On Dec. 19, the NYC-based digitally native footwear brand is marking its 10th year in business by opening three brick-and-mortar stores all on the same day. According to co-founder Connor Wilson, the openings come at “just the right time” after focusing on other key projects that are now coming to fruition.

“[Since 2019], we’ve used our Flatiron [NYC] office showroom as a testing ground for in-person retail, learning how to operate a single store while refining the customer experience,” Wilson told FN in an interview. “This process also underscored the importance of building a strong internal team to deliver exceptional service. At the same time, we’ve been deeply focused on product development—expanding our selection, doubling down on quality, and vertically integrating with our first fully owned and operated factory.”

Now that Wilson is ready for Thursday Boots’ next chapter, the executive is set to open the doors to new stores at 45 Crosby St. in the SoHo neighborhood of NYC, at 1525 N. Milwaukee Ave. in the Wicker Park area of Chicago and a mall-based location inside Garden State Plaza in Paramus, N.J.

Each store comes in around 1,500 to 2,000-sq.-ft. and offers the brand’s full range of footwear, apparel and accessories. The design of each of the spaces are inspired by the unique hotel lobbies and bars that give New York, the birthplace of the brand, so much of its energy, Wilson added.

“Our stores are designed to feel elevated, but also warm and welcoming – like you’re meeting up with good friends at a nice hotel bar,” the executive said. “Everything is elegant and approachable – similar to our customer experience and product design – but in a way that feels approachable and organic. When people join us, we want them to feel like they are at an exclusive club where they’re already a member.”

As for what’s selling now, Wilson noted that boots are still the foundation of the business, but the company has seen some early success in recent releases of women’s shoes, men’s apparel, jackets, bags and more. “We’ve found that if you can really get the product right, your customers won’t just give you permission to try new things, they’ll insist upon it,” he said. “That has us particularly excited about future collections and developments in the making.”

Overall, though, the move to physical retail is an exciting step for Wilson. “On a personal level, having stores makes doing business so much more exciting,” he said. “It gives us the chance to travel, to share our passion for our products across the country, and to reconnect with what drew us to this industry in the first place — helping customers try on shoes and building meaningful connections, one person at a time.”

Looking ahead, more locations are planned to open in 2025, but Wilson is keeping the details close to his chest. “While we’re proud to be a DTC brand, our focus has always been on putting our customers first—and this is just the beginning,” Wilson added. “With many more locations planned for the new year, we’re excited to bring our brand closer to our customers than ever before.”

In fact, when the American footwear company was purchased by BasicNet from Wolverine Worldwide for $14.25 million in 2017, almost 90 percent of its sales in the spring/summer seasons came from boat shoes, Sebago global brand manager and creative director Marco Tamponi told FN in an interview.

“It’s clear that the next trend seems to be the boat shoe, thanks to some of the most important luxury brands who have shown them in recent collections, including Miu Miu and many others,” Tamponi said. “I mean, the Miu Miu boat shoe is clearly inspired by a Sebago shape from the ‘80s, but we are very happy to inspire them, and we are starting to see the trends translating into sales in our Docksides’ business.”

According to Tamponi, the company has been in the midst of an ambitious store opening plan in Europe. “When we acquired Sebago in 2017, we waited a couple of years to start opening our retail stores because we had to better understand the real aesthetic and how to merchandise the product,” Tamponi said. “We also wanted to wait until we had a full lifestyle offering to share between footwear, apparel and accessories. So, in 2019, we started to open retail shops to better communicate the full brand experience.”

Currently, the executive noted that Sebago has 14 stores in Europe, with most of them located in Italy – including its Milan flagship, a store in Torino, Rome, Genoa and Bari. Also, there’s two seasonal stores in Sardinia and Sicily that open for six months out of the year. Outside of Italy, there are locations in Spain, France, Belgium and Portugal. Plus, there are three stores in South Africa – one in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town.

New for 2025, Sebago is slated to open its first London store at the end of January. Tamponi told FN that it will be located on Kings Road. And more are on the way.

“By the end of 2026, we will open two more shops in Italy, and we are also focused on some of the better locations in France that we are missing, such as Bordeaux, and we are also missing Monaco,” Tamponi noted. “Retail is a big portion of the new strategy of the brand, so we are really focused on where we open next.”

Meanwhile, in the U.S., things are a little quieter for Sebago.

