footwear

Wolverine World Wide, which operates a large portfolio of lifestyle and brands, has named Tom Long its next chairman.
Long will move into the role on May 4, following the retirement of Wolverine’s current chairman Blake Krueger, who is also the former chief executive officer of Wolverine. 

Long currently serves as the board’s lead independent director.

The changes are occurring during a crucial period for the company as it undergoes turnaround efforts. Last quarter, the company fell deeper into the red; however, revenues grew significantly. Wolverine has been simplifying its business, reducing inventory, morphing into more of a direct-to-consumer business, and focusing on smarter investments.

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Last year, the company reorganized from its former Michigan and Boston brand groups to active, lifestyle and work groups to help clarify the business and achieve greater synergies. Recently, the company sold the Keds brand to Designer Brands Inc., the parent company of footwear retailer DSW.

Wolverine World Wide’s portfolio includes Merrell, Saucony, Sperry, Sweaty Betty, Hush Puppies and Wolverine, among other brands.

Krueger has been with Wolverine for about 30 years, through a series of executive roles culminating in his appointment as CEO and board member in 2007, then as CEO and chairman of the board in 2010. He retired as CEO at the end of 2021, and since then has continued to lead the board of directors as executive chairman in 2022 and as chairman this year. Brendan Hoffman serves as CEO.

Long joined Wolverine’s board in 2011 after a 30-year career that included serving as CEO of MillerCoors, LLC; CEO and chief marketing officer of Miller Brewing Company, and in several senior global and marketing roles at Coca-Cola. He was appointed lead independent director of Wolverine’s board in 2022, and previously served as chair of the compensation committee.

“On behalf of the board of directors, I would like to thank Blake for his many years of dedication and service to the company and its shareholders,” Long said. “During his long tenure the company transformed from a traditional footwear wholesaler into a consumer-focused, global organization with one of the world’s largest portfolios of footwear and lifestyle brands.”

Hoffman added: “I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to work closely with and learn from Blake since I joined the company in August 2020.

“It has been an absolute privilege and honor to have served Wolverine World Wide for the past 30 years, and to have played a role in the company’s successful 140-year history,” Krueger said.

The company also revealed the appointment of Stacia Andersen, Jodi Bricker and DeMonty Price to its board.

Andersen, 52, currently serves as the executive vice president and chief customer officer of PetSmart. Bricker, 55, is the CEO of Quay Australia, a global eyewear brand. Price, 61, recently retired after five years as the president and chief operating, service and values officer of RH.

Finally, David McCreight, a director since 2019, has revealed his resignation from the board of to devote his full attention to his role as executive chairman of Lulu’s Fashion Lounge Holdings Inc.

PARIS — “Everything comes from the fact that I really believe that Roger Vivier changed the silhouette of women through shoes,” said the brand’s creative director Gherardo Felloni at “Maison Vivier,” the fancy presentation format showcasing the seasonal collections of the company.
For fall 2023, Felloni went full couture through rich ornaments and ’50s references that cast a new light on his work at the brand. While remaining faithful to the house’s codes, this collection pointed to a more daring direction that, rather than just honoring the founder’s legacy and archives, more reflected Felloni’s own aesthetic.

Think of knee-high boots cut in taffeta or embroidered with feathers, sequins and pearls; sandals wrapped in maxi bows; suede platform styles with a cascade of ruffles, and leather bags with draped effects, all complemented by a plethora of crystal-encrusted jewelry or coming with matching new items extending beyond the brand’s usual territory, such as statement wide-brimmed hats or richly embellished gloves, belts, stoles, vests and boleros.

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Roger Vivier fall 2023.

Courtesy of Roger Vivier

“They make an entire silhouette,” said Felloni, crediting the brand’s founder for building a look from the shoe up. “So that’s why I tried to make like 20 of them,” continued the designer, adding the trickier part in the process “was to do ruffles and pleats with leather. For example, the cuissard boots in suede and nappa that come with the belt, those were really challenging.”

