Much of the heavy lifting is done. The revamped sales team is firmly in place and killing it. The product, which has always been solid, is better and more diverse than ever. Once a brand known in North America almost exclusively for Gore-Tex-lined, black fashion boots, Ara has expanded into a year-round assortment including sneakers and sandals. In fact, sneakers are now the region’s largest-selling category. Few, if anyone inside and outside Ara, saw that potential—except Sam Spears.
“We’re up significant double digits over last year, and sneakers are our number one category by a long shot,” Spears reports. “In fact, we’re now selling more sneakers as a category than we used to sell as a brand in North America.”
Sandals are also resonating strongly of late, a first since Ara debuted in North America in 1998, according to Spears. He credits the success, in part, to head designer Ralf Schlachter making annual Sun Belt scouting trips, which began in 2022. “We meet with retailers and discuss what types of products work and don’t,” he says, adding that, for the first time, Ara will begin delivering sandals in November for that region. “That’s a monumental change for our company, which normally makes that category available in March and April when the European market needs it. I told them for years that we’re missing out on sales. They’ve come around to that change.”
Since joining as president of the division eight years ago, Spears has worked tirelessly to position Ara for growth. At times, it has felt like an army of one trying to convince corporate of the North American market’s unique product, marketing, and logistics needs. But when a division is miniscule in comparison to the 300-pound gorilla that Ara is in Europe, one can get lost in the shuffle. Still, Spears persisted. His extensive industry experiences spanning more than three decades at leading companies (Ecco, Pentland Group, and Ariat, among others) and introducing breakthrough designs and marketing campaigns convinced him that Ara possessed similar attributes.
“I knew Ara well because I’d lived in Europe for years, and I believe we can do a Receptor type-program like we did with Ecco, which launched the brand to another level,” Spears says. “I believe we can make lightning in a bottle twice.”
That bolt, Spears says, could be Ara’s Mariana technical walking shoe, part of its new Motion collection for Spring/Summer ’25. The high-performance shoe was developed, over 18 months, in partnership with the University of Cologne’s Sport University—the same institution that developed Ecco’s BIOM natural motion construction. It’s been awarded the German equivalent of the APMA seal of approval. But it’s not just an instability story a la MBT, Spears assures. “It’s a performance walking shoe with a gait design that also provides some instability when standing still,” he explains. “The core muscles are activated.” Spears adds that the shoe is aimed, in part, at attracting a younger, more active consumer—a focus of Ara’s worldwide. “Everyone knows sneakers aren’t going away, and we also recognize that if On, Hoka, etc. are surrendering sales in comfort specialty stores, then we should offer a technical walking product, especially for women who are only using those shoes for walking.”
So far so good. “We’re selling truckloads of Mariana. Retailers love the colors, styling, and the energy it creates on the shelf,” Spears reports, citing the orchid/royal/kiwi/white/silver combo being on almost every order at recent shows. The success has also opened eyes at Ara corporate. Spears initially thought that his division might be the only one to sell Motion, but that’s not the case. “We’re a drop in the ocean compared to what our European division is now buying of the collection,” he says. It’s made for a nice silver lining. “We’ve shown how we’ve successfully transitioned from a purely dress/Gore-Tex brand to sneaker-led. It’s helping the entire company.”
Ara corporate was also skeptical about the power of in-store events. That is until a Spears presentation on the topic at a recent sales conference. Initially, many of his international colleagues appeared uninterested. But when sales associate Jonathan Roselli displayed Ara-branded luggage tags, wine corkscrews, and stoppers and then passed around scratch-off cards so team members could see what they had won, they were sold. “The enthusiasm went from less than zero to them high-fiving each other,” Spears recalls. “You don’t need to spend a gazillion dollars to make a meaningful impact.” He adds, “The internet is just a transaction, whereas stores must create an entertainment value. Something that people want to partake in, and then they’ll tell their friends and so on and so on.”
