NEWS Tamaris rebrands Comfort
range as Wide Fit for SS27 F
ootwear brand Tamaris is rebranding its Comfort collection as Tamaris Wide
Fit from the Spring/Summer 2027 season, as it looks to make its wider-fitting footwear easier for consumers to identify. The brand is positioning its
wider-fit styles as an integrated part of its core fashion collection rather than as a standalone comfort range, and the company said the new name better reflects the collection’s key point of difference. While comfort features are now standard across much of the Tamaris range, the former Comfort line is distinguished by offering additional width in the forefoot. Jens Beining, CEO and Managing Partner of
the Wortmann Group, said: “Fashion is the DNA of Tamaris. At the same time, our consumers expect comfort in every Tamaris shoe. The specific difference of the previous Comfort models is the extra width. With Tamaris Wide Fit, we are putting this wide-fit benefit firmly centre stage.” The rebrand is designed to help shoppers
more easily identify styles that offer extra room without compromising on fashion. According to Tamaris, customers are already actively
searching for the term ‘Wide Fit’, making it a clearer and more recognisable description than the previous Comfort branding. From SS27, the transition
from Tamaris Comfort to Tamaris Wide Fit will be completed across all business-to-business communications. The wider-fit collection will continue to be designed, produced and distributed by Jana Shoes, Tamaris’ sister company within the Wortmann Group, which
specialises in comfort and wide-fit footwear.
Kilian Kerner collab continues Elsewhere, Tamaris is continuing its collaboration with designer Kilian Kerner and announced new exclusive styles recently at Berlin Fashion Week. With its renewed presence in Berlin and an
appearance at Paris Fashion Week last month, Tamaris is consistently sharpening the brand’s fashion profile and international visibility. The brand said it has seen “strong results” at retail and growing media presence thanks to its work with Kilian Kerner (pictured above right).
At the heart of the current collaboration are
two new high-heel styles developed exclusively with the designer, which were shown on the runway for the first time in Berlin. There’s a Champagne style in textile with a 6.5cm heel, combining elegance with everyday wearability and appealing to a broad target group, then there’s a Black style in textile with a 9cm heel, created as a bold statement heel for glamorous appearances and special occasions. The long-standing collaboration with Kilian
Kerner is a key pillar of Tamaris’ brand strategy. The aim is to strengthen the brand’s feminine DNA, create desirability within the high-fashion environment, and reach new, fashion-forward female consumers.
MEPHISTO Founder Martin Michaeli celebrates his 90th birthday
M
EPHISTO colleagues and associates came together last month to celebrate the company's Founder,
Martin Michaeli, on his 90th birthday. Colleagues at the company said that Mr Michaeli had helped to shape the entire footwear industry, and that his passion for shoemaking had defined the brand for almost six decades. Growing up during the Second World
War, Mr Michaeli gained early experience in shoe factories across Germany, France and Italy. At just 21 years old, he left Europe for New York with little more than a suitcase, limited English and a firm belief that great shoemaking knows no borders.
After returning to France, he founded MEPHISTO with a clear vision: to create shoes that combine exceptional comfort, outstanding craftsmanship and lasting quality. Over the decades, that vision grew into one of Europe’s most respected footwear brands. His remarkable achievements have been recognised with honours including the Ordre National du Mérite, the Légion d’Honneur, and the title of Entrepreneur of the Year in France. For Martin Michaeli, shoemaking has never simply been a profession – it has always been a passion. Even today, he continues to follow the development of new models with great interest, sharing his experience and uncompromising eye for quality with the brand.
Right: MEPHISTO Founder, Martin Michaeli, on the occasion of his 90th birthday.
Mr Michaeli celebrated his 90th birthday
surrounded by his family, close friends and long-time companions on 4 July; he said that the fact that this coincided with America’s Independence Day added "a special symbolism" to the occasion. It was in the United States that one of the defining chapters of Mr Michaeli’s life began – a chapter that laid the foundation for the vision from which MEPHISTO would emerge just a few years later.
8 • FOOTWEAR & FASHION TODAY • AUGUST 2026
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