Footwear News articles from April 1989

Footwear News archives from April 1989

Model's 1st line for men is launched. (Philippe Model, footwear designer)
April 24, 1989... Model's 1st line for men is launched PARIS (FNS)--After 10 years of concentrating on fashionable women's footwear, Parisian designer Philippe Model has launched his first official collection devoted exclusively for men. The new line,...

Ex-Loehmann's chief now takes Caressa's helm. (George J. Greenberg)
April 24, 1989... Ex-Loehmann's chief now takes Caressa's helm NEW YORK -- In a move that officials say reflects their growing business and increased commitment to retail service, Caressa Inc. has named the former head of pioneering retailer Loehmann's as...

Roots will expand to U.S. again. (Canadian footwear retailer)
April 24, 1989... Roots will expand to U.S. again TORONTO -- Roots; the well-known better-grade Canadian footwear retailer and manufacturer, will return to the United States with a new flagship retail unit in Chicago and plans for additional stores in the...

Spain's shoe industry still in doldrums.
April 24, 1989... Spain's shoe industry still in doldrums MADRID (FNS) -- Spain's shoe industry remains in poor health, with the principal maladies a deluge of Far East imports, consumer preference for mid-to-low priced footwear, and declining exports. ...

Cardone firm has become a Erica division. (Erica Shoes Inc.)
April 24, 1989... Cardone firm has become a Erica division NEW YORK -- Cardone & Baker Inc., Brooklyn, has become a division of Erica Shoes Inc. after over 70 years of producing better-grade women's footwear on its own. Cardone & Baker's footwear now...

Korea may halt makers' exodus. (shoe manufacturing moving to Southeast Asia)
April 24, 1989... Korea may halt makers' exodus HONG KONG (FNS) -- The South Korean government is considering stemming the flow of its footwear manufacturers who gradually are moving their production to low-cost Southeast Asian countries. According to...

Brazil producers critical of gov't inflation reform. (effects on shoe industry)
April 24, 1989... Brazil producers critical of gov't inflation reform RIO DE JANEIRO (FNS) -- Brazilian shoe makers sharply criticized their government's three-month-old, anti-inflation reforms last week, telling import-export agency officials the economic...

USTR Hills keeping eye on Europe trade moves. (Trade Representative Carla Hills)
April 24, 1989... USTR Hills keeping eye on Europe trade moves CHICAGO -- While optimistic about the opportunities that a unified European Community market will present starting in 1992, U.S. Trade Representative Carla A. Hills said she will keep watch for...

Colombia taking steps to sell shoes to U.S.
April 24, 1989... Colombia taking steps to sell shoes to U.S. NEW YORK -- The Colombian government is attempting to shake its reputation as a typical Third World nation and gain recognition in the U.S. market as a viable source for footwear manufacturing....

Imports press U.K. industry. (footwear industry)
April 24, 1989... Imports press U.K. industry LONDON (FNS) -- The British footwear industry is under increasing pressure from imports, with several companies closing recently and others slashing capacity to meet lower demand. Imports last year climbed 6...

March footwear retail prices up 6.3% from '88.
April 24, 1989... March footwear retail prices up 6.3% from '88 WASHINGTON (FNS) -- Retail footwear prices in March increased 1.2 percent from February prices and 6.3 percent from March 1988 prices, the Labor Department reported. Seasonally adjusted, March...

Ward's new Tucson store breaks mold. (Montgomery Wards)
April 24, 1989... Ward's new Tucson store breaks mold CHICAGO -- Montgomery Ward opened a store in Tucson on April 13 that may set a trend and help make the term "mass merchandiser" obsolete -- and the term "specialty store" hotter than ever. And...

Frost Bros. to be liquidated.
April 24, 1989... Frost Bros. to be liquidated NEW YORK (FNS) -- Frost Bros., unable to complete a deal with a buyer that would have continued to operate the better-grade fashion retailer, will be liquidated. After a lenghty court hearing, Bankruptcy...

Shoe City pins success on selling entire family. (family shoe stores)
April 24, 1989... Shoe City pins success on selling entire family MONTGOMERY, Ala. (FNS) -- Shoe City Inc. has found success by offering a large selection and a deep stock of merchandise for the whole family. "In a word, our niche is to know who our...

