Jared Nickerson

Private label footwear is an interesting discussion. I was surprised to hear REI getting out of making their own footwear. It looked good and I think offered a well-branded, unique approach offering some good value and performance (Vibram outsoles, etc.). There seemed to be an authentic story and reason to exist. Often private label is synonymous with cheap. Footwear in particular can be hard to execute well when it's at a very competitive price point, often with a large SKU offering and has the realities of tooling costs and technical development. Most commonly private label footwear is pawned off to a trading company to stick a logo on "knock-off" designs with open tooling produced at a questionable quality and performance standard. But I think private labels can compete. My first experience in footwear was with Power Footwear, possibly the largest global private label - a "house brand" of Bata Group. It showed me it is possible to craft real performance with value in mind and we did so with design as a strength. Original tooling, original technology, original design. Decathlon is also doing it really well. Some of the latest KIPRUN products I think can go head to head with Nike, Adidas, etc. Amazing design and cutting edge performance and sponsored top athletes. They have turned in-house resources and brands into a showcase for products that bring consumers into the stores. The whole point of private label in the first place. What do you think? Can private label footwear exist in today's retail landscape where a brand is more than product and needs to be supported by marketing, social, and the full experience? Do consumers want private labels? Do they know/care they aren't "real" brands? --- I’m the owner of The Directive Collective footwear design consultancy. We make great footwear, not just great sketches. #design #footwear #footweardesign

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3D printed footwear + fit. Am I getting it wrong? Working on a larger content piece about fit and would like to hear what I'm missing. Zellerfeld Shoe Company Inc. Cornelius Schmitt Joey Khamis --- I’m the owner of The Directive Collective footwear design consultancy. We make great footwear, not just great sketches. #design #footwear #footweardesign #3dprinting

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From sketching sneakers as a kid to revolutionizing footwear design, Omar Bailey is forging paths and breaking molds with FCTRY LAb. This founder is reshaping the industry from LA, championing diversity and creating opportunities for minority designers. Omar's ethos? Don't wait for permission—create your own opportunities. Check out this article by Essence to get an in-depth look into his world of design and how he’s transforming the future of footwear, one shoe at a time: https://lnkd.in/gYccRXWB 

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Why do so many shoes have terrible insoles? Understanding the critical role an insole plays in good footwear design is key for any real footwear designers, yet it's so often overlooked, cheap, or done poorly. Good fit. Good comfort. Good performance. You can't have any of those things without good insole design. I've designed countless insoles and it's the one component I think is always underrated. https://lnkd.in/eVRZacR --- I’m the owner of The Directive Collective footwear design consultancy. We make great footwear, not just great sketches. #design #footwear #footweardesign

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Maybe it’s marking the 17th anniversary of The Directive Collective in May. Maybe it’s realizing that I’ve now been in footwear design for 23 years, exactly half my lifetime. But be it part nostalgia or part maturity, I think I’ve finally found the answer to the question “Is this it?” Read all about it. https://lnkd.in/gCsReBVb --- I’m the owner of The Directive Collective footwear design consultancy. We make great footwear, not just great sketches. #design #footwear #footweardesign

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Think hiring a full-time designer is your only option? Think again. The footwear industry is facing tough economic challenges. But there's a solution – hiring a contract footwear designer. Why? 1. Cost-Efficiency - No overheads of a full-time designer. - Get top-tier talent when you need it. - Save money and resources. 2. Fresh Innovation - Avoid stagnation. - I inject fresh, market-ready ideas. - Keep your brand ahead. 3. Speed and Efficiency - I deliver high-quality designs quickly. - Respond to market demands fast. 4. Less Hassle - Forget administrative headaches. - I handle the creative work. - You focus on growth. Smart decisions are more important now than ever before. Partnering with me means gaining a dedicated expert. No long-term costs. 👉 Ready to elevate your brand? DM me and let’s discuss how I can help you thrive. #FootwearDesign #FreelanceDesigner #Innovation #CostEfficiency #BrandGrowth #DesignStrategy

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3D printed shoes are not innovative . . . . Not unless they’re mixed with a design methodology that suits the tool. Why 3D print a shoe that could be easily molded or created in traditional means? Sure, maybe quick results, cheaper up-front costs, but that’s not enough for us. Parametriks shoes can only be 3D printed because it’s impossible to make by classic ways. Push the design, push the tool. #parametriks #3dprint #3dprinted #printedshoes Great article Fabian Gorsler

