Chaco, a division of Wolverine Worldwide, has partnered with the American Camp Association to encourage young campers to embrace a life of outdoor adventure. The brand will be the exclusive footwear provider to camp counselors and professionals at ACA-accredited camps across the U.S.A. and plans to make an annual donation to the ACA’s “Send a Child to Camp” scholarship fund.
The consumers have spoken – 6,428 to be precise. Fifteen-year-old Megan McDonald has been chosen as the new face of Cougar Boots. Just over a month ago the company set out in a branded truck, offering fans the opportunity to see the new Pillow Boot collection, try on the boots of their choice and be photographed in them. This photo then became their entry into the contest to become the brand’s new face. McDonald’s billboard ad will be displayed on the corner of King and Spadina Ave in Toronto from Feb. 11 to Mar. 10.
Last Friday night Bearpaw threw open the doors of its Citrus Heights, CA, shop for its second annual Wine, Women & Boots event, offering 50 percent off the entire store, as well as wine, appetizers and a sneak peek at the Fall ’13 collection. “It’s been a great opportunity for us to bond with consumers and really build a relationship with them that will last for years to come. These types of things go a long way in establishing ourselves in the Sacramento area and gaining market share,” says Randy McKinley, vice president, sales and marketing at Bearpaw Footwear.
Two weeks ago we gave you a sneak peek at Skechers’ Super Bowl commercial. The full 30-second spot (that took six weeks to animate!) is now live on Youtube.
Global information company The NPD Group has joined forces with the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA) to provide key athletic and fashion footwear trends to the industry by leveraging their relationship to deliver industry insights via presentations, webinars and newsletters. Beth Goldstein, NPD Group director and industry analyst, and Matt Priest, FDRA President, will present the first collaboration, “Crossroads: Mapping the Direction for Success Among Changing Consumer Shopping Behaviors,” on Feb. 20 at FN Platform in Las Vegas.
Celebrities gathered at Minnetonka’s Sundance Photo Scene at the Sky Blue rooftop this week to celebrate the Sundance Film Festival and view the brand’s new offerings. With a background of Park City’s winter wonderland, guests struck a pose and showed off their new Minnetonka styles. Celebrities from Matthew McConaughey, Keri Russel, and Brie Larson to Alicia Keys, Kristen Bell and Alison Brie stopped by to pick up a pair of Minnetonka’s, as well as a photo keepsake provided by Sundance.
If you’re a runner, experts recommend that you change your shoes every 500 miles. But if you’re not a fan of counting (or don’t run unless you’re being chased) don’t worry, Apple’s got your back. A July 2012 patent filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office details shoe design set with sensors to keep an eye on how close they are to wearing out.
A $39,000 one from the Olsen twins’ luxury fashion line sold out in 2011 and this week at the Capsule men’s show at Basketball City in New York, you couldn’t swing a cat without hitting at least one.
Backpacks. They’re back.
This week lifestyle brand Bearpaw launched the C.A.N.V.A.S. Project (Creating A New Vision At Schools), a charity initiative that gives high school art students the opportunity to create their own signature designs using the company’s Emma boot as a canvas, as part of its Creative Expressions campaign.
Since being established in 1996 by two Australian teens, Los Angeles-based Royal Elastics has gone through an aquisition (by K Swiss in 2001) and dissolution (sold to the investment group REH in 2009) and now, after losing its way for a couple seasons, has finally rebounded. While still creating an array of athletic-inspired styles featuring the elastic-based closures it’s known for, the brand – which offers men’s, women’s and kids’ styles – is now putting its own spin on old school favorites like desert boots, oxfords and creepers.
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