Footwear Insight

TRENDS 28 • Footwear Insight ~ September/October 2019 footwearinsight.com KHOMBU Brandy K. McCarty, CMO/SVP Global Sales and Strategy, The Eastman Group Selected Style: We examined this trend with U.S. Ski Team athletes who face erratic weather patterns and carry only one boot when traveling. The Rylan is an urban crossover hiker with light hiker functional- ity and the feel of a sneaker with trail-ready K-Grip outsoles, K-Guard leather uppers and K-Comfort memory foam insoles. Consumer Focus: We see everyone as a potential outdoor consumer. If you go out- side to start your car or walk the dog, we have shifted our product mix to address your needs. Future of this Trend: For years, outdoor brands built shoes for the mountains. Now we build boots with key outdoor perfor- mance features for everyone that look great and are comfortable and versatile. MERRELL J o h a n n a K o e b e r l e , S e n i o r P r o d u c t Management Director Selected Style: Our Kahuna sandal pairs urban colors with performance features like Vibram outsoles or Merrell's new pro- prietary outsole lug design for traction and grip, as well as waterproofing and quality and durable materials. Consumer Focus: This consumer is an experience-seeker ready for adventure at any time and doesn't want footwear to be the reason that stops them. Future of this Trend: Consumers are look- ing for styles that have the performance they need for the trail, but also fit in well while in an urban setting. We'll continue to design for this consumer and lean into our heritage and authenticity as a brand designing for the trail since the '80s. OBOZ Dawson Westenskow, Director of Product Selected Style: The Missoula is a versa- tile product. We are creating collections that lean towards trail and those that lean towards town, but perform in each environ- ment. We will introduce several models in future seasons that speak directly to this trend. Consumer Focus: Millennials and Gen Z are drivers of this trend. Adventure travel includes packing light and mixing lots of different activities, which requires versatile products. Hiking is the core activity our consumers are doing, but the definition of hiking has evolved. It can be a quick hike after work. Future of this Trend: I see outdoor-inspired design influencing urban fashion and cus- tomers moving away from activity-specific products. TEVA Mark Magruder, Senior Product Manager Selected Style: The Universal Trail sandal is inspired by our Original Universal, with added functionality and great street appeal. The upper is backed with a comfortable, quick-drying neoprene material, while the outsole features Vibram Mega Grip for trac- tion. The webbing is 100 percent recycled polyester, part of a sustainability initiative starting Spring 2020. Consumer Focus: The person whose greatest joy comes when they're outside — whether that's a Yosemite camping trip or a walk in Central Park. They derive joy from freedom they feel in the outdoors and support like-minded brands. Future of this Trend: Versatility and multi- functionality aren't going anywhere. As urbanization continues to grow, so does a desire for urban escapes and outdoor adventures, with style for everyday wear. TWISTED X Prasad Reddy, Chief Executive Selected Style: In our partnership with Mossy Oak, its classic camouflage pattern is applied to our ecoTWX material for a look that is trendy while also being practi- cal for any hunting environment. We will introduce a glue-free shoe in late Spring 2020 made with recycled material on the upper part of the shoe, with bamboo laces and an outsole with recycled materials as well. In our ecoTWX line, each pair is con- structed from 13 recycled water bottles. Consumer Focus: Consumers want some- thing personal. They want to be unique and express their style. Future of this Trend: The urban outdoor trend is more of a lifestyle trend. A small percentage of true, hard-core hikers or out- door consumers exist, and the functionality of our footwear will perform exceptionally for them. l Khombu Rylan, MSRP $79.99. Merrell Kahuna, MSRP $90. Oboz Missoula, MSRP $110. Teva Universal Trail, MSRP $100. Twisted X Chukka Driving Moc with ecoTWX, MSRP$129.

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