Shikha Jain, Partner at Simon-Kucher, joins us to shed some light on footwear marketplace issues and consumer trends as we start to head into the holidays and 2025. She recently published a study showing shoe consumers have an increasing price sensitivity due to the current economic climate, leading to fewer and more budget-conscious purchases. We …

#music #kpfa #bayarea #sanfrancisco #culuraBy Cronicas de la Raza

We went back in our catalogue and found a gem featuring Jean-Luc Diard, founder of now mega-brand Hoka One One. Worth a listen again or for the first time - you'll learn a lot about innovation and hear the exclusive story behind how Hoka was created! With special guest: Jean-Luc Diard, Hoka/Deckers Brands Hosted by: Andy Polk and Matt Priest…

On this episode, a chat with Mike Barbanica, candidate for Contra Costa County Board of Supervisor in District 5. He provides an update on the campaign, where he is at on several issues. With he and his opponent pretty close on most topics, the race will likely come down to public safety and ensuring people are held accountable—and impact of Propos…

On this episode, I chat with Louie Rocha who is running for Antioch City Council, District 2. He is a retired principal of Antioch High School who is seeking to bring back stability and civility back to the Antioch City Council will looking to focus on not only public safety, but better improve services for residents in the city of Antioch. He also…

Matt and Andy welcome FDRA Chief Economist Gary Raines to Shoe-In to discuss the latest on the Shoeconomy. Gary breaks down the impact the Federal Reserve's recent rate cut will have on shoe companies and footwear consumers alike. With special guest: Gary Raines, Chief Economist, FDRA Hosted by: Matt Priest and Andy Polk…

In the latest episode of The Shoe-In Show, we explore the changing landscape of the Brazilian footwear industry. Our guests, Karin Becker and Christian Thomas from Pacto Calçadista in Brazil, share insights on how footwear trends are evolving. We discuss how Brazilian footwear companies are repositioning themselves, focusing on quality, innovative …

On this episode, I chat with Brian Oftedal, candidate for Brentwood City Council District 3. We address not only why he is running, but some of the goofy online rhetoric being stated about him. We get into his experience on the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District Board of Directors, work with the American Red Cross and Ronn Nunn Elementary. …

Nina Serrano Birthday, MCCLA Patricia Rodriguez, Lucia Ippolito by Cronicas de la RazaBy Cronicas de la Raza

On this episode, I chat with Faye Maloney who is running for Brentwood City Council in District 1. We talk about what she has been up to in serving on a county role with the Contra Costa Commission on Women and Girls and how they serve the community. We get into her background where as a child it created her "why" in terms of living her life and se…

Matt, Andy, and Thomas unpack key takeaways from last week's presidential debate, particularly as it relates to trade and tariff policies. Listen in to get exclusive political insights from your resident footwear industry experts on the current dynamics of the race and any impacts the debate may (or may not have) had on voters. With special guests:…

On this episode, I chat with Gerald Johnson who is running for Mayor of the City of Brentwood. We get into his time as president of the Brentwood Chamber of Commerce, serving as a Brentwood Planning Commissioner and his background. We debunk a ton of the social media chatter going on by explaining his stance on development/housing, DEI and zoos. We…

This week on Shoe-In, Matt and Thomas welcome footwear industry innovator Elias Stahl, CEO and cofounder of Hilos. Exploring his unconventional entrance into the industry via software and supply chain management, Elias reveals his vision for delivering on-demand, zero-waste footwear that both mitigates industry waste and reconnects us to craft. You…

On this episode, a chat with Oleksii Chuiko who is running for Oakley City Council, District 5. Chuiko serves as an Oakley Planning Commissioner and is currently the president of the Oakley Chamber of Commerce. We get into why he is running and talk his priorities which include public safety, economic growth and working towards a regional cooperati…

On this episode, I chat with Cristina Pena Langley who is running for Oakley City Council, District 5. Too nice for elected office? Possibly. That is the question as she is a teacher in Oakley, Girl Scout Leader, and an executive leader within the Teachers Association of Oakley. We get into why she is running for city council with top priorities of…

On this episode, I chat with Fernando Sandoval who is running for re-election on the Contra Costa Community College District Board (Ward 5). We get into what is new with the District, finally appears to be stability within the District. I question whether 4-year college is a scam and people should just go towards trades. We talk high cost of colleg…

On this special Labor Day edition of Shoe-In, JP Stevenson, Head of Market Development, EIQ at LRQA, joins Matt and Thomas to discuss all the latest trends around supply chain visibility and complying with emerging forced labor regulations. Listen in to discover insights from LRQA's comprehensive footwear factory audit data and steps global footwea…

