Footwear Insight

How did you get into the Shoe Business? During my sophomore year of High School, I recognized that there weren't any 5'10" NBA players who can't jump and can't shoot the ball particularly well. Rather than play JV basketball, I started working after school in my the family shoe business that my grandparents started in 1976 by driving our transfer van between the 4 stores. That was 28 years ago and I've never left. You now are distributing the Ziera brand, in addition to running your family's retail business. How did the evolution from retailer to vendor come about? In early 2019, we had extra space in the warehouse that, at the time, supported 7 stores (now we have 13 stores) and our online business. Ziera was a top 5 vendor in our stores. Our staff loved them, however keeping a smooth flow of inventory was tricky. Ziera shipped everything from the Southern Hemisphere so one of my brothers suggested that we offer to keep their shoes in our warehouse and fulfill re-orders to other retailers on their behalf. After 6 months of success, they asked if we'd like to become the distributor. Myself along with my 3 brothers and cousin had all committed to making careers of the family business so in January of 2020, we jumped on this opportunity to diversify and grow. What makes Ziera unique? Our lasts. The word Ziera doesn't mean anything per se, however there is a play on words here. The last letter of the alphabet ( Z ) is the first of our name — the Last is First... and for us, our last is always first. We use asymmetrical toe boxes, asymmetrical heel counters and adjustments in all the right places that work together to create the right balance between a snug fit and freedom for the toes without looking bulky. Most of our styles offer removable footbeds with a heel cup as well as arch & metatarsal support that rival many aftermarket insoles. Ziera is based in Australia and the parent company has over 300 retail doors, so we take advantage of the offsetting seasons. Our shoes are tested at retail 6 months before we get them here in the U.S. This combination of lasts, skilled, thoughtful shoe making and testing combine to ensure our shoes fit every part of the foot. Why is the independent channel so important to your brand? In the last 28 years, I have seen time and time again a cycle where our channel takes the risk to introduce our customers to a brand nobody has ever heard of because we believe it can provide some sort of solution. Our staff has earned the customer's trust so this new brand is tested against great competition. It then becomes a customer favorite and people come in asking for it by name. I believe it is the most important channel for any new brand because poor product simply cannot find success in independent shoe stores. What does supporting independent retailers look like to you? We do what you do every day so we make every decision with a retailer's mindset. We are easy to do business with — no games, no unnecessary work on your part — you have plenty to do every day. Everything we offer has unique features that fill a void in the marketplace, offer great initial margins which, in turn, produce real gross profit dollars for retailers. We try to keep our core shoes in stock year-round for easy fill-ins. We own and staff our warehouse so orders get packed and shipped either same day or next, 7 days a week. We are easy to do business with... seriously. We face the same things our wholesale customers face every day and make every decision with them top of mind. We support the organizations that support Independents. We proudly support NSRA whose Next Gen program gave us the tools to navigate our own family business transition and confidently diversify our business without blowing up our family. We support the shows and events that independent retailers are at. The IR show (in San Diego) was started by a fellow independent retailer who also saw a void in the marketplace and decided to do something about and the always incredible Atlanta Shoe Market. What else do you have planned — on either the retail or brand side? We did a soft launch at wholesale for Spring 23 on a brand called Django & Juliette. We did what I mentioned earlier- tested a brand in our stores that nobody had ever heard of. The results of the test were mind-blowing and it could end up being a bigger business than Ziera in the long term. These shoes are contemporary with soft leathers, cushioned footbeds on lasts that fit incredibly well, although not quite as much of a focus on the contoured footbeds as Ziera. We will have a much more extensive collection for Fall 23. Visit us at: zierashoes.us All About the Shoe Business: Bringing Ziera to Market Talking Business with Josh Habre, President of ERHCO. He talks to us about his history in the shoe business on the retail side, and dishes on Ziera, the brand he is distributing in the U.S.

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