Shoe-In

Latest Episodes:

#438 High Heels, High Comfort: A Medical Approach to Fashion With Fernando Pena of Julieta Barcelona Aug 19, 2024

Show notes

This week on Shoe-In Show listen in as Dr. Fernando Pena, an orthopedic surgeon and co-founder of Julieta Barcelona, offers his unique approach to designing shoes. Arising from Fernando's wife's struggle to find fashionable yet comfortable shoes, this emerging shoe brand was founded to provide a pain-free option for fashionable and professional women. With Fernando's medical background he has a distinct understanding of foot mechanics crucial in designing truly comfortable shoes. His mantra, everyone deserves to walk pain-free, drives the brand's mission.

With special guest:

Dr. Fernando Pena, Co-Founder, Julieta Barcelona

Hosted by:

Matt Priest and Sandi Mines

#437 Finding the Right Fit With Jones & Vining Aug 12, 2024

Show notes

Footwear is a constant battle with consumer expectations around fit. Jones & Vining leaders join us to discuss the central role their company plays with both new and traditional footwear brands to perfect fit and comfort. They share how they are now leveraging consumer trends, and using new technology, to help brands at the start of the process and also in the factory.

With special guests:

Moon Tran, VN Country Manager, Jones & Vining and Tom Iredale, Sr. VP Sales & Marketing, Jones & Vining

Hosted by:

Andy Polk and Matt Priest

#436 Launching a Brand from the Ground Up With Jack Gindi Aug 05, 2024

Show notes

In this episode of the world's leading shoe industry podcast, Matt and Sandi welcome Jack Gindi, CEO of Ground Up International. Jack shares his journey from retail to the dress shirt industry, eventually entering footwear through a resort-focused line of flip-flop sandals. Discussing the opportunities and challenges he's faced, Jack emphasizes the importance of innovation, product exclusivity, and understanding consumers' needs as they partner with some of the biggest names in entertainment and pop culture. Tune in to learn more about Jack's unique business model and how they are reshaping the footwear industry one pair at a time.

And make sure you hit up Ground Up by visiting groundupshop.com.

With special guest:

Jack Gindi, CEO, Ground Up International

Hosted by:

Matt Priest and Sandi Mines

#435 Realtime Footwear Politics Check-in With Matt, Andy, and Thomas Jul 29, 2024

Show notes

In this week's Shoe-In Show, you'll hear realtime analysis surrounding the historic nature of this year's presidential race and its impact on the footwear industry. Discussing the changing landscape of the presidential race, the impact on Congress, and what this means for the industry, our analysts Matt Priest, Andy Polk, and Thomas Crockett present a fresh perspective on the rapidly evolving political environment. Tune in to hear analysis you won't get anywhere else...we promise.

With special guests:

Matt Priest, President & CEO, FDRA and Thomas Crockett, Vice President, FDRA

Hosted by:

Andy Polk, Senior Vice President, FDRA

#434 Decoding Consumer Behavior With First Insight's Greg Petro Jul 22, 2024

Show notes

What's influencing consumer behavior in the age of inflation? Matt and Sandi welcome economic thought leader Greg Petro to help unpack all the latest footwear consumer and costing trends. As CEO of First Insight, Greg provides analysis around shifts in consumer attitudes, the resilience of footwear companies responding to said attitudes, and his expectations for the economy heading into 2025. Access these valuable insights and more by listening to this timely episode of Shoe-In.

With special guest:

Greg Petro, CEO, First Insight, Inc

Hosted by:

Matt Priest and Sandi Mines

#433 The Current State of Shoe Sustainability & Evolving Strategies Jul 15, 2024

Show notes

Katie O'Hara, Director of Account Management at Dynamic Foam, join us for this fun deep dive into sustainable materials and strategy. There are increasing regulations, but also new and large opportunities of integrating sustainable materials into footwear. The success lies in wise strategy! Join us as we have some laughs and deep dive into key topics impacting our industry.

With special guest:

Katie O'Hara, Director of Account Management, Dynamic Foam

Hosted by:

Andy Polk and Matt Priest

#432 A Look Inside New Sustainable Material Innovations Jul 08, 2024

Show notes

Leading sustainable material company Lenzing has been working for years to develop a new material for footwear. On this episode we take a look inside the new pioneering technique to make the material, its properties and how their collaboration with Recyc Leather and GANNI is a blueprint for how our industry can make more sustainable materials come to life.

With special guest:

Nicole Schram, Global Business Development Manager, Lenzing

Hosted by:

Andy Polk and Matt Priest

#431 Touring the Southern California Footwear Scene With John Dickinson of SeaJack Jul 01, 2024

Show notes

It's summertime and what better way to celebrate than to listen to Matt and Sandi explore the Southern California footwear scene with John Dickinson, CEO of SeaJack. We explore John's personal history in the footwear industry, learning how his experiences in action sports and Southern California culture shaped his passion for shoes. With so many great brands including Flojos, Sbicca, Volatile, Very Volatile and Kengos in the SeaJack family, John is well positioned to understand consumer shifts and behaviors across the country. Hear how SeaJack grew amidst the pandemic, and their exciting dedication to sustainability with their latest brand, Kengos. Will the path of SeaJack redefine the footwear industry's future? Tune in to find out.

With special guest:

John Dickinson, CEO at SeaJack LLC

Hosted by:

Matt Priest and Sandi Mines

#430 In Search of Footwear Cost Reductions With Nicole Porpiglia From KPMG Jun 24, 2024

Show notes

In this episode of Shoe-In Show, Matt and Thomas delve into mitigating duties and cutting costs with Nicole from KMPG. Learn about the increasing interest in and importance of 'first sale', a strategy for reducing import costs, especially amid an environment of additional tariffs. Listen in to get insights about e-commerce strategies, the role of U.S. Customs in enforcement, and the ripple effect of legislative moves in Congress from a footwear industry perspective.

With special guest:

Nicole Porpiglia, Senior Manager Trade & Customs, KPMG

Hosted by:

Matt Priest and Thomas Crockett

#429 Realtime Shipping Intel & Rate Info with Apex's Mike Piza Jun 17, 2024

Show notes

Matt and Andy welcome Mike Piza, Senior VP at Apex Logistics International, to discuss skyrocketing shipping rates and unexpected tariffs impacting the availability of capacity for footwear companies. If you're in the business of shipping shoes, you don't want to miss this timely conversation. Mike has all the latest info impacting the movement of shoes worldwide.

With special guest:

Mike Piza, Senior Vice President, Apex Logistics International

Hosted by:

Matt Priest and Andy Polk

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected