Sports Insight Extra

After swimming with the ‘Sharks' on ABC-TV and striking a deal with Daymond John to help grow a fledgling beef jerky business, Miami's Jordan Barrocas has pivoted over the last seven years to become a full-fledged, albeit younger, ‘Shoe Dog' with his new If/Then men's athleisure brand.

In the latest Footwear Insight Extra podcast, footwear industry veteran Michael Rich discusses PSUDO, the sneaker brand he started with his wife, Kortney, in 2020 and its latest partnership with Blumaka's solar-powered factory in El Salvador.

In the latest Footwear Insight Extra podcast, Dr. Dan Feeney discusses the principal focus of the BOA Performance Fit Lab, its relationship with Aetrex and what might be ahead for BOA technology and fit.

In the latest Footwear Insight Extra podcast, we talk with Jan Deding, CEO and president of IMBOX Protection, North America about how the company's in-store shoe protection system works and about its pending launch in the U.S.

The latest Footwear Insight Extra podcast features a discussion with Netvirta CEO and co-founder Jeff Chen about 3-D body and foot scanning and how the technology can improve not only the fitting process for consumers, but also the return rates for vendors and retailers.

The latest Footwear Insight Extra podcast features a conversation about virtual shopping, VR technology and the metaverse with Olga Dogadkina, co-founder and CEO of London-based Emperia. The company develops immersive virtual experiences for the retail, fashion and art sectors. Luxury brands have adopted the VR experience to help keep their consumers engaged. More mainstream brands could be next with VR.

The latest Footwear Insight Extra podcast features a discussion with the CEO and founder of TrusTrace, a Swedish and Indian company, founded in 2006, that is all about sustainability. TrusTrace considers itself “a one-stop shop” for firms that want to make sustainability part of their DNA. Adidas, which signed on in 2020, is one TrusTrace's 40+ customers.

Cold is at the core of everything Baffin does and produces. In the latest Footwear Insight Extra podcast, Mark Hubner, Senior Vice President of Brand and Strategy for Baffin, discusses the Canadian company's heritage, commitment to domestic manufacturing and its second-year Canadian collection of products.

In the latest Footwear Insight Extra podcast, Alex Fernando Klein Engelmann, Intl. Business Manager for Pegada Shoes, and Letícia Sperb Masselli, manager of the Brazilian Footwear Project for Abicalcados, discuss the Brazilian footwear industry and how it hopes to make inroads in the North American market.

In the latest Footwear Insight Extra podcast, Bob Gatta, CEO of Data Display Systems, details the purpose and usefulness of retail content management systems and how retailers, larger or small, can benefit from them.

In the latest Footwear Insight Extra podcast, Frank Fox, co-founder of Sustainable Composites, discusses the science and engineering used to develop the company's material from recycled leather scraps and how it changes the environmental landscape for leather products.

In the latest Footwear Insight Extra podcast, Rob Gregg, founder and CEO of Gales Inc., the San Diego-based Smart PPE Footwear firm, discusses how and why he pivoted from a luxury shoe business to domestically produced footwear protection for healthcare workers. The brand, Gales, is named after the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale.

In this week’s Footwear Insight Extra podcast, Sam Garzon, founder of soccer footwear brand UNOZERO, describes how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the soccer specialty market and how his young, premium brand is surviving.

In this week’s Footwear Insight Extra podcast, John Eades talks about the iconic sandal brand and some of its creation and sustainability strategies going forward.

In this week’s Footwear Insight Extra podcast, Terry Schalow, executive director of the Running Industry Association discusses the running industry’s health, challenges and resilience.

In the latest Footwear Insight Extra podcast, Harmony783 co-founder Sharon Whiteley discusses the “grounding” and “earthing” concepts focused on by the young, stylish footwear brand. Grounding aims to reconnect people with the Earth’s natural energy and enables them to optimize their health and wellness by wearing shoes.

In the latest Footwear Insight Extra podcast, Sophie Howe, CEO and Co-founder of Xesto, discusses the advanced computer vision AI start-up that built a 3-D sizing tool for footwear that uses an iPhone camera. Shortly, Xesto intends to launch a direct-from-website extension of the Xesto Fit experience that will enable consumers to size themselves as they shop for shoes.

In the latest Footwear Insight Extra podcast, a trio of attorneys from Knobbe Martens—Susan Natland, Jonathan Hyman and Robb Roby—discuss counterfeiting and intellectual property theft issues related to footwear and soft goods, including possible remedies for small companies looking to protect themselves and U.S. legislation on the horizon.

Third Mind Founder and footwear industry veteran Steve Hamel discusses the Los Angeles-based footwear brand he started and its focus on sustainability.

Barry McGeough, the industry vet recently named VP of Advanced Concepts and Innovation at Rockford, MI-based Wolverine Worldwide, discusses his mission to bring new technologies, materials and other advancements to the company’s portfolio of 12 footwear brands. He also addresses how the COVID-19 pandemic is acting as an accelerant in advancing the adoption of many emerging trends.

As the executive director of the Running Industry Association, Terry Schalow has had a front-row seat to the effects of the near-overnight changes in the industry as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated shutdowns. With stores facing declines in revenue and existential threats to business, the RIA has gotten to work: launching a resource guide, surveying the industry as a whole to determine needs and working to coordinate a response. The RIA itself hasn’t been immune from the shakeup: the second edition of the KICK show, scheduled for May in Denver, has been converted into a virtual event, with details still to come. In this week’s podcast, Schalow sounds off on the industry outlook, what stores want and what comes next.

Elias Gröndal, the former footwear sourcing and production planning executive for H&M, discusses his latest venture, Findsourcing.com, and how it can connect brands with suppliers around the world. Gröndal also addresses how the current coronavirus/COVID-19 crisis may impact global footwear supply chains.

Family-owned Original Footwear Inc., the Morristown, TN, parent of the Altama and Original S.W.A.T. brands distributed into military and law enforcement channels, was recently acquired by Brand Velocity Partners (BVP). Original Footwear Company, headed by Kevin Cole, is maneuvering to expand the reach of a new street, military-inspired collection into mainstream footwear retail distribution. Starting this month, Original Footwear’s initial distribution will focus its distribution on military exchanges as it works to develop test launch programs with two or three national footwear chains ahead of a broader rollout with SMUs and 10 additional color ways in 2021.  For more on the rollout strategy and the brand’s Made in America story, listen to our podcast interview with Original Founder and CEO Kevin Cole here.

Feetures, the Hickory, NC performance sock company, is a family affair for the Gaithers. Led by CEO and Founder Hugh Gaither and joined by sons John and Joe and daughter, Catherine Leitch, the brand has set its sights on the independent footwear channel. Here, Hugh, John and Joe Gaither discuss the company’s ascension in the run specialty market and broadening their reach.

Chris Bellamy and Aron Tremble, senior executives with Vancouver, Canada-based Wiivv Wearables, dish on key data findings from 13 million data points on foot size and shape, the increased consumer demand for customized fit products, 3D scanning and how offering customized products can increase store traffic.

Over her career, Caroline de Baere has been involved in footwear from almost all angles. Today, she’s on the faculty of the California School for the Arts, an expert witness in legal cases involving footwear firms and the co-founder of sustainable brand Bendy by Ashbury Skies. In this week’s podcastm she talks with with us about the state of the industry and sustainable fashion. See more at: https://www.ashburyskies.com/shoe-designers/the-bendy/

We recently connected with Michael Kadous, who took charge as head of North American operations for Adidas’ Outdoor business unit in March 2019. Listen to our podcast, where Kadous discusses the transition at Adidas Outdoor, as well as opportunities and strategies for 2020 and beyond.

The founder of the fitness search engine and group fitness instructor for Equinox and Crunch sits down with us in New York to discuss her venture, current trends in fitness, the workout desires and differences of Millennials and Baby Boomers and the Peloton phenomenon.

The chief strategy officer for the Orlando, FL-based payment technology company delves into the proper payment processing strategies for small- and medium-sized retailers. FattMerchant, which says it was the first firm to market subscription-based payment processing plans, offers a one-stop experience to operate all things payment-related.

The longtime industry executive and CEO of the Running Specialty Group dishes on the specialty run marketplace, the Denver company’s acquisition strategy, the future of the Olympia Sports banner in New England, and his hopes for the overall running business in 2020.

The O’Melveny attorney and Co-Chair of the Sports Industry Group address some of the crucial issues that still must be addressed in the wake of the NCAA’s recent decision to allow student-athletes to benefit from the name, image and likeness in 2021.

Jared Robins, president of NoSweat, says the start-up is aiming to raise $1.5 million in Series A funding by the end of 2020. Performance, safety and hygiene are the pillars of the Minneapolis company. NoSweat makes performance headwear liners that you can peel and stick inside your headwear. The company is focusing on R&D and becoming a performance brand tied to its name.

