Spend a little time shopping for comfort footwear and you’ll likely cross paths with a pair that’s Bob Infantino-approved.
As president and CEO of New Balance affiliate Drydock Footwear Group since 2011, Infantino is knee deep in comfort footwear with styles spanning traditional brown shoe to city-friendly sandals. His expertise will expand further into fashion comfort when Drydock’s three labels Cobb Hill, Aravon and Dunham combine with Rockport to form The Rockport Group—the result of New Balance’s $280 million bid to acquire Rockport from the Adidas Group. When the deal closes later this year, Infantino will become the new chief executive officer of The Rockport Group.
Related Stories
Vamp caught up with Infantino, who shared the top trends in comfort footwear for Fall ’15 and the pockets of growth the category is experiencing across the country.
You May Also Like
Vamp: Which retailers, footwear or non-footwear, do you find inspiring? And what can comfort retailers take away from these stores?
Infantino: Right now, I’m most impressed with Pirch, a high-end home store with a “try before you buy” philosophy and killer showroom to match. I mean, who wouldn’t want to try out a new shower before buying one? Find a way to let your customers truly experience what you are selling. It might be something as simple as a try-on event or as reassuring as a “guaranteed comfort” return policy.
Vamp: What is typically the first thing you notice when you walk into a shoe department?
Infantino: Color. Smart retailers know that color draws customers in, even if it means only having a few sizes in the back room. Women always pick up a color, they might end up buying the black or the brown, but she’s going to gravitate towards color.
Vamp: What are some parts of the country that you see as retail hotbeds for comfort footwear?
Infantino: Throughout my career, I’ve always had success in the Midwest. There’s a sensibility to their shoe preferences and an appreciation for the price/value relationship of the brands I’ve been involved with.
Vamp: Are there areas that are under-served in their comfort footwear options?
Infantino: While certain regions have surprisingly low number of comfort retailers, they have very successful ones that draw from a wide area. So I wouldn’t say any particular region is under-served.
Vamp: Are there any new regions your brands are seeing growth?
Infantino: As comfort brands become more fashionable, there are more opportunities to reach the cosmopolitan shopper in New York and Los Angeles.
Vamp: Name an independent brick and mortar with a strong online presence, and what are they doing right?
Infantino: Peltz Shoes in Florida. They do an exceptional job but it wouldn’t be fair of me, in the borderless world of Internet competition, to tell you their secrets to success.
Vamp: What should are the must-have trends, styles and silhouettes that should be on every comfort retailers’ list for Fall ’15?
Infantino: For women, booties and shorter boots are essential, as are casuals with an athletic influence and silhouettes with a nod to man-tailoring. For men, refreshed classics, like wingtips with brogue perforation details or burnished leather chukka boots are bringing new life to his once predictable shoe wardrobe.