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Bracken Darrell, the new CEO of VF Corporation, has his work cut out for him as he aims to restore the "cool" factor to iconic brands like Vans, The North Face, and Timberland. After a decade turning around Logitech and reviving Procter & Gamble's Old Spice, Darrell is now tasked with fixing VF's portfolio of once-hot brands that have fallen out of favor. Vans sales plummeted 29% last quarter as it lost its edge with younger consumers, while The North Face has ceded ground to competitors like Cotopaxi and Patagonia. Darrell admits the changes he's making will take time to pay off, but he's taking a very hands-on approach to getting Vans back on track as the company's longtime growth engine. Once that brand is stabilized, he plans to restore more autonomy to the individual brands that had been eroded by centralization at VF's Denver headquarters. It's a tall order, considering VF was once heralded as a model for running a portfolio of apparel and footwear brands. But with shares down 75% in the last two years, Darrell is under pressure from an activist investor to turn things around quickly. The stakes are high, but Darrell's track record of reviving struggling brands gives hope that he can work his magic again and restore VF's iconic labels to their former glory. Bringing a CEO with no apparel industry experience was bold, but I'm a firm believer that if you want to disrupt, innovate and transform a business, bringing an industry outsider will increase your chances of success since they add a new perspective. My bets are with Bracken! https://lnkd.in/gk_BKg2g #businesstransformation #CEO #turnaround

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Things are happening in Apparel Innovation at adidas! The past 6 months have been a whirlwind of athlete engagement, intensive design, seemingly endless sample creation, fit testing, wear testing, material ordering, interviews, MORE testing, validation, and finally....a reveal! adidas Innovation PDX partnered with Adaptive Sports Northwest to better understand how to create basketball uniforms for seated athletes, specifically for wheelchair basketball players. Our athlete-led research and insight gathering focused on fit, comfort and thermoregulation, and culminated with a big reveal for the PNW Reign women's basketball team in April. Our kits, the first of their kind (!!), debuted at the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) Women's Championships on April 26. The team who worked on this is talented beyond measure, and I'm so proud to be a part of such a meaningful project. Theola Wong Beatrice Fuller Rachel Rook Nicole Schrier Eric Holmes Meredith Dingman Terrazign Inc <3 This work wasn't briefed. It was born from an idea, and was fueled by the team's excitement and passion to do something groundbreaking, with an underserved set of athletes at the center. While some may see this work as lacking commercial opportunity, I'll point to a few key statistics: -1 in 6 people globally are living with a disability. That's over a billion people. -93% of women with disabilities are not involved in sport. -Wheelchair basketball, one of the most popular Paralympic sports, is played by over 100,000 people worldwide. -Paralympic TV viewership is up 107%. According to Paris2024.org's recent press release about the games, "Paris 2024 will make history as the first Paralympic Games to offer some live coverage from each of the 22 sports." I see this as just the beginning. Seated athletes and athletes of all abilities deserve product that fits their bodies and serves their needs, and I hope this work serves as inspiration for other brands to take a look at adaptive athletics as a meaningful driver of business as well as a meaningful offering for underserved athletes. I'm so excited to watch the Paralympic Games in Paris (from my favorite sports bars in Portland!) this year, and to continue our work with these amazing athletes. https://lnkd.in/eR-rcsJH

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Nike has some amazing talent in product Innovation, so it begs the question- why have the rest of the Nike biz not been able to commercialize the newness or not even been able to consider to take it on as viable marketable products? I am sure the innovation team was not pushing over saturation of AF1’s as the sole product strategy! Firing people off the innovation team is the last place budget savings should be captured- and it is not the fact that creators have worked at home that has pinched new product flow- as pretty sure all the market growth brands nibbling at the Gorilla worked the same way and many still do!! Nike’s top senior management have been questioned for a decade over numerous issues- female rights/diversity issues/lack of innovative ideas/ongoing legal claims by athletes over AS abuse/ closing out pregnant athletes SO leaving them in charge to decimate the true talent in the Org, to try and make financial statements look better- is a crucial mistake! Plus tooling up other brands talent pools with wide product team cuts will certainly hamper the brand in the market share fight !! Thanks for posting Matt #creativetalent #time4change #nike #technicalfootwear @DougS888

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The A.B.Cs of Real Footwear Design? Always Be Cutting. There's no better way to learn real footwear design than to cut up a reference sample. Because if you can't design it if you don't know how it's made. --- I’m the owner of The Directive Collective footwear design consultancy. We make great footwear, not just great sketches. #design #footwear #footweardesign

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Last week, we examined big changes coming to the media world, AI's environmental impact, and of course, Taylor Swift. Read more in our last edition of Out of Scope: https://lnkd.in/dY4JBjsu

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Trend Radar: Recovery Shoes Recovery shoes are specialized footwear made for wearing after exercising, with extra cushioning to ease pressure on joints and improve blood flow. Many recovery shoes, like sandals, are comfy enough to wear around the house. A top-selling recovery slipper makes over $1.4M/month on Amazon. What's next in foot health? Recovery shoes are part of the Foot Health Products trend. Other trending foot recovery items include minimalist shoes with flat, flexible soles, toe spacers for toe alignment and muscle stretching, and compression boots for overall leg recovery. Some recovery shoes incorporate features like arch support and massaging footbeds for added comfort. Athletes and fitness enthusiasts often use recovery shoes not only post-workout but also during travel to alleviate foot fatigue.

