Footwear News articles from January 2006

Footwear News archives from January 2006

GROUND COVER.(Brief Article)
January 23, 2006... From insulated uppers to waterproof constructions, lightweight hiking boots for fall '06 cover all of the bases. Caption(s): Here, the insulated, waterproof, breathable Titanium Bugalution GTX from COLUMBIA.

LUXE LOOKS BRING NEW LIFE TO ONCE DRAB MEN'S BIZ.
January 23, 2006... Byline: ERIC NEWMAN, Additional Reporting by Luisa Zargani in Florence NEW YORK - Can a new fashion-forward consumer revitalize a dormant men's market? Strength in the high-end men's arena is giving retailers - who for years...

AIR MAX 360 POISED FOR TAKEOFF AT RETAIL; NEWEST NIKE LAUNCH GARNERING STRONG REVIEWS FROM INDUSTRY FOR ITS COMBINATION OF BREAKTHROUGH TECHNOLOGY AND FASHIONABLE STYLING.
January 23, 2006... Byline: Wayne Neimi, Natalie Zmuda NEW YORK - Athletic retailers are betting big on Nike's newly launched Air Max 360. The $160 running shoe, which was unveiled on Saturday, is the first foamless shoe on the market. The technology...

ASG FORMS JOINT PARTNERSHIP WITH TRIPLE 5 SOUL.(American Sporting Goods Co.)
January 23, 2006... Byline: Wayne Niemi LOS ANGELES - American Sporting Goods is hoping a new joint venture with Triple 5 Soul will be a slam dunk with fashion-athletic consumers. In an exclusive interview with Footwear News, CEO Kevin Wulff said the...

MADDEN TO NAME NEW WHOLESALE PREZ.(Steven Madden Ltd. appointed Matt Joyce)
January 23, 2006... Byline: WAYNE NIEMI LOS ANGELES - Steve Madden is beefing up its executive ranks. The Long Island City, N.Y.-based company is expected to announce today that it will appoint Nine West Group President Matt Joyce to the post of...

ANALYSTS STILL BULLISH ON KCP AFTER BLUM EXIT.(Paul Blum)(Brief Article)
January 23, 2006... Byline: KATIE ABEL NEW YORK - Despite last week's resignation of Kenneth Cole President Paul Blum, the company is well positioned for the future, analysts said. Several industry observers interviewed by Footwear News were optimistic...

NEW BALANCE INKS FITNESS TV DEAL.(New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc.)(Exercisetv, a new on-demand network dedicated to fitness, sports instruction and motivational programming)(Brief Article)
January 23, 2006... Byline: ERIN CLACK NEW YORK - Boston-based New Balance signed a multimillion-dollar agreement to serve as an official sponsor of Exercisetv, a new on-demand network dedicated to fitness, sports instruction and motivational programming....

INSIDER: QUICK HITS...SEEN...OVERHEARD.
January 23, 2006... Byline: Brian Russak Last week's Golden Globes were a classy affair all around. Insider's only complaint - besides Matthew Fox of "Lost" not winning and Mariah Carey's too-tight dress - was the fact that most of the gorgeous full-length...

ROUGH & TUMBLE; FOR FALL '06, OUTDOOR FOOTWEAR DESIGNERS ARE PULLING OUT ALL THE STOPS. THE NEWEST HIKING BOOTS COMBINE LIGHTWEIGHT, ATHLETIC-INSPIRED STYLING WITH PERFORMANCE FEATURES DESIGNED TO HANDLE THE TOUGHEST TERRAIN. FROM WATERPROOF CONSTRUCTIONS AND INSULATED UPPERS TO RUGGED OUTSOLES THAT PROVIDE TRACTION IN MUD AND SNOW, THIS SEASON'S BOOTS HAVE GOT IT ALL.(Brief Article)
January 23, 2006... Byline: Jennifer Carofano Clockwise from top: The Breeze XCR from VASQUE features waterproof nubuck, Gore-Tex XCR for breathability and a Vibram Contact outsole; the waterproof Multiterra II Insulated from HI-TEC is a light hiker...

TRAIL FIX: AN OUTDOOR STORE THAT'S PUT DOWN ROOTS ALONG THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL IS A HAVEN FOR A STEADY STREAM OF NATURE WORSHIPPERS.(Mountain Crossings @ Walasi-Yi)
January 23, 2006... Byline: Sharyn Bernard Name: Mountain Crossings @ Walasi-Yi Address: 9710 Gainesville Highway, Blairsville, Ga. Square footage: 2,800 Established: 2001 Owner: Winton Porter Footwear brands: Chaco, Dunham, Garmont,...

PATH LESS TAKEN; AS MERRELL CELEBRATES ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY, BRAND VETERAN JACQUES LAVERTUE DISCUSSES REDEFINING THE OUTDOOR CONSUMER AND THE LASTING POWER OF THE JUNGLE MOC.(Interview)
January 23, 2006... Byline: Jennifer Carofano Thinking outside the box has solidified Merrell's status as an industry leader. What started a quarter-century ago as a traditional outdoor brand offering performance product has evolved into a major...

SAMPLE SALE; WITH A LIBRARY OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE METALS, POLYMERS AND NATURAL FIBERS, MATERIAL CONNEXION JUST MIGHT INSPIRE FOOTWEAR'S NEXT BIG THING.
January 23, 2006... Byline: J.W. Elphinstone This is not your traditional Dewey-decimal-system library. The New York headquarters of Material ConneXion, the largest repository of cutting-edge materials in the world, looks more like a modern art gallery...

NIKE TAPS RESOURCE HOUSE TO TURN GARDEN-HOSE SHEATH INTO STYLISH SNEAKER.(Material ConneXion)(Brief Article)
January 23, 2006... Byline: J.W. Elphinstone Sporting a sneaker with cable covering doesn't exactly sound hip, but Nike fans would beg to differ. Thanks in large part to its research with Material ConneXion, the athletic giant developed the Nike Jordan XIX...

INNER WARMTH; BRANDED TECHNOLOGY IS TOP-OF-MIND IN INSULATED FOOTWEAR.
January 23, 2006... Byline: Jennifer Carofano Global warming aside, the winter months have traditionally boosted sales of insulated footwear across the country. Retailers report that consumers are looking for shoes that will keep feet warm and dry, with a...

FACES.
January 23, 2006... Byline: Katie Abel Talk about a power-packed crowd. Last Monday's Financo event at New York's Harmonic Club brought together top execs from every corner of the fashion industry. The evening kicked off with a panel discussion on brand...

SHAPE UP: THE TOP 10 FITNESS ACTIVITIES.
January 23, 2006... The No. 1 New Year's resolution for many Americans? Getting in shape. It's no surprise, then, that many gyms are reporting major membership surges during the first month of 2006. Dumbbells aside, some of the most popular exercises are fitness...