Blog Archives - Page 78 of 78 - Footwear Plus Magazine

H&M Chooses Choo

Fast-fashion monster H&M has announced its latest designer collaborator, and its first in the accessories realm: Jimmy Choo. Expect women to line up for days for the British brand’s covetable shoes at moderate price points, which will sell through about 200 select locations worldwide beginning Nov. 14. But that’s not all; Jimmy Choo designers will also extend their vision to complementary women’s apparel and handbags. And you might find men lining up as well—in addition to women’s product, the collaboration will also cover men’s shoes and accessories.

Outdoor Retailer Attendee Registration on Par with Last Summer

Organizers for the Outdoor Retailer show announced that attendee registration numbers for the 2009 Summer Market, held at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, UT, July 21-24, are meeting benchmarks from this time last year. If registration numbers continue to grow at the current rate, Outdoor Retailer will be on track to meet, and possibly exceed, the number of 2008 attendees.

Chooka “Pool” Gear

We’re not so sure wearing Chooka boots in the pool will keep your feet dry, but it sure makes for quite a fashion statement. We thank Rob Moehring, CEO of Kent, WA-based Washington Shoe Company and makers of Chooka, for forwarding us this pool shot.

KangaRoos Strikes a Chord

KangaRoos, a licensee of One7 in Woburn, MA, was the official shoe of last weekend’s first-ever Northside Festival in Brooklyn, NY. The four-day celebration of New York City’s independent music and art scene took place at more than 50 music venues and galleries throughout the Williamsburg and Greenpoint neighborhoods of Brooklyn.

El Naturalista Lends a Hand in Africa

Spanish comfort footwear company El Naturalista has expanded its charitable Project Atauchi initiative to Africa. To kick off its presence in a new continent (previous Project Atauchi work has aided children in Peru), the company is collaborating with the nonprofit Amigos de Tanzania in Arusha, an area in the north of Tanzania, to build a library and build out the Baobab Children’s Home orphanage and caretaking center.

Olsenhaus’ Cameo on ‘The Fashion Show’

Footwear designer Elizabeth Olsen of Olsenhaus made a guest appearance on the fourth episode of Bravo TV’s new reality series “The Fashion Show,” posing the weekly Harper’s Bazaar Mini Challenge and putting the apparel-focused contestants to a real test: designing an eco-friendly shoe using only vegan materials—a trademark of Olsen’s line. “It was a total hoot,” she says of the taping experience.

AAFA Honors Fashion’s Big Players

Fashion designers, company heads and even a plastic doll were honored at this year’s American Image Awards gala on May 12, the annual event put on by the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA). Blake Krueger, CEO and president of Wolverine World Wide, was on hand to accept the award for Excellence in Lifestyle Branding and thanked all of the “brand fanatics” who support their global business.

Coming Soon: Reality Shoe TV

With the reality TV series format already a huge success for such consumer-friendly industries as cooking, modeling and runway fashion, the shoe industry appears to be a logical next step. So is the reasoning behind Brentwood Communications International, Inc.’s (BCII) acquisition to the exclusive rights to develop and produce “Sole Perspective,” a reality TV competition series based around the influential and competitive world of the footwear industry.

Vibram’s Vet Project

With heart and a lot of rubber sole, Quabaug Corporation, the North Brookfield, MA maker of Vibram footwear soling products and pet performance gear, is teaming with Fetchdog.com on a limited-edition dog toy to help fund Puppies Behind Bars’ “DogTags: Service Dogs for Those Who’ve Served Us” program. The DogTags Chewy Shoe toy features a tough cord for pulling and throwing and is made from the same molds and Vibram rubber used to make military boots. For every red, white and blue toy purchased, $2 will be contributed to the not-for-profit training program.

Soles4Souls Kicks Off Barefoot Week

Soles4Souls kicked off its annual Barefoot Week campaign June 1 with nationwide events leading up to “National Barefoot Day” on June 7. This year, the Nashville, TN-based charity distributed 50,000 pairs of new shoes to the homeless and to children’s advocacy programs in Atlanta; Birmingham, AL; Portland, OR; Indianapolis; and Los Angeles. A host of community barbeques and parties also took place as well as a request for members of the media to go barefoot for at least four consecutive hours and report on the effects to their respective audiences.

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