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For those of us working in Sustainability in fashion it can feel lonely. When I worked at Theory 19 years ago, one of my responsibilities was to develop all the trims. I insisted that all metal trims be "nickel free" Nickel is a hard silvery-white metal that may cause irritation to the skin. Exposure can harm the lungs, stomach, and kidneys. Exposure to nickel may lead to cancer. Workers may be harmed from exposure to nickel.This was not popular because nickel finishes are super shiny and appeals to design sensibilities and cheaper. Luckily I had the authority to insist that we only use nickel free products. Eight years ago when I was heading up production at 3.1 Phillip Lim we were faced with the dilemma of a coating on a fabric that would make it waterproof but contained PFAS, versus a coating that would only be water repellent that did not contain PFAS. Again I insisted we should proceed to not use the waterproof coating despite sales would like it to be waterproof. PFAS is a forever chemical that has health effects on immunological, developmental or reproductive, hepatic, hormonal and carcinogenic – basically everything from asthma to testicular cancer. There is now the beginnings of a ban on them. Often there may not be regulations or awareness of the harm many of the materials or substances used in the production of clothing. Sustainability at a fashion company is not a department that drives revenue, your actions are often not popular like turning over rocks in the supply chain. But your work is important and vital. As I reflect on actions I made in the past this week, I am grateful that I insisted and that they had impact for both people and the environment.

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Layoffs are rampant in the fast-changing footwear industry. Remember, YOU own your career. Don't react to change - lead it. Here's how: - Visualize your next role. - Build an engaging network. - Strengthen your personal brand. - Keep your professional documents sharp. - Highlight your achievements in interviews. - Identify and fill skill gaps. Remember, the only person who can truly secure your career's future is you.

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Nike and Hyperice unveil tech-enabled footwear and apparel designed to boost athlete warmup and recovery. What to know: -Nike and Hyperice have teamed up to create wearable technology designed to help athletes perform at their best throughout training and competition. Nike, with its expertise in footwear and apparel, and Hyperice, with its expertise in recovery technology, are exploring new innovations that push boundaries and enable high-performance warmup and recovery for athletes — wherever their athletic journeys take them. -The Nike x Hyperice boot is a wearable and mobile high-top shoe that offers heat and dynamic air compression massage on demand for athletes’ feet and ankles. -The Nike x Hyperice vest allows for instant heating and cooling, without the need for ice or liquid, to help athletes dial their body temperatures to their exact specifications during warmups and cooldowns. “Recovery is an important part of any athlete’s journey, but we’re hearing from athletes that this concept of ‘pre-covery’ is equally as important,” says Tobie Hatfield, Senior Director, Nike Athlete Innovation. “The footwear and vest that we’ve developed with Hyperice help get the body ready for activity, whether you’re playing for a title or you’re on your feet a lot at work." “Taking care of my body has always been an important part of my preparation as a basketball player. That commitment is what has allowed me to maintain a high level of play for more than 21 years now,” says Nike signature athlete LeBron James. “From the moment I tried the Nike x Hyperice boots and vest while they were still in development more than a year ago, I knew they were going to change the game for athletes’ warm-up and recovery.” “Since the inception of Hyperice, we have taken a lot of inspiration from Nike, from the care and innovation we put into our products, to how we connect with the athlete,” says Anthony Katz, Founder and President of Hyperice. “This collaboration is the culmination of years of work between our two brands, to deliver innovative footwear and apparel for the athlete with the goal of enhancing their performance and recovery. And this is just the start.” Read the full press release: https://lnkd.in/gGVpkyh8

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Good article on Puma outlined by Ken Pucker on how they were able to decouple increased growth from lowering emissions. Impressive data that since 2017, Puma has doubled revenues to $9.3 billion, while cutting carbon emissions by 30%. On a per unit basis, that is a 66% reduction. At my last company, I created a model to show that the consolidation of markets, with a calendar adjustment could reduce emissions by 18% allowing a reduction in carbon emissions and creating a savings from air to sea freight alone. This is one of the highest impact adjustments companies can make to really lower emissions.

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