Footwear News

With passion, grit and determination, FN's 2025 Hall of Fame inductee Laura O'Brien has built The Atlanta Shoe Market into the country’s largest footwear trade show, featuring more than 1,800 lines on display and drawing retail buyers from across the U.S. and abroad. She’s been at it for more than four decades, becoming one of the industry’s most trusted advisors, known for her honesty and empathy. O’Brien has also steered the organization with a firm hand through its most turbulent moments, including the pandemic, which, coincidentally became a big turning point in its growth trajectory. Now, as its venue undergoes a major renovation, the trade show is set to enter a new era. She will be honored on Dec. 3 at the much-anticipated FNAAs. See more of this year's winners: https://lnkd.in/e8jS9-da

Brooks Running said it achieved No. 1 market share at national retail, according to data from Circana. The same data set from its U.S. retail tracking service for adult running footwear (in dollar sales) from July to September 2025 also indicates that Brooks held three of the top six adult performance footwear styles sold at U.S. national retail, more than any other brand. Read more: https://lnkd.in/etpB8DXC

Journeys is doubling down on refreshing its merchandise mix as part of a larger turnaround strategy — and Nike is a key part of the strategy. Andy Gray, who was just promoted to chief executive officer of the newly formed Journeys Global Retail Group last month, told FN in an interview this week that Nike will be launching at its new concept stores and online in November. “This addition its part of our strategy for Journeys,” Gray said. “We are on a mission to work with the best brands in the world and deliver them through the lens of our customer. Our consumer is defining our entire footwear-focused assortment. Read more: https://lnkd.in/e6bXty6r

Crocs, Inc. is setting the stage for future growth. The footwear firm on Thursday posted third quarter earnings results that were better than what Wall Street expected. Shares of Crocs rose 5.2 percent to $89.07 in early morning trading on the NasdaqGS platform. The shares closed down nearly 2.1 percent to $84.69, but that was likely largely in part due to investors digesting the news that the U.S. and China had reached an understanding of sorts in their trade war. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ecaM-xdK

COATS GROUP PLC now has an expanded position as a tier 2 supplier of shoe components. Following the completion of its $770 million transaction to acquire premium insole brand OrthoLite Holdings LLC, Coats can now lay claim as a “super tier 2” supplier in footwear components. The deal includes OrthoLite and Cirql. The transaction was announced in July. Read more: https://lnkd.in/e3ZpDGth

Organic sales at PUMA Group fell 10.4 percent in the third quarter to 1.96 billion euros. The German activewear firm blamed a strategic “reset” as it navigates “several company-specific challenges, including muted brand momentum, elevated inventory levels across the trade and low quality of distribution,” it said in a statement. Measures taken so far included reducing undesired wholesale business and excess inventory at retail, as well as curbing promotional activity. Puma is also planning to reduce its “white collar” workforce by 900 positions, the company announced. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ec7tguNt

Shares of Crocs, Inc. Inc. jumped in early morning trading, after beating Wall Street’s third quarter consensus estimates even though the shoe firm forecasts a fourth quarter revenue decline. Shares of Crocs rose 5.2 percent to $89.07 in NasdaqGS trading. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ehWxq2eV

Boot Barn is raising its yearly guidance as well as its store opening targets as the Western craze shows no sign of slowing down. In the second quarter of fiscal 2026, the Irvine, Calif-based footwear company saw net sales increase 18.7 percent to $505.4 million from $425.8 million in the prior-year period. Net income in Q2 was $42.2 million, or $1.37 per diluted share, compared to $29.4 million, or 95 cents per diluted share, in the prior-year period. https://lnkd.in/eMnj2Axx

SHOE SHOW, INC. is marking its 65th anniversary with a special campaign honoring its family roots. Founded in 1960 by the late Robert Tucker and his wife Carolyn C. Tucker in downtown Kannapolis, N.C, the family-owned business has continued to thrive with more than 1,000 stores across 47 states despite huge change across the retail landscape. Now, the Tucker family is bringing its hometown messaging to life through a new film produced in collaboration with creative agency McKinney. Dubbed “An American Story,” the film celebrates the journey of Shoe Show, Inc.’s founders and customers, woven into the broader “Shoes for Every One” platform launched in 2024. https://lnkd.in/eAdwtQrp

Golden Goose is set to appoint Mauro Maggioni as its new chief executive officer of the Americas, the brand confirmed to FN exclusively. The news comes as outgoing CEO of the Americas Silvia Merati announced she would be leaving the Italian footwear company to helm Frame denim in Los Angeles. As for Maggioni, he has been with Golden Goose since 2019, most recently serving as the CEO of the Asia Pacific region. https://lnkd.in/eXqmP_Sg