Making Each Issue of Footwear Plus involves lots of research and reporting. It’s the necessary grunt work behind every article featured in these pages—for 35 years running, I might boastfully add. It requires a lot of digging and sifting in search of facts, insights, analysis, and opinions that tells a story accurately and fully. Oftentimes the discovery process unearths colorful asides and gem anecdotes that can add so much to a story. They shed light on and connect to the bigger story.
Take our Q&A (p. 10) with Gary Champion, president of Clarks Americas, for example. A respected industry veteran of four decades, many readers are familiar with his background story that includes an earlier 25-year run with Clarks, mainly as head of sales, that saw it become the dominant comfort brand in the market. That was followed by leadership stints at Geox USA and Earth Footwear, only to return to Clarks eight years ago to lead the brand back to its better days. That remains a work in progress, which is the lead story here as Champion explains in detail how the brand, celebrating its 200th anniversary, is going about that. Now one might think that after six Q&As over the past 16 years, I’d dug up all the nuggets about the man. Wrong. For example, in response to who has had the greatest influence on him in his life, he led with his wife of 46 years. That personal anecdote reflects in Champion’s steadfast loyalty to Clarks, its employees, and our industry. He’s not one to cut and run. It says a lot about his determination to see his Clarks goals come to fruition
More hidden anecdotal gems are revealed in our A Note to My Younger Self (p. 45). (Actually, this series is an absolute gold mine for such discoveries.) James Rowley, founder of Woolloomooloo, recalls how the rug was pulled out from under his happy-go-lucky days growing up in Australia when his family moved suddenly to Seoul, South Korea. Rowley, though, is blessed with excellent networking genes. He made friends fast and, in a matter of months, picked up Korean enough to “order from a menu, give directions, get out of trouble, haggle, and use every swear word in the book.”
Is it any surprise that Rowley adapted so well in our world, first as owner of three women’s boutique stores followed by a successful transition into wholesale as head of Kork-Ease, followed by leadership stints at Geox USA and Mephisto USA, and then returning to his entrepreneurial roots at Woolloomooloo, an Australian wool-based athleisure brand. He’s a fast learner, people-oriented, and unafraid to embrace new challenges. Other gems unearthed: Rowley is a former tennis pro instructor, plant manager for a bull bar manufacturer in Australia, and on-site event coordinator for Ogilvy & Mather. It all serves as relevant background to his latest entrepreneurial efforts—starting with the fact that he has a track record of success.
Two more stories rich in anecdotal details involve our What’s Selling profiles (p. 46-47). First up is Blue Suede Shoes + Wine in Austin, TX. The women’s boutique/wine bar combines owners and best friends Jennifer Parkman and Cynthia McMillioan’s beloved pastime of wine sipping and shoe shopping into a business. Neither hails from retail or shoe industry backgrounds—Parkman was a veterinary technician and McMillioan worked in accounting, real estate, and home building—but that hasn’t stopped them from pursuing their dream. The learning curve, admittedly, has been steep. Wisely, they’ve embraced the wisdom and assistance offered from many within our industry. Above all, they refuse to be deterred. Their working mantra: “We’ll figure it out!” (Fun nugget: they have matching tattoos of that very phrase!) Three years in and business is thriving. They’ve built an inclusive environment with curated events and goods, support local causes, and collaborate with like-minded local businesses. That’s the lead story: brick-and-mortar retail, done well, can thrive. The background to this is the colorful tale of two friends making a go of it, matching tattoos and all.
Our second profile is of Woldruff’s Footwear & Apparel in Goshen, IN. The sit-and-fit and casual apparel stores are located a few doors apart. Interesting nuggets to this story include owner Tim Hethcote having been the former owner’s employee No. 1 when it opened in 1992. He left a few years later only to return in 2015 as manager. Five years later, Hethcote and his wife, Linda, purchased the business. So far so good, despite pandemic disruptions, Hethcote reports. The couple, celebrating their 45th wedding anniversary this year, is committed to the business. Each bring respective attributes that balance well. They take the same days off, even. For Hethcote, it’s a dream fulfilled. Because without the digging by our reporter, Kiernan McCormick, we would have never discovered that he had long desired to give store ownership a go. He didn’t want to “retire not knowing if I could make it work.” He’s proud that he “got in the game.” Hethcote’s leap of faith anecdote is just one of many diamonds embedded in all our stories.
Last but not least is our retail profile (p. 30) of Fleming’s Comfort Footwear in Tulsa, OK. It has too many anecdotal gems to list here. But I’ll squeeze in one: Before owner Ryan Fleming took over the family business, he was working as a missionary in the Himalayas. When his mom told him she had decided to sell the business, it brought Ryan home. The rest is (ongoing) history.
Enjoy the issue.