“It’s always been a challenging market in terms of retail, and in the last six to seven years the situation got even more difficult for brick-and-mortar businesses,” Tamponi admitted.  “Costs are incredibly high, and it’s very difficult to decide where to open a flagship shop. Of course, there’s Manhattan, but we’re not sure if that’s the right visibility for the brand. So, we are thinking it’s still an ongoing discussion with our partner there about how to put the brand back in its natural habitat.”

And even though Sebago may now be run by Italians, Tamponi and BasicNet are certainly making sure to tap into the brand’s American roots. The executive noted that the company is looking for a coastal location in the Hamptons or in New England to set up shop.

“I think having a store back in the roots of the brand is incredibly important,” Tamponi said. “But in the meantime, our direct-to-consumer business in the U.S. is great. We just need to understand further what the best strategy is in order to put the brand back on the streets of America. Perhaps it’s not in the bigger cities at all. I think it needs to be surrounded by the people who already live and understand the lifestyle of Sebago.”

Looking ahead, Tamponi foresees a busy 2025. “We are set to launch three major collaborations next year,” the executive revealed. “We are also placing more focus on our Asia business – especially in key markets like South Korea and Japan – while also making sure to engage and to reach more American consumers and to communicate more about the evolution of the brand over the last few years.”

According to the Denver-based casual lifestyle footwear brand, Dayley has more than 15 years of experience in marketing and growing direct-to-consumer brands through strategic digital transformations, achieving profitable growth and thriving in an entrepreneurial environment.

“We are thrilled to have Ken lead our company and welcome him into this role at such a pivotal time,” Joey Separzadeh, chairman of the board of Joybees, said in a statement. “His ability to quickly assess and identify the growth potential for Joybees has been impressive. Ken’s roots in the casual footwear industry and his direct-to-consumer expertise are exactly what we have been seeking. His global experience and business acumen will ignite our financial performance through broader brand collaborations, expanded distribution, and consumer awareness.”

Dayley most recently served as the chief digital officer at Body Art Alliance. Prior to Body Art Alliance, he was instrumental in the consumer PopSockets craze, first as global e-commerce director and then as vice president of global direct-to-consumer.

From 2014 to 2018, Dayley provided global digital consulting services to New Balance, establishing a data-driven strategic digital growth plan to support robust growth in the U.S. and international expansion in Europe.

And from 2012 to 2014, Dayley worked as the digital development business manager for Finish Line, leading all aspects of new digital business development with an emphasis on affiliate marketing programs.

“It’s an exciting time as Joybees enters its next phase of growth and development,” Dayley added. “By building upon the company’s foundational values, I look forward to leveraging and expanding upon the well-known product offering of Joybees to broaden the awareness and accessibility of the family-friendly footwear brand. In today’s economic climate, I believe that with the board’s support, we are well-positioned for continued growth as a leader in the molded footwear business.”

Dayley replaces former CEO Kellen McCarvel, who, along with Joybees, has been embroiled in a legal battle with footwear rival Crocs. In a 2023 lawsuit, Crocs alleged that McCarvel, a former Crocs employee, left the company with “a tranche of several thousand documents containing Crocs’ highly confidential and proprietary business information” as well as the content of a Crocs email account. The case still appears to be ongoing.

Launching today, the new Hike Sneaker is the newest addition to the house’s lineup of directional sports-inspired footwear.

This new style, rooted in outdoor performance footwear, distorts and reimagines elements characteristic of technical hiking shoes to create a fresh take on an archetypal style. Its rugged, layered midsole and outsole, defined by prominent lugs, provide traction and comfort for all terrains.

Plus, adjustable pull-cord fastenings at the front and back—a first for Balenciaga footwear—secure the slip-on design, while a lightweight structure and technical gradient mesh ensure optimal breathability.

This launch comes as an increasing number of luxury brands seek to appeal to outdoor enthusiasts with footwear options to meet their lifestyles. Brands like Loro Piana, Zegna, Gucci and more have either collaborated with outdoor brands or launched their own collections to expand their offerings.

But for Balenciaga, this new sneaker is just the latest in the brand’s strategy to create attention-grabbing fashion items including the Circuit, Reptile and 6XL sneakers.

Another recent eye-catching shoe model from the Demna-led fashion house is the five-toed Anatomic Runner, which further delves into the unexpected — although it’s not the first time Balenciaga has released this kind of design.

