Tag: Footwear

Buy-out Fever: Collective Brands’ Performance and Lifestyle Group, Including Keds, Sperry Top-Sider, Saucony, Bought by Wolverine (Owners of Merrell) for $1.2 Billion

Kedsad_200

In a compelling buy-out of the Collective Brands stable, Wolverine, along with Blum Capital Partners and Golden Gate Capital is buying the Collective Brands’ Performance and Lifestyel Group of brands including Sperry Top-Sider, Saucony, Stride Rite, and Keds for $1.23 billion. This will bring the Wolverine stable of brands, which includes Merrell, Caterpillar, and Hush […]

Beijing Fixies Part of New Creative for China Originals Featuring Unique Collaborations with Growing Scene of Urban Cyclists

Beijing_fixes_200

The Beijing Fixies for the China Originals campaign. Photos by Ka Xiaoxi. The recent launch of China Originals with the creative team from NeoChaEdge has brought attention to the growing scene of fixed bike culture, and urban cycling in general. Not only is this subculture defining new lifestyle territory in the United States and Europe, […]

Billabong’s Partial Sell of Nixon Generates $285 Million Towards Debt Payment—Plus, The Changing Tide of Action Sports

SURPLUS_SKATEBOARDMAG.indd

Hours after posting the initial story about the potential Billabong takeover, last night came more news as Billabong and Nixon announced the partial sale, or 48.5% of Nixon, to Trilantic Capital Partners (not to be confused with Texas Pacific Group which put in a bid earlier in the morning for Billabong for $766 million). The […]

MAGIC China—Sign of the Times as Fashion Brands Seek New Markets, Plus Youth Culture China Trends from Label Networks

Qzone_peeps_200-150x150

While MAGIC fashion trade show and all of the surrounding shows in Vegas from February 12-15, 2012 bring out some of the best in new fashion brands, buyers and trends, one aspect that has quickly caused a ripple effect actually came from Sourcing and the seminar “China, the Dragon in Transition: Sourcing From and Selling […]

Legendary John Fluevog Brand Brings QR Codes to Tell Shoe Creation Story

clog2C_200

The usage of QR codes has again come into play in a unique fashion when it comes to increasing brand awareness, this time with the legendary shoe brand Fluevog and the introduction of QR codes on the heal that allow buyers to watch a video clip of how their shoe was made. John Fluevog, the […]

China’s Year of the Dragon Brings Unique Designs to Footwear

Zhijun-Wang_200

In honor of Chinese New Year, the Year of the Dragon representing power and luck for 2012, we take a look at some creative footwear coming out of China and latest trends in collaborations. First, celebrating 30 years of Nike being in China and 30 years of the Nike Air Force 1, Beijing designer Wang […]

Bread & Butter Berlin—What to Expect from Europe’s Most Notable Streetwear and Denim Trade Show

UNI_BAER_WORLD_200

Bread and Butter Berlin has become one of the top trade shows in the world and often the one that many other trade shows most try to emulate. Their attention to details in terms of transforming their environment, the Berlin-Tempelhof Airport, is nothing short of an architectural wonder at each show. Taking place January 18-20, […]

Agenda Fashion Trade Show Indicates Strong Showing of New Brands on the Action Sports Horizon and Crossover from a Variety of Influential Lifestyles

Jim_200

Story and Photos by Kathleen Gasperini and Tom Wallace Agenda trade show, once known as the bastion of underground that usurped ASR back in the day, has been a fully-fledged fashion trade show in its own right now for years, but if ever there was a time that announced this, it was January 5-6, 2012 […]

Li-Ning from China Goes Head-to-Head with Nike and Adidas Via Ecommerce in America—How This Effects Sneaker Culture

1219-Li-Ning-Yelena_200

Li-Ning dives into the American marketplace yet again. This time via ecommerce and Facebook.In our China Youth Culture Studies, the sportswear brand Li-Ning continues to crawl up the ranks as a top preferred brand among 15-25-year-olds. Interestingly however, in the United States (and elsewhere), it’s one of the biggest global brands that nobody really knows. […]