Footwear Insight

26 • Footwear Insight ~ March/April 2022 footwearinsight.com "First, walking is being embraced by a younger demographic than the mall walkers of the 1990s. Also, while international travel has been stymied over the past twenty months, we are starting to see more walkers pushing the travel button again and getting back out there." RUSTY HALL President, Mephisto "Health and wellness continue to be 'on trend.' As a result, more people are looking to walking shoes that provide superior cushioning and support as they are spending more time on the move." MATT DIECKHAUS VP of sales and marketing, Latitudes (mōshn) "While we have known that walking is America's number one exercise sport in recent history, there was a lot of data during the lockdown that showed that number had increased dramatically. I believe that walking for exercise will maintain its popularity, as it is low impact on the body and the wallet." MEGAN GOLD Design director, Alegria "We have been seeing a shi in purchases towards a younger walking demographic. Our core demographic is the age group 55 to 65 but we have experienced a pivot towards the lower end of the scale." CAROLIN GEY Managing partner, Kybun USA & CEO of Joya Shoes USA "More people have discovered the outdoors for the first time. e new genre of outdoorists are younger with more families out there as well." ERIK BURBANK VP, KEEN Effect "We're seeing increases in walking participation across all [demographics], with a particular spike amongst younger consumers. Because of its simplicity and accessibility, walking has been a great outlet for wellness, and it's likely its popularity as a great fitness activity is here to stay!" CHRIS COHEN, VP U.S. Marketplace, HOKA "Many new customers begin their fitness journey as walkers, which can be more accessible compared to running or hiking. While some may move to running, run/walk or hiking, we've seen that many stick with fitness walking due to its health benefits, accessibility, and reduced stress on the body." RUSS STEVENS Product manager, Topo Athletic FITNESS TRENDS Finn Comfort/Women's Piccadilly The Piccadilly is designed with a premium nubuck leather upper and a traditional lace-up vamp. A removable footbed is crafted from suede leather, jute, and cork. A men's version comes in tan. MSRP $405. Xelero/Steadfast Walker Xelero's rocker Swiss-Technology makes walking easier and off loads bottom pressures. The style has a full-grain leather upper with seamless lining and dual-density contoured polyurethane footbed. Available in multiple widths. MSRP $169.99. Mephisto/Women's Gwenn The shiny Gwenn is a Mobils by Mephisto style, meaning that it is built on a wider base with an expanded toe area, as well as 360 degree padding for comfort. The flexible shoe has rigidity throughout the arch and heel area to support a woman's foot. MSRP $379.

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