Outdoor adventurers have many stellar footwear options to look forward to for the spring ’20 season. As top brands in the marketplace showcased their upcoming lines at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2019 in Denver, several trends emerged.
With Day One of the event over, here are six trends to look out for spotted at the event.
For Women Only
Has the outdoor marketplace abandoned “shrink it and pink it” in favor of shoes specifically made for her? It appears to be going in that direction for spring ’20. Several brands including Merrell are offering looks geared toward women. One standout lineup is from Merrell, a two-shoe trail runner pack in conjunction with Trail Sisters. The line features a fresh take on the Antora and a new shoe, the Banshie, both featuring mountain imagery.
Retro Continues to Dominate
Everything old is new again. Retro’s moment in the spotlight has not waned, and brands including Hi-Tec are taking advantage. Leading its push is the Sierra Lite, a hiker for men and women, that looks closer to the original than past retro iterations. The style features ballistic nylon on the upper and moleskin lining. Expect to see this on shelves in February with a $80 retail price.
Orange Is the New Black
Expect to see a lot of orange in the spring, whether it’s bold and dominates the shoe or muted and used as an accent. Brands including Merrell, Altra and Hi-Tec have all used the hue in different ways in their biggest product stories for the season.
Keep It Simple
Although tech is a big seller for the outdoor industry, brands are finding success with simplicity. For spring ’20, you’re going to see pared-down silhouettes that don’t sacrifice comfort or style. Best part of simple shoes? The reduced price point. For example, this stylish Chaco Chillos slide will come in tons of colors and retail for just $50.
Athletic Influence
This sounds like a broken record because it has been a trend for several seasons now, but the athletic market continues to influence the outdoor industry. A great example of this is the Adidas Outdoor Terrex Bounce Hiker, a hiking silhouette built with the brand’s Bounce midsole available in low- and mid-cuts and with or without Gore-Tex. Does it look familiar? If you run or train, it should. It is inspired by Adidas’ Alphabounce silhouettes. (The brand also has a trail running shoe inspired by the UltraBoost arriving during the season.)
Everyone Has an Adventure Sandal
Brands including Keen and Khombu historically have delivered adventure sandals that fans of that silhouette love. But today, more brands are releasing their takes on the type of shoe such as Hoka One One with its Hopara. The model is made for water adventures as well as day hikes, comes with plus cushioning and built with reduced weight and durability in mind. It drops in March and will retail for $120.
Check out FN’s summer sneaker maintenance tips below.
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