Take Ara’s recent event at Fleming’s Comfort Footwear in Tulsa, OK, for example. In recognition of International Speak Like a Pirate Day and the brand being Arrrra, the staff and Spears dressed as pirates and gave away hats, eye patches, stuffed parrots, fake doubloons, and balloons. Customers could also get their pictures taken in a face cutout that made them look like a pirate. Fleming’s also hosted Ara’s “May the Fourth Be With You” event this year. Owner Ryan Fleming dressed as Obi Won Shoenobi and his staff dressed as various Star Wars–themed characters like BobaFOOT, Sandalorian, and Grogu the Shoe Guru. “Our territory manager, Cherry Shore, was Princess Laces and I was Arch Vader,” Spears says. “We waved long, red Ara shoehorns as ‘shoe sabers’ and gave away silly prizes and gifts to customers. Everyone loved it.” And, last month, the team held an A.R.A. (Ara Races Around) event at Cute & Comfy in Nashville. Customers raced around a track in the store wearing Ara dress shoes to win prizes while sales rep Mike Schmidlin and I, wearing referee shirts, officiated. Spears says the purpose was to show how comfortable and functional Ara shoes are, but everyone had fun.
These events cost from zero to just a few hundred bucks apiece, but the bump in sales and customers learning about the brand were far greater. “These events are silly, inexpensive, a lot of fun, and they work,” Spears says. “Humans all want to be entertained.”
Spears’ determination to get Ara to tailor its approaches to product, marketing, and logistics for North America are paying huge dividends. While it took six years to get his points across, the wind is finally at his back. The NSRA named Ara its “vendor of the year“ for 2024. The product, people, and planning are rounding into form. The results of the past two years back it up. Ara is growing fast, and Spears is confident the brand is positioned to soar in the coming years. “We have so much runway ahead of us,” he says. “Watch this space.”
You are patient and persistent if nothing else, no?
I am. My first six years at Ara I felt like a goaltender. I was always on defense trying to position us in North America for success. Now I feel like a center halfback where I’m playing offense a lot more. I’m up there with the forwards trying to score. It’s so much more fun!
What took so long?
We’re a tiny division in relation to what Ara is in Europe. Sometimes, it’s just hard to be heard when you’re on the outside looking in and don’t move the needle nearly as much. But we’ve made tremendous progress over the past 24 months. Lots of logistical matters have been addressed and our storytelling has made great strides. Now we’re doing complete presentations about the theme behind each season, which includes trend and color analysis. We’ve also brought in fashionable, younger women into our sales force. We invested there when a lot of other companies cut back amid the pandemic’s fallout. Our sales team now better reflects the women’s fashion comfort market where we primarily reside. They sell stories and present fashion well, and our business has grown accordingly. The team works together so well. I’m so proud of them. Basically, the only thing that’s the same since I arrived is our warehouse and customer service staffs, which are tremendous. In fact, I told our new CEO Stefan Rassau that he already has a great team in place. That’s why I’m so bullish about our prospects for growth going forward. We have a great story to tell as third-generation, family-owned shoemakers.
Your track record of success in these areas must have helped make a strong case.
It did, eventually. For example, when I first joined Ecco, I put together an ad campaign on the fly and inserted “by the appointment of the Royal Danish Court” into the logo. I’d lived in the UK for several years and understood the power of royal families in Europe. I thought that stamp of approval would be an incredible brand asset. This was around 1997, before things went viral online, and we had to hire an outside call center to handle the volume. I’m also the father of Receptor. The Yucatan sandal is my baby. I didn’t develop the concept, but I did develop the technology and I oversaw the introduction of it into the marketplace. It performed exceptionally well at retail. And I believe Ara has similar potentials for success. So long as we continue to be imaginative and smooth out any logistical matters to be more North American-centric, the opportunity for growth is exceptional. That has been my attraction to this brand all along.
Why is Ara North America doing so well when a lot of brands have been struggling of late?
A lot has to do with the excitement and belief that our sales team exudes. It’s contagious. Also, our sell-through reports from across the U.S. and Canada have been exceptional. For example, a multi-store premium business based in Quebec reported, for the first time in its 39-year history, a 100 percent sell-through, down to the size and at full price, of a brand. It was Ara. My response to him was he should have bought more shoes and chased that business! (Laughs) The bigger point, of course, is that Ara is selling great of late. We’re the number-one brand for the past three years at Jean-Paul Fortin in the Quebec region. That’s a really big deal.
Is the growth coming at the expense of other brands mostly?