Judge: Melville copied L.A. Gear's Hot Shots. (footwear manufacturer) (obituary)
April 24, 1989... Judge: Melville copied L.A. Gear's Hot Shots NEW YORK (FNS) -- A federal judge ruled last week that three athletic shoes by Melville Corp., Harrison, N.Y., infringe the trade dress of L.A. Gear Inc.'s Hot Shots shoe. Judge Robert J....

Converse kids' group putting athletics in focus.
April 24, 1989... Converse kids' group putting athletics in focus NORTH READING, Mass. -- Converse Inc.'s dinosaur- and automobile-inspired children's shoes will be stepping aside to share the spotlight with footwear that has a more athletic direction, said...

Adidas plans to lay off 300 in '89. (athletic shoe manufacturer)
April 24, 1989... Adidas plans to lay off 300 in '89 PARIS -- Adidas AG in West Germany plans to lay off more than 300 people from its French operations during 1989 and is in the process of reducing its product range by 30 percent, Gunter Pfau, Adidas public...

Hybrid walkers: in quest of fashion, new markets. (walking shoes for the shoe industry; includes related articles)
April 17, 1989... Hybrid walkers: in quest of fashion, new markets NEW YORK -- Many companies have started to use walking shoes as tools for exploring fashion ideas and new markets. Nike Inc., Beaverton, Ore., recently unveiled the Air Street, a women's...

AIM sounding board expounds on retailers' '90s challenges. (Footwear Industries of America, All Industry Marketing Conference )
April 17, 1989... AIM sounding board expounds on retailers' '90s challenges SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- As footwear retailers move into the '90s, they must make a commitment to better understand and service their customers, better train and compensate their sales...

Woolworth will expand athletic shoe store ranks.
April 17, 1989... Woolworth will expand athletic shoe store ranks TORONTO (FNS) -- F.W. Woolworth Co., New York, plans to open 800 new stores worldwide this year, almost half of which will be athletic footwear stores, according to president and chief...

Frizon ready to say yeas to Soviet deal. (Maud Frizon paris-based shoe designer)
April 17, 1989... Frizon ready to say yes to Soviet deal MILAN (FNS) -- Maud Frizon, the Paris-based footwear designer, is on the verge of finalizing a joint venture agreement with the Soviet Union to begin manufacturing shoes in two factories in Leningrad....

Fireman raps on NSF. (Paul Fireman at National Shoe Fair)
April 17, 1989... Fireman raps on NSF SAN DIEGO -- Reebok International Ltd. and perhaps other leading athletic shoe firms might consider returning to the National Shoe Fair (NSF) if show managers changed the dates and restructured the show, Reebok chairman...

Barry sees profit boom. (R.G. Barry Corp.; slipper manufacturer)
April 17, 1989... Barry sees profit boom NEW YORK -- R.G. Barry Corp. expects double-digit compounded annual sales growth over the next three to five years, with profit-margins-to-sales figures improving at a rate faster than sales, company chairman and...

Fireman douses retailers who will discount Reebok. (Paul Fireman chairman of Reebok International Ltd.)
April 17, 1989... Fireman douses retailers who discount Reebok SAN DIEGO -- Paul Fireman, chairman of Reebok International Ltd., Canton, Mass., last week criticized retailers who sell Reebok product at discount prices and called some of that merchandise...

Interco shoe operating net falls 50.6% annually.
April 17, 1989... Interco shoe operating net falls 50.6% annually NEW YORK (FNS) -- Interco Inc. reported that operating earnings of its footwear division dropped 50.6 percent in the year, and total company earnings from continuing operations tumbled into...

Cherokee quarter sales score 20% above target. (footwear-clothing manufacturer)
April 17, 1989... Cherokee quarter sales score 20% above target SUN VALLEY, Calif -- Reportedly driven by more efficient sourcing and delivery systems, a whole new pricing structure, and demand for its product, third-quarter sales at The Cherokee Group...

Burlington Int'l buys McAfee amid name fray. (but Church and Co. alleges ownership of McAfee brand name)
April 17, 1989... Burlington Int'l buys McAfee amid name fray LONDON (FNS) -- British footwear manufacturer Burlington International Group PLC last week bought McAfee Shoes in a takeover that may develop into a battle with another suitor, Church & Co., over...

