Footwear news and archive

Helen Kirkum to close studio at the end of 2025

British footwear and accessories designer Helen Kirkum, who became known for her pioneering approach to sustainable footwear by creating bespoke shoes from old trainers, has announced she is closing her studio at the end of the year. In a social media post, Kirkum said: “After eight years, Helen Kirkum Studio is coming to a close at the end of...

Fashion

StockX 2025 Trends: Asics remains market leader, football jerseys and coveted collabs dominate

The latest quarterly trend report by resale platform StockX has seen Asics retain the position of leading brand in the market. In ‘Big Facts: 2025 Trends’, which covers data over the quarter July 1 to September 30, as well as for the year to October, StockX said Asics’ growth continued, with quarterly sales for the footwear brand growing 45...

Featured

Fashion |Interview

Community over commerce: Crepe City's creative director on the transformation of sneaker culture

Crepe City is taking place in Cologne for the first time this week. Following its German debut in Berlin, the British sneaker and streetwear event is now moving to the Rhine to bring the local scene back together. Connull Drummond, who has been involved with Crepe City since 2019 and has been its creative director for three years, reveals why...

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People

Malone Souliers names new chief executive officer

London-based luxury footwear label Malone Souliers has appointed former Manolo Blahnik executive Andrew Wright as its new chief executive officer. In a statement, Malone Souliers states that Wright was chosen for the role due to his extensive knowledge of the US market, as well as his “proven dedication to brand building, and strong commercial...

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Business

Merrell and Saucony drive Wolverine Worldwide's Q3 revenue growth

Wolverine Worldwide's net sales for the third quarter ended September 27, 2025, were 470.3 million dollars, up 6.8 percent, largely due to the strong performance of key brands Merrell, Saucony, and Sweaty Betty. Ongoing total revenue in the quarter, which excludes the results of the Sperry business was sold in January 2024 also reached 470.3...

People

Justin Cupps to lead Wolverine Worldwide's Work Group brands

Wolverine World Wide, Inc. has appointed industry veteran Justin Cupps as president of its Work Group, positioning him to lead key brands including Wolverine, Bates, Cat Footwear, Harley-Davidson Footwear, HyTest, and Merrell Work. Reporting directly to CEO Chris Hufnagel and joining the executive team, Cupps brings nearly 30 years of experience...

Featured

Fashion |Interview

Footwear designer to watch: Annie Purdy

British footwear design is undergoing a revival, and it is being led by a new crop of designers looking to place innovation, craftsmanship and sustainability at the core of their designs. Leading the resurgence is recent London College of Fashion (LCF) and Royal College of Art graduate Annie Purdy, who was awarded the Sustainable Development...

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Business|Interview

Shoe circularity gets trial run: Footwear Collective pilots circular systems amid EPR push

While fashion’s recycling systems are steadily advancing, footwear remains one of the industry’s toughest circularity challenges. It is this challenge, however, that The Footwear Collective is looking to tackle head-on through a series of shoe-dedicated programmes that intend to address the lack of infrastructure readily available to this...

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Business

Coats Group completes acquisition of OrthoLite, restructures divisions

Coats Group has announced the completion of its acquisition of footwear materials provider OrthoLite. The UK-based company said the takeover reflected a major milestone in its long-term growth plans, strengthening its existing footwear division through the expansion. With the acquisition, which was valued at 770 million dollars and included...

Retail

Alohas opens its first UK store in London

Madrid – Alohas, the Spanish on-demand fashion and footwear brand, is continuing to expand its global retail network with the opening of its first brick and mortar store in the UK. The brand has entered the country with the inauguration of its first store in London. Located at 45 Beak Street in the heart of London's SoHo district, the store is...

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Fashion

LA shoemaker holds Hollywood's past in a dying art

In a cobbler's workshop in Los Angeles, the footprints of Hollywood history are stacked floor to ceiling, watched over by a man who says his profession is dying. Yellowing boxes hold the lasts -- foot-shaped molds -- used to create footwear for everyone who was anyone in America's entertainment capital for more than half a century. Elizabeth...

People

Oofos: Lou Panaccione and Angel Martinez to lead as co-CEOs

Global footwear brand Oofos has announced a new co-CEO leadership structure, appointing co-founder Lou Panaccione and industry veteran Angel Martinez to the joint roles to enhance the brand's continued growth and evolution from its pioneering position in the recovery footwear category. As co-CEOs, Martinez will oversee brand, product creation,...