TRENDS, PERSPECTIVE & ANALYSIS

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JULY/AUGUST 2023

Cubicle Style

Office style is-a-changing. Some days call for a dressed-up look, while others are cooler and more casual. Bottom line, the shoes you choose for work are about comfort and that is non-negotiable. A heel is pretty much always office-appropriate and a laid-back loafer can work well too.

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Past Magazine Features

Cubicle Style

Office style is-a-changing. Some days call for a dressed-up look, while others are cooler and more casual. Bottom line, the shoes you choose for work are about comfort and that is non-negotiable. A heel is pretty much always office-appropriate and a laid-back loafer can work well too.

The Right Stuff

Whether it’s on the work site or on the trail, there are two traits working overtime in new boot styles — versatility and lightweight performance. While many consumers are seeking out modern, athletic looks, some consumers still prefer the classic silhouettes.

How Perfectionists See It

Footwear Insight, in its quest to get the lowdown on the current state of the retail footwear industry, reached out to some of the best seeking answers.

Know Your Numbers

It seems to me that the significantly inflated cost of doing business is a huge obstacle to the future financial success of independent shoe retailing on a wide scale basis.

Pickle Power

Beginners and experienced players alike have been flocking to the pickleball court. The sport’s participation has increased by 158.6% over the last three years, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association.

The Running Event’s Outdoor Strategy

The Running Event (TRE) is leaning into the outdoors. Following last year’s introduction of Switchback, an outdoor-focused section of its exhibit space and programming, TRE, a specialty retail conference and trade show known for its focus on run specialty...

How Consumers Are Shopping for Footwear

Athletic, outdoorsy, and casual footwear trends remain strong with shoppers, according to our most recent consumer survey.

Trending Up

Summer is sandal time. This year, there are plenty of options to choose from. With prices trending up, consumers are becoming increasingly picky about both the quantity they purchase and the quality of each shoe.

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SEPTEMBER 27 2023 NEWSLETTER

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.

mōshn® is the most comfortable shoe for people on the move. Found in a variety of stylish uppers, mōshn® features Dynamic Motion Technology™, a new technology that works holistically with your foot to stabilize your heel and naturally move you forward.

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PODCAST
Michael Rich, Founder & CEO, PSUDO Sneakers

In the latest Footwear Insight Extra podcast, footwear industry veteran Michael Rich discusses PSUDO, the sneaker brand he started with his wife, Kortney, in 2020 and its latest partnership with Blumaka’s solar-powered factory in El Salvador.

Listen here

FOOTWEAR INSIGHT INDEX

Week of September 27 2023: 252

Much about the tone and tempo of the athletic footwear segment for the remainder of 2023 and into 2024 should be known later this week after Nike reports its Q1/FY24 results. While other smaller brands have and continue to generate solid results, Nike is, after all, the global leader in athletic footwear and apparel with strong global brand recognition and a history of innovation. The company reports its results tomorrow and there are currently opposing Street views about what direction the Swoosh is headed in. There are also mounting concerns that the return of student loan payments in October will impact the core demographic that purchases athletic shoes and apparel.

Nike shares are down nearly 30 percent since May. Some circles, who remain concerned about the company’s inventory levels, are tepid about the company’s likely results for the three months ended Aug. 31. They have lowered their respective outlooks for the company’s performance over the next six months or longer. Other takes on Nike’s future suggest the bears have simply gone too far. NKE shares are a buying opportunity now, they suggest, adding that senior executives may have good news this week about easing supply chain inflationary pressures and an early margin recovery for the brand.

As for The Footwear Segment as a whole, it fell for a third consecutive week by following up last week’s 1.7 percent drop with a slightly better 1.6 percent decline. The performance was led by percentage gainers JD Group, Shoe Carnival, Caleres, and Skechers. Five stocks—Asics, Designer Brands, Genesco, Geox, and VF Corp. – were essentially flat for the week by rising or falling less than 1 percent. The nine decliners were led, on a percentage basis, by Rocky Brands, Under Armour, and Adidas.  The Dow, meanwhile, fell by 1.78 percent during this period as concerns over another possible federal government shutdown rose. —Bob McGee

Company name
(Ticker Symbol)

% Change over week
Price 9/18/23 • Price 9/25/23

ASICS Corp.
7936.T

0.89%

$38.04 • $37.70

Boot Barn
BOOT

5.23%

$85.92 • $81.43

Crocs
CROX

1.50%

$87.62 • $86.31

Designer Brands
DBI

0.84%

$11.94 • $12.04

Genesco
GCO

0.88%

$29.66 • $29.40

JD GROUP
JD.L

5.78%

$168.47 • $178.21

Nike
NKE

5.14%

$95.51 • $90.60

Rocky Brands
RCKY

12.71%

$17.07 • $14.90

Skechers
SKX

2.21%

$47.01 • $48.05

VF Corp.
VFC

0.63%

$17.33 • $17.22

Company name
(Ticker Symbol)

% Change over week
Price 9/18/23 • Price 9/25/23

Adidas
addyy

5.35%

$90.44 • $85.60

Caleres
CAL

2.95%

$26.48 • $27.26

Deckers
DECK

2.79%

$526.26 • $511.60

Foot Locker
FL

2.41%

$17.87 • $17.44

GEOX
GEO.MI

0.00%

$0.76 • $0.76

Mizuno
8022.T

1.56%

$32.12 • $32.62

Puma
PMMAF

2.82%

$66.30 • $64.43

Shoe Carnival
SCVL

5.46%

$22.16 • $23.37

Under Armour
UAA

8.02%

$7.11 • $6.54

Wolverine
WWW

3.41%

$8.22 • $8.50

TOTAL
Week over week

1.60%

$1,396.17 • $1,373.98

The Footwear Insight Index tracks 20 of the most important publicly traded companies that have a substantial footwear business (6 retailers, 14 brands). Index base of 100 is key to the closing prices of 12/29/17

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