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Listen to the Podcast: Talking Trends for 2019

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Footwear Insight editor-in-chief Jennifer Ernst Beaudry and Formula 4 Media Editorial Director Cara Griffin join Sports Insight Extra editor Bob McGee for a chat about trends seen at the FFANY Shoe Show and at The Running Event trade show. Also in this episode: the editors discuss a trip to Nike’s new store on Fifth Ave. in NYC.

At the FFANY show held earlier this month in New York, embellishments and texture took center stage. Embossed, pleated and woven leathers were featured for men and women; teddy bear sherpa linings should continue their hot streak in boots and sneaker styles. On the men’s dress side, streamlined heritage looks and mixed bottoms (including combining EVA with stacked wood) were strong; and brands showed women’s dressy looks on lower heels, continuing the momentum from Fall ’18. On the sportstyle side, ’90s retro looks with big logos should continue to be strong. In the kids business, boys will share in the cozy linings and plaid details seen in the men’s market, and sneaker and dress styles for girls emphasized chunky all-over glitter treatments, shiny metallic accents and over-the-top embellishments. Unicorns and Frozen 2 should play strongly in 2019 as well.

At The Running Event, held in Austin, TX, there were approximately 300 brands at the Austin Convention Center showing their products to the specialty run retail audience. Midsole technologies are the name of the game in 2019, with major footwear brands differentiating and innovating in subtle ways for the year ahead. Standout footwear brands on the show floor included Brooks, Hoka One One and Altra. Also of note: Under Armour showed off its expanded line of performance running shoes built with its Hovr cushioning platform — and all the new styles will be “connected” to work with the brand’s MapMyRun app. 361 Degrees USA is focusing on the fit of its shoes in 2019 with its new Morphit fit system. Diadora continues to increase its specialty presence and will have the Mythos 3 shoe as a specialty exclusive in 2019. And Skechers will launch the Go Run 7 Hyper in Spring 2019 featuring Hyper Burst, a lightweight cushioning technology.