Alan's list of Recommended Shoe Brands (in alphabetical order)
(reasons they made the list)
Alan's list of Recommended Shoe Brands (in alphabetical order)
(reasons they made the list)
1. Aetrex
(Comfort, Size and Width)
2. Alegria
(Comfort, Fashion, Medical)
3. Ara
(Comfort, Fashion, Higher Price Points, Excl-POD)
4. Arcopedico
(Comfort, Lower Price Point)
5. Born
(Comfort, Fashion, Price Point)
6. Birkenstock
(Comfort, Fashion, Futures Discount)
7. Biza
(Comfort, Fashion, Margin, Excl-POD)
8. Blundstone
(Comfort, Fashion)
9. Brooks
(Athletic, Size and Width)
10. Cobb Hill
(Comfort, Lower Price Points, Size and Width))
11. Clarks
(Comfort, Lower Prices Points, Size and Width, Margins)
12. Dansko
(Comfort, Fashion, Medical)
13. Django & Juliet
(Fashion, Margin, Excl-POD)
14. Dunham
(Outdoor Comfort, Size and Width)
15. Ecco
(Comfort)
16. FitFlop
(Fashion, Exec-POD
17. Finn Comfort
(Comfort, Higher Price Point)
18. Gabor
(Comfort, Fashion, Higher Price Point, Excl-POD)
19. Haflinger
(Cold Weather Comfort, Excl-POD)
20. Halsa
(Comfort, Fashion, Margins, Excl-POD)
21. Hoka
(Athletic)
22. Ilse Jacobsen
(Fashion, Lower Price Point)
23. Josef Seibel
(Comfort)
24. Keen
(Outdoor Lifestyle, Comfort)
25. Kizik
(Comfort and Unique Slip On Technology))
26. Merrell
(Outdoor Lifestyle, Comfort)
27. Mephisto
(Comfort, Higher Price Point)
28. Naot
(Comfort, Higher Price Point)
29. New Balance
(Athletic, Size and Width)
30. Oboz
(Outdoor Lifestyle, Comfort)
31. On
(Athletic)
32. Oofos
(Comfort, Impulse, Lower Price Point)
33. Olukai
(Outdoor Lifestyle, Comfort)
34. Pikolinos
(Comfort, Fashion, Higher Price Point, Excl-POD)
35. Remonte
(Comfort, Fashion, Excl-POD)
36. Revere
(Comfort, Fashion, Size and Width)
37. Rieker
(Comfort, Fashion, Excl-POD)
38. Romika
(Comfort, Excl-POD)
39. Sofft
(Comfort, Fashion, Excl-POD)
40. Spring Footwear
(Fashion, Lower Price Point, Margin)
41. Taos
(Comfort)
42. Teva
(Outdoor)
43. Timberland PRO
(Work)
44. Toni Pons
(Fashion, Excl-POD)
45. Vionic
(Flip Flops for Impulse Add on Pairs)
46. Ugg
(Cold Weather Comfort, Fashion and Higher Price Point)
47. Wolky
(Comfort, Fashion and Higher Price Point, Excl-POD)
48. Wolverine
(Work)
49. Woolloomooloo
(Comfort, Fashion)
50. Ziera
(Comfort, Size & Width, Excl-POD)
PLUS...YOUR EXCLUSIVE BRAND OR LABEL
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Athletic
· Altra
· Saucony
Sketchers
Comfort/Value
Comfortiva
Earth Origins
Hush Puppies
Propet
Fashion
· Onex
Western
· Ariat
· Justin
Work
· Danner
· CAT
· Georgia Boot
· Justin
· Rocky
NOTES
KEY BRANDS drive the business and often result in 70% or more of the shoe sales produced in a store.
Your KEY BRANDS may differ, but are likely to be the same ones that other stores with the same focus as your store have on their KEY BRAND list. I have a list, below, of the top 20 brands I feel deserve primary consideration in a comfort/athletic oriented shoe store. The remaineder of brands carried round out the asssortment.
Excl-POD refers to brands that aren't widely retailed and potentially set you apart as the exclusive provider of those in your market. POD staads for Point of Difference).
Low or High Price Points are necessary in order to execute a price layering strategy.
Margins refers to higher margins as a result of either discounts or selling prices and are necessary in order to acheive proper return on investment. .
The lists herein are solely Alan's opinions. Your results may vary.
ALAN'S TOP TWENTY
(for Comfort/Athletic focused retailers)
1 Aetrex
2 Alegria
3 Birkenstock
4 Brooks
5 Clarks
6 Dansko
7 Ecco
8 Finn Comfort
9 Hoka
10 Keen
11 Merrell
12 Mephisto
13 Naot
14 New Balance
15 On
16 Olukai
17 Pikolinos
18 Revere
19 Taos
20 Ugg