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Wolverine Worldwide Continues to Simplify Business Model

The Saucony and Merrell parent continues to simplify its business model under Chris Hufnagel, president, and CEO, with two more divestitures designed to reduce its cost structure and strengthen its balance sheet.

VF Corp. Operations Impacted by Cyberattack

VF Corp., parent company of Vans, Timberland and The North Face, disclosed its Dec. 13 discovery of a cyberattack breach on its systems in a public filing on Monday.

ECCO’s New Flagship

ECCO opened a new flagship store in SoHo NYC earlier this month. The company, which celebrated its 60th anniversary this year, is also relaunching 16 of its global flagship stores with a similar design concept.

Is Nike Planning a Restructuring?

Nike, in a quiet period ahead of its Q2 earnings announcement on Dec. 21, may be quietly preparing for a broad restructuring, according to recent published reports.

Vasque Bolsters Product Team


Vasque Footwear announced it has hired Austyn Dunham as product developer. She will be responsible for taking design intent, managing the construction, collaborating with the suppliers and manufacturers to make each design come to life...

Lululemon Plans Men’s Footwear Launch

Lululemon, which last week called its early holiday sales “strong” and forecasted total Q4 revenues of $3.135 to $3.17 billion, intends to put extra attention on the men’s business and launch footwear for men in 2024.

In The News: Kane, Oboz, Fleet Feet

Recovery brand Kane Footwear has launched a product collab of its Revive design in partnership with running influencer and personal trainer Matt Choi.

Athletic Shoes Drive Holiday Sales

Performance athletic shoe trends were positive during the week of Thanksgiving as more than 200.4 million consumers shopped over the five-day holiday weekend, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF).

DSW, Journeys Deliver Tough Q3 Results

The third quarter, with its unseasonable weather and soft consumer demand for footwear, was not kind to either Designer Brands-owned DSW or Genesco-owned retail chain Journeys.

Foot Locker Vows to ‘Wow’ All Holiday Shoppers

Foot Locker, under the leadership of CEO Mary Dillon, has taken strategic steps to reach both deal-seeking customers and their counterparts who want innovation and the latest on-trend, premium products from numerous brands, including Nike, New Balance, Puma, and On among others.

Cavassa Named PrimaLoft President

Former Saucony leader Anne Cavassa is joining material technology company PrimaLoft as president. Cavassa, who left her role as president at Saucony in May after five years in the position, previously held leadership positions at Brooks, Nike and Timberland.

Warson Working with DC, ROXY

Authentic Brands Group is expanding its partnership with Warson Brands to have Warson design, develop and distribute occupational footwear for the Authentic-owned DC Shoes and ROXY brands.

In The News: On, Conservation Alliance, NRF

Swiss brand On has opened a new store in Miami, the brand’s fifth retail location in the U.S. and 27th globally. Located at 125 NE 40th Street in the heart of Miami’s upscale designer precinct...

Vans Looks for Answers, New President

With a brand turnaround unlikely to occur over the next six months and parent VF Corp. embarking on an aggressive ‘Re-invent’ strategy focused on many aspects of its business, Vans is looking for a new global president.

Brooks Running Maintains Top Spot in U.S. Performance Run Market

Year-to-date global revenues are up 5 percent and 7 percent higher year-over-year in the U.S. for Brooks Running as the Seattle-based company has reached new runners, recovered from Covid-19-related supply chain disruptions, and normalized inventory levels.

Deckers Plots Changes, Hoka, UGG Maintain Momentum

Deckers Brands is not standing pat. As its two top businesses, Hoka and UGG, continue to maintain their respective momentums, the company is preparing to divest its Sanuk business and launch a new label described as...

Skechers Sees ‘Positive Signals’ Emerging in U.S. Wholesale Segment

Although it’s being cautious about its Q4 prospects, given the macroeconomic environment and ongoing uncertainty about consumer spending, Skechers says it’s beginning to see positive signs for its domestic wholesale business...

In The News: Curry Brand, Crocs, Fleet Feet, Grassroots Outdoor

Stephen Curry and Under Armour announced the signing of a multi-year partnership with rising NBA star De'Aaron Fox of the Sacramento Kings as the first signature athlete with Curry Brand.

Puma on Track for U.S. Growth in 2024

Despite ongoing geopolitical risks, muted consumer sentiment, macroeconomic headwinds, and the speed of recovery in the U.S. and Greater China markets, Puma says it’s continuing to gain market share worldwide and will continue to concentrate on soccer, performance running, basketball, and golf.

New President at Academy


Academy Sports + Outdoors announced it has promoted Sam J. Johnson to president as Michael P. Mullican has stepped down as president to pursue other personal and professional opportunities.

Nike Connects with Hibbett

In a move that reflects Nike’s renewed focus on select wholesale partners as well as its focus on digital connection, Nike is teaming up with retailer Hibbett on a “connected partnership,” connecting Hibbett and Nike’s loyalty programs and...