Showcased across several rooms in different colored set-ups and with models coiffed in the style of the early ‘60s and donning the full looks, the new collection garnered the attention of guests including Ciara, Gwendoline Christie, Carla Bruni, Emilia Jones, Halston Sage, Nicole Ari Parker, Camille Razat and Coco Rocha, among others.

Ciara arriving at “Maison Vivier” in Paris.

Courtesy of Roger Vivier

“It was a real pleasure to escape into a world of sumptuous dreams,” Christie said. “I felt as though I were inside the movie ‘Who Are You Polly Maggoo?’ as we experienced a romantic jewel-toned salon, with mannequins brought to life serving fierce glamour and a filmic soundtrack elegantly provided by a live orchestra.”

Gherardo Felloni with Gwendoline Christie at “Maison Vivier” in Paris.

Courtesy of Roger Vivier

The collection particularly spotlighted the graphic Choc heel, first introduced in 1959 by Vivier, who studied sculpture at the École des Beaux-Arts of Paris and considered heels “the most important detail” in shoemaking as “like the nose on a face, it is what provides character.”

Viv’ Choc couture cuissardes.

Antoine Sayn/Courtesy of Roger Vivier

Another signature included the Viv’ Choc Me bag, offered in a soft, padded and draped version punctuated by a rounder Roger Vivier buckle to reprise the curves of the Choc heel.

Viv’ Choc Me Bag.

Antoine Sayn/Courtesy of Roger Vivier

Tiffany and Nike are pulling the lid back further on their hotly rumored collaboration, which includes a sneaker, along with footwear-focused sterling silver accessories.
WWD can exclusively reveal that the Tiffany and Nike sneaker — officially called the Nike x Tiffany & Co. Air Force 1 1837 — will be released on March 7. The low-top style, which was designed to celebrate the Air Force 1’s 40th anniversary, is priced at $400.

Limited quantities will be available for purchase at two Tiffany locations in New York City, including its Flagship Next Door SoHo store, along with the Nike Snkrs app and, “select Nike partner retail stores in North America,” according to a press release.

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The exact time of the drop is yet to be determined and will be released in the coming weeks. Tiffany and Nike declined to offer further comment on the collaboration.

The sneaker — as depicted in images leaked last week — is made of black suede and comes with a Tiffany blue swoosh and sterling silver heel plate designed in ode to Tiffany’s classic Return to Tiffany collection. Available sizes will range from a U.S. men’s 3.5 to 18.

The two companies are not stopping there. Tiffany is also producing a range of cobranded, sneaker-centric sterling silver accessories, with prices ranging from $250 to $475.

They include a whistle set on a chain, a shoe horn, shoe brush and a dubrae to accentuate the sneakers’ laces. The accessories will be available for purchase on Tiffany’s website.

The collaboration marks Tiffany’s first foray into footwear.

In 2005, the jeweler got an unofficial taste of its potential in the category after Nike enlisted Nicholas Tershay, also known as Nicky Diamonds, to design a pair of low-top dunks on behalf of his skater label Diamond Supply Co.

The resulting sneaker — featuring stamped black crocodile leather trim and a silver swoosh set against a backdrop of Tiffany blue mesh and leather — was dubbed the “Tiffany.”

The jeweler did not have any involvement in the design, but the sneaker has been considered a classic and is available for sale on Sotheby’s website for $3,850.

Tiffany has engaged in an increased number of brand collaborations since its 2021 acquisition by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. The jeweler has teamed with companies including Supreme, Fendi and Patek Philippe, as well as artist Daniel Arsham and The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.

