Footwear Insight

M o r e t h a n 7 0 y e a r s a f t e r women flocked to the trades during World War II, they've established themselves as an essential part of the growing modern work force. But the world of work boots and shoes has been slow to catch up. Despite attempts over the years, the wom- en's work boot business has been dominated by shrink-it-and-pink-it product that was often dumbed down and ill-fitting, if it was even something a worker could find. As Garrett McGuire, category manager for Work at CAT Footwear, puts it, the current landscape is a little bleak: "Women are doing hard labor in industrial jobs and they have to buy men's boots and it sucks." But that may be changing. Brands say that with more women pursuing careers in the trades, the market is overdue for smart, well- fitted, job-appropriate footwear that doesn't consider women's fit needs as an afterthought. As a global labor shortage drives more and more trades to recruit women, and online communities bring women in the field together and let their voices be heard, brands in the work space say women's product isn't just a service they can provide their consumers — it's a big business opportunity. "Society overall has made tremendous strides in viewing women in an equal way — it's a perfect storm coming," says Ben Ashe, director, product management for Timberland Pro. "This is absolutely a tipping point for women and work," agrees McGuire. "Brands have dabbled in it, but dabbling isn't going to get the job done. For us, it's a strategic commitment to serving the needs of women in work, and I think that's what it's going to take." Here, four work brands sound off on the opportunity in the women's space, getting retailers on board, and what tradeswomen want. CAT Footwear McGuire doesn't need a lot of prompting to talk about women in the field. "I'm particularly passionate about this," he says. "I find women to be vastly underserved in work and I find it, frankly, unjust." McGuire says the numbers tell the story — and not just in the United States. "We see women making up nine percent of construction jobs in the U.S., and it's similar in other countries. Job sites are becoming more inclusive and more women graduate with construction management degrees now than men," he says. But the status quo already shows room for improvement. "Women buy 25 percent of work boots, but only three percent of the boots sold are women's styles. [Buying men's styles] means the fit doesn't work, the comfort doesn't work and they can't find it at retail," McGuire says. That blank space in the market is an opportunity, he says. "For us going forward, there will be an over-index of women's-specific product and atten- tion given to women." CAT's job, he says, is to help raise awareness with consumers about its women's offerings and to help drive traffic to the shops that stock it. And in that sense, he says, the lifestyle workwear trend is huge. "What you're seeing for next season and seasons to come is a real melding of lifestyle aesthetic and work product. If we have really good-looking product that still has all the attributes of work, it becomes less difficult [of a sell]," he says. It's also a more attractive proposition for retailers who haven't added a women's component yet. "It's a good entry point," he says. "It opens up new retail opportunities." Wolverine After diving deep with conversations, product reviews and research into what's lacking in the women's workboot space, Carrie Hill, design director for Wolverine Footwear, says the brand's solution to keeping women safe on the job site means giving them exactly what the guys are getting — literally. "In the 14 years I've been with the brand the evolution of women in the workplace has been dramatic," she says. "But all along, women have wanted to fit in and have product that makes them feel comfortable and provides the safety they need and until now it didn't provide that. There were too many cute details, too much pink, too much focus on drawing them in aesthetically. But if we want the fit, comfort and functionality that's equal to the men's product, there are different ways to approach it." TREND footwearinsight.com January / February 2019 ~ Footwear Insight • 51 WORK IT OUT BRANDS SAY THE OPPORTUNITY IN THE WOMEN'S WORK BOOT CATEGORY IS REAL — AND THE TIME IS NOW. BY JENNIFER ERNST BEAUDRY

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