How retail sales can rise via atmospheric change. (footwear marketing)
April 17, 1989... How retail sales can rise via atmospheric changes NEW YORK -- Shopping is known as retail therapy -- one good buying experience encourages another -- said Linda Cahan, a visual merchandising consultant with Cahan & Co., Westport, Conn. ...

Campeau acts to reduce debt. (department store chains )
April 17, 1989... Campeau acts to reduce debt NEW YORK (FNS) -- Campeau Corp., parent of Federated Department Stores and Allied Stores, confirmed last week that Allied's proceeds from the sale of its Ann Taylor division were used to purchase stock in...

Esprit de Corps plans flagship store in Paris. (clothing and footwear)
April 17, 1989... Esprit de Corps plans flagship store in Paris PARIS (FNS) -- Esprit de Corps, the American fashion company with a French name, plans to open a flagship store and cafe in Paris this September. Roberto Tassi, general manager of Esprit...

Athletic X-Press readies youth fitness program. (athletic shoe retailer's program to be a part of National Youth Fitness Week in April)
April 17, 1989... Athletic X-Press readies youth fitness program NEW YORK -- Athletic X-Press, a nationwide family athletic footwear and apparel retailer, is preparing to launch its first-ever national fitness awareness program, National Youth Workout Day,...

Vulcan holders OK fewer shares. (footwear rubber manufacturer)
April 17, 1989... Vulcan holders OK fewer shares CINCINNATI -- Shareholders of Vulcan International Corp. voted to reduce the number of authorized common shares to two million from three million at the company's annual meeting last week. The vote came...

Melville elects Bloostein a director. (Allan Bloostein, footwear industry's Melville Corp.)
April 17, 1989... Melville elects Bloostein a director HARRISON, N.Y. -- Allan Bloostein was elected a director of Melville Corp. at Melville's annual shareholders meeting held April 11, according to a company statement. Bloostein had been vice chairman...

Portuguese firms' goal: big U.S. orders. (shoe exports)
April 17, 1989... Portuguese firms' goal: big U.S. orders NEW YORK -- Many Portuguese footwear factories that are busy filling a surplus of orders from European countries are still hoping to attract big business from the U.S. Several factory...

Code West using cable to lasso young people. (Western boots marketing uses cable TV ads)
April 17, 1989... Code West using cable to lasso young people NASHVILLE -- Young men and women have become such an important market segment for Western boots that the Code West division of Genesco Inc. is planning a major cable TV advertising campaign to...

U.S. producers: don't cut tariffs - they are a lifeline. (tariff on footwear)
April 10, 1989... U.S. producers: Don't cut tariffs -- they are lifeline WASHINGTON (FNS) -- Industry trade associations warned the government last week that American manufacturers of rubber and non-rubber footwear will not survive if tariffs are reduced on...

U.S. Shoe quarter net improves. (U.S. Shoe Corp.)
April 10, 1989... U.S. Shoe quarter net improves CINCINNATI--U.S. Shoe Corp. last week reported improved sales and earnings for the fourth quarter of fiscal 1988, but for the entire year, the company saw profits decline sharply as a result of disappointing...

Imports show 4% decline. (footwear)
April 10, 1989... Imports show 4% decline WASHINGTON (FNS) -- Imports of non-rubber footwear declined 4 percent in 1988 after declining about 1 percent in 1987, according to the U.S. International Trade Commission. In the fourth quarter of 1988,...

Della Valle lops 3 top designers. (Diego Della Valle drops footwear licensing agreements)
April 10, 1989... Della Valle lops 3 top designers MILAN (FNS) -- Diego Della Valle has dropped his footwear licensing agreements with fashion designers Christian Lacroix, Azzedine Alaia, and Romeo Gigli to better concentrate on his company's own growing...

Stride Rite will stick to fundamentals. (children's footwear manufacturer)
April 10, 1989... Stride Rite will stick to fundamentals BOSTON -- The Stride Rite Corp., Cambridge, will concentrate on fundamentals in 1989, focusing on market niches in an effort to identify and enhance its position, said chairman Arnold Hiatt at the...