After formally working with Vibram on Five Fingers-inspired “Toe” footwear in 2020, Balenciaga is returning to the concept for fall 2025, but this time it’s doing it in house. The same fall ’25 collection also teased the barefoot Zero shoe.

The Balenciaga Hike Sneaker, which retails for $1,275, is now available in three colorways – red/black, beige/orange and all-black – at Balenciaga stores worldwide and on balenciaga.com.

According to Linnetz, his new Shearling Boot unintentionally came to fruition when he went to design the costumes for North West’s appearance at the Hollywood Bowl for “The Lion King” in May.

“I created a pair of shearling Vamp sneakers for her costume,” Linnetz told FN in an interview. “And that kind of took the internet by storm. And it was like, ‘the only thing trending for three weeks was Trump’s trial and this shoe that North was wearing.’ After that moment, the calls started coming in. Lil Yachty was the first person to reach out to buy the boots. He was the first custom pair that we made, and then all of his friends started asking for shearling boots. So, it was a no-brainer to make them available for holiday.”

Serving as the centerpiece of the collection, the ERL Vamp Boot in shearling is now available in a high calf version constructed on the brand’s Vamp sneaker sole. The made in California boots retail for $1,850.

As for the rest of the holiday offering, Linnetz updated his signature Swirl Hoodie in a festive holiday red and included an array of puffers, brushed flannel plaid shirts and boxer shorts. The collection also includes shearling bags and coats.

“For me the clothing kind of accompanies the boots,” the designer said. “They were definitely the first element of the holiday collection, because originally, I wasn’t even going to release one. But as a strong storyteller, I had to build something around the boots to make it more meaningful and to build out the 360-degree world that I like to create.”

This isn’t Linnetz’s first shoe. In June 2023, the designer unveiled his debut Vamp sneaker as part of his spring 2024 collection at Pitti Uomo in Florence, Italy. The oversized skate shoe quickly gained fans like Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar and Pharrell Williams in the year since its release.

“The Vamp sneaker has really defined the brand for a whole new generation,” Linnetz, who launched the brand in 2020, said. “I feel like we’ve been known for so many things across the years, but I feel like this Vamp really spoke to a new audience. It’s so funny because the people that buy the shoes are anywhere between 14-year-old boys to women in their 80s. I feel like it’s actually something about the design and the playfulness of it that really speaks to everyone.”

And Linnetz isn’t finished with his footwear releases this year. The designer told FN that he will be releasing new colorways of the Vamp sneaker as well as a new style before the month’s end.

“I don’t think most people know, so it’ll be kind of a surprise, but we’ll be launching our second collection of footwear,” Linnetz said. “There will be three colors of the Vamp sneaker as well as a new style called the Camino. And as the name suggests, its modeled after the car [El Camino] and it’s a much slimmer silhouette than the Vamp. So, it’s a cool accompanying style.”

Bottom line, though, Linnetz and ERL are just getting started. “It’s cool to enter into this new footwear space and actually be real frontrunners in terms of delivering new silhouettes and leading the charge in creating something new that stands out in a crowded space,” Linnetz added. “We’re at a crucial moment for the brand, and people want to be a part of the world I’m creating, which I think is really cool.”

According to the British menswear brand, it’s performance sub-brand 247 has teamed up with Puma on a 12-piece clothing and footwear collection. Slated to drop later this week, the capsule also features Represent’s first official women’s products. The women’s items will be modeled by Olympic rising star and 800m Paris semi-finalist, Phoebe Gill, in the collection’s campaign.

In its biggest partnership to date, Represent’s new Puma x 247 collection signifies the Manchester-born brand’s broader mission to innovate and evolve within the performance space, the company said in a statement.

The sneaker is the centerpiece of this new collaboration, which takes on Puma’s Deviate Nitro Elite 3 model. Redesigned with the 247 palette, detail and logo, the Represent x Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 3 sneaker comes in a Desert Dust-Puma Black colorway. It retails for $240 and comes in unisex sizing.

“The 247 x Puma Elite Nitro encapsulates the technical brilliance we aim to deliver in every product,” George Heaton, co-founder and creative director of Represent, said in a statement. “It’s more than just a shoe—it’s a statement of 247’s growth, innovation, and dedication to becoming a leading force in performance wear. We are incredibly proud to have our name, logo, and identity associated with this technically advanced footwear.”

As for the rest of the collection, the two companies have come together on T-shirts, a tank top, shorts, sweatpants, a hoodie, a sports bra, tights, a headband and a backpack.

