Easy Spirit Taps Into the Demand for Plush Performance Sneakers With a New Launch
Jennie Bell
Deputy Managing Editor
Change is afoot at Easy Spirit.
Earlier this month, parent company Marc Fisher Footwear unveiled the first men’s collection in the comfort brand’s 35-year history. Now today, Easy Spirit has upped its comfort quotient with the debut of EMove, a collection of performance footwear for both men and women that is its most high-tech to date.
“We’re constantly looking for new ways and innovations to outperform while maintaining the comfort and support the brand is synonymous for,” said CEO Marc Fisher. “EMove’s technology is quite literally heavy on the benefits, yet it’s our lightest shoe ever designed.”
The men’s EMove collection consists of two sneakers: the Jump (retailing for $119) and Felix ($110). Meanwhile, the women’s offering comprises 10 diverse styles, such as the Maxine sneaker ($99), the Mari athletic slide and Maison sport sandal (both $79). The debut line is available at Easyspirit.com, as well as the brand’s official retail partners, including Nordstrom.com, Kohl’s, Amazon and Zappos.
Each shoe is outfitted with a plush sole with boosted cushioning, energy return and extra support, but with a weightless feel, according to the brand.
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Fisher said the EMove collection is well-suited for low-impact exercise, but can be used by comfort enthusiasts for everyday use. “The intention was to create a collection of 24/7 shoes that takes you from your daily walk to errands, light cross training exercise and everyday activity in between,” he said.
Throughout the course of the pandemic, a growing number of Americans have reportedly discovered — or rediscovered — the advantages of being active, and many of them adopted walking as a regular fitness activity, thanks to the fact that it is affordable, easy to access and a pleasant experience, according to Tom Cove, president and CEO of the Sports Fitness Industry Association
Of all the fitness categories tracked by SFIA, “walking for fitness” has by far the largest participation level: In 2020, 114 million people (age 6 and up) engaged in the activity at least once — a 2.3% increase from 2019. Running, by contrast, had 50.7 million participants in 2020, up 1.2% from the prior year.
And as more Americans have hit the pavement, they’ve embraced sneaker styles with extra-plush cushioning and support — as evidenced by the spiking sales numbers for athletic brands like Hoka One One and On.
