DSW, the Designer Brands-owned chain of 500+ locations has tapped actor and TV/radio host Mario Lopez and his family of five to promote a curated “must-have” shoe collection for men, women and children. The assortment includes boots and sandals from various brands and designers, including Adidas, New Balance and Timberland and house brands Kelly & Katie and Olive & Edie. Retail prices for the styles range from $35 to $200.

The B-T-S ’21 shopping season is projected to reach record levels, barring lingering pandemic impacts that could include more remote learning in some locales due to the COVID-19 Delta variant. Back-to-School shopping typically begins in mid-July with many districts in the Southern part of the U.S. set to return to school during the second week of August.

With former Macy’s CEO Terry Lundgren projecting “the largest-ever” B-T-S season, the National Retail Federation is forecasting the seasons overall spend to reach a record $37.1 billion, up 9.4 percent from last year’s $33.9 million. Meanwhile, total Back-To-College spending is projected to rise nearly 4.9 percent to a record $71 billion.

Families with elementary to high school-age children will put the largest portion of their B-T-S budget toward electronics, new clothing/footwear and accessories, the trade group says.