“Our aim was to learn from one of the best in the industry and elevate our product line, starting with the creation of an elite performance running shoe,” Heaton continued. “Puma, already known for developing the number one shoe in Hyrox—a sport with which we’re authentically connected—was the perfect partner to help us achieve this goal.”

Gregor Abenstein, head of Select at Puma added that this partnership has been a “true collaboration” in every sense. “From the very beginning, we worked hand-in-hand to merge our creative visions, ensuring that every detail reflects the strengths of both brands,” Abenstein said. “We are very happy with the outcome and think we can offer something purposeful to our consumers.”

The Represent 247 x Puma collection, which retails between $25 and $240, will be available from Representclo.com/247 and Puma.com on Dec. 18.

Gonzalez, who is in New York this week to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the British footwear brand’s Madison Avenue flagship, told FN in an interview that this year has been filled with milestone moments.

“It’s quite hard to just select one [highlight],” the CEO said. “I’m so grateful to my team and what we’re achieving here in New York, and for the success of this store. A year ago, we were all here and packing, preparing, putting everything on the shelves.

He continued, “It’s moments like this that give you the emotion that you achieved something. I do this for the emotions. I do this for the brand. You know, the brand is much bigger than I am, and the brand is going to last longer than I will. So, I’m here just to do the best as I can to make the brand shine.”

In 2023, the John Lobb team made the move from 800 Madison Avenue down the street to 700 Madison after 23 years at its previous address. The outpost just so happens to be next door to its parent brand Hermès, which moved its New York home to 706 Madison in 2022.

And while this move next to Hermès might seem intentional, it was simply serendipitous.

“We share the same values, but ultimately this was the best location for our store,” said Gonzalez, who took the helm of John Lobb at the end of 2018. “The pandemic changed the face of Madison Avenue, and it became very empty around our prior location. Now, we are very happy with the foot traffic that we see here and are excited about all of the new shops that are opening around us. This will certainly only increase the customer base even more.”

As for what’s selling now, Gonzalez noted that the brand’s icons like the Lopez loafer, the William double buckle oxford and the Lawry boot still drive the business — and newness has been key. “We are also introducing more casual styles that are performing quite well here in America,” the CEO said. “These include styles with rubber soles and are made on a slightly wider last.”

But the definition of casual means something a bit different for John Lobb. While walking around the store, Gonzalez pointed out these “casual styles” – and they aren’t sneakers. The styles include a modern take on the creeper shoe, which harkens back to the label’s British heritage, and lug soled boots and dress shoes that can be worn with anything from jeans to a suit.

“These styles perform quite well in big cities like New York because our customer walks more and need to feel comfortable 24/7,” Gonzalez added. “But for John Lobb, we place the same level of attention to detail to our casual offering as we do to our formal shoes.”

But 2024 wasn’t all about America. Gonzalez noted that John Lobb has had a “very exciting” year in Japan – one of the brand’s largest markets outside of the U.S. and Europe. This year, John Lobb’s flagship store in Tokyo on Marunouchi Street was relocated and renovated to introduce the same concept as the NYC location. Plus, a new location in Kyoto opened in April inside a traditional Machiya house, and a John Lobb shop-in-shop debuted inside of Barneys Ginza in September. John Lobb now has eight stores in Japan.

“Traditionally, Japanese men dress up more than probably other countries,” Gonzalez said. “So, our formal offering is our strongest, but we are growing our casual offer. Right now, we are about 65 percent formal and 35 percent casual when it comes to sales in Japan.”

Looking ahead, Gonzalez is optimistic about the brand’s future in the U.S. As of now, the company has two flagships stateside – one in Los Angeles and the one in NYC. But another location could soon be on the way.

“We are planning to open more stores in 2026,” the CEO add. “I can’t tell you as of today where it’s going to be, but we are looking for new locations for John Lobb stores in the U.S. The American market is very important for us and has always been very important for us. Now it’s time to build on our dynamism in the market.”

On the company’s third quarter earnings conference call, chairman and chief executive officer of Macy’s, Inc. Tony Spring told analysts that the retailer has been testing this initiative at about 100 locations.

“Having dedicated runners to get shoes from the stock room and salespeople available to assist in handbags allows our colleagues to spend more time with the customer,” Spring noted. “Compared to ‘non-first’ 50 Macy’s locations and those that did not receive additional staffing, women’s shoes and handbag sales outperformed by roughly 600 and 700 basis points, respectively, year-over-year.” (Macy’s “First 50” locations are the priority.)

