On Dec. 4, Susan Itzkowitz will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at the 38th annual FN Achievement Awards. Below is an article from the magazine’s Dec. 2 print issue about the president of Marc Fisher Footwear built a brand powerhouse and forged a path for women.

One special attribute has helped Susan Itzkowitz navigate almost any tough situation: her sense of humor.

“It’s something I’ve always relied on to keep me sane,” she told FN last month. “When you can inject some kind of humor, then you can stop and say, OK, this is not the crisis that’s going to take us down forever. This is a temporary situation.”

And her career path certainly wasn’t an obvious one. Born and raised in Bayside, Queens, N.Y., in what Itzkowitz described as a “very traditional household,” she wasn’t exposed to many examples of career women. While her father was a salesman in the Garment District, her mother stayed home. However, she did impart many important lessons to her daughter: “My mother instilled in me a great sense of integrity, of work ethic and compassion,” said Itzkowitz. “She was the one who taught me about caring for others outside of yourself.”

As a young woman, Itzkowitz was determined to succeed in her own right, studying communications at Cornell University. There, she said, she learned about herself and the power of collaboration, particularly through her extra-curriculars, including helping at a homeless shelter, a suicide hotline and a student counseling program. “I got to know myself through that,” she said. “I understood I had to take responsibility for my own life and figure out who I was, what I wanted to do and how I was going to get there,” she recalled.

Post-college, Itzkowitz entered the executive training program at JCPenney, which at the time was a heavily male-dominated organization. “I found it to be very challenging in many ways,” Itzkowitz recalled. “But when we’re young, we have to learn and then we move on.”

From there, she went on to positions at The May Co. and Federated Department Stores — and eventually made a fateful move to Nine West in 1986.

Though the gender gap at Nine West was still stark (Itzkowitz was the company’s first female executive hire), she spent nearly 20 years at the footwear company, describing it as an “incredible experience,” working alongside company leaders like Jack Fisher, Vince Camuto and Wayne Weaver. And it was there she met Marc Fisher, who would later become her business partner.

However, being a trailblazer meant there was no roadmap. “It was a time where many people of my generation had a lot of firsts and we had to figure out how to navigate the situation and learn,” she said.

Fueled by frustrations in her own career, Itzkowitz took steps to improve the situation for the next generation, particularly through the Two Ten Footwear Foundation. “She’s been a changemaker throughout her tenure on Two Ten’s board of directors, championing our programs to advance women in the industry,” said Two Ten president and CEO Shawn Osborne.

After Nine West was sold to Jones Apparel Group Inc., Itzkowitz and Fisher started Marc Fisher Footwear in 2005 with a different business model in mind.

“The idea was it was going to be about product, people and passion, and it was not going to be run like a corporation,” she said. “It was going to be run like an interactive company where people were empowered. We were going to be something different; we were going to make a difference.”

The firm launched with the Guess license and has since built an enviable portfolio. Aside from Guess, it produces shoes for PVH Corp.’s Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger labels. Its in-house lines include Marc Fisher LTD, Marc Fisher and Easy Spirit. And it is a go-to partner for Authentic Brands Group’s Rockport, Nine West, Hunter and Frye labels, plus many others.

That success is based on the strong partnership between its leaders. “I am the luckiest guy in the world to have had Susan as my partner in building Marc Fisher Footwear over the past 20 years,” said Fisher. “Susan leads with unwavering integrity, a steady hand and an unmatched ability to inspire, connect and elevate her teams.”

Their licensing partners are equally laudatory.

Fashion icon Tommy Hilfiger said, “Susan Itzkowitz is a true industry legend — a well-respected, seasoned pro whose dedication and expertise have elevated the footwear industry and inspired countless in the business. I’ve had the privilege of working with Susan throughout my career, and her unique blend of vision and integrity is unmatched.”

Added Carlos Alberini, CEO of Guess Inc., “I’ve witnessed firsthand how [Susan’s] insight, drive and commitment continually push boundaries and inspire those around her. She possesses a rare blend of strategic foresight and style that has shaped a culture of excellence and loyalty.”

In looking to the future, Itzkowitz sees no limits for the company. “We have a huge opportunity based on our product ability, our sourcing capability, our logistics ability — all those things that are really hard,” she said.

As for her own achievements, the exec is quick to credit others. “I don’t think my journey would be possible without the support of all the people I work with — my colleagues, my partners. Nobody does anything alone. It’s a group effort,” she said.

And while her list of accomplishments is lengthy — outside of Marc Fisher Footwear, she also sits on the boards of Two Ten, Footwear Distributors & Retailers of America, the Shoes for a Cure breast cancer fundraiser and other charitable organizations — she is most proud of her son and daughter, as well as her two grandchildren. “I learned early on to put things in perspective,” said Itzkowitz. “There’s life and there’s work — and it’s great when you can bring it together and you have friends from work — but we all know what’s really important.”

Here, more colleagues and partners discuss the experience of working with Itzkowitz:

Nata Dvir
Chief Merchandising Officer, Macy’s
“Susan Itzkowitz is an incredible partner to Macy’s. She understands how to build strategy and make
an impact. Her transparency, drive to win and collaborative spirit make her an absolute pleasure
to work with.”

Jay Schmidt
President & CEO, Caleres
“[Susan] has set a high standard through her unwavering commitment, business acumen and hard work, building an impressive business alongside Marc. But beyond these accomplishments, it’s Susan’s inspiring optimism — the belief that anything is possible — that truly stands out.”

