes indispensable to their business operations.” —Greg

Dutter

Vendee Pro’s Alex Adeli (right) and clients, Debbie and Gil Mouyal, owners of Bearden Design.

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