If someone had told me back in 1990 that 35 years into the future, I’d be on year 32 of working for a trade magazine covering the shoe industry, I’d have said they were nuts. And as anyone who knows me well can attest, there would’ve been a colorful adjective before the last word of that sentence. As my Midwest Nice wife often points out, I grew up in New Jersey, so it’s baked into my DNA.
I started my journalism career at a weekly newspaper for a town of 40,000 in the northern part of my beloved Garden State, dutifully covering crime, politics, community events, and whatever else transpired locally that week. It was fast-paced, sink-or-swim journalism—a far better way to learn the ropes than graduate school. Unfortunately, the financial prospects were bleak, so I jumped ship and headed to a better-paying gig at a group of trade magazines in New York later that year. I confess, I didn’t even know what “trade mags” were. But more money, a bigger company, and better career advancement sounded appealing.
Less than a year into bouncing around several of those titles as part of a trainee program, I was offered a full-time position—only to be told a few months later that there was belt tightening and, as the last man hired, I was about to be fired. That was my indoctrination into the uncontrollable ups and downs of the broader economy. I planned a quick (and tempting) pivot: I’d spend the summer as a badge checker at the beach with a shore house buddy. Alas, there was an opening at Sporting Goods Business, so I passed on a season of sun and sand.
At SGB, one of my first beats was athletic footwear. This led to my becoming the features editor at Footwear Plus and then its editor-in-chief three years later. The rest is shoe industry coverage history—with much more still to come. In my time here, I’ve produced 300-plus issues, written thousands of articles, and worked for three different parent companies—all while covering one industry.
What a long, strange trip it’s been, including more than 40 business trips to Las Vegas. If you had told me in 1990 that Sin City would be the place I’d visit most for work, I’d have said you were #@%* nuts. I’m not the gambling type. That might explain my long tenure with one publication. All the knowledge I’ve gained and the countless connections I’ve made create stability and security in an extremely disruptive and unpredictable world. I’ve weathered recessions, wars, 9/11, the Financial Crisis, the death of print, industry consolidation (a.k.a. the Retail Apocalypse), and a pandemic, to site a few of the many blows in my time here. To quote Eddie Vedder in Yellow Ledbetter, oftentimes “I don’t know whether I’m the boxer or the bag.” The latest huge blow is a trade war. Yet, through it all, Footwear Plus has remained not only standing but publishing at the same frequency—in print, no less! Few publications, in consumer or trade, can boast such resiliency. That’s Gen X scrappiness for you. I’m very proud of it. I’m even more appreciative of the loyal support from our industry that has made it possible. Thank you, all.
Admittedly, the world has become more unforgiving, disruptive, and unpredictable of late. Cruel is the new black. Call it cutthroat chic. It feels like the entire globe is now an MMA octagon where only the strongest will survive. There will be blood—lots. So, watch your blindsides. Watch the person staring you in the face even more. Another looming blow: AI. How it will change the world—for good and bad—remains to be seen. If a computer can crank out an entire collection in days that would take designers months, jobs will become obsolete. Likewise, if AI can write faster and better than I can, it might deal me a knockout punch. From what I’ve seen so far, though, I believe we all have a fighting chance.
The proverbial trainer in the corner shouts to keep swinging. And we do. Our 35th anniversary issue is proof of that. It’s chock-full of champion fighters, past and present, not to mention knockout styles. It’s packed with winning techniques and tips from top shoe dogs on what it takes to stay in the ring. They know how to bob and weave with the best of them. They hit hard and fast and, perhaps most critically, they all know how to take a punch. Not a glass jaw among them.
I hope you’ll enjoy our latest fight card as much as our team enjoyed putting it together. Heartfelt thanks to the editors, art directors, production staff, and salespeople who’ve fought alongside me over the years. So many talented people have helped Footwear Plus grow from newcomer to contender to veteran fighter. It’s a team effort, and fortunately this magazine has had many champions. See you in the ring.
