SUSTAINABILITY, ATHLEISURE TO SHAPE ATHLETIC AND OUTDOOR FOOTWEAR IN 2019

Sustainability - regarding both materials and production methods - and athleisure fashion are chief among the many factors that will help drive growth of athletic and outdoor footwear in the year ahead. "The key trend now dominating discussions among brands is sustainability: how to reduce waste in supply chains and at the factory, and how to use materials that are sustainable," noted Andy Polk, SVP at the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America. Hike-inspired footwear across the past two years has also seen a 260 percent increase of products stocked in the luxury and premium markets, and Corrigan said she believes it's only a matter of time until this trend trickles down to mass and value retailers alike. [...]seasonal lines are blurring, and so are consumer attitudes and usage when it comes to footwear, according to The NPD Group Inc. Consumers now demand comfort, expect function and versatility, and want their footwear to be able to perform in a variety of settings.