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The Weekly Digital Magazine for the Active Lifestyle Market ISSUE 1621 May 23, 2016
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Page 1: SGBW_1621

The Weekly Digital Magazine for the Active Lifestyle Market

ISSUE 1621May 23, 2016

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MAY 23, 2016 | SGBWeekly.com 3

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4 SGBWeekly.com | MAY 16, 2016

The Weekly Digital Magazine for the Active Lifestyle Market

ISSUE 1621May 23, 2016

INDUSTRY EVENT

5Sneak Peek To Spring/Summer 2017The North Face takes 360-degree view on active lifestyle consumer.

16Industry Calendar

RETAIL BEST PRACTICES

8Yes, You Should Be Selling InsolesJackRabbit opens its toolbox to share how specialty run retailers can successfully sell insoles.

ONE-ON-ONE

12Patrick O’Malley, President, SauconyHow a specialty running brand cansurvive in today’s crowded market.

FEATURE

14InsolesMove Well Beyond Injury Prevention

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MAY 23, 2016 | SGBWeekly.com 5

INDUSTRY EVENT

SNEAK PEEK TO SPRING/SUMMER 2017The North Face takes 360 degree view on active lifestyle consumer.

By David Clucas and Jahla Seppanen

The North Face, last week, gave outdoor media in Boulder, CO a preview of what’s to come for spring/summer 2017, including an expansion of its Fuse Form technology, a foray into performance cushion footwear, and a broader view on how it plans to balance the business between its core outdoor roots and growing urban lifestyle markets.

“We want to talk more about the brand’s philosophy, today, and less about products,” said The North Face Vice President and Head of Apparel Kevin Joyce. The event was held at The North Face’s new design center in Boulder, CO — a gathering place for the company’s designers and athletes to escape the Bay Area headquarters and immerse themselves in one of the United States’ outdoor meccas.

It was in these outdoor-focused cities like Boulder, or Santa Fe, NM, or Portland, OR, where one might say the outdoor lifestyle story began, Joyce said — where those going to work or out for drinks had no problem wear-ing their technical puffy or stashing their laptop in a climbing bag.

It was a sign that active consumers not only found the gear highly func-tional (for city use, too), but that they wanted to extend their outdoor lives into their everyday lives. And while the trend may have started in places like Boulder or Santa Fe, its now booming in the nation’s largest cities and metropolitan areas, too.

These active city dwellers don’t have the luxury of the Rocky Mountains right out their back door, but they are making efforts to get out and dis-cover local wild places that are a 45 to 60-minute drive. Matt Segal, wicked good climber and The North Face sponsored athlete attested to this trend at the event, saying on his last visit to Los Angeles, his local buddies took him not to a gym in the city, but to a natural spot just an hour away.

For brands like The North Face, Joyce said, the opportunity lies to target these consumers beyond just its core gear. “We’re going to focus on what happens when our athletes and consumers are not on the mountain or not training,” he said. “There’s still a lot of their lives that we want to be a part of.”

That echoes what The North Face President Todd Spaletto told SGB earlier this year and is one of the ways the brand can become less seasonal dependent and meet consumer demand, no matter what their activity is for the day, Joyce said.

But pump the brakes, because Joyce was keen on emphasizing that its expansion into the concrete jungle will not overtake its technical outdoor business.

“This is a real part of our consumers’ lives,” he said, “but as we expand in urban, it becomes even more important to focus on the very authentic side of outdoor products.”

It was a full house of outdoor media at The North Face Spring/Summer 2017 preview, held on May 11 at the brand’s new design center in Boulder, CO. Photos courtesy David Clucas.

Ann Krcik, senior director, brand communication and outdoor exploration, at The North Face helped organize the event and made introductions to The North Face product and athlete teams.

Photo courtesy The North Face

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6 SGBWeekly.com | MAY 23, 2016

In other words, the new materials, technologies and innovations will always stem from an out-door mindset — meeting the needs and solving problems for its core outdoor customers. But then that technology will filter down into urban lines and designs. The company refers to it all as their “360-degree view of consumers and athletes.”

Spring/Summer 2017 PreviewSo what new technologies and products is The North Face working on for spring/summer 2017.