On this episode, I chat with Antwon Webster who is running for Antioch City Council, District 3. We get into a variety of topics including him working with services groups to in an effort to improve the city as a whole. We touch on the tone of the most recent council meeting and then get into topics such as public safety, economic development and s…

On this episode, I chat with Don Freitas who is running for Antioch City Council in District 3. He is the former mayor having served from 2000 to 2008, previously on the city council and served on the Water District. We talk about why he is coming back now and what has changed for him within the City of Antioch. The importance of bringing back civi…

On this episode, I chat with Kim Karr of #ICANHELP and Digital4Good. The conversation comes a day after negative social media commentary hit the contracosta.news social media pages. While we discuss the work they do for youth, we get into a variety of topics around social media form folks producing content simply for clicks and addiction to play of…

On this episode, Rakesh Kumar Christian runs for Mayor of Antioch citing he wants change. He faces off against Mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe and Ron Bernal who he says are both part of the problem of why Antioch is where it is today. We get into what he says is mismanagement, budgeting issues. We talk public safety, economic development, improving c…

Straight from the Netherlands, Peter Erren joins us to share some of the challenges facing the EU marketplace today. We cover how brands and retailers are dealing with extending shipping timelines, and the mold issues it is causing, managing inventories and changing consumers. Peter shares some key insights on solutions provided by his company in m…

8/13 Artist Adan Gonzalez, El Teocolote, Emiliano Echeverria and more by Cronicas de la RazaBy Cronicas de la Raza

On this episode, we recap what has been going on with the Antioch Police Department and City of Antioch. I am joined by former Antioch Police Sergeant Steve Aiello and Ken Turnage to highlight history and provide more context of what has gone on. We talk staffing levels, why police officers are leaving, the negative impact the Antioch City Council …

This week on Shoe-In Show listen in as Dr. Fernando Pena, an orthopedic surgeon and co-founder of Julieta Barcelona, offers his unique approach to designing shoes. Arising from Fernando's wife's struggle to find fashionable yet comfortable shoes, this emerging shoe brand was founded to provide a pain-free option for fashionable and professional wom…

On this episode, I chat with Dave Ennis for State Assembly in District 11. He considers himself a fiscal conservative while being moderate on social issues. He has taken the slogan of build things right the first time and getting back to basics such as providing a good education, helping small business stay in business and creating jobs. We touch o…

Footwear is a constant battle with consumer expectations around fit. Jones & Vining leaders join us to discuss the central role their company plays with both new and traditional footwear brands to perfect fit and comfort. They share how they are now leveraging consumer trends, and using new technology, to help brands at the start of the process and…

Ni Aqui Ni Alla Film and Our Mision Statement Exhibit at MCCLA by Cronicas de la RazaBy Cronicas de la Raza

In this episode of the world's leading shoe industry podcast, Matt and Sandi welcome Jack Gindi, CEO of Ground Up International. Jack shares his journey from retail to the dress shirt industry, eventually entering footwear through a resort-focused line of flip-flop sandals. Discussing the opportunities and challenges he's faced, Jack emphasizes the…

In this week's Shoe-In Show, you'll hear realtime analysis surrounding the historic nature of this year's presidential race and its impact on the footwear industry. Discussing the changing landscape of the presidential race, the impact on Congress, and what this means for the industry, our analysts Matt Priest, Andy Polk, and Thomas Crockett presen…

Psyched Radio, El Tecolote report on RV communities in SF by Cronicas de la RazaBy Cronicas de la Raza

What's influencing consumer behavior in the age of inflation? Matt and Sandi welcome economic thought leader Greg Petro to help unpack all the latest footwear consumer and costing trends. As CEO of First Insight, Greg provides analysis around shifts in consumer attitudes, the resilience of footwear companies responding to said attitudes, and his ex…

#news #bayarea #kpfa #mccla #latin #chile #cubaBy Cronicas de la Raza

Katie O'Hara, Director of Account Management at Dynamic Foam, join us for this fun deep dive into sustainable materials and strategy. There are increasing regulations, but also new and large opportunities of integrating sustainable materials into footwear. The success lies in wise strategy! Join us as we have some laughs and deep dive into key topi…

Leading sustainable material company Lenzing has been working for years to develop a new material for footwear. On this episode we take a look inside the new pioneering technique to make the material, its properties and how their collaboration with Recyc Leather and GANNI is a blueprint for how our industry can make more sustainable materials come …