The CEO said that this program “illustrates the importance” of dedicated customer assistance in high touch point categories. “These learnings along with those from the First 50 are being used to inform our plans for expanding initiatives to additional go-forward locations in 2025, which will be discussed in more detail on the fourth quarter earnings call,” Spring added.

Along with this move, Spring said that the company has reduced exposure to “less relevant brands” and expanded its offering in ones that customers are responding to, including Donna Karan, Steve Madden and Dolce Vita.

When asked by an analyst if the bump in shoe sales also had anything to do with Macy’s updates in merchandise assortment, Spring noted that the changes have been predominantly about people.

“We’re certainly making changes to assortments,” Spring said. “We are reducing the duplication within stores to try to make shopping easier for the consumer. But the lion’s share of the impact that we’re seeing is by having somebody to run to get the bag and get shoes from to the floor and to unlock the handbags that are not easily accessible by the customer. And so I think that’s given us some cautious optimism that there is more that we can do as we are able to actually impact more of the menu inclusive of the assortment in those stores.”

This comes as Macy’s reported declines in its top and bottom lines for the third quarter on Wednesday.

The department store chain said that net income declined to $28 million in Q3 from $41 million in the year ago period. Operating income slipped 1.3 percent to $64 million from $83 million in the year-ago period.

Net sales decreased 2.4 percent to $4.7 billion in the third quarter, with comparable sales down 2.4 percent on an owned basis and down 1.3 percent on an owned-plus-licensed-plus-marketplace basis.

On the positive side, Macy’s “First 50” locations, where the company is investing in several areas of the stores, saw comparable sales rise 1.9 percent, marking the third consecutive quarter of comparable sales growth. Bloomingdale’s saw comparable sales growth of owned and owned-plus-licensed-plus-marketplace of 1 percent and 3.2 percent, respectively. Bluemercury reported comparable sales growth of 3.3 percent.

Indeed, the company’s transformation efforts kicked into high gear in 2023 when Hufnagel ascended to the role of president and chief executive officer following the exit of Brendan Hoffman last August.

Since then, Hufnagel has remained committed to taking the “necessary actions” to best position the company for future profitable growth, while making sure the company moves with “speed and urgency” to capitalize on its biggest growth opportunities, the CEO noted to analysts in November 2023.

The urgency led to quick moves including aggressive divestitures and cost cutting measures, which included the sale of Sperry and the Wolverine leather business.

Now, the moves are slowly paying off. Last month, the company said that it ended the third quarter of fiscal 2024 with revenue of $440.2 million, down 16.6 percent from $527.7 million the same time last year. Ongoing total revenue in Q3 – which excludes the impact of sold assets – was $440.1 million, a decrease of 7.0 percent from $473.3 million the prior year period.

The marked improvement in Q3 came as Hufnagel praised Merrell’s “return to growth” and the stabilization of sales at Saucony and Sweaty Betty.

In his first major interview since taking over as CEO, Hufnagel sat down with FN to discuss the importance of stores, a new flagship in London, his approach to innovation and what’s next in the company’s transformation.

Now that you’re seeing some success in your earnings, what’s working at the company?

CH: The headline for me is that the most important chapter is the next one. It’s not what we’ve done so far, it’s what we’re going to do now. We’re a 141-year-old company. Companies that have been around for longer in a century, go through good times and bad times. We found ourselves in a tough spot in late August ‘23 and I think what we’ve done since then wasn’t rocket science. We had to stabilize the business. We had too much debt, we had too much inventory, and we had to restructure. And we did those things. And then I think for brands to compete and win today, it just it’s a different skill set and a different mindset and different tools and capabilities. So, we worked hard to begin to transform the organization, taking existing talent plus bringing new talent to the team, and then building up new competencies, opening up The Collective for greater investments in consumer insights and market intelligence, focusing on trend and innovation and really bringing the consumer to the center of the discussion. And if we did the stabilization phase right, and we began to transform, that would only give us the privilege to inflect to growth and ultimately drive accelerated growth. So, it has been an unbelievable 481 days since I was lucky enough to get this job. The team has been simply fantastic.”

Some of your colleagues at Wolverine have praised your management style. What’s your approach to cultivating company culture?