Nick Woodhouse
President & Chief Brand Officer, Authentic Brands Group
“Susan is a true powerhouse in the industry. Her passion, vision and relentless dedication have driven incredible success at Marc Fisher Footwear. Susan’s ability to build impactful partnerships, transform brands and uphold core values of passion and integrity is nothing short of inspiring.” 

Tacey Powers
EVP & GMM of Shoes, Nordstrom
“Susan has always been a true partner to me. We can have transparent conversations, ask for advice from each other and build successful businesses together. I admire her tireless work to give back to the shoe industry.” 

Jennifer Jones
SVP & GMM of Women’s Accessories, Bloomingdale’s
“In my nearly 10 years of working with Susan, she’s consistently brought strong ideas, great taste and a genuine interest in her partners. She’s honest, passionate and always fosters a collaborative and successful partnership.”

For 38 years, the annual FN Achievement Awards — often called the “Shoe Oscars” — have celebrated the style stars, best brand stories, ardent philanthropists, emerging talents and industry veterans. The 2024 event is supported by sponsors Listrak, Marc Fisher, Nordstrom and Vibram.

On Dec. 4, Sneex will be honored with the Launch of the Year award at the 38th annual FN Achievement Awards. Below is an article from the magazine’s Dec. 2 print issue about how the brand came to life and aims to empower women with more comfortable footwear.

Debuting a new business in 2024 feels a little different for Sara Blakely, who last launched the Spanx intimates brand in 2000 and built it into a market leader valued at $1.2 billion as of 2021, when Blackstone acquired a majority stake.

“When I started Spanx, there was no social media. The internet was just becoming a thing,” Blakely recalled. “To get anybody to know about my product, I was standing on department store floors eight to 10 hours a day for four years straight, telling 40 women a day and hoping that those 40 women would tell five friends.”

Now, the entrepreneur is leveraging the power of online platforms to bolster her new Sneex luxury shoe brand, which began selling direct to consumer in August. And it’s certainly gained attention, landing on Oprah’s Favorite Things list for the holidays and garnering celebrity fans that include Gayle King, Jane Fonda, Reese Witherspoon and Hoda Kotb.

But with that bright spotlight also came many opinions on social media. “Some people love it. Some people don’t. Some people need to get used to it,” Blakely said.

And ultimately, she added, those conversations are a good sign. “When people have strong reactions, it means I’ve that done something disruptive and innovative. For people to have that much emotion around something and start a conversation, I don’t mind it at all. I completely embrace it.”

With Sneex, Blakely has introduced a new footwear silhouette she’s dubbed a “hy-heel” that merges an athletic sneaker with a stiletto. The collection — which is made in Spain with luxurious napa leather and Italian mesh — so far consists of three styles retailing for $395 to $595.

The brand was in development for roughly nine years. Though interestingly, a hybrid shoe wasn’t the initial plan.

Blakely, who struggles with foot pain, first set out to create a more comfortable stiletto for women. “There are so many things in our day-to-day life that are rapidly iterating and evolving. But the high heel has had a pretty traditional construction for a long time without much change,” she said.

But after four years of no progress — and continued resistance from factories in Europe — Blakely hit a wall. “I was just about to throw in the towel and I remember saying, ‘I just want my high heel to be as comfortable as my sneaker.’ Then a light bulb went off, and I decided to change direction completely,” she said.

She made her first prototype by cutting up a sneaker in her closet and attaching it to one her classic stilettos. From there came the difficult process of finding a manufacturer. Blakely said most factories she met with in Spain and Italy knew how to make heels or sneakers but not both; however, she persisted in her search because she wanted to offer an alternative to luxury heels, something made with fine craftsmanship out of premium materials.

Challenging the status quo is familiar territory for Blakely, who faced similar hurdles with Spanx while working with North Carolina’s male-owned textile factories. “A quarter of a century later, I felt like I was back in the same position, still fighting that fight to convince people to evolve their ideas — and evolve them in the name of comfort,” she said.

Fate finally prevailed, leading her to a factory in Spain. “The factory owner happened to go to Florida State University and graduate the same year I did, which was like divine intervention,” said Blakely. “He felt connected to me and became willing to help me make the shoe.”

Sneex aims to solve three pain points for women: relieve squeezing in the toes, provide more stability and support in the heel, and take pressure off the ball of the foot by redistributing the weight.

“The fashion industry for so long has been focused on how we look, and I care about how we feel — and I don’t think it needs to be mutually exclusive,” said Blakely. “A big part of why we’ve had to put up with pain for so long is because the majority of people making what we wear aren’t wearing them and aren’t experiencing it. I believe that if they experienced it, there’d be a higher motivation to change the feeling.”

And she’s not alone in wanting an alternative. Since launching, Sneex has outperformed expectations, selling out of multiple SKUs. And Blakely noted that in its first 24 hours, the brand sold a pair of shoes in every state in the U.S., including Alaska and Hawaii.

Some of her early customers are female entrepreneurs and executives, who are showing up on conference panels in Sneex heels. “It doesn’t surprise me at all,” said Blakely. “I think that women in the business world really want a [new type of] heel.”

As for what’s driving her personally with this new business, Blakely (a mom to two kids) brings it back to her family and sending a message to the next generation. “My daughter is now 8, and I think about her a lot, about wanting to be an example to her that women don’t have to compromise, that they should dream big, and that beauty does not have to be pain,” she said.

For 38 years, the annual FN Achievement Awards — often called the “Shoe Oscars” — have celebrated the style stars, best brand stories, ardent philanthropists, emerging talents and industry veterans. The 2024 event is supported by sponsors Listrak, Marc Fisher, Nordstrom and Vibram.

