By JENNIFER ERNST
“Something different” in footwear topped the wish list for retailers attending last week’s Magic, WWD Magic and Project trade shows here, with buyers shopping the show floor for something to set themselves apart from the competition.
Shiekh Ellahi, CEO of the Ontario, Calif.-based Shiekh chain, said that “it’s been hard to find something new,” but noted that he was on the hunt for women’s boots as well as fresh styles in the men’s athletic category.
Marcus Bolden also was shopping for unique looks for his new CitiShelter sneaker boutique, set to open early next year in Las Vegas. Bolden said limited-edition styles were the price of entry these days in the competitive athletic footwear world. “If you ain’t got exclusives, you ain’t in the game,” Bolden said.
According to Denise Scher, fashion director for Magic, footwear continues to increase its importance at the show, with more than 500 brands exhibiting at this edition.
In fact, Scher said, the show hired a dedicated saleswoman for the category, citing an “increased demand for footwear, with so many apparel stores merchandising it along with their clothing lines.”
Aaron Jones, a buyer for DrJays.com, said he and his fellow buyers were definitely shopping for shoes that hooked up with their apparel lines — and that stocking footwear offerings from the apparel brands was a trend they were seeing more and more.
Among the many debuts in Las Vegas last week was the U.S. relaunch of venerable French sports brand Le Coq Sportif, which was showing its spring ’08
apparel and footwear collection at Project. “We weren’t ready to show at WSA,” said CEO Tim McCool. “We felt Project was a better environment to show the apparel and the footwear together.”
Footwear, which McCool estimates will account for 60 percent to 65 percent of the brand’s business, includes both fashion and sports-inspired pieces, as well as a limited selection of technical tennis product.
The brand, McCool said, will have limited distribution at boutiques, high-end department stores and select other accounts.
“The plan is not to be the brand of the masses, but to be elitist,” McCool said. All the styles in the line, which includes looks for both men and women, will feature slim, European shapes.
In fact, McCool said, the line is identical to the collection available in Europe. “You have to be authentic,” McCool said. “And part of being authentic, for us, is being French.”
Separately, key trends at the show included continued strength in metallics, bright neons and pastels and an increased emphasis on fabrics and materials.
