More than 60 percent of bookings for fall have been for women’s shoes, he added, with many retailers favoring the company’s “everyday active” collection of lightweight and versatile runners at price points between $100-$115.
Traditional hiking shoes with lugged soles and waterproof yet breathable uppers have remained the brand’s most consistent best-sellers, he said, noting that consumers are likely to continue to explore the great outdoors during the fall months as the pandemic continues to impact everyday life.
Spyder, known for its cold-weather gear, will also specialize in ultra-warm winter boots, Duemling said.
Ranging from all-EVA water booties to technical fisherman sandals and lace-ups with rubberized soles and lattice-like uppers, the shoes all offer Sperry’s signature traction-boosting feature: siping on the outsoles.
“The product is designed to wear around the ocean or lake, on your kayak, stand-up paddleboard, sailing and powerboating.”
Small slits in the rubber surface of the shoes—even those with lugs—help to make them more resistant to slippage on wet surfaces, Hagerman said, like “a wet fiberglass deck, wood or cement.”
Known for its comfort shoes and sandals, Earth Shoes has recently seen resonance with styles geared toward a slightly more active lifestyle, according to key account executive Jaclyn Wormann. “The trend we’re seeing in general is that she’s doing a little more activity,” she said.
Throughout the course of the pandemic, the brand’s female shoppers have been gravitating to styles with more performance attributes, from rubber soles to adjustable straps and supportive footbeds for long days of wear.
Moving into spring 2022, the brand will offer styles that encompass these features, while adding influences from outdoor styling, like bungee ties and mesh.
“We don’t think that our current customer is suddenly trying to go climb Mt. Kilimanjaro,” she said, “but maybe she’s finding some local parks and trails in her neighborhood and in her community.”