Academy's New Chief Merchant, Sneaker Day on the Hill

Welcome back to FN Daily, where we break down the biggest stories happening in footwear and retail.

Today, we have the exclusive on Mario Lopez's new shoe collection. Plus, we look at an executive move at Academy Sports + Outdoors and Capitol Hill hosts a sneaker day.

Here's what you need to know:

Exclusive: Mario Lopez Is Launching Sneakers + Why He Wants His Shoe Collection to Be Accessible

After soft launching his shoe collection last year,?Mario Lopez ?is ready for the big reveal.

The actor and two-time Emmy award-winning host of “Access Hollywood” is launching his eponymous casual sneaker collection this fall.

Slated to drop in Shoe Dept./Encore stores as well as the soon-to-be-launched Mariolopezshoes.com in September, the new?men’s sneaker?range offers five styles made for both casual and formal occasions. Other models like drivers and casual boots will be added throughout the season. Retail prices range from $50 to $80.

Looking ahead to spring 2024, the Mario Lopez Collection will continue to expand on the casual sneaker collection with different models that are “trend right” and keep the same brand DNA, Lopez said.

Academy Sports + Outdoors Promotes Matt McCabe to Chief Merchandising Officer

Academy Sports + Outdoors has promoted Matt McCabe to the role of EVP and chief merchandising officer , effective June 25.

McCabe replaces Academy’s former chief merchant Steve Lawrence, who stepped into the CEO role at the start of the month as part of a planned succession. McCabe will oversee merchandising , planning and allocation and business needs related to private product development. He will report to Lawrence.

McCabe joined Academy in 2016 as VP of divisional merchandise manager, athletic and licensed apparel. He served the SVP and general merchandise manager of footwear for Academy since September 2017. Before joining the sporting goods retailer, McCabe served as VP of Golfsmith International. Prior to that, he worked in merchandising roles at The Bon Ton Department Stores, Bachrach, Sears & Roebuck Co. and more.

Capitol Hill Hosts First-Ever Sneaker Day

Lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle came together on Wednesday to celebrate Capitol Hill’s first-ever?sneaker?day. The event was hosted by the newly formed?Congressional Sneaker Caucus , which seeks to bring together a bipartisan group of?Congress?members and staff via a shared appreciation for sneakers and their impact on culture . The Footwear Distributors & Retailers of America (FDRA) also helped organize the event.

The caucus, organized by freshmen members of Congress Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) and Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.), invited lawmakers to don their favorite pairs of?kicks on the job?to help bring awareness to the new footwear-focused group.

The event featured a step-and-repeat banner outside of Moskowitz’s office as well as a sneaker contest to award the best styles (one staff member wore red, white and blue Heelys, Priest said.) Staff members also joined together for a large group photo to showcase their kicks.

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