Shoe-in

Industry leader and footwear exec Dave Grange is back on Shoe-In to discuss his recent appointment as International Brand President at K-Swiss, the history of the iconic California brand, and his vision for its dynamic and exciting future in the age of sneakers and e-commerce.

FDRA's own Strategic Marketplace Advisor John Heron stops by Shoe-In Show to discuss the return of in-person FFANY market weeks in New York and the launch of the FDRA X FFANY Digital Directory.

Most shoe companies working on sustainability lack a coherent holistic approach to ensure their efforts lower costs and magnify impact. In this episode we talk about a new program FDRA and the Footwearists are launching soon to help increase knowledge and help companies form real strategies that tie efforts together. A must listen for every exec and workers in our industry! Visit Shoe Sustainability Summit to learn more!

Kelly Helfman, President of Informa Markets, Fashion Division steps into the Shoe-In Show to share the current state of live events and trade shows. MAGIC in Las Vegas is back in full effect this year; listen to this episode to hear how they are transforming footwear in Las Vegas and insights for emerging retailers and brands who are ready to get back connected.

This week we have LaShae Boone-McCray, Strategic Account Manager at RG Barry on for the first time! From the shoe store to the corporate office, we learn about LaShae's shoe story and how her career in footwear lead her to take on the challenge of helping to create a more diverse and inclusive culture at RG Barry.

Every company has supply chains front of mind right now and this episode covers so many important topics key to speed and agility for shoe companies. We are joined by our friend Dr. Noel Hacegaba at the Port of Long Beach who provides a real-time update on port logistical issues and provides key insights to what to expect for a record breaking 2021 Holiday import rush!

FDRA’s own Chief Economist, Gary Raines, joins the podcast this week to talk about record demand for sandals and whether or not the industry has enough inventory to meet growing footwear consumer appetites. To access the full report, send us a note at info@fdra.org.

Ryan Gaither, International Sales Executive at BillerudKorsnäs returns to Shoe-In Show, to talk about the current paper market crisis, supply chain issues affecting the footwear industry, sustainability challenges, and the importance of packaging with consumers.

This episode is a special review of our shoe shopper survey on sustainability, conducted along with First Insight. Hear what grabs shoe shoppers attention on eco-friendly materials, products and processes to how much more they are willing to pay for sustainable shoes! If you want to get real ROI at the cash register for your sustainable efforts, listen to this important episode!

This episode of Shoe-in welcomes Erica Dixon, Assistant Manager of Campaign Operations at adidas! We learn all about Erica's journey from passionate intern to thriving in her current role at her dream company. We have a refreshing conversation on Erica's positive outlook on the industry and her love for all things creative and strategy.

It wouldn't be an overstatement to say that supply chain costs are in crisis mode in 2021. With container spot rates reaching $15K, footwear companies are scrambling for space. Apex Logistics' own Rex Paschall joins Shoe-In to discuss the current crisis, options to avoid additional costs and his forecast for the future. Jasmine jumps in with her world famous Whatcha Got? Whatcha Gettin'? segment.

Shoe-In favorite Kerry Rasmussen stops by the show to update our listeners on the Canadian marketplace and the importance of declaring the proper value of the shoes you ship into the Great White North. Jasmine jumps in to explore Kerry's very healthy obsession with Fluevogs.

Teva, one of the hottest brands in the marketplace, joins Shoe-In to discuss how it is building a more sustainable future from 3D design to its new recycling program ‘TevaForever’. Learn more about this innovative program that takes product returns to keep them out of landfills! Anders Bergstrom, Teva’s Vice President & Global GM and Jess Bensley, Senior Product Line Manager at Teva are the driving force behind TevaForever and share why they are working to recycle their sandals and some of the nitty gritty details behind the scenes. Along the way we share a lot of laughs and discuss why Teva did a collab with polaroid! Oh, and learn how to properly pronounce the name of this iconic brand.

The Shoe-in Show is honored to have Jean-Luc Diard, Global VP of Innovation at Deckers and Head of Deckers X Lab on this week! Jean-Luc shares his journey from starting off as a passionate runner to developing one of the hottest running shoes in the business — HOKA One One. We learn a bit about the mindset around creating new products, timing new developments, and the magic behind the innovations of Deckers X Lab.

A Shoe-in Show favorite is back, Leslie Gallin formerly President of Footwear at Informa Markets and now serving as a consultant at FFB Collaboration. FFB is a cultural marketing and strategy agency that helps brands connect with culture and has a unique creation-to-shelf model to ensure companies have success. On this episode Leslie shares some of the backstory of FFB, why it's important to collaborate with multiple generations, and the current evolution of marketing.

In the continuation of our Footwear Leadership Series, Sari Ratsula of Seychelles and BC Footwear joins the podcast to explore her unexpected journey from Finland to Vans to Seychelles. Sari also provides her insights into the ways in which the industry is dramatically changing in these turbulent times. Jasmine jumps in to explore Sari's go-to shoe of choice.

This is an amazing episode about how Saucony's team transformed how they design and produced the new Jazz Court RFG to have just 7 materials and no plastics! We go into the details of how they worked through multiple challenges and innovated their processes and used new materials to make their most eco-friendly shoe ever. Listen as Andrea Paulson, their Head of Product Engineering, goes through the process and journey and how their learnings will help transform other products.

Finding and sourcing sustainable materials, keeping track of sustainability certifications and traceability is a real challenge for shoe companies. In this episode we discuss these issues and how Material Exchange is building the future where sustainable materials will be at your finger tips through dynamic filtering by certifications and standards. Join us as we discuss how technology is driving positive change in our value chains!

The Shoe-In Show Leadership Series continues as Joelle Grunberg of Sperry stops by to share the latest on the iconic brand and strategies she has adopted in the face of an evolving consumer and retail landscape. Jasmine jumps in with her world famous Whatcha Got? Whatcha Gettin'? segment.

Okabashi is not your average shoe company! From its innovative materials to its production facility in America, Okabashi is flourishing. This week, Sara Irvani, Okabashi’s CEO, joins us on this fun insightful episode where she discusses how her family, rich in the footwear tradition, came to America and created a forward thinking shoe company. She shares her take on the current footwear market and how innovation is reshaping the business — We also talk about the current state of domestic footwear manufacturing, and how COVID helped better position the company and its vanilla smelling plant based in Beaufort, GA!