Sole Commerce may be a small trade show for ENK International, but it sure is focused.
The first Sole Commerce show should have launched in September 2001. But after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the event, along with that season’s Fashion Coterie, was moved to late October.
“The first show was supposed to be at the Show Piers,” Elyse Kroll, president of ENK International, said. “But when the city needed the space for Sept. 11 efforts, we delayed the shows and moved them to another venue.”
That first show bowed with 40 collections. Although it remains a small footwear trade show, Kroll said Sole Commerce is focused and continues to be the only shoe show devoted to the high-end market.
“WSA is a huge show and dedicated to all footwear,” Kroll explained. “Our show is much different and in many cases, it allows our shoe vendors to meet with ready-to-wear buyers. That’s a unique thing for these shoe businesses.”
At the last Sole Commerce, there were 115 collections on display. That’s a huge growth spurt for the young show, nearly tripling in size in less than five years.
“We’ve grown much faster than I had anticipated,” Kroll said. “Overall, we’ve managed to increase by 300 percent.”