Shoe-In – Details, episodes & analysis

Shikha Jain, Partner at Simon-Kucher, joins us to shed some light on footwear marketplace issues and consumer trends as we start to head into the holidays and 2025. She recently published a study showing shoe consumers have an increasing price sensitivity due to the current economic climate, leading to fewer and more budget-conscious purchases. We also discuss 2 other major trends that will impact brands in the coming months - making this a must listen episode!

With special guest:

Shikha Jain, Partner, Simon-Kucher

Hosted by:

Andy Polk

We went back in our catalogue and found a gem featuring Jean-Luc Diard, founder of now mega-brand Hoka One One. Worth a listen again or for the first time - you'll learn a lot about innovation and hear the exclusive story behind how Hoka was created!

With special guest:

Jean-Luc Diard, Hoka/Deckers Brands

Hosted by:

Andy Polk and Matt Priest

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

Footwear retail execs extraordinaire Marisa Kinney of Red Wing and Alper Aydemir of Volumental stop by Shoe-In to explore Red Wing's wholistic approach to the ultimate fit experience. With a hyper focus on the customer experience, reducing returns, and driving more sustainability, Marisa and Alper have partnered to provide Volumental's FitTech solution to Red Wing shoppers across the country. Learn all about it on this episode.

With special guests:

Marisa Kinney, Sr. Director, Global Retail, Red Wing Brands of America, Inc. and Alper Aydemir, CEO & Co-Founder, Volumental

Designer, educator, critical thinker, advocate, entrepreneur, leader, author, and all around great guy Jason Mayden joins Shoe-In Show to explain what drove him into sneaker design at such a young age. Fresh from the amazing Black Footwear Forum in Detroit, Jason also drops his wisdom on how to empower more black creatives across all industries and unveils which critical comic book character inspired him to greatness.

Pick-up a copy of Jason's design book for kids here. 

With special guest:

Jason Mayden, CEO + Founder, Trillicon Valley, LLC

Nicole Porpiglia, Senior Manager in the Trade & Customs Practice at KPMG joins Matt and Thomas this week to discuss critical tools and partners trade compliance professionals need to navigate such challenging times. Get up out of the fetal position, off the floor, and empower yourself to tackle issues head-on, all the while listening to this great episode.

With special guest:

Nicole Porpiglia, Senior Manager in the Trade & Customs Practice, KPMG

Sneaker historian, podcaster, trailblazer, teacher, curator, host, father (you get the picture, Renaissance man) Sean Williams joins Matt and Sandi to explore his love of all things sneaker culture. From his start in Brooklyn to his days now helping support the amazing work of Pensole Lewis College, Sean is working all angles in support of this industry we love. Oh, and he launched a shoe podcast (Obsessive Sneaker Disorder) way back in 2007, so you have Sean to thank for inspiring Shoe-In.

With special guest:

Sean Williams, Engagement Manager, Pensole Lewis College of Business & Design

FDRA's newest amazing employee Jolie Gracia stops by Shoe-In to discuss with Matt and Sabria her recent arrival to the organization and to share some key insights into her background. As you can imagine, we're all excited Jolie is here!

With special guest:

Jolie Gracia, Marketing and Events Assistant, FDRA

Industry veteran Greg Tunney is back, this time at the helm of the iconic Canadian brand Manitobah Mukluks. Joining Greg is Daman Morissette, Director of Social Impact, as they explore the rich and proud history of their brand's partnership with indigenous artisans and peoples making amazing footwear.

With special guests:

Greg Tunney, Chief Executive Officer, President and Member of the Board of Directors at Manitobah Mukluks and Daman Morissette, Director of Social Impact at Manitobah Mukluks

First Insight CEO Greg Petro joins to discuss holiday and 2023 retail outlook, strategy and consumer trends. We get into great discussions on retail strategy including price, inventory and how consumers are shifting. We also discuss how First Insight is helping their partners move old inventory strategically!

With special guest:

Greg Petro, CEO, First Insight