Partly. We’ve taken business from brands that have run into trouble, but we should’ve taken more. But most of our growth has been organic. It’s primarily consumers who are voting with their wallet in stores. While our retailers most likely still have to introduce Ara—our unofficial tag line in North America has been: “Quite possibly the most comfortable shoe you’ve never heard of”—once they get a pair on a customer’s feet, the sale is usually complete. Ara shoes look and feel very good. Another factor contributing to the brand’s success is stability. We’re consistent when it comes to quality and customer service. We’ve built strong relationships with our retail partners. So our business is growing not so much because of mistakes by others as much as it’s our years of consistently delivering high-quality shoes that are extremely comfortable and stylish. So it’s really up to us on how well we all continue to do our jobs and keep our promises to our retailers. I wear all those commitments on my sleeve. We may not be able to meet them all. For example, it’s hard to forecast a 200 percent increase on a category. But any we miss; we’ll acknowledge and try to remedy.
Any anecdotes of that in action?
Just recently we shipped shoes to Footwear Etc. in California earlier than we should have. My mistake. Long story short, they kept the boots and stored them in the basement of one of their locations that then flooded. It ruined many of the boxes. So I told our warehouse to overnight new boxes with the correct labels and fresh tissue paper inside. That’s what Ara does, whereas a lot of brands wouldn’t have done anything to compensate for that loss. But I believe the $600 spent to ship empty boxes will come back many fold in time. I think that’s a big reason retailers support us because of our commitment to do what’s right by our partners. I’m fortunate to work for a company where the family ownership appreciates and values a long-term customer vision. We stand behind our work. If there’s an issue, we’ll make it right.
Well, you get more bees with honey, and over delivering is a Golden Rule of doing business the right way.
I agree! I always try to under promise and over deliver. Of course, our shoes must sell at retail, no question. Even with our best relationships, two seasons of poor sales and they’d be kicking us out the door. Our enthusiasm only goes so far. We must deliver great products. Fortunately, we are. So being able to make great shoes, delivered on time…these are luxury problems. I’m not complaining.
What is your outlook for next year and beyond?
Our future is incredibly bright. Once we get our marketing strategy fully developed, there’s no telling what Ara can become in this market. On that note, we’re not just a “comfort” brand. We’re a fashion comfort brand, and that’s where our biggest opportunity lies. Comfort is a dime a dozen. A $29 sandal can offer a tremendous amount of comfort. We have to also promote that we offer shoes for every aspect of a woman’s lifestyle. If she is traveling, we have the only shoe she needs. It’s casual yet dressy enough and comfortable. The Ara woman doesn’t want to look like the nanny or a granny. She wants a little more exclusivity and sophisticated style.
What is your top goal for next year?
It’s something that you can’t really measure, but it’s to maintain the positive energy level that we now have at retail and at shows. It’s not easy to build that level of energy, and I, again, give great credit to our sales team for making that happen. Part of that requires working months in advance to book appointments, and the willingness to work until closing every day at shows. They don’t just show up and speak with whomever might pass by. That’s a recipe for disaster.
Where do you envision Ara North America in three years?
That’s what keeps me up at night—making sure we meet our full potential. We can only plan and execute what Germany is able to fulfill. For example, we can make a great sandal, but if we deliver it too late, then we’ll lose a huge chunk of potential sales. But if we ship it in November to the Sun Belt, then we can increase sales. Again, these are luxury problems.
What do you love most about your job?
Almost every day is like Christmas; you never know what surprises might come. It’s a very dynamic job. We’re small enough as a division that I’m involved in every aspect with the exception of answering phones in customer service. I enjoy that variety. I also love interacting with retailers customers at our events. Dare I say, I’m the world’s greatest clean-up man. I can re-tissue shoes, put them back in a box, and back on a shelf better and faster than anyone. That’s my “official” job at these events. But I just love meeting our customers and consumers. If you just listen, they’ll share so much about what they want, need, and love about shoes. That interaction is priceless.
You seem happy and content leading Ara North America.
I have no plans to go anywhere. I love my staff. I’m also incredibly loyal to Frank Lüttig, our head of sales and who I worked with at Ecco prior, and Patrick Roseler, our chairman. I just enjoy what I’m doing. I’m extremely fortunate. To circle back to my high school aptitude test that suggested I become a fireman, I realize now that I am one. I’m always putting out fires, and I love the pace and excitement. I also love challenges, and I love to build. We’re growing fast because our demand is so strong. Thus, any problems that may arise are for all the right reasons.