On Dec. 4, Skechers will be honored with the Icon Award for Social Impact at the 38th annual FN Achievement Awards. Below is an article from the magazine’s Dec. 2 print issue about the company’s deep commitment to helping others.

The Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk has come a long way since its first event in 2008. Just over 2,000 people gathered for the 3.5-mile walk along the coastline of Manhattan Beach, Calif., to raise funds for The Friendship Foundation, an organization that provides peer support to kids with special needs.

At its latest event in October, at least 21,000 people registered to participate, making it the largest charity walk in California, according to Yossi Mintz, who co-founded the Friendship Foundation with Skechers president Michael Greenberg. This year, the walk raised over $3.4 million, to go toward public education programs and fund construction of the Friendship Campus, a 3.5-acre, $55 million space for vocational training that is set to open in early 2026.

“For a lot of the kids that we support, many of them grow up to be adults who are unemployed — and they are employable if we can give them the opportunity and educate them,” said Mintz. “I had this dream from day one to build this facility. Michael and Skechers have been very influential in making this miracle happen.”

For Greenberg, the Friendship Foundation and its fundraiser have been a true passion project. “Growing up in New England, in the fourth grade I was asked to help the children with special needs get from class to class,” he recalled. “So when it was brought to my attention that we wanted to create friendships for children who really don’t have friends, I was all in.”

And, he added, the success of the event has proven that others care about the issue as well. “To see [our partners in] other countries start their own charity events — Skechers in China has a walk, Skechers in Malaysia — they’ve made even greater impacts than ever imagined.”

Each year, the crowd at the Manhattan Beach pier includes several Skechers celebrity partners, such as Sugar Ray Leonard, Amanda Kloots and Mr. T. But its most consistent supporter is model and TV host Brooke Burke, who has attended for more than a decade. “Seeing thousands come together, lifting each other up and helping out those in need fills me with an overwhelming sense of pride and joy,” Burke said. “Every child deserves a friend and opportunities to flourish in school.”

And the Friendship Walk has made an important impact on the community, according to Nancy Hersman, mayor of Manhattan Beach. “Thanks to the generosity of the Skechers Foundation, in partnership with the Friendship Foundation, all our public schools have Friendship Circle clubs where typical students engage socially with special needs students,” she said. “This experience transforms all the children involved.” Hersman also noted that Skechers supports the community’s fireworks and contributes to its schools. “I’m really proud that Skechers has its headquarters here in Manhattan Beach.”

But those are still only a fraction of Skechers’ work to improve the lives of others. In early November, for instance, Greenberg traveled to Maui, Hawaii, to bestow $75,000 in donations to Help Maui Rise and Lahaina Intermediate School, while also reopening the store it lost in the 2023 wildfires in Lahaina’s Maui Outlets.

That’s in addition to the $250,000 Skechers gave immediately following the fires, when it also donated footwear, apparel and supplies for affected families. It has also offered support following other global disasters, including Hurricane Katrina, Haiti’s earthquake and the war in Ukraine, among others.

“Like what we did with Maui, we don’t just step in and then step out,” said Greenberg. “So many times, individuals and organizations are there in the beginning, but they’re nowhere to be found months later. We focus on continuing to work with these organizations.”

Indeed, the company’s Bobs sneaker brand has a longstanding commitment to aiding kids and animals. Since 2011, it has donated 16 million pairs of shoes to children in need through groups like Soles4Souls. And it has surpassed $12 million in donations since 2015 to animal organizations, saving more than 2.2 million shelter dogs and cats.

Partners say that Skechers’ philanthropic mission is part of its central ethos.

“What sets Skechers apart is not just its words, but its actions,” said Burke. “It genuinely walks the talk when it comes to corporate responsibility. The company demonstrates a deep understanding that gratitude matters and expresses this gratitude through tangible support for communities and causes.”

For Greenberg, one of the company’s most personal projects was the Roundhouse Aquarium — a place that his late son Harrison loved to visit as a boy. He said the $4 million restoration, completed in 2021, transformed the space into the “gem of Manhattan Beach” now visited by hundreds of thousands of people each year.

But ultimately, he added, these philanthropic programs thrive through the support of partners — and the commitment of his team. “Our work that we do within Skechers is embraced by everyone in Skechers — it’s our employees. They feel a sense of additional purpose because they work for a company like Skechers,” said Greenberg.

For 38 years, the annual FN Achievement Awards — often called the “Shoe Oscars” — have celebrated the style stars, best brand stories, ardent philanthropists, emerging talents and industry veterans. The 2024 event is supported by sponsors Listrak, Marc Fisher, Nordstrom and Vibram.

The big night is almost here! FN today revealed more of its honorees for the FN Achievement Awards (FNAAs), the industry’s most-anticipated event of the year.

The 38th annual awards ceremony will be held Dec. 4 in New York. As previously announced, designer, entrepreneur and philanthropist Kenneth Cole will be recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award, an honor that has been bestowed on designers and executives including Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik, Sam and Libby Edelman, Bruce Nordstrom and Vince Camuto.

In addition, FN will also highlight the year’s many other success stories, including brands and companies that outshone all the others with winning strategies, plus the creators and entrepreneurs who dazzled with their unique visions.

“Straddling the line between an exclusive, industry insider event and a starry showcase for the shoe-loving celebrity world, the Footwear News Achievement Awards has a long and storied history of documenting the powerful intersection of sports, fashion and pop culture,” said Michael Atmore, editorial director of Footwear News and chief brand officer of Fairchild Media Group. “The 2024 class of winners reflects incredible innovation, design prowess and business acumen. We are honored to reward the leaders, the brands and the emerging talents that have shaped the year in shoes and celebrate the powerful and inspiring stories behind their achievements.”