CH: “Obviously, I have a great responsibility to our shareholders, but my number one job is to help everyone else in our organization be great. I don’t have all the answers at all. My job is to help craft a vision and a strategy and then empower and enable our teams to go do great work. I firmly believe in this notion of ‘One Wolverine.’ We’re a parent company. We’ve got lots of brands, we operate all over the world, but at the end of the day, we should collectively win together. So I really believe in this notion of greatness. I think greatness is a choice. I ask the team to wake up every single morning and choose to be great and do their very best work, lead with empathy and conviction and authenticity.”

Innovation has been a hot topic in the footwear market. How are you making sure Wolverine stays at the forefront?

CH: “In the business that we’re in, it begins with product. If you don’t have the right product, nothing else matters. And clearly regardless of the environment we’re in, there’s always going to be winners. And the winners, I think, have products that are disruptive, that are innovative, that consumers’ problems and then ultimately give consumers joy and delight. And I think product innovation is paramount, and in our category, we see that each and every day. The disruptive brands that have developed products that solve consumers problems, that look different, that are trend right, that are style right — those brands are winning.”

What is unfolding in your product pipeline?

CH: “Saucony is probably out in front of that from a product innovation standpoint. The brand has brought innovation and really focused on their core silhouettes. Saucony has also attacked both the performance piece as well as the lifestyle piece. And I think we’ve been really encouraged by the progress Saucony has made. I also think that Merrell’s right there also. Merrell is the number one leader in an outdoor hike footwear. At the same time, the trail continues to evolve, and consumers want lighter, faster, more versatile shoes. Some of the best new product and innovations are still coming in 2025 with the Merrell Speed Arc, the Adapt, and we’ve got Saucony launching new updates to the Endorphin series and updates to the core four.”

The company recently debuted a new Innovation Hub in Boston. What was the intention in opening this space after closing the city’s larger offices?

CH: There is great talent in Boston. Obviously, our Boston-based brands were there for years. So opening up an Innovation Hub in downtown Boston to give our teams a place so we can recruit great talent, a great environment for they can go do great work, I think is really important. We’ve got about 50 associates based there. Importantly, though, we used to have an office in Boston, but it was out in Waltham, so it was out in the suburb, and it was actually kind of hard to get to, and it was not in a great spot this space. You know, we looked at five locations. I flew to Boston for the day. We looked at five different locations, all downtown. It’s close to mass transit. It’s convenient for our associates. It’s in a phenomenal part of town. All things that are important to attract talent. And the great thing about that office, it’s almost exclusively focused on product.”

Do you plan on opening more Innovation Hubs in the future?

CH: “Yeah, I think so. And I wouldn’t be surprised if we open our next Innovation Hub someplace internationally. We already have an office in London, but that’s largely commercial teams, along with our Sweaty Betty brand. Certainly you could imagine having product design talent based in London helping feed our teams.”

At Saucony, you’ve been focused on unique marketing. What have been the highlights?

CH: “We’ve talked a little bit about this key city strategy where we focus on influential cities around the world. So earlier this year, we decided to go into London with Saucony. The team has really done a great job so far. We inked a deal to be the multi-year sponsor of the London 10K and we really pushed our activation dollars into the market.”

How are you looking to continue to amplify the brand’s presence in London?

CH: “We’ll be opening a Saucony pioneer store in London in the first half of 2025. It will be in Covent Garden, and it’s a great location. Just tons of traffic and good tenants next to us, but we’re excited. I love the fact of going up against the competition. I love sitting next to them and seeing how we’re doing versus how they’re doing. Saucony competes against some amazing brands, and I think if we want to be in the discussion with those brands, we have to show up. So, I think it’ll be good for our brands, good for our teams, good for our consumers, and certainly good for competition.”

How does this London store opening play into your outlook on physical retail?

CH: “I grew up in stores, so to be able to be able to actually open brick-and-mortar, I think it’s critically important. The fact that we don’t have a stronger brick-and-mortar presence is a weakness for us. So, I think stores are going to make us better. [Better] brand builders, better merchants, better marketers. It allows our consumers to engage with our products, while we create amazing experiences. And I can’t wait to get over there and open that store.”

Is this opening part of a larger store strategy?