Charles Jourdan plans to reduce staff by 122. (clothing and footwear manufacturing)
April 10, 1989... Charles Jourdan plans to reduce staff by 122 PARIS -- Charles Jourdan reported it plans to lay off 122 people, many of them part of management, in a major shift in strategy initiated by the company's two new top executives. As part of...

Young designers bring bloom to Calif. product. (footwear design)
April 10, 1989... Young designers bring bloom to Calif. product LOS ANGELES--What do you get when you cross an old established shoe factory with a young new designer? Well, according to most, what you get is a new improved product. And, in...

Penny pulls the plug on Telaction shopping. (J.C. Penny Co., home-shopping system)
April 10, 1989... Penney pulls the plug on Telaction shopping SCHAUMBURG, Ill. -- Telaction, the interactive cable-television home-shopping system that featured a number of prominent shoe brands, has been shut down by its parent, J.C. Penney. J.C....

Far East mother lode for U.S. branded athletics. (outsourcing footwear in Asia, Southeast Asia)
April 10, 1989... Far East a mother lode for U.S. branded athletics SINGAPORE (FNS) -- The Far East is rich in retail opportunities for U.S. branded athletic footwear, but companies' styles and strategies sometimes vary from market to market. "The Far...

Ritzy Printemps closes after 17 months in Denver. (specialty clothing-footwear store)
April 10, 1989... Ritzy Printemps closes after 17 months in Denver DENVER (FNS) -- Printemps, the upscale French specialty store that has struggled with sluggish sales almost since its opening 17 months ago, closed here last Tuesday. Some 90 employees...

Top retailers' March sales cold.
April 10, 1989... Top retailers' March sales cold NEW YORK (FNS) -- For a representative group of the nation's leading retailers, March sales were lackluster with an early Easter and colder-than-normal weather cited as the culprits. Low-end footwear...

Walking: defining new roles. (walking shoes market and manufacturers)
April 10, 1989... WALKING: DEFINING NEW ROLES NEW YORK--The walking shoe market is finally outgrowing its britches. Just one year ago, white athletic-looking models designed for the "mature" set typified the walking market. But while athletic...

'88 athletic footwear imports up 28.2%
April 10, 1989... '88 athletic footwear imports up 28.2% NORTH PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Athletic footwear imports surged by 28.2 percent in 1988 versus 9.3 percent growth in 1987, fueled by factory price increases in early 1988, according to a recent report by...

East Side Kids step into Burlington, Mass. (children's shoe store)
April 10, 1989... East Side Kids step into Burlington, Mass. NEW YORK -- In its first step towards expansion outside of Manhattan, children's retailer East Side Kids recently opened a store in Burlington Mall, Burlington, Mass. "We're looking by 1990 to...

3 Brazil children's makers aim at foreign markets. (children's footwear)
April 10, 1989... 3 Brazil children's makers aim at foreign markets RIO DE JANEIRO (FNS) -- Brazil's top three children's shoe makers are projecting huge leaps in exports this year in an attempt to crack the foreign market, until now dominated by Taiwan and...

L.A. Gear first quarter net, volume surge ahead.
April 3, 1989... L.A. Gear first quarter net, volume surge ahead LOS ANGELES -- Reporting that demand for its footwear had reached "unprecedented heights," L.A. Gear said its continuing growth steamrolled ahead in the first quarter, as earnings soared...

Juvenile Shoe files petition for Chapter 11. (footwear manufacturer)
April 3, 1989... Juvenile Shoe files petition for Chapter 11 AURORA, Mo. -- Juvenile Shoe Corp. (JSC) of America last week filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the Federal Bankruptcy Act as a debtor-in-possession. The move will allow the...

'88 athletic outlays for TV ads soar. (athletic shoe advertising)
April 3, 1989... '88 athletic outlays for TV ads soar NEW YORK -- The battle for athletic footwear sales exploded onto the television screen in 1988, with Reebok, Nike and L.A. Gear driving total TV advertising expenditures by shoe companies to more than...

Tanners are adopting worldwide business view. (leather manufacturers)
April 3, 1989... Tanners are adopting worldwide business view WOBURN, MASS. -- Consumer appetite for footwear should be sparked by the spring '90 color palette, new heel interest, and the continued emphasis on softer and textured leathers, predicted...

