INTERVIEW
Q: How do you engage with your end consumer via your retail partners and other channels? DF: We were very early into social marketing in 2008 and have built a strong following on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We have also just launched on TikTok! To drive this we have built up our own in-house team that works front to back with the brand across different platforms to engage with our end consumer. It seems so obvious, but the key is to really know your customer. We know our customer profile extremely well and our reliable build quality means we are that customer’s go-to item of footwear. We are that backdoor boot. Of course, communicating this relies upon a huge amount of video and photo content, which we share with our retail partners across the globe. We encourage them to build a community and a following; many retailers still struggle with the costs of running a retail business, so supporting them and drawing customers back in store is essential.
Q: What are your plans for the brand in the coming year? DF: We are the only mainstream boot brand still in both family and British ownership – something we are immensely proud of, and that will be reflected as we introduce ‘Bolton, England’ in our brand communication this coming year.
Maybe it’s British reserve that has stopped us shouting about it until now, but many consumers don’t realise we are a British company; the aim is to drive that home, show our pride in our part of the world and our associated history without becoming too hung up on it. The subtle change to our logo will also appear on our boots, packaging and POS.
Q: Any new product launches coming soon that retailers should be aware of? DF: Watch this space! We have some big changes to the Grubs range coming in 2024. Our traditional launch point is always January when we preview our new ranges. Our
lightweight products are getting a big rework, and incorporate legally-protected design features that will add amazing comfort and adjustability to the offer. This comes as a stretch panel along the full length of the back of one of our best loved boots, RAINLINE. It features our new branding and is a stunning design feature – that’s why we have protected it.
In the Autumn we are going to roll-out some
new technologies to make life in tough, cold and wet conditions better for our consumers. The first of these is ICEPAW, a rubber compound that offers up to three times better grip on slick surfaces such as wet ice.
Second is ULTRA-BOUNCE. This is a polymer material with properties similar to BOOST from Adidas – it is extremely soft and cushioning under initial heel strike, giving the wearer running shoe-like performance when it springs back. We encapsulate that within a rubber shell to give it lateral support.
The third element is the rocker profile, that sees a graduated sole profile from heel to toe, allowing the boot to roll along, using less energy to flex the sole and thus the wearer has less fatigue.
“We have been through the biggest rollercoaster ride I have ever known in the last few years and at some points we literally held on by our fingertips, but 2023 has seen us bounce back!”
22 • FOOTWEAR TODAY • OCTOBER 2023
These are all technologies with a base in athletic footwear, which has been the driving force in footwear since the early ‘90s. Having worked on these kinds of projects since my time at Reebok, Jan and I have brought them to the welly boot market since the Millennium. These new technologies will see us pull further ahead. While others cut content and quality, our aim is to add value without hiking prices. Our product team are some of the best in the industry and protecting our work with design, copyright and patents is key for us moving ahead.
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