footwearinsight.com January 2020 ~ Footwear Insight • 7
"For our industry, the everyday challenge remains creating
value and connection for the runner amidst the literally
thousands of brands and products to choose from. The pace
of change is fast, and through it all the greatest opportunity —
and we view it as a responsibility — continues to be to earn
the runner's trust, mile after mile. We are going to challenge
ourselves at Brooks to be a voice of optimism and positivity.
Every time you choose to run and move, it is going to make
your day better. With so much anxiety, fear and conflict
in our culture, sport and running can be a unifying,
uplifting experience. We hope to inspire that in 2020."
Jim Weber, CEO, Brooks Running
"There are so many players
in performance footwear
that it can seem daunting
to win market share — we
might even be left with the
impression that it's a zero-
sum game, and the only
way to win customers is
to take them from another
brand. But therein lies
our biggest opportunity:
Gigantic swaths of poten-
tial customers still haven't
been reached because they
haven't received the message
that our brand, or even our
types of shoes, are for them.
We have an opportunity to
think creatively about how
we reach new consumers,
whether they're younger
and more omnivorous in
their activities, or they're
from an underrepresented
community that, due to our
own shortcomings, has not
traditionally seen themselves
portrayed in outdoor and
performance-gear marketing,
and may have received the
message that these activities
aren't for them. The chal-
lenge – and the opportunity
– lies in our ability to change
that perception, and do it
authentically, and welcome
new people to this space."
Wendy Yang, president,
Hoka One One
What issues will be most critical for the
footwear and active/outdoor industries in 2020?