MILAN — Gianvito Rossi’s list of good intentions for the new year is short and pretty straightforward. “To keep doing what I love, that is beautiful shoes, and have customers experience the brand in a way that matches the quality of the product,” he said in an interview held at his newly revamped flagship store here.
The first unit launched by the brand, the 1,400-square-foot location opened in 2008 in the historic 19th-century Palazzo Bagatti Valsecchi in the city’s golden shopping triangle with an interior concept developed in partnership with Milan-based architect Patricia Urquiola, with whom Rossi teamed again for the refurbishing.

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In sync with Rossi’s approach to his designs, the revamp was more about an evolution of the previous space rather than marking a new, disruptive aesthetic. The signature muted shade of powder pink — nodding to the color of his shoes’ interior sole — was still the hue of preference, combined with champagne and earth tones and gold details. The store design mixes essential lines with sinuous surfaces, ranging from the round onyx tables and metal shelves to velvet sofas and leather armchairs.

Rossi said the goal was to offer a welcoming and warm environment through modernity, “which can sometimes be too hard or cold.”

Inside the Gianvito Rossi flagship store in Milan.

Diego De Pol/Courtesy of Gianvito Rossi

The restyle was the latest in a streak of projects aimed at enhancing the company’s retail presence. It followed the opening of a shop-in-shop at Harrods’ last month and a series of stores in the Middle East and China earlier this year.

The brand unveiled units at Dubai Mall and Place Vendôme mall in Doha, which will be soon joined by openings in Riyadh and in Turkey in early 2023. In China, the launch at SKP Beijing was followed by locations in Chongqing and Chengdu this year.

Pinpointed as pivotal for the company’s growth, Middle East and Asia still come only second and third in the ranking of best-performing markets for the brand. According to Rossi, the U.S. — where the shoe brand opened its first stand-alone store in 2015 — still holds the lead.

In addition to the aforementioned locations, Gianvito Rossi has stores in Rome, Paris, Monte Carlo, London, New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul.

The designer underscored that controlling locations directly enables the brand to display the whole product assortment and ensure the best customer experience. Yet Rossi stressed that there are no plans in cutting the wholesale presence, made up of “solid collaborations and historic ties.” International stockists of the brand include Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, Bergdorf Goodman and Net-a-porter, to name a few.

Overall, sales generated from Gianvito Rossi’s direct channels — including online — are expected to grow 50 percent in 2022 compared to last year.

In 2021, the company’s total sales were up 30.5 percent to 73.7 million euros compared to 2020, when it generated 56.4 million euros, according to sources. The brand projects it will register a similar double-digit growth in 2022, too, reaching pre-pandemic sales levels — Gianvito Rossi was said to have totaled around 95 million euros in 2019. Asked about recent rumors that wanted the company coming up for sale, Rossi waved away the speculations, underscoring that interest by suitors has always been there.

Gianvito Rossi

Courtesy of Gianvito Rossi

Commenting on the company’s annual performance instead, he noted that “the return to social life after the pandemic propelled the interest [in the brand] as there’s a wish of dressing in a more special way, more sophisticated and feminine.”

This shift matches the designer’s approach, which is rooted in putting at the service of women. “I like to offer shoes that enhance them, their individuality and make them more confident, rather than having women become ambassadors of one brand or the other,” Rossi said. He also addressed the change of paradigm occurred in fashion in the recent past, noting that “today there’s not a dogma, an absolute trend that everyone must follow and uniform to it,” and customers can embrace freedom and play by their own rulebook.

Rossi’s designs hinge on less-is-more style with a heightened attention on proportions that elongate the silhouette and quality. Rather than introducing new models that could tap into seasonal trends, he prefers to update his creations by tweaking materials or gradually expanding his tight color palette, therefore conferring continuity and longevity to his line.

Bestsellers include the Gianvito stiletto pump, the Vamp Open Toe bootie, the Plexi collection and the Portofino sandal, whose simple yet graphic design has been revisited in the new Bijoux style.

“It’s all about maximum simplicity that demands the maximum care and precision in proportions and details,” said Rossi, stressing that quality is pivotal in such an aesthetic.