CH: “While we’re not aggressively announcing anything yet, I do think great brands have to meet consumers where and when they want to be met. Whether that’s being able to shop our brands at one of our amazing wholesale partners, like an REI, or Fleet Feet, or Dick’s Sporting Goods, or directly with us on our own e-commerce. We just opened two stores here in the U.S. We’ve got out Merrell outlet stores, but I firmly believe, you know, brick-and-mortar is an important piece, both to have consumers touch and feel your product, plus the ability to create experiences and to have our associates engage with consumers help them. Ultimately, I think the Wolverine Worldwide brands have to help make consumers lives better. And I think one of the easiest ways to go do that is when you can actually touch and feel and be in a store together with product.”

There seems to be more movement in the work category, which is your namesake brand’s bread and butter. What’re you seeing in work lately?

CH: “Between Wolverine, Cat Footwear, Hytest and Merrell Work, we command a significant share of the work category domestically. What we’re seeing more of is higher price points, more premium products and premium brands that are doing well in that work boot space. We’re also seeing the influence of Western in the work space. It’s not a slow-moving category that’s insulated from trends as one would think. Overall, work continues to be a steady category for us, but I think we have an opportunity to be better there looking forward.”

What are some of your more long-term goals for the company?

CH: “We haven’t been great brand managers historically. And I think we have to invest in our brands to drive brand affinity, to drive brand awareness, to command both share of closet and share of mind, to become part of the cultural conversation. So for me, that’s a longer term play, to become part of the dialog of cool brands. While we’ve made great products, I don’t think we’ve always been great brand builders. So during the time I’m in my position, I’m hopeful that we’ve become better brand builders and focus more on sell-through than we do on sell-in.”

How do you get there?

CH: “We need to manage the marketplace extraordinarily well, be great partners to our wholesale partners and run a great direct to consumer business. So for me, longer term, and why I think this is a great question, we really need to drive those emotional connections with consumers. I think when you can do that, you can build a flywheel for growth, versus just to be dependent upon what the next shoe is, or what the next selling season is.”

What’s next on your to-do list?

CH: “I’m privileged to be here and to be able to say we can talk about what’s next, you know, because a year ago, we had a lot of work to go just, just to save the company. So my eyes are sort of wide open, thinking about what the future and about what we can do in 2025 to accelerate our growth. When I think about brands and where they choose to play, how they plan to win, I focus a lot on what tools and capabilities do we need, what talent do we need? How do we update the tool sets we use, and how do those teams work together? So we’ve brought a lot of talent to the organization. I’m talking a lot to the board about what the vision for Wolverine Worldwide is, and then how we can go do that. But for me, right now, it’s very much focused on letting the past be the past, and really focusing on the next chapter, which is to drive growth.”

Last month, retail footwear price pressure remained modest despite another uptick in overall inflation. According to the FDRA, overall shoe prices climbed 0.7 percent in November from a year ago, the 24th straight month prices have risen no more than 1.5 percent.

This modest gain came as higher year-over-year prices for men’s footwear, up 1.0 percent, and children’s footwear, up 3.4 percent, offset the fourth straight month of lower prices for women’s shoes, down 0.9 percent, echoing a similar pattern witnessed in October, the FDRA said.

“Despite children’s footwear prices rising the fastest in over a year and a half last month, we still look for these prices to sink in 2024—albeit moderately—reversing three straight years of gains, likely to be only the second annual decline in the last fourteen years for children’s footwear prices,” Gary Raines, chief economist at FDRA, told FN. “Elsewhere, we look for prices for overall footwear, men’s footwear, and women’s footwear to rise modestly in 2024, despite modestly lower average import costs for each of these categories, good news for importers and retailers.”

Steve Lamar, president and chief executive officer of the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), added that the rise in kids’ shoe prices come at a time when children need their newest sizes of snow boots — and this is before any across-the-board tariff threats take effect in the new year.

“The time is now to reconsider smart trade policies that encourage fair and responsible trade policies, not punish American businesses and hardworking American families,” Lamar noted.

November’s movement in footwear prices comes at the same time the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that overall inflation rose at a faster annual pace last month.

The bureau’s latest Consumer Price Index (CPI), a broad measure of goods and services costs across the U.S. economy, saw prices increase 0.3 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis, after rising 0.2 percent in each of the previous four months. Prices were also up 2.7 percent over the last 12 months.

Excluding volatile food and energy costs, the core CPI rose 0.3 percent in October, as it did the previous three months, and increased 3.3 percent over the same time last year.

Indexes that increased in November included shelter, used cars and trucks, household furnishings and operations, medical care, new vehicles and recreation. The index for communication was among the few major indexes that decreased over the month.