Footwear Plus Shoesday Tuesdays: Earth to Earthies

Footwear Plus Shoesday Tuesdays: Earth to Earthies $(document).ready(function () { $('#fblikebtn').fancyZoom({"width":450, "heigh

Footwear Webdesk
June 29, 2010

The best way to visualize the target customer for the new Earthies brand launching for Spring ’11 from Earth Inc. is to put her into an actual wearing situation. David Aznavorian, vice president of marketing, offers one such scenario: A mother travels to New York for her daughter’s engagement party. She hits the stores and Starbucks during the day wearing her trusted Earths and then switches into her more stylish Earthies for the party at night. “Rather than wearing high heels that may look great but two hours into the evening force her to sit because she is so uncomfortable, wearing Earthies enables her to be on her feet and still look great, thus bringing out the best version of herself throughout the evening.”

Aznavorian describes Earth and Earthies as a one-two punch within the wellness arena. Specifically, Earthies bridges the gap between wellness and fashion, and Earth has the shopper’s casual needs covered. “We joke that we wanted to bring fashion and wellness together for a little rendezvous and see what happened,” he says. The result is an Earthies collection consisting mostly of short (two-inch) heels and wedges on a narrower construction. Aznavorian credits Earth CEO and designer Michel Meynard with making this marriage possible. It’s centered on a contoured footbed with three distinct features:

1. A cup heel cradles the heel in place, which is unlike a lot of other designs that cause the heel to spill over the side, creating an unstable platform.

2. Multiple touch points along the arch offer reinforcement and support as the foot transitions through its stride.

3. A toe bed with a gentle curl construction allows for better weight displacement. “It’s one thing to have a shoe that is eye-catching on the shelf, and it’s another thing to have it deliver from a fit and comfort standpoint,” Aznavorian maintains.

Earthies’ suggested retail is $120 to $150, while Earth’s sweet spot is $109 to $129. Earthies’ tagline is “wellness elevated,” and the new tagline for Earth starting this spring will be: “3.7 degrees to wellness.” Aznavorian says ideally both brands will appeal to the same consumer: “We see it as a consumer who is embracing health and wellness in their life, and the two brands work hand in hand,” he says.

This season designer shoe boutiques are feeding their clientele’s hunger for platforms, wedges and shades of nude. “Neutral nudes are selling well, even better than black,” says Barry Kalinsky, owner of Bob Ellis Shoes in Charleston, SC. “Women want something with longevity in their styling—not a one-season hit,” notes Libby Hartung, owner of Zelda’s Shoe Bar in Portland, OR. “They need time to mull over new trends,” adds Sarah Cannova, owner of Washington, D.C.’s Sassanova, who says her eclectic customer base —including hip politicos, students and local moms who “don’t rock a suburbanite look”— hop on trends two seasons later, when the styles have become “more pleasing to the eye.”