Each year, the FNAAs — often called the “Shoe Oscars” — celebrate footwear’s influential style stars, best brand stories, ardent philanthropists, emerging talents and industry veterans.

Below is a list of the 2024 award recipients. Stay tuned for more FNAA winners, which will be announced in the coming days.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Kenneth Cole

For more than four decades, Kenneth Cole has been committed to fashion with a mission. Using his eponymous brand’s powerful platform, he has tirelessly championed numerous social justice movements, including HIV/AIDS awareness, gun control, climate change and, most recently, ending mental health stigmas. His early efforts created a model that others have since followed.

Company of the Year: New Balance

New Balance couldn’t miss in 2024. Both its heritage and collaboration sneakers topped every must-have list, it scored major Olympic moments with partners like Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Gabby Thomas, and now, thanks to a new WNBA deal, New Balance will take a key role in one of the hottest sports leagues in America.

Person of the Year: Bjørn Gulden

Since rejoining Adidas in early 2023 as its chief executive officer, Bjørn Gulden has helped steer the German athletic giant through a remarkable turnaround. An inventory cleanup and new hyperlocal strategy helped improve financials faster than anyone expected. And when its “terrace shoes” exploded in popularity, the company was ready to capitalize on the demand.

Retailer of the Year: JD Sports

“Bigger is better” seems to be the approach for U.K.-based retail company JD Sports. In addition to opening 85 new stores in the first half of this year, it completed its acquisition of American chain Hibbett in July, which added 1,179 stores to the total portfolio and made North America its largest geographic market. As it works to transition Finish Line stores to JD Sports locations, the company is poised to grow its U.S. mindshare even further.

Designer of the Year: Edgardo Osorio

In an era when many independent shoe designers are facing significant challenges and have scaled back, Aquazzura founder and creative director Edgardo Osorio is forging ahead. His 12-year-old brand continues to drive growth with retail expansion in key markets. And Aquazzura has become a red-carpet mainstay, with everyone from Beyoncé and Meghan Markle to Angelina Jolie wearing the brand this year.

Brand of the Year: On

The Swiss athletic brand continues its strong standing in the ultra-competitive running market, growing global sales 24 percent in the first half of this year to 1.08 billion Swiss francs (or $1.24 billion at current exchange). And its already red-hot fashion cred got an additional boost this year from its collaboration with Loewe and a new partnership with actress and style influencer Zendaya.

Brand of the Year: Larroudé

During a time when many independent designers have closed or scaled back their businesses, Larroudé has defied the odds, racking up $30 million in sales in 2023, less than three years since its launch in 2020. Chief creative officer Marina Larroudé and her husband, chief executive officer Ricardo Larroudé, honed a successful strategy built around buzzy collaborations, product freshness and a faster DTC model.

Icon Award for Social Impact: Skechers

The company will be honored for its multi-faceted philanthropic efforts, most notably the Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk, which has made an incredible impact on the lives of children with special needs and the broader public education sector over the past 16 years. In addition, Skechers has been a huge supporter of animal welfare, donating millions through the Bobs brand to help shelter pets. And, of course, there’s no bigger supporter of the Manhattan Beach community than Skechers.

Launch of the Year: Sneex

She already built a billion-dollar brand from the ground up. Now Spanx founder Sara Blakely is disrupting the footwear industry with her Sneex brand. The buzzed-about launch in August certainly got people talking. And the shoes gained a place on the coveted Oprah’s Favorite Things holiday list (likely with help from super fan Gayle King). Blakely’s patented design features a sneaker-stiletto hybrid (cheekily called hy-heels) that’s made in Spain and features a 78mm heel. The goal of the design is to address major pain points in a traditional high heel.  

Emerging Talent Award: Philéo Landowski

At just 22 years old, French designer Philéo Landowski has quickly established a reputation as a go-to creative voice in footwear, collaborating with Comme des Garçons, Salomon, Adidas and many others. Additionally, his namesake unisex brand has grown over 10 seasons, now distributed in 14 countries with close to 40 doors, including Kith and Dover Street Market. 

Hall of Fame: Tacey Powers

Tacey Powers joined Nordstrom in 1981, starting on the sales floor and working her way up to the executive level, where she now serves as executive vice president and general merchandise manager for shoes. In addition to overseeing the retailer’s stores in the U.S., she also has been committed to mentorship and giving back to the industry as a board member for Two Ten Footwear Foundation and Footwear Retailers and Distributors of America. 

Hall of Fame: Susan Itzkowitz

In 2004, Susan Itzkowitz partnered with Marc Fisher to launch a new shoe venture, which has grown into a powerful player in the fashion footwear business, encompassing 14 brands, including licensed collections for Calvin Klein, Guess, Tommy Hilfiger, Hunter and others. And as a longtime board member for Two Ten Footwear Foundation, she has spearheaded efforts to increase representation and opportunities for women in the industry.  

Hall of Fame: Dave Powers

Dave Powers retired from his role as chief executive officer of Deckers Brands in August, capping off an incredible 12-year run with the company. He joined Deckers as president of direct-to-consumer in August 2012, rising through the ranks to become CEO in 2016. Under his tenure, Deckers experienced explosive growth, led by its Ugg and Hoka businesses. For its last fiscal year, the company scored $4.3 billion in sales.

