Discover the latest styles of brand name shoes & accessories for Men, Women & Kids. Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store or at Curbside with our Famously Fast Pickup!
Source: Famous Footwear, Shoes for Women, Men & Kids
This is the first post on Famous Footwear on arch. When I analyze the sneaker industry my metrics derive from third party and resale with a mix of retail dives on products found in stores like Hibbett Sports. Famous Footwear is a family-oriented store and doesn’t carry top tier, signature and performance products. The product mix for Famous Footwear is just as diverse as Finish Line, but with family pricing at the forefront of the strategy the company isn’t led by activations and content. Unlike Foot Locker, which has 12.1 million followers on Instagram, Famous Footwear has 240,000 followers. This isn’t a bad thing. For instance, I only use IG to track release information for sneaker brands, but my site reaches 30,000 people a month. I have hardly any followers on IG and very rarely post there. Social media following isn’t a true measurement of reach, but it does offer additional touchpoints for marketing. Each post on Famous Footwear’s IG generates about 50 to 100 engagements. One of the best performing recent posts was their share that the company is highlighting five artists during Black History Month. This moved me to do a little digging.
According to Rocket Reach, Famous Footwear generates 1.52 billion of the parent company Caleres Inc. 2.97 billion annual dollars, as reported by FDRA. Caleres Inc is the owner of:
It will be interesting to see how the sneakers artists create for this activation with Famous Footwear are received by the everyday consumer at Famous Footwear. It’s an unexpected celebration, but it’s definitely welcomed as any highlight of artists is valued and appreciated, but why create a BHM collection? Finding new ways to connect with consumers is vital as the sneaker market is becoming more competitive and those top tier retailers are recognizing the power in consistent smaller sales vs gunning for premium solely as more expensive product sales have slowed. I would expect more activity and content from Famous Footwear, not geared towards the hype market, but focused on educating and informing their current customer. Check out the press release below.
Famous Footwear, (one of the Caleres brands, NYSE: CAL,) today announced a partnership with five notable Black artists in celebration of Black History Month.The partnership will serve as the first in a series of many artist collaborations throughout the year, titled “Art Meant for Walking,” and will feature the work of Alannah Tiller, Brock Seals, Glenyse Thompson, Melissa Koby, and Kristen Woollery. Each artist will create an original design using a shoe as their canvas to celebrate Black History Month as the kick off to the ongoing series.Famous Footwear is committed to celebrating Black History Month and the immense contributions of Black artists to the world of fashion, art, culture, and society. Highlighting the power of the Black community while also serving and celebrating Black culture, through this artist series is a testament to that commitment.Mike Edwards, President of Famous Footwear, expressed enthusiasm when asked about the partnership. He added, “We are honored that these incredible artists chose to collaborate with us, and we feel fortunate to have them as part of this inspirational celebration of diversity in art. The beauty in this moment is that we get to highlight the varied and inclusive nature of art that inspires us all.”Glenyse Thompson is a Florida-based artist whose work spans contemporary original art and design. Inspired by people and conversations, her artwork combines vibrant use of colors and textures, conveying the exuberant connections we have with each other and our environments.
Alannah Tiller’s work mostly draws from pop culture and imagery she sees online – it is a response to the people and objects in her everyday life. Sometimes abstracting, sometimes simplifying- Ultimately, Tiller looks to find an alternative view of these everyday objects and people. Through the use of bold imagery, she attempts to amplify these themes using color, form and crisp line work.Melissa Koby is a Jamaican-born artist and illustrator living in Tampa, Florida. She is a self taught artist who started painting at the age of four, when her mother gifted her a set of paint brushes and an easel. Through illustrations and surface design, Melissa focuses on creating warm yet vibrant imagery and patterns which highlight the beauty of people of color.Brock Seals is a multi-faceted artist, whose creativity spans many different mediums, including his skills as a rapper and songwriter as well as a heralded painter and designer. Seals’ work compliments the historic city of Saint Louis as he has painted several murals throughout the city from The Delmar loop to downtown. The St. Louis artist draws inspiration from his surroundings and experiences to create timeless art that resonates with the everyday consumer and serves as a reminder that the only thing more boring than a blank canvas, is a blank mind.“I chose to participate in this partnership because sometimes as a visual artist the creator can be overshadowed. With this being said I hope this partnership will shed light on the creators behind the artwork,” said Brock Seal on his partnership with Famous Footwear.Kristen Woollery is an artist from Brooklyn, NY, based in the D.C. metro area. Her passion for artistry and faith in God led her to express her ideas of beauty through painting abstract portraits of black women. These portraits honor the women that have raised her and the community that loved her into her purpose. Kristen’s work also pays homage to her Trinidadian heritage and New York City upbringing. Kristen’s rich cultural perspective has shaped, not only, the subject matter of her work, but also the bold and vibrant colors that she uses to express the strength, resilience and beauty present in the diaspora and her community at large.“This partnership gave me the excuse and opportunity to pick up my paint brushes again, to create alongside other amazing Black artists, and to have a chance to be able to give back to a non profit that means so much to me. The Art Meant for Walking Series really represents the perfect trifecta for me,” said artist Melissa Koby on her partnership with Famous Footwear.To further support the Black community, Famous Footwear will make a $2000 donation to each artist’s charity of choice, including the Black Artists and Designers Guild. Melissa Koby will auction her shoes off as well for additional donations. The Famous Footwear is also proud to support Ticket to Dream’s Black Futures program during this time. The Black Futures program is dedicated to supporting and empowering Black foster youth with diverse books, toys and hygiene items, providing cultural training to foster parents, and much more.Famous Footwear has partnered with Ticket to Dream Foundation since 2020 to help foster kids, and give customers the opportunity to invest in foster youth within their communities. In total, Famous Footwear has raised over $8.8 million for Ticket to Dream Foundation to date.