01
KIDSUPER AND STUART WEITZMAN LAUNCH A JOINT FOOTWEAR COLLECTION
Image source: Web
Recently, the cutting-edge American topic trend brand Kidsuper released its Fall/Winter 2023 collection in Paris, and in the new collection, it also presents its joint shoe collection with American shoe brand Stuart Weitzman. It is reported that the joint shoe collaboration was created by Stuart Weitzman design director Edmundo Castillo and Kidsuper manager Colm Dillane, combining the iconic silhouette of the shoe brand with Dillane's signature pictorial visual style. The collection will be available on the Stuart Weitzman website and select offline boutiques worldwide on February 22, 2023.
FN opinion: This joint name with a sense of art and youth culture may help Stuart Weitzman open the door in the field of trends.
02
MSCHF LAUNCHES ASTRO BOY'S BIG RED BOOTS
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Recently, MSCHF, a creative design studio known for its funny and humorous style, launched "Big Red Boots" based on the red booties worn by the classic anime character Astro Boy. From the outside, the entire shoe adopts a molding technology similar to 3D printing, and the body is full of inflation, echoing the current trend of crooked shoes such as bread shoes.
FN View: From Balenciaga's Mickey boots to this two-dimensional red boot, silhouette boots with emerging material technology may be called the most popular creative trend of future footwear.
03
JORDAN BRAND LAUNCHES NARUTO-THEMED AIR JORDAN 37 BASKETBALL SHOE "RASENGAN"
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Recently, NBA basketball star Zion Williamson, who loves Japanese anime culture, partnered with Jordan Brand to launch the famous anime IP Naruto-themed Air Jordan 37 basketball shoe "Rasengan". The shoe name is inspired by Naruto anime protagonist Naruto Uzumaki's signature ninjutsu "spiral pill", the entire shoe body is made of light blue color to vividly restore the visual presentation of "spiral pill", and the tongue is decorated with bright yellow lightning style serrations, and the insole is printed with a "spiral pill" embodied pattern, making this shoe full of the hot-blooded temperament of a shōnen manga.
FN View: The two-dimensional theme is becoming a creative direction worthy of in-depth attention in the current footwear industry.
04
PALACE and UGG launch a joint snow boot
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Recently, the British trend brand Palace presented joint shoes with the shoe brand UGG represented by snow boots in its upcoming catalog. Featuring UGG's signature snowshoe style, the shoe is adorned with a cool lightning bolt on the upper and stamped with Palace's logo on the back.
FN opinion: With the trend of snowshoes becoming more popular this winter, UGG really needs more dynamic joint projects to help brands achieve a more youthful and contemporary image and tonality upgrade.
05
Skechers announces fourth quarter and annual 2022 financial results
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BEIJING ON FEBRUARY 3, 2023, COMFORT TECHNOLOGY COMPANY SKECHERS RELEASED ITS FOURTH QUARTER AND ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT FOR 2022, WITH FULL-YEAR SALES OF $7.4 BILLION IN 2022, AN UP 18% FROM 2021, SETTING A RECORD FOR THE BEST SALES IN HISTORY. Wholesale sales increased by 23.2% in 2022; For the full year 2022, direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales increased by 10.2%. Fourth-quarter 2022 sales of $1.88 billion, an increase of 13.5% from the same period in 2021, with wholesale sales increasing 15.7%, direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales increasing 10.8%, and adjusted diluted earnings per share of $0.48 for the fourth quarter of 2022. At the same time, David Weinberg, global chief operating officer of Skechers, said: "The Chinese market has experienced a decline in performance compared to other international markets due to the short-term impact of the large-scale epidemic in November, but with the adjustment of China's epidemic prevention and control measures, we believe that China's business will usher in a strong recovery in 2023." ”
FN view: There is no doubt that the help point of Skechers' performance improvement in 2023 is bound to fall on the Chinese market, which is recovering from the macro.
06
EYTYS releases the Fall/Winter 2023 collection
Image source: Courtesy of the brand
SWEDISH INDEPENDENT DESIGNER BRAND EYTYS RECENTLY LAUNCHED ITS FALL/WINTER 2023 COLLECTION IN PARIS. This season's new look, EYTYS continues to play with proportions and logos: a pair of loose track trousers with EYTYS logo webbing on the sides, paired with a cropped T-shirt, a tuxedo blazer and heeled denim mules. Launched in 2017, the classic Benz jeans are dyed in a green and brown wash cover and perfectly match the new Akeem dress shoes – a square toe style in yellow suede and brown crocodile leather panels, reminiscent of the style that once swept London's Dalston shoe stores. Santos, a trendy sneaker that continues the style of the 70s, is rejuvenated in new colours of pigeon blue and red and suede fabric.
FN view: For fashion design footwear brands, how to mobilize the purchase intention of emerging consumer groups through their evolving forward-looking design language is an important issue for the survival and development of brands.
07
LEMAIRE Paris launches its Fall/Winter 2023 collection
Image source: Courtesy of the brand
French designer brand Lemaire recently released its Fall/Winter 2023 collection during the Fall/Winter 2023 menswear week in Paris. The Fall/Winter collection is somewhere between slim and loose, structured and de-structured, adding a touch of slack. The scarf tied around the neck, the quilted collar of the jacket, and the pleats at the hem of the dress reflect the fusion of new folk art and the interweaving of Eastern and Western cultures. And the striking urban silhouette – a combination of oversized collars, coats, pockets and bags – seems ready for a while. Pair it with ankle-length leather boots to resemble an urban archer. Handbags and small bags surround the body, resembling a hunter's shoulder bag. The small, chic wool-lined bag with a double-ended zipper and wide camera strap resembles a vintage handbag carried by a mystery journalist from a certain era. Accessories such as the tie and long ribbon earrings that naturally hang down from the neck sway and float between walks, flexible and natural.
FN View: Will footwear be the next brand revenue point for the Lemaire brand after ready-to-wear and bags?
08
BOTH launches the Spring/Summer 2023 footwear collection
Image source: Courtesy of the brand
French footwear brand both recently presented its spring/summer 2023 footwear. The new series interprets this season's "Craftcore" from the perspective of a craftsman artist. This season, both continue to deepen the two indispensable elements of the brand's DNA – the study of manufacturing processes and design innovation, incorporating the artisan process of making shoes into the design – patching, sewing, writing the technical requirements of the shoe body. The Spring/Summer 2023 collection overlays a colourful mesh structure on the shoes, where the protection and care of the product are expressed through the second skin of the shoe body. The new addition of Gangflat simulates the work shoes worn by craftsmen in and out of the workplace, with awe for the product and meticulous attitude, accompanied by handwritten suggestions for modifications.
FN opinion: The craftsmanship design language interpretation of commercial footwear brands adds a refreshing product look and feel to the brand.