Shoe-In

FDRA's "Supply Chain in Crisis" webinar had some of the industry's top thought leaders discussing what you must be watching as we continue to deal with supply chain headaches. It was so good we had to broadcast it out on Shoe-In to make sure everyone had a chance to listen!

The old world of Excel is crumbling. Data that sits is useless. A new system is being built for a more sustainable future that helps teams visualize, understand data and make better choices at the start. We talk with Material Exchange in this episode about their new updated platform and how it's changing the game for good!

Is inflation the new four-letter word? In this episode, we discuss the many issues and challenges inflation poses to our industry and the economy, with dashes of other random observations and comments on human nature. Yes, this is the latest footwear philosophy episode not to be missed!!!

Industry analyst and sneaker industry expert Chris Burns joins Shoe-In Show again in an attempt to kick-off March Madness in style. As you'll hear, we never really get around to talking basketball as Matt, Andy and Chris explore a plethora of other topics around DTC, e-commerce, NFTs, StockX, brand strategies, and even shoe conspiracies appropriately coined "Shoe-anon." You need a footwear analyst...

On this episode we chat with Converse Directors, Tamara Odom and Brodrick Foster and get the inside scoop on what it's like to work at Converse. During this conversation, you'll learn how Converse is committed to diversity and empowering its employees to reach new heights and be their best selves. We also get to hear about the cool projects they're working on, some even featuring NBA superstars! T...

Jazerai Allen-Lord, Founder of True to Size stops by Shoe-In to discuss her latest work and how companies can be greater agents of change to provide safe and fair spaces for workers of color.

The Shoe-In Show BHM '22 series rolls on as Dr. D'Wayne Edwards joins Matt and Sabria to talk about the opening of the Pensole Lewis School of Business & Design in Detroit, his calling to empower black design students in all industries, and his continuation of the amazing and iconic legacy of Dr. Violet Lewis.

Converse executive and FDRA board member Brandis Russell stops by Shoe-In Show to kick off our BHM '22 series by sharing her own shoe story and to talk about the important changes taking place at the newly reimagined Black Footwear Forum.

What if you could know what sustainable products and language best connect with your customers BEFORE you launch new shoes and campaign? In this episode, we talk about how the most successful brands are leveraging First Insight's new capability on ESG issues to ensure they are hitting the mark. We also have a thoughtful conversation on key challenges and opportunities that will impact shoe sales i...

Stuart Jenkins, founder of Blumaka, joins us again to talk about his latest learnings and insights into footwear foams. We talk about the outdated manufacturing processes that need to be updated in order to reduce waste and emissions and get to a more "ethical" path for footwear companies.

FDRA's new Vice President of Corporate Engagement Sandi Mines is no stranger to the shoe industry having grown up in a shoe family and worked at the helm of Footwear News. Listen in as Sandi shares her "shoe story" with our audience and unveils her bullish plans for FDRA in 2022 and beyond.

Supply chain extraordinaire and current Head of Procurement & Commercial Excellence at Wayfair, Pete Mento stops by Shoe-In to try and tackle the many difficult challenges facing the global supply chain in 2022. We may not have all the answers, but we sure do have a ton of questions. If supply chain is top-of-mind for you today, you won't want to miss this episode and Pete Mento's many hot takes....

Shoe Carnival President & CEO Mark Worden is back this time with former Shoe Station President & CEO Brent Barkin to discuss Shoe Carnival's acquisition of the Mobile, Alabama-based Shoe Station. Mark and Brent unveil their plans for the New Year as the two foundational family retailers join forces to grow Shoe Carnival into a larger footwear retailer powerhouse. Digital engagement coupled with br...

Taken from a great webinar hosted by FDRA and Centric Software, this episode dives into key insights into supply chain strategy and how technology is helping companies make better, faster decisions across their supply chains!

Export Now Founder and Chairman Frank Lavin joins Shoe-In Show this week to discuss his recent piece in Forbes exploring the fraught U.S-China relationship. With years of diplomatic experience across many U.S. administrations, Frank has a keen eye on the current challenges impacting the world's most important geopolitical relationship. Curious to explore tips for U.S. companies caught in the cross...

Inflation and supply chain shortages will continue through the rest of 2021 and likely into the new year with consumer demand outpacing supply. The Rockport Company is leveraging First Insight's predictive analytics solution and real-time voice-of-customer price elasticity data to optimize their assortments and pricing to effectively navigate the supply chain disruption and inflation resulting fro...

Mario Gallione, President of Journeys, joins us on this episode to discuss how they are dealing with supply chain issues, how they are rethinking mall traffic measurement, and how they are preparing for continued consumer changes in 2022. A must listen to this fun and insightful episode where the Metaverse also gets a mention!

BBC International's fearless leader Josue Solano stops by Shoe-In to discuss the current turmoil impacting the footwear supply chain, his expectations for 2022 production and sales, and the innovative ways BBC is ensuring it has key product at the right time for its retail customers.

Shoe-In welcomes FitForCommerce Senior Consultant Chelsea Mueller as she unveils her three key strategies to successful shoe selling in the current retail environment. No matter where you're selling your shoes - in-store, online, or out of the back of your station wagon - this episode is for you.

Matt and Andy cover the latest FDRA data showing October shoe retail prices continued to edge higher for the 6th straight month. What's data, what's behind the continued surge and will it continue? Listen to this important episode to find out!

FDRA's Chief Economist Gary Raines joins Shoe-In Show to review all the critical economic updates impacting the Shoeconomy heading into holiday 2021.

FDRA's own Thomas Crockett stops by Shoe-In to join in on a political potpourri discussion around the vaccine mandate, infrastructure bill negotiations, China trade, and more.

FDRA asked 1,000 families where they plan to buy their shoes this holiday season, how much they plan to spend and what type of shoes they plan to buy.

This week Matthew Rubel shares some real wisdom on how companies need to think and act more strategically to deal with continued business disruption. We cover supply chain costs, retail/consumer demand shifts, long-term inflation, and capitalization issues - with Matt going through each area and laying out clear things shoe companies should focus efforts and energy on (consumers to employees) to e...

Listen in as Dr. David Priest provides the footwear industry with critical updates around COVID, the delta variant, vaccine mandates, and more.