SGB Executive Footwear

Outdoor Industry Leaders Issue Call-To-Action On Participation

Likening outdoor participation to a “leaky bucket,” the Outdoor Foundation Board Chair Sally McCoy, said at the OIA Industry Breakfast that the industry has been able to “get some people in but we’re losing more out the bottom.” Moreover, she said Outdoor Foundation research confirms “we’re late in the game” as far as reversing trends.

Experience Counts … Demo Day Kicks Off Outdoor Retailer Summer Market

Outdoor brands took to Denver’s Confluence and Commons parks Sunday afternoon to showcase some of their newest offerings for 2019 and give retailers a chance to paddle SUPs, pedal e-bikes and check out dozens of products from water bottles to energy bars to a stand-to-pee accessory for women.

Vans, The North Face Fuel VF Corp.’s Sizzling First Quarter

Continued strength in VF Corp.’s biggest brands—Vans, The North Face and, to a lesser extent, Timberland—along with balanced geographic and channel sales, helped the company deliver a standout first quarter with earnings well above Wall Street’s expectations.

Aisle Talk Week of July 16

Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week, including Boa Technology Inc. opening the company’s new environmentally friendly headquarters in Denver, CO.

Skechers Shares Tumble On Q2 Miss And Poor Outlook

Skechers USA’s shares fell $6.95, or 20.9 percent, to $26.30 on Friday after the company reported second-quarter earnings that fell well short of guidance and provided a soft outlook for the third quarter. Investors were reportedly frustrated that Skechers’ focus on funding long-term expansion efforts is coming at the expense near-term earnings improvement.

Sports Direct Burned By Outside Investments

While underlying earnings are benefiting from its “Elevation” efforts to upgrade its stores, Sports Direct reported that its U.S. business, consisting of Bob’s Stores and Eastern Mountain Sports, showed loss in its fiscal year ended April 29 and a number of other investments aren’t paying off.

Adidas Downgraded On Heightened Competition

Wells Fargo Securities downgraded shares of Adidas due to renewed growth in North America at Nike, continuing explosive growth at Vans and some lackluster results from the launch of new Adidas platforms.

SFIA Webinar Stresses Urgency In Applying For Tariff Exclusions

On a webinar Wednesday, David Cohen, an international trade expert with Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg and Bill Sells, SVP government relations & public affairs at the SFIA, discussed the urgency for affected sporting goods companies to seek exclusions to avoid the latest round of tariffs on Chinese imports. The first deadline in the exclusion process is less than 10 days away.

Did Adidas Or Nike Win The World Cup?

Sponsoring the two finalists at the World Cup was a sign to some observers that Nike had outperformed Adidas in driving brand awareness, and likely sales, from summer’s biggest sporting event. But both brands appear to have benefited.

SGB Executive Q&A: ISA TanTec CEO Talks Expansion

In an SGB Q&A, Isa TanTec CEO Uwe Hutzler explains why business is booming for the Macau, China-based leather supplier whose tanneries produce material for brands such as Timberland, Wolverine, Deckers, Keen, Clarks, Danner/LaCrosse, Rockport, The North Face and more.

Retail Report Roundup

Studies arrived last week on BTS selling arriving early, stores dominating BTS selling, Amazon Prime Day launching BTS season, U.S. retail CEOs who are bullish on growth, Nordstrom’s high emotional intelligence ranking, Amazon’s broadening influence and loyalty-program inhibitors.

SGB Executive Q&A: Oofos’ Steve Gallo

Steve Gallo, president of Offos, discusses what’s behind the recovery-footwear leader’s explosive growth, the brand’s fanatical fans and the still-emerging recovering footwear opportunity.

Aisle Talk Week Of July 9

Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week, including Fabletic’s big hires and ambitious plans to reach 100 stores.

Does 2026 World Cup Present “Open Goal” For Adidas?

In a 26-page report, analysts at Macquarie Research said the 2026 World Cup, which is taking place in North America, represents a major opportunity for Adidas to increase the company’s lead in the sport of global football (soccer) and could significantly help narrow the company’s wide gap in U.S. market share against Nike.

Deutsche Bank Sees Momentum At Vans, Bounce Back For North Face

Deutsche Bank Research initiated coverage of VF Corp. with a “Buy” rating in part because the firm sees Vans continuing to benefit from healthy streetwear trends in the years ahead while The North Face appears ready to re-accelerate growth.