The Outdoor Retailer Show took place in a scaled down version in Denver last week. With several major brands choosing not to attend, the show was quiet (not only on the footwear side). Our correspondent Kurt Gray filed this report from the show:

‍The Mini-Me version of the Outdoor Retailer Snow Show took place in Denver January 26-28. And this year it took place without most of the big ski companies or major outdoor brands displaying their wares. No skis, no boots, no helmets (or very few) — and certainly no industry party vibe, just the eerie background echo coming from people conversing in the corner of a mostly empty and massive concrete hall.

With so many important companies missing, trend-right buying became close to impossible. However, the big industry players have also recently made distribution choices that affect smaller brick and mortar retailers, pushing the little guys to look for alternative products and new partners. That was reflected by wholesalers who expressed that although there were far fewer buyers in the aisles, they were meeting new retailers that showed interest in carrying their goods. Brian at Bison Belts put it this way, “We’re doing things we’ve never done before because nobody knows what’s going to happen with their current suppliers.”

Education was a bright spot, with a full schedule of talks by industry experts well attended. The crowd overall was youngish and with a sense of purpose. Education and stewardship are qualities that historically have been overlooked by this show, it’s good to see them persist.

The footwear at OR was primarily utilitarian. As for trends, a lot of the footwear shown at the show looked like Redwing work boots from the 1970s. Goodyear welts, oiled leather high top uppers (9 inch), block heels and aggressive lug soles. Another footwear trend on the show floor was towards what could be called “the Kronhoffer” look — thin soled leather boots that are Blake stitched and cemented, low top, flexible and not intended for wet or rugged conditions. They are often unlined or have a very light lining. They are adventure based, fair weather footwear.

The Covid epidemic was the biggest influencer, wiping out scores of exhibitors, salespeople and buyers, many of them at the last minute. It is impossible to say how much bigger this show may have been without the pandemic.

Be it Covid, or supply chain disruptions, or the simple evolution of an industry moving away from its old distribution model, one thing is obvious; this trade show wasn’t utilized by the usual cast of suppliers, brands and buyers. The current combination of business pressure points has highlighted the different needs of individual industry groups, leading them to disagree on what role a trade show should play. SIA, OIA, hardware companies, softgoods companies, textile vendors and the retailers, both big and little, all have a different vision and there seems to be little appetite for reconciliation. The Outdoor Retailer Show management is being pushed hard to change the format, location, timing, and their arcane business practices in order for the show to survive.

‍[Editor’s note: Outdoor Retailer has a contract through this June’s summer show to hold the OR Show in Denver. Future plans for the OR Show’s location beyond June 2022 have not yet been made public. A return to Salt Lake City is among the potential options.]

‍Back in the day what made the Outdoor Retailer Show so cool was that you could walk the halls and see products showcasing the most technical and innovative uses of textiles imaginable and then go downstairs and meet the people that made it all happen. It was an industry that prized authenticity and took pride in community. There is a hunger for a return to that ethos.

The zeitgeist courtesy of Peter Lucier, “Trust and partnership is becoming more important than price.”

‍Disclaimer: Mr. Gray has been going to the Outdoor Retailer Show since Nalgene water bottles were considered ‘high-tech’. The publisher may not share his opinions.