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Covering the ins and outs of all things footwear, from sneakers to heels, loafers to slippers and every type of shoe in between. Brought to you by the FDRA and FFANY, the footwear industry’s associations focused on retail, trade, politics and fashion…helping create and enhance conversations on all things footwear.
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This podcast explores the perspectives, insights and journeys of innovators & entrepreneurs who combined creative thinking and hard work to go beyond the expected. The podcast is powered by the Entrepreneurs Genome Project, which consists of research conducted by the Entrepreneurs Lab class taught by Ted Zoller, T.W. Lewis Clinical Professor and director of the Entrepreneurship Center at the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School. For More Info: http://innovate.unc.edu/podcast/
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#438 High Heels, High Comfort: A Medical Approach to Fashion With Fernando Pena of Julieta Barcelona
17:43
17:43
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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…
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#437 Finding the Right Fit With Jones & Vining
26:53
26:53
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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…
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#436 Launching a Brand from the Ground Up With Jack Gindi
23:25
23:25
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23:25
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…
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#435 Realtime Footwear Politics Check-in With Matt, Andy, and Thomas
28:27
28:27
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28:27
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…
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#434 Decoding Consumer Behavior With First Insight's Greg Petro
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27:20
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27:20
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…
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#433 The Current State of Shoe Sustainability & Evolving Strategies
30:14
30:14
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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…
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#432 A Look Inside New Sustainable Material Innovations
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19:55
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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 …
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#431 Touring the Southern California Footwear Scene With John Dickinson of SeaJack
27:28
27:28
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27:28
It's summertime and what better way to celebrate than to listen to Matt and Sandi explore the Southern California footwear scene with John Dickinson, CEO of SeaJack. We explore John's personal history in the footwear industry, learning how his experiences in action sports and Southern California culture shaped his passion for shoes. With so many gr…
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#430 In Search of Footwear Cost Reductions With Nicole Porpiglia From KPMG
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18:34
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18:34
In this episode of Shoe-In Show, Matt and Thomas delve into mitigating duties and cutting costs with Nicole from KMPG. Learn about the increasing interest in and importance of 'first sale', a strategy for reducing import costs, especially amid an environment of additional tariffs. Listen in to get insights about e-commerce strategies, the role of U…
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#429 Realtime Shipping Intel & Rate Info with Apex's Mike Piza
26:25
26:25
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Matt and Andy welcome Mike Piza, Senior VP at Apex Logistics International, to discuss skyrocketing shipping rates and unexpected tariffs impacting the availability of capacity for footwear companies. If you're in the business of shipping shoes, you don't want to miss this timely conversation. Mike has all the latest info impacting the movement of …
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#428 It’s All Greek to Me: Exploring Emerging Shoe Brand Kheloni With Rebecca Gradler
18:42
18:42
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18:42
This week, Matt and Sandi are joined by Rebecca Gradler, the founder of the emerging Greek-rooted shoe brand, Kehloni. She shares her childhood experiences in Greece, the inspiration behind Kehloni, and how she leverages her fresh perspective in a millennia-old industry. Rebecca also discusses the challenges of starting a brand in the midst of a gl…
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#427 Good Morning Vietnam! OrthoLite in Action With Vietnam Country Manager Mark Coffield
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33:04
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33:04
In this edition of Shoe-In Show, Matt sits down with Mark Coffield, Country Manager for OrthoLite Vietnam, as they explore his multi-decade journey through the shoe industry. Mark reflects on his experiences in footwear and the innovative work taking place at OrthoLite's state-of-the-art facility in Vietnam. Matt and Mark also discuss the importanc…
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#426 Current Kids’ Shoe Trends With BBC’s Maureen Duffy-Tan
22:40
22:40
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22:40
Sandi and Matt welcome expert kids' shoe industry leader Maureen Duffy-Tan, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at BBC. Maureen shares her journey through the footwear industry and the valuable lessons she learned from her mentor, Bob Campbell. She also taps into recent kids' shoe trends and the unique aspects and challenges of the kids' s…
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#425 Price Check on Aisle 2: Unpacking Recent Shoe Pricing Trends With Gary Raines
21:44
21:44
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21:44
