While the outdoor industry has seen more than its fair share of strong footwear start-ups over the last few years, many footwear veterans feel there is still room for more.  This year, Obôz will be the next new footwear line to launch in the aisles of OR this summer. While some new brands took a highly publicized approach last year, Obôz has chosen to take a much more low-key publicity path, reflecting the attitude and feel of Bozeman and the surrounding areas.


Led by John Connolly, who has over 20 years of outdoor footwear experience with companies like One Sport, Montrail, Vasque Five Ten and Keen, Obôz is operating under the theory that product is king, but customer service and building a good relationship with retailers is the top priority in day-to-day operations.


“I’ve been fortunate enough to work with a lot of very talented people over the years, and once I decided to go out on my own, I knew I would be able to find top-shelf talent. I’ve worked for a number of companies over the years that were start-ups or transforming themselves, so I know what is involved in the process,” said Connolly. “In the end it really came down to relationships. I was able to put this team together. I’ve already assembled 17 sales reps in the U.S. and Canada who all have a lot of footwear experience. I was also able to bring in some retailers as launch partners that have already committed to the product after seeing some of our early design work. I am very fortunate to be able to include REI on that list.”


The list of launch partners also includes several top tier retailers from the independent sporting goods channel, the outdoor specialty channel (both on-line and brick & mortar) and the specialty footwear channel. Connolly said that he is also looking at the specialty running distribution channel. 


Connolly started the company shortly after OR Winter Market and has been able to pull everything together in time to launch this August. “Within a few weeks of OR, I was able to bring some financial partners on board, find a good, high quality factory, bring a design package together and come up with a name for the product.” 


“I think that was our biggest challenge so far in the process, coming up with a name that is not already trademarked. Obôz was on the short list to begin with and we have really grown to love it,” Connolly said.


Obôz will launch in the U.S, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK for spring ’08 and will move into the rest of Europe and Asia in spring ’09.  Connolly said that he envisions a global brand with a relatively tight focus in terms of SKUs. In its first season, the Obôz collection will include eight different styles, two hiking, four multi-sport and two trail running footwear models with both men’s and women’s-specific lasts. Connolly also sees extending the brand into outdoor casual. “We did this in an extremely short time frame. Normally designing, developing, commercializing and getting ready to launch for a season takes eight to 10 months. We only had five months from the time we started until now. Everyone on the team has a great track record of designing, marketing and selling product that has done well at retail. Because of our relationships, we’ve been able to get some key customers on board,” said Connolly.


Obôz is also working on a green story to compliment its performance story in the running, multi-sport and hiking categories. The company is working with an organization called Trees for the Future to plant a tree for every pair of shoes sold. Obôz will be operating its sales, design and marketing offices out of Bozeman, MT, while all corporate operations are based in Jackson, WY.


>>> With some of the consolidation in the footwear market over the past two years, there may be a hole for Connolly and his team to fill…