The silent comfort revolution: why sports brands are bringing 'ugly shoes' to market

Snowpheres, a hybrid of sneakers and loafers, have become the hottest trend in the footwear world, reports Bloomberg. Despite the fact that the new type of footwear looks at least strange, New Balance, Hoka and Nike have noted a huge demand for such models. For the latter, the unexpected demand for a new version of ugly shoes is also an opportunity to fix its sales situation. How do companies try to make money on ugly shoes?

In the world of fashion "hybrids", there are already skorts (shorts that look like skirts), shackets (shirt jackets) and even sneakerinas - a hybrid of sneakers and ballet flats. The latest fashionable invention is snoofers. In short, such shoes have a sole like sneakers, and the top - like loafers, summer city shoes. The resulting mixture can undoubtedly be categorized as ugly shoes, i.e. "ugly" shoes, which have become popular in recent years;

Fashionable ugly shoes were made trendy by legendary Georgian-born designer Demna Gvasalia. In 2017, he created the Triple S,  a high massive-soled shoe better known as "dad sneakers" for Balensiaga. The head of fashion conglomerate Kering (which includes the brand), François-Henri Pinault, already noted in February 2018 that Balenciaga showed the highest growth rate of any brand in the group in the second half of the year. However, he added, Kering is proceeding cautiously to ensure the brand doesn't become overly dependent on hit products such as Triple S sneakers. At the time, a pair of such shoes cost $895.

Three years later, Bloomberg reported that Balenciaga's own revenues had soared to about $2.3 billion, up from $17 million in 2001 - mostly due to sales of ugly sneakers. 

The famous Simone Rocha has taken  "ugly" shoes to the next level, with a Crocs model adorned with faux pearls and costume jewelry on her hit list. There are also huge red rubber boots from MSCHF and a joint project between Crocs and Pringles - a limited edition collection of flip-flops with compartments for chips. And, of course, unforgettable collaborations between Crocs and Balenciaga: fur sabots, heeled caloches, and even Crocs - cowboy boots. Директор по маркетингу бренда Crocs

The guiding principle for such popular collaborations is  "shock and horror first, then sales," says NYT contributor Vanessa Friedman. 

The current wave of popularity for snoofers began with the release of the New Balance 1906L; the company unveiled it in January 2024 at Paris Fashion Week, according to GQ. Продажи стартовали в сентябре 2024-го, у

"This shoe is like saying, you can have a business meeting at lunch and then a game of Pickleball (a type of sports game that combines elements of badminton, tennis and ping-pong - ed.)," wrote The Cut. The publication's article was headlined "Who's brave enough to wear New Balance loafers?". GQ called the 1906L issue fashion trolling. 

But 10 months after the sales launch, it turns out that despite the controversial reviews, the model is selling out. И ажиотаж не утихает: количество запросов «New Balance 1906L» на маркетплейсе StockX выросло на 3700% с первого квартала прошлого года — за несколько месяцев до выпуска модели, говорила автор NYT Кэлли Холтерманн.

«Мы были поражены тем, как восприняли 1906L — не только фанаты кроссовок, но и более широкая аудитория, —

According to Bloomberg, the company is expanding its line of snow shoes - adding new colors and using new materials. New Balance does not disclose sales figures, but Lee notes that the shoes are selling out quickly in the United States. Another "ugly" pair, the expected release before the end of the year, the New Balance 1890, is an even more controversial combination of snakeskin-colored loafers and sneakers. 

Other sports brands also decided to keep up with the trend;

Hoka released its Speed Loafer, a design somewhat reminiscent of New Balance's 1906L. Puma offered a variant of the Puma Sophyr women's snow loafer;

The latest of the big brands to join the trend join was Nike, which only unveiled its Air Max Phenomena at the end of June this year. 

Even before its official release, the pair of snowwafers, which currently costs $155, caused a stir and was listed on the StockX Marketplace for around $500. Nike recently announced another snowfooter model, this time in collaboration with Comme des Garçons Homme Plus, writes WWD. 

Whether Nike needs to do that is an open question. For the 2024 fiscal year, the company reported revenue of $51.4 billion, plus 1% year-over-year (at constant exchange rates). That turned out to be the company's weakest annual growth in 14 years. 

The Wall Street Journal last summer wrote that Nike faced slowing sales because it decided to switch from making athletic shoes to producing limited edition sneakers. As a result, it missed out on the new wave of popularity of running.    

Nike executives said last year that they would take steps to regain control of the market. But all four quarters of its fiscal 2025 revenue declined, annualized totaling $46.3 billion, it fell 9%. Bloomberg wrote that the reason for the decline in sales may be that Nike's innovation has fallen as it has focused on a few older models.

After its latest quarterly report, the company said its sales decline is starting to slow - with revenue decreasing by a "mid-single-digit" percentage at the end of this quarter. Nike CEO Elliott Hill is trying to correct recent mistakes, including a failed move away from wholesale partners and an overemphasis on casual footwear, and invest in development and a refocus on sports. 

Given that context, it remains to be seen whether the snuffers will help boost sales. В любом случае Nike любая шумиха сейчас пойдет на пользу, резюмирует Bloomberg.  

At least snoofers can meet the demand for models that combine the comfort of sports shoes and formal business style;

Эдвин Фостер, креативный директор в MITRE (Массачусетский колледж искусств и дизайна), считает, что в целом рынок обуви переживает "тихую революцию". And at the heart of this transformation are snoozers. This is not a passing phenomenon, but a structural shift in the demand for footwear. 

Consumers are starting to lean more toward formalwear choices, but at the same time, the demand for comfort is growing, and "these shoes are the perfect combination of the two," explains Lani Perry, senior product manager at New Balance, in an article Dazed. 

Scott Oliver, founder of Good Morning Agency and formerly senior buyer at Dover Street Market, believes that consumers' desire for comfort began during the pandemic, with the revival of the Birkenstock Boston - suede closed-toe sabots. In 2022, they were named the "shoe of the year" by trade platform Lyst. 

Тенденция “удобство превыше всего” изначально была обусловлена ​​стремлением к комфорту, а не к стилю,

This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor