CONTENTS
FROM THE EDITOR Best of the shows!
T
he February shoe shows are over for another year. The vast array of styles, innovations and fantastic designs across these large industry events is truly awe inspiring. I was particularly impressed by many of the brands that are making great strides
in ensuring that comfort does not have to be sacrificed on the altar of style, including Softwaves, Mephisto, El Naturalista, Rieker, Manas, Josef Seibel and Romika, all of which have exciting A/W11 collections. Notable children’s brands were Garvalin, Agatha Ruiz De La Prada, Superfit, Umi and Ricosta. We have all this and more to look forward to in March at MICAM,
Milan, GDS, Dusseldorf and the Kensington Shoe Event. All three shows represent a different niche in the market; all are suitable for different needs. If you can only afford to attend one show this season, consider The Kensington Shoe Event (March 21-22). Popular with footwear and fashion buyers, the Event has become the leading UK show for medium-to-high quality footwear. Held twice yearly at the sumptuous Westbury Mayfair, the
compact show is well worth a visit. The timing of the Event, just after the major European shows allows the retailers to have a clear mind on what to buy in a relaxed and informal environment, and enjoy refreshments throughout the day free of charge. In this issue we report back on some of the amazing shows that we
visited in February to give you an idea of what shoemakers are hoping you will be selling in Autumn/Winter 2011/12 and beyond. Plus, previews of upcoming shows including GDS, Micam and the Kensington Shoe Event. Don’t miss Editor’s Choice Best of Shows, pages 14 & 20. We have a bevy of beautiful boots for the ladies from the February shoe shows that are more comfortable than comfort food! We also feature an important survey from MumPanel,
commissioned by Footwear Today, about Children’s Footwear. Children’s feet are getting bigger and their mums are having problems buying shoes in larger sizes for their offspring! Mums do not want special larger shoe ranges that are more expensive with limited choice, they want the normal shoe ranges expanded to provide more inclusive choice for their children’s feet and at reasonable prices. MumPanel Founder, Lynne Barcoe, says: “Manufacturers need to understand the size of the market and look at a customer led strategy that fulfills the demand. This would be beneficial in both cases, satisfying loyal customers and increasing sales.” Finally, in our Footwear Focus Road Test, intrepid footwear
reporter Henry Harington, takes to the sea in January to test his Chatham Kayak G2 deck shoes! Classic deck shoes have become very popular casual shoes in recent years and people who have never set foot on a boat wear them in a range of fashionable styles. Henry is a bit of a traditionalist, however, so being sent a pair of blue as opposed to brown leather deck shoes raised an eyebrow. He might at first have been a bit blue about blue deck shoes but
he was soon won over by their comfort and performance on deck. Now, it’s a case of don’t step on my blue wade shoes!
Enjoy the shows, while they last! Kind regards, Cheryl
Cheryl Taylor, Editor, Footwear Today Tel: 01622 862962
Email:
cheryltayloreditor@googlemail.com 4
10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32
NEWS MISFIT AGENT PROVOCATEUR EDITOR’S CHOICE - LADIES’ BOOTS FOOTWEAR FOCUS COMPANY PROFILE EDITOR’S CHOICE - LADIES’ BOOTS cont. FASHION TRENDS MESS AROUND REVIEW CHILDREN’S FOOTHEALTH MICAM PREVIEW COVER STORY IFRA AWARDS Kensington Shoe Event Guide Pull Out
FRONT COVER: MBT
Over the past five years, MBT has been a real success story in the market, offering an outstanding product with a unique and powerful technology concept. To talk about the future of the brand, Cheryl Taylor, Editor of Footwear Today Magazine meets with Robert Lambert, MBT’s newly appointed Head of Sales for the UK and Ireland.
e:
connie.feast@uk.mbt.com t: 020 7684 5952
MARCH 2011
www.footweartoday.co.uk
mbt.com
MBT. Love the way they make you feel.
T
1996–2011
R
Inside this issue:
• Childrens’ Foothealth • Reviews on Micam and Mess Around • Footwear Focus’ on Chatham Marine • Fashion Trends
EDITOR Cheryl Taylor:
cheryltayloreditor@googlemail.com CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Adam Bernstein FEATURE WRITERS: Henry Harington Dawn Smith Vicky Kember Joe Maggio JOURNAL MANAGER John Andrews: 01622 699135
jandrews@datateam.co.uk ADVERTISEMENT MANAGER Sue Wiseman: 01622 699185
swiseman@datateam.co.uk DESIGNER Siobhan Nolan and Steve Parks ADMINISTRATION Ellie Inchmore PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Paul Ryder:
pryder@datateam.co.uk
Media Partner of the STAG Buying Group
Published by: Datateam Business Media Ltd, London Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 8LY. Tel: 01622 687031 Fax: 01622 757646 email:
footwear@datateam.co.uk website:
www.datateam.co.uk
ISSN 1475 8601
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IFRA, BFA and Society of Shoe Fitters all support Footwear Today as a valuable forum for the footwear industry, helping to promote trade and keeping retailers informed about the latest products and developments.
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