Features

Pop-up Culture

Temporary shops turn empty spaces into quick sales centers and build long-lasting brand awareness. By Lyndsay McGregor

Into the Light – Outdoor Preview: Spring 2013

Incorporating innovative technologies and colorful athletic styling, the outdoor category continues its seismic shift into everyday wear that spans the Redwood forests to the urban jungles. By Judy Leand

In the Works

Occupational brands are raising the comfort bar and taking a load off to help get the job done.
By Lyndsay McGregor

Pop Star

Seeking shoes with personality and pop, Tracy Margolies, vice president DMM of women’s footwear for Saks Fifth Avenue, reveals how gut feelings play an important role in determining which styles make the cut inside one of the nation’s leading arbiters of footwear fashion. By Greg Dutter

One of a Kind – Joe Salzano

If you haven’t by now actually heard Joe Salzano speak, it’s a good bet you have heard of his passionate message about the art of shoe retailing. A career that now spans more than five decades, the vice president of sales for The Clarks Companies, N.A. continues to crisscross the country delivering his inspirational wisdom and leaving an indelible imprint on the footwear industry.

By Greg Dutter | Illustrations by Ben Marra

2011 Plus Awards Winners

Innovative design and a commitment to superior service are synonymous qualities of this year’s Plus Award winners for excellence in design and retail.

Thinking Outside the Box

Four successful retailers—a bike shop, a cupcake boutique, a coffee house and an art store—offer universal insights on how they are thriving in the borderless, digital retail age by thinking locally. By Lyndsay McGregor

hat can a footwear retailer learn from a tasty cupcake boutique in Colorado or a snazzy bike shop in Connecticut? How about from a trendy coffee shop in Texas or a boutique art store in Indiana? The short answer: A whole lot.

Rock Steady

Despite tough economic obstacles, the outdoor category continues its consistent growth trajectory, delivering what consumers increasingly desire: versatile, minimal and fashionable shoes suitable for a rugged hike or a walk in the park. By Mary Avant