What Will Be the Women’s Shoe of Fall 2023?

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

Today, we speak with retail leaders about their style predictions for the fall. We also have coverage on Allyson Felix's new running shoe from her Saysh brand and a new promotion at Caleres.

Here's what you need to know:

What Will Be the Women’s Shoe of Fall 2023? Execs from Saks, Nordstrom & Bloomingdale’s Weigh in on Trends

As New York Fashion Week continues to move ahead, the spring/summer 2024 season is just heating up as buyers begin to travel to Europe later this week.

While the spring season is typically about looking ahead for what’s to come in the new year, many retailers are expecting to see similar styles of footwear that are already performing well – like ballet flats and women’s loafers – return to the runway. And these expectations seem to fit well into what analysts are seeing industrywide.

FN caught up with some of the top retailers in New York to discuss what’s actually selling now for fall in their stores and what they expect to see trending for next spring. Read about it here.

Exclusive: The Most Decorated Track & Field Olympian, Allyson Felix, Launches Her First Saysh Performance Running Sneakers

Saysh, the footwear brand founded by Olympian Allyson Felix and her brother and business partner Wes Felix, on Tuesday launched its “The Felix Runner” sneaker, the first perfomance running shoe to come from the olympic track and field star’s brand.

While this shoe has all the elements of a strong running sneaker, the product is meant for the typical active woman doing everything from “running errands to running marathons,” Allyson said in an interview with FN.

The details: The Felix Runner launches in three colorways — avalanche, ebony, and fire — in woman’s sizes between 5.5 and 13 with a price tag of $165. The shoes are available on Saysh.com and will roll out to retailers across the U.S. including Dick’s Sporting Goods, REI, Athleta and series of run specialty stores.

Zoom out: The Felix Runner now joins a roster of existing styles including the Saysh One and Saysh Two lifestyle sneakers, a slide, and the Saysh Spike One racing shoe.

Caleres Promotes Natelle Baddeley to Chief Design and Product Officer

Caleres has promoted Natelle Baddeley to become the footwear company’s first chief design and product officer. She will report to Caleres president and CEO Jay Schmidt.

In this new role, the company said in a statement that Baddeley will now have creative oversight for the majority of the Caleres brand portfolio, including Naturalizer, Vionic, Dr. Scholl’s, Veronica Beard, Vince, Franco Sarto, Blowfish Malibu and LifeStride. She will be responsible for leading product strategy across design, merchandising and innovation.

Baddeley joined Caleres in 2018 as SVP of design, merchandise and product development strategy. Her career in footwear and accessories spans more than 30 years, including time as the SVP and creative director of global design for Nine West and Bandolino at Jones Apparel Group. She also led footwear design at many European brands as well as retailers Debenhams and Marks and Spencer.

Big picture: This news comes just weeks after Caleres reported its latest earnings. Last month, the St. Louis-based company reported that net sales were $695.5 million in the second quarter of 2023, a decline of 5.8 percent from $738.3 million at the same time last year.

Need more shoe news?

• Crocs at the Center of New $1.5 Million Lawsuit Involving an Inmate
• Macy’s Names Olivier Bron as Bloomingdale’s CEO
• A Lifelike Shrek x Crocs Classic Clog Will Hit Stores (and Memes) Soon
• Tory Burch Spring 2024 Collection at New York Fashion Week

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