The direct-to-consumer business model has born some of footwear’s biggest success stories in the past decade.

But a vertical strategy can only take you so far. And with customer acquisition costs skyrocking an estimated 222 percent from 2013 to 2022 (according to a report from the tech platform Vtex), many digital-native boot brands are looking to wholesale partnerships as a means to increase profits and exposure.

Here, four startups in the work and Western categories share their strategies.

Tecovas

Over its nine-year history, Austin, Texas-based boot maker Tecovas has been a poster child for how to build a strong DTC business, with robust digital sales and 42 branded stores expected by year’s end.

So it came as a surprise when Tecovas announced in August it was launching wholesale. But president and chief executive officer David Lafitte, who joined in 2022 from Deckers Brands, told FN it was always a matter of when, not if, the brand would make the move.

“For our product, it’s important to be in what I call a sit-and-fit environment,” he said. “But there are areas of the country where we’re not likely to have [our own] brick-and-mortar store. These retailers provide a physical place for people to come in and try on the product when they otherwise can’t.”

For phase one, the brand partnered with nine retailers, reaching 36 store locations across 10 states. Lafitte said it is targeting “tastemakers” with authenticity in Western retail, such as family-run stores that have been in operation for generations.

One of the concerns for DTC players entering wholesale is the loss of control over brand image. Lafitte acknowledges that is a reality, but to head off any issues, it vets partners carefully and is sending in a team of associates from its retail stores to offer training and education. Tecovas also provides a menu of point-of-sale items to showcase the product.

“We want to be able to partner with these retailers in a way that brings them into our ecosystem,” he said. “It needs to be kind of a win-win long term.”

Brunt Workwear

Brunt Workwear, based in North Reading, Mass., launched online in August 2020 and made its wholesale debut this past February, partnering with 23 different retailers across the U.S.

Founder and chief executive officer Eric Girouard described it as a “pretty controlled group,” noting that Brunt isn’t working with any national retail chains. “[The launch] was more conservative than we could have gone. And the reason for that was, I wanted to make sure we launched with the right partners.”

To prepare for the move, Girouard hired Christopher Heffernan as president in early 2023. An industry veteran with experience at Keen, Sebago, Timberland and others, Heffernan built out a sales team and helped Brunt hone its assortment based on his knowledge of what retail buyers want.

To that end, Brunt curates a selection of boots for each retailer. And when new items launch, they first appear on the brand’s website to test the waters. “Once we know there’s product-market fit and customers love it, then we go back to those retailers and ask, would you like to add it,” said Girouard. The brand also works closely with them to provide education materials and collateral to be used both online and in-store.

Girouard said the wholesale launch in February exceeded expectations — a bit too much. Retailers sold out of boots faster than anticipated, forcing Girouard and his team to weigh whether to dip into product reserved for the digital business. As a result, Brunt decided to scale back its expansion for this fall, growing its list of partners to just 35 and adding more doors with current partners.

Girouard sees 2024 as a building season for the program. “After this year, we’re going to really see how fast we want to accelerate this,” he said.

Juno Jones

Emily Soloby launched Juno Jones, a Philadelphia-based work boot business, in February 2020 as a DTC brand catering to women. That unique focus soon landed it on the pages of Material Handling Wholesaler, which caught the attention of buyers at Duluth Trading Company, kicking off a continuing partnership. “It wasn’t that we sought them out,” Soloby recalled. “It was just an organic incident — and we were very well matched because we had a product that their customers really wanted.”

Juno Jones has since added other major partners include Lehigh CustomFit, Workwear Safety, Cosawove Workwear and J.J. Keller, with which Soloby collaborated on her first men’s boot style. The brand’s revenue now leans more heavily toward wholesale than direct online.

After growing up working in jewelry retail with her father, Soloby used that experience to navigate the ins and outs of deal negotiations, which she said can be complicated.

“We have different setups with each partner and we have to remain flexible to meet their needs, whether that’s some drop shipping or all wholesale, and we can change it year to year,” she said. “Because we’re an emerging brand, we have that nimbleness.”

Soloby admitted that the brand moved into wholesale earlier than planned, but by growing orders gradually, it avoided major pitfalls. And it’s now benefitting from the many advantages.

“Wholesale is very attractive because you’ve got that economy of product where you’re saving money by ordering it bulk from your factory,” she said. “And, of course, the biggest benefit is just getting your name out there through the retailers.”

Duradero

San Diego, Calif.-based Duradero is the newest DTC brand in this group, having launched in October 2022. The work brand offers a selection of classic, leather, Goodyear-welted boots with an added bonus — each can be resoled for free through a partnership with NuShoe.

Duradero is the brainchild of two footwear industry veterans: chief executive officer Todd Stewardson and chief product officer Jim Musial. Both have decades of experience at companies including Ariat, Timberland, Ecco, Florsheim and Wolverine — knowledge that gives them a leg up as they begin to dip a toe into wholesale. “We’ve got three to six doors that we’re testing right now,” said Stewardson.

But like all startups, Duradero had to first gain a firm foothold. “Our challenge up until now has been breadth of assortment,” said the CEO. “We started last year with one style and by mid-year added a second. Then we started seeing 50 percent month-over-month growth and got the problem of running out of inventory. So our work has been trying to continue to diversify our supply chain and be able to meet the demand.”

Through its early tests with retailers, Duradero found that its resoling service is a strong selling point for consumers looking to stretch their dollars. Its product fit has been well received as well. Another asset, according to Stewardson, is its precise digital scanning tool. “Our scanning device measures your foot and compares it our last and gives you three suggestions for the type of fit you might want,” he said.

