There will be sales tax holidays in 16 states this summer. Footwear will be sold tax-free in a dozen of those states, including Connecticut, Maryland, New Mexico, Texas, and South Carolina, with all 16 states offering tax-free status on apparel.

According to the latest Shoe Executive Business Outlook Survey, 87.1 percent of respondents see prospects for shoe shoppers over the next six months “turning weak” or “very weak.” The quarterly survey was released late last week by the Footwear Distributors and Retailers Association + FFANY.

Foot Locker Inc.’s Eastbay Team Sales business is being acquired by BSN Sports, a direct marketer and distributor of sporting goods, footwear, apparel and branding to the school and league markets. Financial terms of the transaction, expected to close in the coming weeks, were not disclosed.

Still coping with elevated transit times for products, more than 80 days to move containers from Asia to North America, Nike realized a 5 percent decline in Q4 regional revenues to $5,115 million from $5,384 million for the three months ended May 31.

U.K.-based JD Sports Fashion, which now counts more than 930 standalone stores in the U.S. plus a concession business inside Macy’s locations, wants to strengthen the online businesses of its latest acquisitions, Shoe Palace and DTLR. 

The Federal Trade Commission is suing Gravity Defyer, the Sherman Oaks, CA marketer of athletic, casual, hiking and dress shoes, which range between $155 and $235 retail, for deceptive advertising related to pain-relief claims and the brand’s “VersoShock” technology.

Pres. Biden signed The Ocean Shipping Reform Act into law last week after the bill passed both houses of Congress. The administration believes the law will “level the playing field” between big international shipping lines and U.S. exporters and importers by...

The inventory position for running footwear brands is forecast to be “relatively close to plan” in the third quarter, despite some shipping delays, according to a recent survey of running brands by the trade group Running Industry Association.

Specialty running store franchisor Fleet Feet has agreed to acquire New England-based run retailer Marathon Sports and its soundRunner and Runner’s Alley brands.

In a development worth keeping an eye on, Amazon has launched a Virtual Shopping, AR-aided Tool which has been available to Amazon shoppers in the U.S. and Canada since late last week.

UGG and Hoka parent Deckers Brands last week promoted 14-year company veteran Angela Ogbechie to chief supply chain officer where she will become a member of the Deckers Brands executive team and report directly to Dave Powers, CEO and president.

Aetrex reports that it is gaining traction with its Albert Pro 2, securing more than 220 orders for the in-store scanner from U.S. run and outdoor specialty retailers during the first quarter.

Greenwich, CT-based footwear company Marc Fisher, which has a portfolio of licensed footwear brands that includes Easy Spirit, Calvin Klein and Guess and its namesake label, has secured a multi-year, North American licensing agreement for Earth branded footwear for men and women...

Rocky Brands is downsizing its workforce by 13 percent. The layoffs are a result of the Ohio company’s cost savings review that will result in annualized savings of $3.0-$4.0 million.

Hibbett Sports posted a year-over-year “teens” sales decline for its footwear and apparel segments in the first quarter, in line with expectations. Men’s, women’s and kids’ footwear and apparel were each up double-digits when compared to Q1/20.

Senior executives at parent Genesco told analysts last week that Journey’s is continuing to see its fashion-forward customers gravitating more to casual footwear offerings and away from fashion athletic styles.

With the promotional environment expected to remain quiet and continue bolstering full-price sales and margins, Caleres-owned Famous Footwear is promising to employ a more tactical approach for connecting and engaging with its customer base.

The term “Shoe Fly” has been in the vernacular of most Pennsylvanians since the invention of the sticky, molasses-based pie in 1876. But it took on added significance for citizens from Pittsburgh to York, PA in 1999.

With Nike allocations and sell-ins to Foot Locker on the decline, especially for the all-important holiday period in Q4, the retail behemoth believes it can thrive in an adjusted merchandise environment flush with expanded product assortments from brands not adorned with...

As the family shoe chain Shoe Carnival gets ready to grow to 400 total doors this fiscal year and 450 locations in FY24, it is seeing its merchandise mix shift back to a nearly 50:50 split between athletic and non-athletic categories.

Deckers-owned running brand Hoka, which generated a 59.7 percent increase in Q4 sales to $283.5 million for the three months ended March 31 and a 56.1 percent topline gain for the FY to $891.6 million, is projected to grow in the “high 30 percent” range this fiscal year.

Despite persistent supply chain challenges and macro headwinds, Wolverine Worldwide exceeded revenue and earnings per share guidance in the first quarter.

First quarter revenue growth of 12.2 percent for ASICS North America was sparked by gains in the performance running and core performance sports categories.

The Swiss company On, which reported 68 percent first quarter global sales growth to the equivalent of $235.2 million and realized 86.5 percent topline expansion in North America to $137.9 million, is ratcheting up its distribution with major retailers despite persistent tight supply levels.

Global footwear prices are forecast to rise 8.4 percent over the next six months, ranging from a high of a 9.8 percent increase in Europe to a minimum of a 5.7 percent jump in North America...