Gianvito Rossi’s Jaipur pump.

Courtesy of Gianvito Rossi

The designer, who launched his namesake brand in 2006 after spending years studying shoemaking under his father Sergio Rossi, noted the market has evolved to appreciate true craftsmanship too, as this represents a real point of difference in an ever-competitive segment.

Even if some of its most iconic styles get knockoffs — “which can also be a flattering thing because it means you did something interesting, after all,” he said with a smile. Rossi underscored that shoes “are a difficult product to copy…they require many techniques, a huge work of research and fine-tuning.”

For one, each pump requires 60 steps, starting with the meticulous selection of the raw materials, with each piece of leather cut individually to avoid imperfections before being assembled. All Gianvito Rossi shoes are handcrafted in Italy, with the production and development plant located in San Mauro Pascoli, a town renowned for its longstanding footwear tradition.

The designer’s priority is securing that such a legacy is preserved and that the brand’s know-how is passed down to younger generations. To this end, 18 months ago, Rossi launched an in-house academy, enrolling a handful of retired expert craftsmen of his company to train professional figures in the field.

Through the years, the company has put its craftsmanship at use of other brands, too, via special collaborations, including a one-off capsule collection developed with Etro and debuted on the red carpet of Venice Film Festival in 2020.

Earlier this year, Gianvito Rossi teamed with French eco-luxury beauty label La Bouche Rouge on two exclusive lipstick hues and refillable cases in dusty pink and silver leather repurposed from offcuts of the footwear brand’s permanent collection of leather shoes.

La Bouche Rouge and Gianvito Rossi collaborate on lip colors and cases.

Courtesy of La Bouche Rouge

While Rossi said the idea is to continue to explore new tie-ups, especially with partners hailing from other industries, the collaboration with La Bouche Rouge was particularly fitting as the parties involved shared a green approach and attention in reducing their environmental footprint.

To this end, last year Gianvito Rossi unveiled a sustainability roadmap that built on its eco-friendly plan established in 2019 in tandem with the University of Bologna, labeled as the oldest university in the world.

The company implemented a platform that uses quantitative measurements and data analysis to reduce the environmental and social impact, ranging from measuring its energy consumption and waste management to assessing its entire supply chain, including raw materials and processes.

“Sometimes there’s more storytelling than facts behind sustainability, while we wanted to have a methodology enabling us to constantly measure our impact,” Rossi said.

The brand also pledged to assess all its suppliers and distributors by 2025, aiming to achieve carbon neutrality by compensating all Scope 3 GHG emissions throughout its pipeline.

For a little more than 10 years, Steve Madden has been the exclusive licensee and distributor of the Italian shoe brand Superga in the United States and Canada.
At the beginning of next year, that will switch over to The Foundation, a Los Angeles-based company that works with a number of apparel, , home design, lifestyle, tech and food and beverage companies to expand their brands and increase business.

“We are so excited to bring Superga into The Foundation. It is an incredible brand andhousehold name with a rich legacy that we plan to continue to evolve and expand whilestaying true to the loyal customer base who has been shopping at Superga for decades,” said Ari Langsdorf, cofounder of The Foundation.

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Superga has a long history of making footwear. It was founded in 1911 in Turin, Italy, when shoemaker Walter Martiny first started making rubber-soled footwear for local farmers. More than a decade later, the company created its famous “2750” model that became very popular.

In 1951, the company merged with Pirelli Tire Company to increase production. But in 2004, Superga was acquired out of bankruptcy by Basic Net SpA, whose portfolio includes Jesus Jeans, Briko and Sebago, for around 13 million euros.

After that, Superga began to expand. In 2011, Steve Madden’s corporation acquired the license to sell, market, and distribute Superga products in North America. Soon, Madden hired Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen to join the brand as creative directors for the Italian shoe label in the United States.

