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so we were le short," he remarked. is availability situation improved for Foot Savvy with most vendors for Fall/Winter 2021 — though in-demand Brooks and New Balance styles were hard to get, said Peterson. When Foot Savvy learned of Vietnam footwear factories being shut down last summer, it loaded up on its running shoe buy. And the business has "very heavily" bought Brooks' styles for Summer 2022 delivery. "New Balance is another matter," Peterson added. "Very few orders are being fulfilled. I am heavily pedorth- ic-oriented and require shoes that have a functional aspect. So, I have shied a lot of my buying to Xelero from New Balance. But I have not dropped any brands and am still hopeful that New Balance will start delivering product sometime in the future, especially models 1540 and 928." At family-owned Beck's Shoes, fore- casting, and any expansion of product buys is now being done up to 10 months in advance. "Delays have caused us to move our open-to-buy into other vendors," explained Adam Beck, president of the Campbell, CA-based chain. "But we have always worked in terms of 'category' space and not really brand name spaces, which gives us better flexibility and ensures shortages from a vendor will have a minimal impact on our volume." DTC & Other Concerns Asked about what they see as the biggest industry concern currently, most pointed to ongoing relationships between independent retailers and brands. "My biggest concern might be that some wholesalers have pulled their prod- ucts out of independents in lieu of big boxes and internet only," said Michael Jones from A Proper Fit in Reno, NV. "I hope they realize they are missing their foundation and come back." Foot Savvy's Peterson concurred with Jones on the vendor-retailer relationship being the most pressing issue today. "Lots of times this is viewed as a ze- ro-sum game, which creates animosity between the two," he said. "e dynamic relationship between brands and retailers has shied dramatically over the past decade and will continue to do so… Of course, there is also the issue of building brands on the backs of retailers before cutting the retailers' legs out from under them by going Direct-To-Consumer." Beck pointed to the fact that retailers need vendors to ship orders within the timeframes written. "We have flexibility, but the one thing we do not control is the weather," said Beck. "So, being behind on seasonal items can hinder the sellthrough and potential to have cash flow tied up in items you should have had sellthrough in." Commented Schwartz, whose Big Apple business has been family-owned and operated since 1909, "My biggest concern right now is maintaining qual- ity and delivery standards in the face of turmoil." n Dressy Comeback? Retailers tell us that dress is making a modest comeback with more interest in women's styles than men's. e post-pandemic surge of events, including wed- dings, is likely to spur the category a bit more. According to e Knot, 2022 will be a banner year for U.S. weddings at 2.6 million, some 24 percent higher than the decade average of 2.1 million between 2009 and 2019. Walking in Comfort & Style Stylish, comfortable walking shoes are trending up. "I am seeing this as a trend not away from the athletic category, but in addition to it," remarked omas Peterson, owner of Foot Savvy. "ese are shoes that function like an athletic shoe but are more stylish." Fun with Colors Perhaps it is aligned with a post-pandemic consumer mindset, but women are increasingly looking for colorful options rather than basic black in their foot- wear, noted Rick Ravel, owner of Karavel Shoes in Austin, TX. Color and style are high on the list of characteristics being sought by consumers right now when purchasing "somewhat dressy but always comfortable" agreed Michael Jones of Reno-based retailer A Proper Fit. RETAILERS TALK TRENDS In our conversations this past month with a half dozen leading independent footwear retailers, here are some of the key trends they reported seeing in the marketplace: "The dynamic relationship between brands and retailers has shifted dramatically over the past decade and will continue to do so… Of course, there is also the issue of building brands on the backs of retailers before cutting the retailers' legs out from under them by going Direct-To- Consumer." Thomas Peterson, owner of Foot Savvy in the Denver suburb of Greenwood Village, CO. sportstylemag.com • sportstyle May/June 2022 • 57

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