Allbirds CEO Talks Reviving Growth

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

Today, we take a look at Allbirds CEO Joseph Zwillinger 's plans to revive the shoe brand's business. Plus, we share our tribute to the late founder of SHOE SHOW, INC. , Robert Tucker and touch on a new 耐克 lawsuit.

Inside Allbirds’ Plan for Reviving Growth With Classics

Allbirds is banking on its classic styles to yield growth in 2024 — but that doesn’t mean the footwear brand is sacrificing newness and innovation.

After some product missteps in 2022, Allbirds in March outlined a transformation plan meant to jumpstart growth and improve capital efficiency and profitability that largely hinged on this idea of doubling down on core products. This involves zooming in on popular core franchises, like the Wool Runner, and shifting away from newer styles that have not resonated as strongly with consumers, explained Allbirds co-founder and CEO Joey Zwillinger in a recent interview with FN ahead of the company’s Nov. 8 earnings.

“Our core franchises have great sell-through,” Zwillinger said. “The ones that go way too far outside that core area, frankly, have less good sell-through. And that’s been true in the wholesale accounts as well as in our in our direct channels.”

How Robert Tucker Changed the Shoe Retail Landscape

Robert Tucker, the late founder of North Carolina-based Shoe Show who died on Sept. 30 at age 86, was a retail force known for his hard work, love of family and deep knowledge of the shoe business.

From a young age, Tucker had a tireless work ethic, toiling as a cook and curb boy at Tuck Tavern, his stepfather’s restaurant in Concord, N.C., and even diligently cleaning the parking lots of an ice cream shop and another local restaurant.

But while still in high school, Tucker scored a job at Baucom’s Shoe Store during his senior year, an experience that set the stage for his own retail venture. The rest is history when he and his wife, Carolyn Tucker, opened their first Shoe Show location on Main Street in downtown Kannapolis, N.C., in 1960. From there, they never looked back.

Nike Accuses Skechers, New Balance of Copying its Flyknit Tech in New Lawsuits

Nike is coming after more brands for allegedly copying its proprietary footwear technology.

In two separate complaints filed Monday, Nike accused New Balance and Skechers of infringing on its patented Flyknit technology in several of their shoe models. In the complaint filed against Skechers in California, Nike said that Skechers’ Slip-ins, Go Walk and Ultra Flex shoe lines infringe on its Flyknit technology. In its suit filed against New Balance in Massachusetts federal court, Nike said New Balance’s Fresh Foam, FuelCell and other sneaker lines infringe on its patents.

In a statement sent to FN, a New Balance representative said that the company “fully respects” competitors’ intellectual property rights. “Nike does not own the exclusive right to design and produce footwear by traditional manufacturing methods that have been used in the industry for decades,” the New Balance rep said. “We will vigorously defend ourselves against Nike’s attempts to enforce its patents beyond their lawful scope.”

Need more shoe news?

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• PrimaLoft Hires Former Saucony Leader Anne Cavassa as Its Next President

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