Overall, he said the goal is to partner with sit-and-fit-type retailers that can help convey the Duradero message. And by year’s end, Stewardson said the brand’s product assortment will have grown to 50 SKUs, “so that will have us ready to go.”

Younger consumers have changed the boot industry in recent years by demanding sneaker-like comfort. Now, work brands are adopting more tactics perfected by athletic brands to engage these next generations, using tools like influencer marketing, collaborations, design innovation and more.

“In skilled trades, the baby boomers are starting to age out, and we have this whole influx of younger people coming in. When you look at these customers — not just Gen Z, but millennials — they grew up with sneaker culture and this idea of always looking for the newest, the freshest,” said Kevin Oberle, senior director of global insights and engagement for Keen Utility, which used things like elevated seeding kits and unboxing videos this year to highlight its new work sneakers, the Overton and the Kenton.

Scott Schoessel, chief marketing officer for Wolverine World Wide’s work division, agreed: “Consumers want freshness. They want stories and they want to understand what we’re doing from an innovation standpoint. And while we can’t crank out the innovation on the same frequency as the sneaker brands, they do present a good model for us to study and watch in terms of how are they stretching their brands? How are they talking to their consumers?”

Collabs at Work

For Wolverine, collaborations have become core to its strategy in recent years, to help expand its audience.

Schoessel said the brand puts out three to four collaborations each year — a number that is kept intentionally low so Wolverine can invest time and money into due diligence, planning and advertising. “We’re willing to stretch and we put dollars behind it,” he said. “We market and story tell aggressively across every channel to drive a little bit of heat behind these things.”

He added that the goal behind each Wolverine collaboration is to either build brand buzz with a new audience — as with its Jarritos collab set to debut on Nov. 19 — or to raise funds for trade school scholarships, such as with its longstanding partnership with the rock band Metallica. 

Keen Utility also entered the collab game for the first time this fall. On Oct. 10, the work brand unveiled a limited release with L.A.-based streetwear brand Noon Goons, offering an update to its Cincinnati wedge boot. Oberle said that the partnership originated “on the other side” of Keen, but the Noon Goons team requested to use a Keen Utility boot. From there, Oberle worked with them on the concept for a year.

He added that the goal was to not only build brand awareness but “partner with someone that’ll push us from a creative standpoint into places we haven’t been before.”

Selling Innovation

The quest for newness also extends into the core product lines, where work brands are incorporating new features to enhance the comfort and performance of occupational shoes and boot. The benefits are two-fold: Customers like the fit and feel, and marketers have a compelling story to tell.

“The younger people who were brought up in this age of social media and real-time advertising, there’s definitely an emphasis put on cool features and things that people can lock on to and say, ‘I want to try that, that looks pretty good,’” said Brian Gerrain, vice president and brand general manager of Rocky, a division of Rocky Brands Inc.

Gerrain said Rocky still believes in brand awareness marketing but has also increased its collection-based advertising to draw attention to specific technologies and features. One of its recent success stories came in early 2024, when it launched the Rams Horn 6-inch comp-toe boot — its first equipped with the Boa lacing system.

“We have been absolutely amazed at how it’s taken off,” said Gerrain. “Revenue wise, it’s now my number-one-selling work boot, which is crazy.” What is particularly surprising, he added, is that it retailed for a premium price point of $216, bucking the trend in the market for value-driven pricing. To augment the success, Rocky is introducing more shoes with the Boa system starting in spring 2025.

Influencers on the Job

In terms of how and where work brands are sharing their stories, social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X (formerly Twitter) are top focuses. And every brand FN spoke with was leaning into influencer partnerships.

For Rocky’s sister brand, Georgia Boot, it has taken a niche approach, partnering with do-it-yourself (DIY) influencers. “We originally only targeted occupational workers, but a couple of years ago, we started approaching DIY folks on Facebook and Instagram, and we found that the DIY space was performing as good or better than the occupational stuff,” said Jordan Gottke, vice president and brand general manager at Georgia Boot.

He said his digital ad spend is now 50-50 between occupational and DIY, but the brand will expand its DIY presence in the coming year.

Gottke said influencer partnerships are a solution to the high demand for fresh video assets and also offer “genuine” content that appeals to young consumers.

But influencer marketing in the work category does present challenges, according to Oberle at Keen Utility. Because tradespeople need different safety features in their footwear, “you can’t send the same shoe to everyone,” he explained. “We don’t ever want to put somebody in the wrong shoe for their job.”

The cat’s out of the bag. Kitten heels have been making a comeback in recent seasons after temporarily falling out of favor with the grand arbiters of fashion.

At Milan Fashion Week, for instance, Attico and Prada showcased low-heeled footwear as part of their spring 2025 collections, as did indie brands such as Vivetta and Federico Cina.

Off the runways, celebrities have embraced the ladylike style as well this year. Sarah Jessica Parker dressed up sweatpants with kitten heels while filming the third season of “And Just Like That…,” and both Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid were spotted in pairs at Paris Fashion Week and the Cannes Film Festival, respectively.

For those wanting to learn more about the trend before jumping in, FN explored the history and controversy around kitten heels with help from two noted fashion historians. We look at the essential components and purpose of the kitten heel — and why it has its share of haters.

What Is a Kitten Heel?

A kitten heel is defined as a shoe with a low heel that measures about 1 to 2 inches in height. But that’s not all, according to Elizabeth Semmelhack, director and senior curator at Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto. The shape is important as well. “A kitten heel isn’t just a shoe with a lower heel, the heel must be a very low stiletto heel to qualify,” she said.