The twins then launched a collection of Superga shoes as a collaboration with their luxe ready-to-wear line, The Row, in conjunction with a Superga store opening in 2012 at 78 Crosby Street in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City. The store is still there.

LONDON — Art and fashion collide.Coco Capitán is taking her distinctive artwork to Charles & Keith, where she has collaborated with the brand on a capsule of two androgynous pieces.
She has taken over the brand’s logo with her signature font script rather than her photographs.
Charles & Keith’s signature Perline penny loafers have been scribbled with text reading “Loves Me Blue, Love Me Blue Not.” 
“I wanted the shoes to feature one of my pictures of olive trees, which are so characteristic of the Tramuntana, the mountains which surround the city where I live,” said Capitán, but ultimately she “decided to go with a piece of text and talk about flowers growing in asphalt and my blue daisies, as I felt this was a message that most people would find easier to relate to.”

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The collection evokes a sense of childhood games and romanticism. 
The black top handle tote bag is decorated with wildflowers on one side and the other with prose about wildflowers growing in concrete.

Charles & Keith’s signature Perline penny loafers have been scribbled with text reading “Loves Me Blue, Love Me Blue Not.”

Courtesy of Charles & Keith

“It seems incredible to me that nature still manages to grow in big cities, despite how difficult we make it … For me, this is an observation that carries hope within it. Every time I see a flower growing in a crack of concrete in the pavement I am reminded of the strength of plants and nature,” said Capitán of her creative decision.
A two-piece capsule is a rather unusual selling point, but this partnership is a test of whether Charles & Keith can break into the European market.
The brand launched in 1996 and has since accumulated over 600 stores worldwide, with the Asian market being their biggest.
In 2017, Capitán launched a capsule collection with Gucci which debuted during Milan Fashion Week with her famous aphorisms such as “I want to go back to believing a story.”
Capitán has a loyal following that’s invested in her art form.
“I work when I have to work, and I wait for inspiration to find me in the process of working. Waiting for inspiration is a bit pointless, because I cannot possibly know when is the right time. Ideas come and go, the work that you produce is the only thing that stays. It is more about discipline than anything else. Some of the things you make will turn out good, others, not so much,” said Capitán.

Lululemon is moving to Spain. On Tuesday, the Canadian athletic apparel, accessories and retailer revealed plans to open two stores in Spain this fall, as well as a Spanish e-commerce site this summer. The move marks the company’s first European expansion since pre-pandemic times in 2019. 

Lululemon expanded its assortment to include a hike collection in June.
Courtesy Photo ASATO iiDA

​​“As a brand [that] supports wellbeing, Lululemon has a strong synergy with the active, balanced lifestyle enjoyed in Spain,” said André Maestrini, executive vice president, international. “We’re looking forward to connecting with Spanish guests through our website and at our first retail stores opening in Madrid and Barcelona. The strength of our model across product innovation, guest experience, community and culture provides a unique advantage as we introduce Lululemon to our newest market.”

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The e-commerce site lululemon.es will launch later this month, followed by two stores — one in Madrid and one in Barcelona — in September. Lululemon has nearly 40 stores across eight countries in Europe: France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the U.K. Internationally, the retailer has 579 stores. 

Lululemon unveiled its first collection of sneakers in March.
Courtesy Photo Jenna Saint Martin

Meanwhile, Lululemon continues to grow, improving on top and bottom lines in the most recent quarter, despite industrywide headwinds. In April, the retailer set its sights on a $12.5 billion revenue target by 2026. At the time, company executives said it also had plans to open new stores in Thailand and Italy within the next 12 months. In addition, a second experiential store will open in Houston later this year. 
The firm is also deep in product expansion mode, releasing women’s sneakers; workout hijabs; hiking, golf and tennis apparel; bags made from mushrooms; resale, and at-home fitness, all during the pandemic. Lululemon is also the official outfitter of Team Canada (a role it will retain through 2028).
“We’re in the early innings of growth,” Calvin McDonald, Lululemon’s chief executive officer, told analysts in April.