In The News: TYR, VF Corp., PTC Retail

California-based swim and fitness brand TYR Sport has opened its first brick-and-mortar retail location at Roosevelt Field in Garden City, NY, on Long Island.

Senior Executive Changes at Adidas, Asics

Two key athletic brands, Adidas, and Asics are getting new senior leadership in North America. U.K.-born Rupert Campbell, who became president of Adidas North America in Jan. 2022 following Three Stripe stints in Russia and Europe, is leaving the company.

Report: Holiday Footwear Buying Insights

Some 60 percent of U.S. consumers with an annual household income of $50,000 or less say their budget or inflation is altering the way they shop for shoes.

Reebok, Shaq, Sign Angel Reese

Authentic Brands-owned Reebok, which last week announced the appointment of Shaquille O’Neal as the president of Reebok Basketball, announced a NIL (Name Image Likeness) partnership yesterday with women’s college basketball star Angel Reese, who plays for LSU (where O’Neal also starred).

In The News: Birkenstock, Global Port Tracker, Adidas, Teen Survey

Birkenstock shares were down $9.62, or 20.9 percent, over the first three days of trading as a public stock, closing at $36.38 on Oct. 13 after an Oct. 11 offering price of $46.00 a share.

Retail, Vendor Concerns for Holiday Season

Heading into the Holiday season, some 46 percent of brands and retailers don’t have enough cash or are unsure if they do to pay for the additional staff, inventory, and operational costs needed, according to a new Economics of Holiday Sales report from Creditsafe.

Atmos Exiting U.S. Market

Sneaker and streetwear retailer Atmos’s parent company Foot Locker is reportedly pulling the plug on the banner’s U.S. operations some two years after purchasing the digitally focused global retailer based in Japan for $360 million.

INOV8 Rebrands


The 20-year-old British brand Inov-8, known for its run, trail and fitness footwear, is rebranding with a fresh look to its name and logo.

In The News: RIA Summit, Original Penguin, Liberated Brands, Oboz

The Running Industry Association (RIA) has rebranded its annual member event, formerly known as Runchella, as The RIA Summit. The 2024 RIA Summit will take place in St. Louis, MO, from April 29 to May 2 at the Union Station Hotel.

Nike Banking on Key Wholesale Partners to Deliver

Nike senior executives, who last week described the company’s current FY24 as “the turning point” for driving more profitable growth, expect key global wholesale partners such as Dick’s Sporting Goods in the U.S. and Zalando in Europe to...

Doolan Named President of Salomon Americas


Salomon has appointed Steve Doolan as president of the Americas. Doolan, who starts his new role on October 23rd, joins Salomon from Hoka, where he was VP & GM of Hoka U.S.

ECCO USA Names Interim President

ECCO USA announced it has made a leadership change, with Deniz Erda, SVP and GM in ECCO Middle East & Africa, assuming the position of interim president for ECCO USA, replacing Tom Berry, who had led ECCO USA since Jan. 2022.

Vuori Mulling Mid-2024 IPO

The eight-year-old brand Vuori, founded by Joe Kudla, which has been developing a new perspective on performance apparel through the integration of fitness, surf, sport, and art, is reportedly in talks with various investment banks about a possible public float of its stock sometime in 2024.

U.S. Supreme Court to Address Debit Card Swipe Fees

Retailers of all types may soon gain some relief from the cost of debit card swipes for purchases, which are currently $0.21, an additional $.01 for fraud prevention plus .05 percent of the transaction amount that is pegged for fraud recovery efforts.

In the News: GEOX, Birkenstock, OS1st, Vimazi, Zamberlan

Actress Penélope Cruz has been named GEOX's first ever brand ambassador, the brand announced. Cruz is appearing in a worldwide advertising campaign for GEOX this year, with the campaign split into two phases — beginning with the launch of the women's Autumn-Winter 23-24 collection.

Altra Releasing Low-Drop Shoe

With an eye on brand expansion and product evolution, Altra, the running footwear brand known for its zero-drop, natural motion shoes, will launch its first low-drop style, the AltraFWD Experience road shoe, next week.

What We Learned from Birkenstock’s IPO Filing

Birkenstock, which filed an IPO registration on Sept. 12 and is projected to have an $8 billion valuation when it goes public, plans to trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker, “BIRK.” The offering is projected to go off during the first half of October.

JD Sports Delivers Strong H1 N.A. Sales

JD Sports, the U.K.-based parent of Finish Line/JD, DTLR, and Shoe Palace generated organic sales growth of 15.4 percent in North America for the six months ended July 29. Total H1 North American sales rose by 18.1 percent to the equivalent of $1.6 billion.

In The News: Manitobah, OrthoLite, NB, Adidas, Sorel

Winnipeg-based footwear brand Manitobah announced it has been certified as a B Corporation (B Corp), an assessment that evaluates a company's lasting impact on employees, communities, suppliers, customers, governance, and the environment.