This silhouette first arrived in the 1950s following the invention of the stiletto, an innovation whereby a metal shank inside the shoe allowed women’s heels to be taller and narrower, yet still support the wearer.

For those who weren’t quite ready to wear those towering heels, footwear designers and brands offered a lower alternative. Enter: the kitten heel.

“This type of heel was often marketed to young women who were not yet ready for higher heels — hence the reference to a cute, young animal,” said Colleen Hill, senior curator of costume at The Museum at FIT in New York and co-curator of the 2022 exhibit “Shoes: Anatomy, Identity and Magic.”

However, women of all ages soon adopted the look, as seen on Audrey Hepburn in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” in 1961 and her numerous other movie appearances. And in the 1990s, royalty brought the silhouette to the forefront once again, with Princess Diana frequently opting for short stilettos for her various public appearances.

Why Kitten Heels Are Controversial

As fashion controversies go, the kitten heel kerfuffle is quite mild, but it has inspired numerous discussions on platforms like Reddit and TikTok, where fans and haters have engaged in heated debates over its pros and cons.

The problem, as Semmelhack explains, is that the kitten heel is “strangely betwixt and between,” having neither the ability to provide complete comfort or telegraph sexuality. “Kitten heels aren’t as comfortable or as surefooted as a flat and they don’t do the work, if you will, of a stiletto in terms of expressions of power or desirability,” she said.

What’s more, said Semmelhack, “the kitten heel has long been associated with demureness, so perhaps that is part of its challenge.”

The Advantages of Kitten Heels

Despite its drawbacks as an “awkward in-between” shoe, Hill was quick to come to the kitten heel’s defense, arguing for its merits as a fashion accessory. “This style can work very well with different looks, especially if their wearer wants to play with proportions — they can pair very well with a cropped trouser, for example,” she said.

Additionally, Hill pointed to the health benefits of this silhouette, noting that some podiatrists actually recommend wearing a low heel rather than a flat. Among its attributes: It can help improve posture and offer more arch support.

Plus, Hill added, “kitten heels are certainly easier to wear than higher heels or wedges.”

What is a red carpet without high heels? Celebrities love to hit the step-and-repeat in their towering stilettos, whether in the form of closed-toe pumps, strappy sandals or sleek boots. The seemingly gravity-defying footwear lends an air of feminine power and sexuality to any ensemble, not to mention the fact that it enhances the shape the leg.

But very high heels have not always been the norm in footwear. In fact, while elevated heels date back over a millennia — and have fluctuated in terms of their popularity through the centuries — the stiletto only came into existence several decades ago, thanks to technological innovation.

To find out more about the origins of the high heel, FN reached out to noted fashion historians for their insights on the history and enduring power of this iconic footwear.

The First High Heels

Elizabeth Semmelhack, director and senior curator at the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto, has spent years researching the history of heels, tracing them as far back as the 10th century, though she said they could date back even further in Western Asia. According to her findings, the earliest heels were used for horseback riding in Persia and their invention was tied to the creation of the stirrup.

“It is my contention that the heel was invented for horseback riding as a means of locking the foot in the stirrup,” Semmelhack said, adding that they continued to be used in Western Asia for centuries before traders brought them to Northern Europe in the 17th century, where they served a similar purpose. “Their interest in heels was spurred by new trading and political interests in Persia.”

During the 17th century, heels gradually moved beyond just horseback riding, becoming a fashion accessory that symbolized status and wealth. According to Semmelhack, the shoes were worn by both men and women until the 18th century, when “heels became the purview of women only and were given the job of proclaiming gender.”

A Game-Changing Invention

Up until the mid-20^th century, shoes were most often constructed with wide, stacked heels, wedge and platform soles, which all provided a secure step for the wearer. And they frequently varied in height, depending on the reigning trends of the time.

For instance, Dr. Colleen Hill, senior curator of costume at The Museum at FIT, noted, “The platform shoes of the 1940s could sometimes feature high heels, since a platform offered stability and paired well with a chunky heel.”

But the world of high heels changed forever in the 1950s with the creation of the stiletto heel, so named because of its long, thin shape that resembled Italy’s famed dagger.

The shoes were the result of modern innovation. “Stiletto heels developed with a new technology for a thin but sturdy metal shank that allowed heels to be both tall and narrow,” said Hill, co-curator of the 2022 exhibit “Shoes: Anatomy, Identity and Magic.”

Hill noted that some have credited Salvatore Ferragamo and Roger Vivier with the “invention” of stilettos. While the true inventor is still up for debate, she acknowledges the two designers were key to its success. “They certainly popularized it, and they both created elegant, innovative designs that continue to be incredibly influential — including variations on the wedge (Ferragamo) and the kitten heel (Vivier),” she said.

For her part, Semmelhack described the stiletto as “the most game-changing heel design.”

“Made using metal, stilettos were the first heels that were both extremely high and extremely thin heels yet also capable of holding the weight of the wearer without breaking,” Semmelhack said. “There have been other important designs, but they are really [variations of] heels.”

Lasting Appeal of Heels

Even as consumer wardrobes have become more casual in recent years and sneakers have dominated the trend cycle, high heels continue to hold a vaulted place within the style lexicon.

Notable footwear designers, including Christian Louboutin, Gianvito Rossi and Amina Muaddi, explore new ways to evolve the silhouette with imaginative shapes and fresh materials and embellishments, catering to women — and men — who appreciate their unique appeal.

