Footwear Insight

Consumers Will Define the Trends "The return to the workplace has allowed the consumer to define how work shoes look and feel. Women are gravitating towards traditional silhouettes that are less structured and incorporate softer leathers, lower heel heights and feel more like her athletic footwear underfoot. Dansko has seen a reinvigoration of some of our Mary Jane and flatter dress silhouettes and we have complemented them with leather covered wedges and lower outside heels in supple leathers that look very professional but are as comfortable as the slippers and sneakers she may have been wearing during the pandemic." — Kitty Bolinger, EVP of sales, Dansko Transitional Styles Will Blend Comfort with Professional Style "We have witnessed a trend in comfort taking precedence over fashion since 2020. As we see people going from the stay-at-home working model back to the office, the end-consumer does not want to sacrifice the comfort they have grown accustomed to over the past couple years. For Arcopedico's newest collection, we strive to offer transitional styles that are professional enough to be worn in the office, but comfortable enough that at the end of the day people's feet are happy and pain free." — Sydney Simas, VP, Simco Imported Shoes (Arcopedico) Rubber Soled Shoes Will Be an Ongoing Trend "The past two years have emphasized a trend that was already ongoing. Today, 95% of the world's population wears rubber-soled shoes, for leisure or business occasions, because comfort has become an essential element of the modern living… It is a phenomenon in continuous growth, destined to last several seasons. People want style together with comfort, they want both and they don't give any room for compromise. Geox has an advantage on this. Thanks to our special patented technologies, we give people performing and extremely comfortable shoes, be these sneakers or more formal styles. SPHERICA has the ambition to offer a shoe that is a footwear game changer. Its weight is ultra-light and the sole is characterized by spherical cushioning elements distributed along the entire surface." — Mario Moretti Polegato, chairman and founder, Geox Wool Clogs Trending Up "Our consumers don't necessarily tell us they are purchasing for work, per se, but we have seen a huge uptick in wool clog purchases. Not just at the holidays, but year-round. We believe this is directly related to people working more from home and wanting footwear that enhances the mindset that they are at home — yet also at work — at home!" Justin Orrell-Jones, president & CEO, Finn Comfort Athletic Elements Influence Workplace Footwear "What we're seeing is a migration of generations in the current workforce. These consumers are looking for comfort more than anything else and are used to wearing athletic-style footwear that they can rely on. For Twisted X, comfort is important in every category and every style we produce. What we have done is taken the feeling of athletic comfort that they're accustomed to and infused it into all our work products. Comfort is our prized possession and truly what we do best, as reflected by our latest offerings." — Lee Lemon, VP of sales, Twisted X. Hybrid Style — Professional, Polished Comfort "We've entered this new world of a hybrid work space where people are alternating time in the office and remote. This of course impacts the footwear we're choosing to wear. We want to appear professional and polished but still feel comfortable – this is where Loafers and Ballet flats come in. Ours are designed to be deconstructed in supple leathers for maximum comfort! And for our professional sporty ladies who prefer combining a blazer with cool casual sneakers we made sure to include a great assortment!" — Annie Pho, senior designer, Vionic Bringing New Innovation to Market "We have all seen athletic footwear dominate most workplace environments over the past few years. From the medical world to the service industry, athletics at all levels have become the go-to. Here lies the issue, typical athletic footwear is designed to serve a purpose and be worn for a limited amount of hours per day. In short, the majority of athletics are designed to perform for a short-term activity, be it running, walking, etc. Most materials found in that category of footwear are comfortable for the short-term as per its design, however not meant for the 8, 10, 12 hour shifts that the medical and service industry demands of its work force. To fill this void, we started development in a new outsole in order to bring eyes back on the Alegria Brand. Using the same DNA that brought us to the dance, so to speak, a new outsole was born. Updated materials, arch support, slip-resistance, and wearability provide wellness and sustain those long work hours. With Fall 2022 the ROK n ROLL collection by Alegria is launched." — Scott Cates, president of sales, Alegria Dress to Impress...in Comfort, of Course "People are ready to throw out their sweats and dress to impress again but we have seen a shift to more comfort-focused footwear. Over the past two years, their feet have adjusted to wearing flats and having support. Because of this we have seen an increase in the sales of women's flat shoes and booties as well as men's more casual comfort dress shoes for both work and events." — Ayelet Lax Levy, president, Naot USA n 14 • Footwear Insight ~ March/April 2022 footwearinsight.com Over the past two years, comfort has been king when it comes to footwear trends. But as the world continues to open up and a "return to the office" starts to impact more and more people, how much ground will style gain back? Here are some of the ways that the evolving workplace will impact footwear trends this season and beyond. By Cara Griffin A WHOLE NEW WORLD WORKPLACE

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