LONDON — China’s strict COVID-19 restrictions, especially with Shanghai under a two-month lockdown, led to a 6.7 percent year-over-year decline in retail sales of consumer goods in May, to 3.35 trillion renminbi, or $496.16 billion, the National Bureau of Statistics revealed on Wednesday.The contraction in May was better than in April, which logged an 11.1 percent dip from the prior year. In the period between January and May, China’s retail sales of consumer goods were 17.17 trillion renminbi, down 1.5 percent from the same period in 2021, when the country enjoyed relatively robust growth while other economies struggled due to COVID-19 outbreaks.
In the past month, the Chinese government has been adjusting its dynamic-zero COVD-19 policy, and announced a broad package of economic support measures to stimulate the economy.

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A Bernstein report published Thursday predicts that the luxury and beauty industry will bounce back quicker than those catering to the mass market in China.
“Early signs indicate that luxury demand is reviving in China, as lockdowns are lifted — with shopping malls in Shanghai reporting sales 80 percent of pre-lockdown levels, albeit with the support of double loyalty points,” the report said.
Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Hermès and Dior were among the first to recover. Local media reported that long lines formed outside their stores in Shanghai’s luxury shopping mall Plaza 66 on the first day they reopened on May 29, after the city came out of the lockdown.

Shoppers wearing face masks line up to visit a Dior store at a shopping mall in Shanghai.
AP

It’s also been reported in the local media that luxury brands in Shanghai were coming up with creative ways to entice high-spending customers during the lockdown, such as sending fancy takeaway meals and putting rare bags worth more than 100,000 renminbi, or $15,000, on delivery platforms.
Despite the promising signs, Berstein noted that logistics disruption has impacted luxury sales well beyond Shanghai. Online and physical supply in major luxury spending cities like Chengdu, Hangzhou and Shenzhen was impacted as most of the luxury brands’ warehouses are located in Shanghai, which has reopened since June, but a negative test within 72 hours is still required for anyone entering public areas.
“Exiting the lockdowns, demand seems back to an even keel and growth trajectory — equally to what we had seen up to Chinese New Year,” Bernstein said, adding that “for affordable luxury, strong pent-up demand will drive continued growth through the remainder of this year.”
Luca Solca, senior research analyst of global luxury goods at Bernstein, added that “contacts within the luxury goods industry and real estate companies point to a rapid demand rebound in China after exiting lockdowns. What remains to be seen is if this demand level will sustain, despite macro-economic indicators being weak.”
An earlier research report from Barclays warned that luxury brands may face additional headwinds in China as pandemic-related restrictions widen to cities like Beijing. The city for the past week went through rounds of mass testing, as hundreds contracted the COVID-19 virus after partying at Heaven Supermarket, a nightclub in downtown’s Sanlitun area, which has been shut permanently following the outbreak.

A survey from Oliver Wyman released this week, which reflects feedback from more than 30 of the consulting firm’s clients across premium consumer and luxury goods, also revealed that luxury brands have slashed expectations for their China business this year. Forecasted 2022 growth for luxury and premium consumer brands in Mainland China was reduced to a mere 3 percent from the 18 percent Oliver Wyman expected months ago.

A worker wearing a face mask assists a man on the health code scanner at a reopening shopping mall in Shanghai.
AP

As for the beauty sector, Bernstein expects that “long-term demand remains intact,” and that demand recovery will come “as soon as restrictions ease, but the path to when this might occur remains unclear.”
The group also said companies with robust China supply chains like L’Oréal and Proya are gaining share during disruptions, while companies with supply chains disrupted by Shanghai lockdowns, including Estée Lauder and Shiseido, may see slow shipment recovery in the second quarter, despite strong online sell-through.
With regard to the broader apparel and sectors, Bernstein suggests there will be a bounceback as restrictions ease, led by e-commerce, as China distribution centers and last-mile delivery are back on track, while in-store recovery will be slower as people remain nervous about going back to stores until mass testing eases.
Related:
The Secret to Connecting with Chinese Consumers
Lunar New Year Spending Dipped as COVID-19 Concerns Loom in China
Bain Warns China Luxury Growth to Further Decelerate in 2022

Lululemon’s workout hijabs are here. 

