Canada’s athletic shoe companies are finding out that putting your best foot forward sometimes means taking a step back.
Retro or classic lines of sneakers, which have maintained steady sales over the last decade, have seen a resurgence of interest in the marketplace.
The sneaker market has split into a number of different categories, with the skateboard, grunge and retro looks being the most recent additions.
The fashion-conscious, under-20 generation is not only purchasing footwear that is practical, but that complements specific clothing trends.
Vintage outfits are hot and, as a result, interest in classic shoes has risen.
Converse is the first out of the blocks with a campaign this summer.
Converse will launch its All Star 2000 sneaker this July.
The footwear is the updated version of the Chuck Taylor All Star, which was first introduced as a high top basketball shoe 78 years ago, and is still on the market.
The original comes in a variety of colors while the new model is white with red and blue markings.
The new sneaker combines the classic look of the original while incorporating the technology of a high performance basketball shoe.
Converse is banking on the long term popularity of the original to sell the new version.
Television and print advertising, targeted to the under-30 set, is planned for the summer.
In the print ad, the classic and new shoes are shown sitting side by side with a headline that asks, ‘Do you believe in reincarnation?’
Advertising is by u.s. agency Tribco.
Another steady seller is the classic One Star, which was the company’s best-selling shoe last fall.
The suede sneaker currently comes in a variety of colors and has a single white star on each side.
Converse has plans to introduce an updated version for 1997.
The One Star 2000 is described by Martin Sharp, senior director of marketing, as ‘the classic shoe, but on steroids.’
Adidas is another company that has had a loyal consumer for its traditional wear.
The Gazelle sneaker remains popular with consumers from 11 to 21 years, although the company has made no attempt to advertise it in recent years.
The simple suede shoe comes in a variety of colors, has the traditional three stripes and white soles.
The green-striped, Stan Smith tennis shoe is another consistent seller. It, too, has not been advertised.
Steve Juhasz, marketing coordinator at Adidas, says the company has no plans to reintroduce either shoe since they are already selling well in their target market.
Juhasz attributes recent interest in the shoes to the general trend toward the retro lifestyle.
‘That look has been so popular recently and the demand for classic shoes has overwhelmed us,’ he says.
Last year, Adidas introduced a sneaker made of hemp material.
This year, the updated Norton Hemp is being marketed to skateboarders and the ‘grunge’ set because of its durability and natural, canvas look.
Hemp is an environmentally-friendly product and has a certain rebellious reputation – because of its association with marijuana, a by-product of the hemp plant – which also makes it attractive to teens.
The Norton shoe is a classic style and the company is hoping the updated version will attract a younger, hipper generation of wearers.
There is no television or print advertising planned, says Juhasz, because Adidas considers it more of a specialty product that will attract a relatively small market share.
The Norton Hemp is currently being sold only at category-specific retailers, like hemp stores and environmental shops.
Reebok classics have also maintained a steady following in the marketplace.
The Classic Princess and Newport Classic remain popular, according to Peter Routsis, the company’s product manager.
Despite the enormous variety of athletic shoes on the market, Reebok says there is still an interest in its simple, clean and conventional footwear.
‘We’re finding that although these shoes are generally worn by people over the age of 21’, says Routsis, ‘we’re seeing a trend where teens are picking up on the look to complement the retro fashions.’
The traditional footwear will not be promoted, since the company is concentrating on its Olympic products for the summer, but Reebok says the classic shoes do influence company sales figures.
Nike is the exception in the classic sneaker trade.
While the company still carries a line of older models, its traditional footwear does not have the retro image that some of the other athletic shoe companies have.
Michelle McSorley, public affairs supervisor, says there is a traditional Nike shoe available in the u.s. that is not sold in Canada.
She says there isn’t the same interest on this side of the border for the original styles.
Shoppers who buy Nike brand, says McSorley, tend to be interested in the newer performance products.
In Canada, Cossette Communication-Marketing shares the Nike account with Wieden & Kennedy, of Portland, Ore., while Promanad Communications handles advertising for Adidas, and Leo Burnett has Reebok.