The Good Life
Sam Spears reflects on a footwear career well-lived.
As a young kid growing up in Tulsa, OK, Sam Spears dreamt of driving tractor trailers one day for a living. He was enthralled with the big rigs, often drawing detailed sketches of them. Then, during high school, he aimed higher, dreaming of attending the U.S. Airforce Academy to become a fighter pilot. He drew plenty of precise sketches of jets, too. Alas, his high school aptitude test determined that he was better suited to serve as a firefighter. Spears, instead, enrolled at the University of Tulsa with aims of becoming an ad executive.
“I thought David Ogilvy was the coolest guy on the planet,” Spears says. “I read every book I could find about him and his agency.”
How did Spears go from wanting to work on Madison Avenue to a life in the shoe industry? “Purely by accident.” Spears followed a girlfriend to St. Louis after graduation and, after many job interviews, landed a position at Junior Achievement USA. There he wrangled local executives to educate junior high kids about how to make it in the business world. One such exec was Elliott Schwartz, president of Kangaroos footwear.
“I hounded the poor man for months to teach a class,” Spears recalls. “Finally, one day I got up the courage to ask, ‘What would it take for a guy with an advertising degree to work for your company?’”
In a matter of weeks, Spears was working in Kangaroos’ marketing department designing poster concepts. Not long after, Schwartz asked Spears if he’d ever designed a shoe. Spears said no but wisely added that he thought he could. “The next thing I knew, I was sent to South Korea for three months to learn how to design shoes that could be mass manufactured,” Spears says. “That’s how I got into the shoe industry. Elliott Schwartz took a chance on me. The rest is history, more or less.”
It’s an extensive history. Over the past three-plus decades, Spears has worked in nearly all facets of the industry—including the athletic, comfort, outdoor, golf, dress, and western markets. He has held 19 positions, with stops in Missouri, New Jersey, Connecticut, England, New Hampshire, Denmark, Switzerland, and Oklahoma. He has worked for powerhouse brands and legendary shoe dogs: Ecco/Karl Toosbuy, Pentland Group/Stephen Rubin, Ariat/Beth Cross, and Keen/Rory Fuerst, to name a few. He has introduced breakthrough shoe concepts (Ecco’s Receptor series), created noteworthy marketing campaigns, and designed shoes (Pony) for NFL, NBA, and MLB stars. Spears is a jack-of-all-trades executive, with a collection of vivid and cherished memories of an impressive career.
Oh, the stories Spears can tell! There was the time he and his wife vacationed with New York Giants great Carl Banks and his wife in Portugal while working together at Pony. There’s also his three-year stint at the then high-flying Starter. The company’s New Haven, CT, headquarters was a revolving door of sports and Hollywood stars. There was also the time Spears visited a Copenhagen biomechanics university to meet the scientist who developed the Receptor technology. His work led him deep into a basement lab where human feet, donated for medical research, were being tested on a machine to measure the effects of downward force. “He replicated the force impact from just a first floor drop onto soft ground,” Spears recalls. “Thankfully, he had me don safety glasses and a lab coat because fat tissue hit me in the chest from the force of the landing. I turned every shade of green, but I saw that the science was real, and I was hooked. I thought instantly that Receptor could be the next big thing in shoes.”
Spears has excellent shoe instincts. Perhaps it was industry destiny, as he was a three-sport athlete during high school and a self-described sneakerhead. “I’ve always loved sneakers; I must have had 30 to 40 pairs, including my cleats,” he says. “In the back of my mind, I always thought it’d be cool to work for a sneaker company.”
Dream fulfilled and then some. Spears radiates love and enthusiasm for the business—the product, people, and pace. He takes none of it for granted, and he’s quick to acknowledge his coworkers’ role in every success he has had. He considers himself fortunate to have been invited into this “incredible” industry 36 years ago. And the past eight years as president of Ara North America is the cherry on top. The best, he believes, is yet to come. Meanwhile, Spears continues to have the time of his life. “Look, I’m a bonehead kid from Oklahoma. I should be digging ditches for a living.” —G.D.