As designer Giuseppe Zanotti told FN in 2021, when high heels roared back following sales declines during the pandemic lockdowns, “Heels make you feel more feminine and secure sometimes. You walk differently, you act differently, everything looks more exciting when you feel beautiful and step into a room with confidence.”

How High Heels Evolved Through the Decades: From the 1920s to Today

View Gallery 49 Images

They have all generally recovered gracefully, and with somewhat of a sense of humor, so FN is looking back at some of the most memorable footwear fumbles and shoe fails of all time, in photos.

Look down at your feet. Chances are you’re wearing a pair of sneakers. Maybe they’re basketball high-tops or low-profile runners, leather court shoes or canvas slip-ons. Interestingly, sneakers come in untold variations, with different silhouettes made with various upper materials, straps, laces and colorings. But the quintessential ingredient in sneakers is the rubber bottom.

After all, legend says that’s where the name comes from: Rubber soles are quieter than, say, leather or wood, so wearers can “sneak” around more easily.

But how exactly did sneakers come to be? Here, FN turns back the clock nearly two centuries to explore the technological innovations that contributed to their creation in the U.S.

The Debut of Rubber Shoes

No single company or person invented the rubber-soled shoes we wear today. But there is one person who deserves a great deal of credit for their origins: Charles Goodyear, the inventor of vulcanized rubber.

In 1839, Goodyear — an American inventor working out of a factory in Woburn, Mass. — accidentally discovered that treating natural rubber with sulfer over heat made the rubber more rigid and less sticky. He received a patent for the technique in 1844 and the invention supercharged growth of the rubber industry in New England.

Within 50 years, the manufacturing business in the area was so robust that in 1892, nine rubber companies agreed to consolidate their operations in order to better compete. They formed the U.S. Rubber Company, based in Naugatuck, Conn.

U.S. Rubber quickly became a giant in manufacturing — so large, in fact, that it was one of the original 12 companies listed on the Dow Jones Industrial Average that started in 1896.

Two of the companies that were part of that merger included the Colchester Rubber Company and Boston Rubber Company, both of which specialized in producing rubber footwear. At that time, the rubber shoe market mainly consisted of making work boots for cold and rain, such as galoshes, though in the warmer months, some companies also offered oxford-like “tennis shoes” with rubber bottoms (an early precursor to our current athletic shoes). And Colchester may have created prototypes for basketball sneakers as early as 1892.

The First Mass-Market Sneaker

During its first decade in business, U.S. Rubber was producing footwear under roughly 30 different brand names. Then in 1916, it made the decision to consolidate those brands to create one label, which it called Keds.

The brand’s first product was the Champion, a four-eyelet, lace-up oxford with a canvas upper and a vulcanized rubber sole. It is considered the first mass-market canvas-top sneaker and is among the “Greatest Shoes of All Time,” according to FN.

Over the decades, the Keds Champion has been beloved for its feminine profile and light, flexible feel. It’s been worn by stars such as Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Yoko Ono and Taylor Swift, and had multiple big-screen moments, including a star turn in the hit film “Dirty Dancing” in 1987.

The Keds brand, which is now owned by Columbus, Ohio-based Designer Brands Inc., continues to sell the Original Champion silhouette.

The Beginning of Basketball Shoes

At the turn of the century, though, U.S. Rubber wasn’t the only company innovating around footwear. Others were looking to take share of the market as well, and they smartly seized on a new sport growing in popularity around the country.

Hood Rubber Company was founded in 1896 by Frederic C. Hood and Arthur N. Hood. Their father, George Henry Hood, started the Boston Rubber Company and the sons worked at the company until it was consolidated into U.S. Rubber. Frustrated that Boston Rubber’s factories were closed as part of the merger, the Hood brothers set out on their own and built a plant in Watertown, Mass., where they began making rubber boots and eventually canvas-top shoes.

Around the same time, on the other side of the state, the new sport of basketball — invented 1981 by gym teacher Dr. James Naismith in Springfield, Mass. — was quickly being adopted in schools and colleges. And shoe companies saw an opportunity.

According to the brand, Hood Rubber began advertising its first basketball sneakers in its 1914 catalog. The shoe was a laced-to-toe high-top made with heavy duck canvas and a vulcanized rubber sole.

Over the next five decades, Hood — which merged with B.F. Goodrich in 1929 — produced some of the most popular athletic shoes for basketball, tennis, badminton and other sports until its factories eventually closed in 1969. In 2021, retailer Mitchell & Ness attempted unsuccessfully to revive the Hood Rubber footwear brand, though the company’s offshoot label, P.F. Flyers, is still in operation. It’s now owned by Kassia Davis, the daughter of New Balance majority owner Jim Davis, who bought the brand from New Balance in 2021.

But what about Converse, you ask? No, we certainly can’t forget one of the country’s oldest athletic brands.

Massachusetts businessman Marquis Mills Converse (reportedly an alum of U.S. Rubber) opened his Converse Rubber Shoe Company in Malden, Mass., in February 1908, where he initially made rubber galoshes. It wasn’t until the mid-1910s that Converse entered the athletic market. To cater to the new but growing sport of basketball, it debuted its Non-Skid shoe in 1917. Two years later, the sneaker was renamed the All-Star and eventually evolved into the Chuck Taylor All-Star (in honor of one of its most devoted salesmen and ambassadors).

By 1955, Chucks were the No. 1 basketball shoe in America and the brand owned 80 percent of the entire sneaker industry, according to the company. During the next few decades, its sneakers were worn by the majority of pro and college teams, including legendary players like Dr. J, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan (before signing his famed deal with Nike).