SGB Update Footwear

U.S. Consumer Confidence Sinks to Near Five-Year Low

The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index fell to 86 on the month, down 7.9 points from its prior reading and below the Dow Jones estimate of 87.7. It was the lowest reading since May 2020.

Vessi Appoints Hires Adidas Alum as Chief Marketing Officer

Lorrin Pascoe, a 20-year industry veteran, returns to footwear at Vessi, having spent nearly a decade at Adidas, with roles of senior director of global brand and sports marketing and senior manager of global brand marketing, among others.

Moody’s Lowers Under Armour’s Debt Ratings

Moody’s Ratings downgraded Under Armour, Inc.’s debt ratings on its expectation that weakening consumer discretionary spending and increased tariff costs are likely to lead to lower earnings over the next 12-18 months.

Adidas Warns of U.S. Price Hikes Due to Tariffs

Adidas AG said that despite reporting better-than-expected first-quarter results, it opted not to raise its financial targets for 2025 due to rising concerns over President Donald Trump-imposed trade tariffs, including the threat that prices will have to rise for U.S. products. The company said it did not know how much it would boost prices.

Oboz Adds Third Coast Sales to Cover Midwest and Great Lakes Region 

Led by Principal Jessica Guile, Third Coast Sales brings extensive industry experience and strong retailer relationships to represent Oboz across Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Kentucky (Great Lakes), as well as Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota, and South Dakota (Midwest) effective immediately. 

NSGA’s and Sporting Goods Industry Veteran Tom Doyle Passes Away  

Tom Doyle died on April 22 at the age of 86. He worked at the NSGA for 39 years and was the association’s vice president of Information and Research when he retired in the fall of 2010. He was also president of the National Ski & Snowboard Retailers Association (NSSRA) from the time it was founded in 1987 until 2010. 
 

WFSGI Adds New Faces to Board to Replace Outgoing Members

The new WFSGI Board has added Anne Larilahti, VP of Sustainability, Amer Sports; Mitchell Tsai, CEO, Apache Footwear; Todd Smith, President and CEO, SFIA; and Stefan Rummel, CEO, Messe Muenchen, the producer of the ISPO and Outdoor Munich Expos.