Angelo Ng, who spent more than 18 years working for Levi Strauss in a variety of roles and nearly four years at Nike, has been hired by Wolverine Worldwide as the company’s first-ever Chief Merchant Officer. He is being charged with developing a merchandising growth strategy and innovation roadmap for Wolverine’s dozen brands, which include Merrell, Sperry and Saucony. He has three-year objectives but believes consumers will begin to see some of the changes by Summer 2020. We discuss these topics and more with Ng in this week’s podcast.

Jeff Garabedian, head of global performance running apparel for New Balance, discusses the brand’s third year as the race’s official footwear and apparel sponsor. He also touches on trail running, the use of reflectives in running apparel and the brand’s overall approach to its key race properties, which also include the London Marathon, Nagoya, Japan Women’s Marathon and Shanghai, China Half Marathon.

Monica Eaton-Cardone, the COO and Co-Founder of Chargebacks911 and Chief Information Officer of Global Risk Technologies, discusses security and fraud issues that may face retailers during the Holiday 2019 season, six days shorter than in 2018, and what measures specialty retailers should take to reduce chargeback and fraud losses during their most important selling period of the year.

Ed Schauder, who heads the sports law practice for Phillips Nizer in New York, talks about the far-reaching impact of possible legislation like California’s “Fair Pay to Play” Act on the future of collegiate sports and licensing. He has more than 30 years year experience in the sports and entertainment space, creating programs to protect and market intellectual property and negotiating licensing and corporate sponsorships and endorsement pacts.

Sky Outfitters, started by college student Keaton Hendricks, is selling socks, beanies and scarves. And the three-year old Indiana company, which follows a similar business strategy similar to Bombas, wants to help the nation’s less fortunate in homeless shelters in the process.

Sam Garzon, the founder and CEO of Miami-based UnoZero, says the young company’s name was inspired by all the soccer greats who have worn the number 10 on the pitch. Everyone from Pele and Zidane to Totti.

Mike Cosentino, founder and CEO of Big Peach Running Co., a seven-door run specialty retail chain based in Atlanta, made a bold move in August 2018, purchasing a 33-foot vehicle from a company in Marietta, GA that specializes in food trucks. He architected and fabricated his six-figure purchase himself before getting “Big Peach On Wheels” on the road to serve as a mobile, on-site store at schools, races and corporations across Georgia.

After nearly two decades in the business, Mary Steinebrunner is still in love with the protective footwear industry. And she’s always thinking about what might come next for her company, which shoes workers worldwide in food processing plants, on oil rigs and in the wild for weekend warriors and dairy farmers alike.

Irvin digs into the compression garment market and CEP’s role in advancing the category.

The NFL veteran says the menswear brands featured in his new “Back of the House” retail store and pop-up shops will allow customers to create their own aesthetic and sense of style.

The Rafter Club is embracing the creativity of basketball kicks and merging it into Italian-sourced dress shoes and boots. The brand wants to elevate basketball viewing culture to another level focused more on leather couches and scotch and less on beers at the sports bar.

Catching up with RIA Executive Director Terry Schalow, Nike’s Scott Gravatt, 361’s Ike Avalear, New Balance’s Tom Carleo, Altra’s Todd Dalhausser and Big Peach Running Co. owner Mike Cosentino.

Serving Boston’s diverse running community to Dan Fitzgerald is more about overdelivering services and less about simply selling stuff. The Heartbreak Hill Running Co. Co-Founder and president weighs in on the run specialty market, Beantown’s running scene and expansion for his current three-door specialty chain.

Catching up with athletes Jenny Simpson, Jake Wightman, VP of Running Tom Carleo and designers Drew Nyssen and Drew Spieth during New Balance’s global FuelCell launch in Brooklyn, NY.

The 31-year-old leader of the family-owned footwear company talks ‘Made in the USA,’ sustainability and the Buford, GA firm’s recent deals with J. Crew and Target.

Jesserer talks sock and what the Statesville, NC company is doing to keep its edge in performance and continue making products in the USA.

The former longtime Nike executive discusses how the Needham, MA company helps footwear and apparel firms address product counterfeiting, diversion/grey market and global logistics issues.

Sports & Fitness Industry Association CEO Tom Cove weighs in on current climate in Washington, D.C., the status of the PHIT Act and the debate over e-sports.

Marathoner and CEP senior executive Luke Rowe talks compression socks.