What’s Selling: Ecco and Clarks Among the Hot Men’s Comfort Brands This Summer

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What’s selling in men’s comfort this week?

Here, four independent retailers weigh in on the winning brands and top trends in the market, and talk about what’s not moving.

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Tim Hammond, owner, Total Comfort Shoes, Columbus, Ohio

Top three brands:

1. Ecco: “Men like the styling and comfort across its dress shoes, casuals and sandals. Between these three [categories], it’s a top brand.”

2. OluKai: “It’s a great summer shoe. The sandals and flip-flops are very comfortable. [Men] can wear them to parties and on vacation. And they’re nice if going out to dinner.”

3. Clarks: “It’s a staple for our stores, offering dress and casual shoes that are moderately priced. We’ve carried the brand for a long time and have lots of repeat business.”

What’s not selling: “Outdoor hiking styles and some [outdoor] sandals. [Overall], the rugged shoes are not going as well as they had been.”

Dennie Campbell, buyer, Selby Shoes Etc., Portland, Maine

Top three brands:

1. Rockport: “We’ve been doing well with Rockport’s ‘Let’s Walk’ collection of lightweight comfort looks with a great footbed. And they’re nice-looking shoes.”

2. Clarks: “The Unstructured line has been excellent — lightweight and comfortable.”

3. Keen: “This time of year for us, we’re doing a lot of water shoes.”

What’s not selling: “White soles for us are tough, even for women. If a younger guy comes in, he’ll go for it.”

Top trends: “Athleisure more than anything, and styles that have a transitional look. This is not a dressy part of the country, so dress-up for men is not a super dressy shoe.”

Andrew Koutsoukos, owner, Shoes-n-Feet, San Francisco

Top three brands:

1. On: “Most people buy [their sneakers] for walking around as an everyday shoe. It’s about the design and then the brand’s buzz. [Customers] know it’s the ‘cool brand.’”

2. Ecco: “Soft 7 lace-up style.”

3. Blundstone: “There’s a big buzz around them. They’re comfortable for that type of boot — softer, have a little more cushioning and last longer. A lot of Chelsea boots are leather-soled and hard.”

What’s not selling: “Samuel Hubbard is a brand that was popular for the first two years, but seems to have slowed down. While they have newer styles, we [still] have the ones they [launched] with. We need to get in the newer, better-looking styles. They also slowed down their huge advertising campaign. We used to see a lot of people come in and say they saw The New York Times ad.”

Top trends: “Men are difficult. They don’t buy as many pairs and wear each longer.”

Perry Calhoun, co-owner, The Shoe Market, Greensboro, N.C.

Top three brands:

1. Finn Comfort: “It offers support. We do almost $2 million a year in those shoes.”

2. Samuel Hubbard: “They’re as hot as a pistol, making a great product. Owner Bruce Katz interprets [styles] well, and customers have caught on, buying them for the look and comfort. The company puts a lot more into the shoes than what they’re selling them for. They have guts and they last. It rings the cash register.”

3. Ecco: “They make a solid shoe that doesn’t tear up.”

What’s not selling: “We try to buy the winners, and most of our [product] is performing. We buy the mediocre lines in moderation and we sell them, but the top [three] brands are powerhouses.”

Top trends: “Sneakers are doing well, and the New Balance 990 is hot. Men are also looking for dress-casuals and casuals.”

 

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