Join us as fellow N.C. State Wolfpackers Matt Priest and Gary Raines unpack the latest shoe pricing data and current footwear costing trends. Together, they dissect recent CPI numbers and margin expectations for men's, women's, and children's footwear. There's more to these numbers than meets the eye! With special guest: Gary Raines, Chief Economis…
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#424 Footwear So Fresh and So Clean, Clean With Freshy's Scott Willman
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Scott Willman, the founder, CEO, and creative director of Freshy, stopped by Shoe-In this week to bring his creativity and California vibes to Matt and Sandi. With a background in architecture and design, Scott is creating a unique, vibrant, and positive shoe brand for the masses. If you want to learn more about what makes Freshy so unique, and sha…
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#423 What We Heard at the 2024 Shoe Executive Summit
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Want to know how to thrive in the 'Artificial Age'? In this episode of Shoe-In, co-hosts reflect on the highlights from the 2024 Shoe Executive Summit, from key takeaways to what we heard from the more than 100 CEOs and Presidents in the room. Hosted by: Team FDRABy Footwear Distributors & Retailers of America (FDRA)
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#422 Checking In With Footwear Product Pro JP Trudeau With Wolverine Worldwide
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In this dynamic episode of Shoe-In, Matt and Andy welcome Jon Paul Trudeau, the Vice President of Product Operations at Wolverine Worldwide. Checking in from Hong Kong, JP discusses his journey from rock star drummer to footwear design and development pro, and the importance of focusing on product and innovation. The guys also dive into topics such…
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#421 Making Better Shoe Business Decisions With Centric
26:10
26:10
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This is a fun episode featuring Matt Nakari, Sales Director at Centric Software, a shoe dog helping companies better manage their data to help them improve operations and decisions. Matt shares how the company is making data collection easy while focusing on sustainability and speed in the footwear industry. We discuss the importance of breaking do…
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#420 Vietnam Vantage: Takeaways from Matt's Recent Trip
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In this episode of Shoe-In, Matt shares fresh insights from his recent visit to Vietnam, discussing the changing manufacturing and business landscape. Hear about his experiences at Wolverine Worldwide's Supplier Summit, and uncover insights from his visit to innovative supplier, Ortholite. Discover the rising concerns of factories amidst shifting A…
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#419 The Current State of Shoe Innovation - From Factories to Materials to AI
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Industry vet, Chris Hillyer joins the show to discuss the current state of footwear innovation, sharing insights into what's really moving the dial for brands. We cover innovative approaches to challenges, the future of footwear manufacturing, the dynamics of market changes, and new tools being used to transform brands. We also touch on AI's actual…
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#418 Running Shoe Retail 2024: Key Shifts and Outlook
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25:28
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Michael McCauley, owner and operator at Fleet Feet, joins to share key insights into his running shoe store in Augusta, Georgia. We chat about the running brands best connecting consumers, the changing operations of their retail store, which includes extensive training for new employees, and lengthy customer service processes to find the perfect fo…
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#417 Exploring the Shoe Industry’s Transformation With Born’s John Heron
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Discover how the shoe industry is shifting and adapting in the light of changing economic trends and consumer behaviors in this episode. Special guest John Heron, President of the Born Brands Group at Berkshire Hathaway, shares his journey across the footwear sector, including his time at FFANY and Designer Brands. Gain unique insights into the sig…
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#416 Exploring the Hottest Shoe Brands Right Now
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26:09
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26:09
Jon Weber and Laura Brookhiser, from L.E.K. Consulting, join the show to share insights from their 2024 'Heat Index' report. The report explores what brands consumers desire the most by category and why. We discuss not only who's hot but why, and how companies can take key learnings from this report to build stronger brand loyalty. With special gue…
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#415 Catching Up With Washington Shoe Company’s Chief Karl Moehring
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21:46
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In this episode of Shoe-In, Matt and Andy welcome Karl Moehring, CEO of Washington Shoe Company to discuss his journey to footwear having been raised in a shoe family. He also touches on current footwear industry trends, the resilience of consumers in 2024, and fostering a dynamic workplace culture in the hybrid era. With special guest: Karl Moehri…
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#414 Michael Kors' Jung Yoon to the Rescue
26:27
26:27
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Jung Yoon, Senior VP of Production and Sourcing for Accessories and Footwear at the iconic fashion brand Michael Kors, stopped by Shoe-In to discuss her fascinating career journey. From high-tech to apparel to footwear, Jung explores the complexities of shoe manufacturing, highlighting its multifaceted requirements involving comfort, engineering, t…
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