Spencer gets OK on chap. 11 plan. (footwear retailer)
April 3, 1989... Spencer gets OK on Chap. 11 plan BOSTON (FNS) -- Spencer Cos. Inc. has won confirmation of its modified Chapter 11 plan, under which the footwear retailer will be acquired by J. Baker Inc. As reported, the plan, which becomes...

Coward scores with 'super store.' (Pacific Dunlop Ltd. division Coward Shoe)
April 3, 1989... Coward scores with 'super store' CARLE PLACE, N.Y. -- The word "super store" may conjure up images of a vast warehouse, with a sea of merchandise requiring a lot of time to shop, but the image is quite different in the new Coward Shoe...

Kammer plans 1st store on U.S. shores in July. (French shoe designer Charles Kammer)
April 3, 1989... Kammer plans 1st store on U.S. shores in July PARIS (FNS) -- French shoe designer Charles Kammer will open his own store in New York next July, with plenty of new production capacity in Europe to supply the U.S. market. The project...

Church earnings fall; U.S. market is blamed. (Church and Co. PLC, footwear manufacturer)
April 3, 1989... Church earnings fall; U.S. market is blamed LONDON (FNS) -- Sluggish demand in the U.S. contributed to a 6.8 percent drop in pre-tax profits at Church & Co. PLC last year to 5.47 million pounds ($9.41 million) on a 6.1 percent rise in...

Sobel, Bernstein makes shoes under Ciao name. (women's shoe manufacturer)
April 3, 1989... Sobel, Bernstein makes shoes under Ciao name LOS ANGELES -- A new line of better-grade women's shoes and handbags under the name Ciao Accessories -- which is not associated with the branded Ciao! footwear line already produced by Lifestyle...

Non-rubber shoe imports fall 8.8% in January.
April 3, 1989... Non-rubber shoe imports fall 8.8% in January WASHINGTON (FNS) -- Non-rubber shoe imports declined 8.8 percent in January, falling to 74,662,000 pairs shipped from 81,893,000 pairs shipped in January last year. January's import figures...

Printemps' U.S. future rocky. (French retailer in Denver, CO)
April 3, 1989... Printemps' U.S. future rocky DENVER -- Sixteen months after opening, Printemps -- the Paris retailer's first store in the U.S. -- faces an uncertain future, and officials of the operation are not confirming or denying its ultimate demise....

Lord & Taylor names Wilansky executive vp. (Heywood Wilansky)
April 3, 1989... Lord & Taylor names Wilansky executive vp NEW YORK -- Heywood Wilansky was recently named executive vice president, merchandising of shoes and other categories, for Lord & Taylor. He was senior vice president/general merchandise manager,...

Ex-Kangaroos chief tells what went wrong. (Robert Gamm, athletic shoe manufacturer)
April 3, 1989... Ex-Kangaroos chief tells what went wrong ST. LOUIS -- "Day after day it was the same story: Dump shoes, dump shoes, dump more shoes. Dumping was all we could think about. We couldn't think about developing new shoes....Everyday there was...

Granus joins Kangaroos in new vp marketing post. (Jackie Granus)
April 3, 1989... Granus joins Kangaroos in new vp marketing post ST. LOUIS -- Jackie Granus, who launched the highly successful Conasaur children's footwear collection for Converse, has joined Kangaroos USA Inc. in the new position of vice president of...

New Balance has agreed to $20 repay plan. (result of price-fixing case)
April 3, 1989... New Balance has agreed to $20 repay plan HARRISBURG, Pa. (FNS) -- A settlement agreement offering a $20 repayment to all Pennsylvania consumers who purchased New Balance running shoes from a former Scranton discounter between April 1984 and...

Mickey to market shoes throughout U.S., Europe. (Mickey and Co.)
April 3, 1989... Mickey to market shoes throughout U.S., Europe NEW YORK -- Mickey & Co., a division of J.G. Hook, here, known for its colorful apparel featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse, has created a new footwear division to market adults' and children's...

Performance leathers in demand. (footwear components, synthetic leather)
April 3, 1989... Performance leathers in demand WOBURN, Mass. -- Performance materials that provide value-added features, such as breathability, water resistance and shock absorbancy to footwear, are being demanded more and more by comfort-conscious...