The “Scarf-style Hijab” by Lululemon.
Courtesy Photo

The athletic apparel, accessories and retailer quietly unveiled its latest creation last week: Lululemon hijabs. 
The head coverings are worn by some Muslim women in public. As a result, Lululemon said its design team consulted with “hijab wearers across the brand’s global collective” to create the assortment, which includes lightweight and moisture-wicking fabrics that “offer adjustable fits and distraction-free features to support guests during their activities of choice and as they move throughout their day.”

Traditional hijabs are worn by some Muslim women in public. Here, Lululemon’s version.
Courtesy Photo

The first two styles — the “Lightweight Performance Hijab” and the “Scarf-style Hijab” — dropped this month. The “OTM Pull-on Hijab” will be available later this year. The garments come in multiple colorways and range in price from $38 to $42 apiece. 

Lululemon’s “Lightweight Performance Hijab.”
Courtesy Photo

Lululemon follows brands such as Nike and Sweaty Betty in releasing exercise hijabs. The company declined to comment more on the launch. But the workout gear is just the latest for the Canadian company, which has expanded into golf and tennis apparel, bags made from mushrooms, resale and at-home fitness, all during the pandemic. Lululemon is also the official outfitter of Team Canada (a role it will retain through 2028).
Meanwhile, the company continues to grow despite industry-wide headwinds. In April, Lululemon set its sights on a $12.5 billion revenue target by 2026.

Kenny Chesney’s love for the islands is well-known among fans of his music. Now the country music superstar is partnering with Reef, a brand best known for its beach sandals, on a charitable initiative through his No Shoes Reefs program.Reef has created a limited-edition collection of No Shoes Reefs sandals for men and women, with 30 percent of the profits going to the Pigeon Key Foundation in partnership with Chesney’s charity. The collection will include the Drift style for men and the Drift Away model for women, which feature a leather footbed over a cushioned midsole crafted from sustainable sugarcane.
The No Shoes Reefs partnership is part of a weeklong initiative that began on June 1, World Reef Day. Over the course of the week, the Carlsbad, California-based brand is hosting eight “lessons learned from the reef” on its social and digital channels taught by Reef ambassadors, including professional surfer and biochemist Cliff Kapono and marine conservationist Brinkley Davies. The lessons include how to protect wildlife in ocean habitats as well as a live reef viewing.

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The No Shoes Reefs collection will take center stage on Wednesday, which is also World Oceans Day, and is intended to spread awareness and increase education around coral reef preservation and ocean conservation.

A screen shot of Kenny Chesney from his No Shoes Reefs site.

“For me, any time we can work with an organization that’s both educational and awareness-raising — and something that’s a functional part of life like a great flip-flop that benefits our work protecting the coral reefs and ocean conservation — is a double win,” said Chesney.
“Through my work with Reef, it’s been important for me to celebrate with people how to be better environmental stewards, which is why shining a spotlight on ocean conservation during Reef Week is so powerful,” said Kapono.
Reef’s brand president Mike Jensen said protecting the environment is part of the brand’s DNA, adding that, “Partnering with like-minded organizations, such as No Shoes Reefs, helps us better amplify coral reef awareness to an even broader audience.
The Reef x NSRs sandals will retail for $75 and will be sold on the brand’s e-commerce site.
Reef was founded in 1984 and is a registered trademark of Trestles IP Holdings LLC. No Shoes Reefs was created by the singer with the aim of helping to protect and create new living reefs. No Shoes Reefs also has partnerships with Sea Bags, Barefoot Bay and other companies.