Rather than the ‘hustle culture’ fitness of the 2010s with its celebration of exhaustion, people are now prioritizing long-term health, injury prevention and mental well-being.
Category: Footwear
Genesco’s Fiscal Q1 Boosted by 8 Percent Comp Gain from Journeys Group
First-quarter earnings topped expectations as sales exceeded plan, led by an 8 percent increase from Journeys Group, while expenses benefited from cost-containment efforts. The performance marked the company’s third consecutive quarter of positive comparable sales gains and guidance was reiterated for the year.

EXEC: Crocs, Inc. to Emphasize Inventory Controls to Ride Out Tariff Uncertainty
Speaking Tuesday, June 3, at the Baird 2025 Global Consumer, Technology & Services Conference, Crocs, Inc. CEO Andrew Rees said the company will emphasize inventory discipline and maintain margins given the uncertainties created by the trade war.

Flojos Appoints Christian Lass Director of Sales, Builds Out U.S. Sales Team
Lass previously served as director of sales for Arbor Collective, Dragon, 509, and FMF (La Jolla Group). Other new additions to the sales team include Adam Scott, Barcus Evans, Sean Gallivan and Paul Reinecke.

Academy Sports + Outdoors Expanding with Three New Locations
The retailer has opened two new locations in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. and Midlothian, Virginia; and will open another new store in Morgantown, West Virginia later this month.

EXEC: Hibbett Parent JD Sports Enters New Phase of U.S. Brand Consolidation
The owner of the City Gear, DTLR, Finish Line, JD and Shoe Palace retail brands in the U.S. market is ready to move to the next level in its retail brand consolidation here in the Colonies as DTLR and most City Gear stores will be merged under the DTLR brand.

Citi Trends Raises Outlook as Q1 Comps Jump Nearly Double-Digits
The urban off-price chain raised its guidance for the year after reporting improved earnings on a 9.9 percent same-store gain in the first quarter.

Reebok Gets Another Shot at Being Relevant Again
As a global brand development and licensing platform, the company said the partnership with Slam Jam underscores Authentic’s mission to unlock Reebok’s full potential through culturally connected relationships that deepen consumer affinity.

EXEC: Shoe Station Doors to Dominate Shoe Carnival, Inc. Portfolio by 2027
In announcing plans to accelerate the rollout of Shoe Station, Mark Worden, Shoe Carnival’s president and CEO, told analysts that the Shoe Carnival locations, which the retailer has converted to premium Shoe Station concept, are seeing double-digit sales growth and accretive margins across affluent and rural markets.

Kerry Jackson Returns to Shoe Carnival as SVP New Business Development
Jacskon will return to Shoe Carnival in a new role, reporting directly to company President and CEO Mark Worden, spearheading the company’s merger and acquisition activities, integration of acquired businesses and synergy capture initiatives.

Nike, Inc. Names Chief Communications Officer and Member of Senior Leadership Team
Effective July 7, 2025, Michael Gonda joins Nike from McDonald’s Corporation, where he held several senior leadership roles, including chief impact officer for North America and global chief communications officer.

NRF: Father’s Day Spending To Hit Record $24 Billion this Year
U.S. consumers are poised to spend a record $24 billion on Father’s Day this year, according to an annual survey from the National Retail Federation. Over three-quarters of consumers (76 percent) plan to celebrate the occasion, spending an average of $199.38 per person, up from $189.81 in 2024.

Dr. Martens Appoints Adidas Outdoor Exec as Chief Brand Officer
Carla Murphy was most recently global senior vice president and general manager for Adidas Outdoor and previously global chief brand & product officer for Icebreaker.

Oofos Opens First U.S. Retail Stores
The recovery footwear brand, celebrating its 14th year, will open stores in Pentagon City, Arlington, VA; the Mall of Georgia, Buford, GA; and the Florida Mall, Orlando, FL.

Kizik Appoints Former Nike Exec as CEO
Kizik and its parent company, HandsFree Labs, appointed Gareth Hosford, a former executive at Nike and Converse, as CEO. Most recently, he led the launch and scaling of Omorpho, a Portland, OR-based performance wear and fitness equipment start-up, as both CFO and COO.