While we can’t share all the technical details just yet, we can give you some nuggets of what’s to come:

• The North Face is doubling, tripling and quadrupling down on its signature Fuse Form technology — the one where a single sheet of fabric can be knit/woven with dif-ferent densities and tenacities without the need to cut, sew and seam. That reduces cost and weight and overall makes a product stronger when it’s made of fewer parts. Fuse Form debuted several seasons ago in jackets, and now will move to mid-layers, and even equipment. For example, one of The North Face's new climbing packs will utilize the technology to feature a burlier bottom with a lighter top, without the need to sew on panels. The other big news for Fuse Form — for the first time it will debut with Gore-Tex laminates in rain jackets.

• In two new footwear styles for spring/summer 2017, The North Face is giving a go at the lightweight performance cushion trend that has been a big hit in the running shoe scene. All that cushion feels great, Joyce said, but isn’t the best for stability on uneven trails. The North Face’s solution, which will debut in a trail runner and hik-ing boot, involves centering the cushion under the sole and surrounding it with a ring of higher durometer (e.g., harder) material that provides stability with lower stack heights.

• In equipment, the highlight for spring/sum-mer 2017 comes in a couple new sleeping bags for The North Face that will employ its triple-weave baffle construction, first debuted last winter in a puffy jacket. The technology weaves the baffles directly into the material as its be-ing made with no need to stitch them in af-terward. It saves weight, stitching and reduces cold spots.

The North Face Vice President and Head of Apparel Kevin Joyce shows one of The North Face new layers for Spring/Summer 2017.

The North Face Product Manager Dan Rogers shows off new sleeping bags for Spring/Summer 2017, including the company’s triple-weave tech that weaves in baffles instead having to stitch them in afterward.

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MAY 23, 2016 | SGBWeekly.com 7

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8 SGBWeekly.com | MAY 23, 2016

RETAIL BEST PRACTICES

Yes, You Should Be Selling InsolesJackRabbit opens its toolbox to share how specialty run retailers can successfully sell insoles.

By Jahla Seppanen

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MAY 23, 2016 | SGBWeekly.com 9

In terms of running specialty, there are two sides of the coin. Either you sell insoles or

you don’t. Much of the distinction comes down to

whether staff is educated enough to speak to dif-ferent insole types and their benefits. However, for such a small accessory should specialty run retailers make space and time for them?

Oh yes, they should.SGB sat down with Alex Ranton, store man-

ager at JackRabbit Union Square in NYC (and bonafide insole guru) to talk about why insoles are vital to the biz.

“Insoles are the first way to create a more dy-namic and customized fit for the customer com-ing in for a pair of running shoes,” said Ranton, who asked us to think about the way a shoe is built — a flat surface that is lower in the forefoot and higher in the heel. “You essentially want to put something in the middle to add contour,” he said.

When Ranton goes about training the Jack-Rabbit staff, he trains them to talk about bene-fits. “An insole is going to increase shock absorp-tion, which betters the body’s overall alignment, putting you more upright, and makes you more efficient depending on where the heel cup is seated.” Trick of the trade: ask your employee to demonstrate the thinness of a regular shoe in-sole by taking it out for them to feel how flimsy the inset is. According to Ranton, this approach demonstrates to the consumer that the provided insole is really just a means to protect the foot from the shoe stitching. But adding a rigid heel cup is going to make their foot land more nat-urally. Ranton uses the analogy of running on sand. “What’s easier to run on, hard sand or soft? Most customers come in thinking the softer the shoe the easier the run but it’s actually the oppo-site. Softer doesn’t lead to more support. In fact, it has the opposite effect.”

Compared to the cycling industry, where there is a consumer expectation to purchase a custom insole, running still has some catch-ing up to do. Ranton attested that most newbie runners walk into the store without thinking of insoles, and that’s where employees have the big-gest opportunity.

Ranton comes from a background of smaller specialty running shops that never used to sell insoles. Not because they didn’t want to, he said, “it’s simply a matter of knowledge.” Now Ranton heads the bustling Union Square location for JackRabbit — a specialty run chain previously known as the Running Specialty Group and an operating segment of The Finish Line, Inc.

“Having that conversation about the shape of the shoe is a big shift in terms of retail sell-ing philosophy, and we’ve taken the position that you’re going to see a lot more added ben-efit,” Ranton told SGB. “Right now, and moving forward, custom fit is a big deal. It personalizes the experience.” Ranton also stresses the perks of using insoles as a way to make the consumer feel more catered to. “If someone comes in look-ing for a shoe, you have the opportunity to show them an insole.”

But the how is just as important. Present-ing an insole in the shoe-buying experience is a dialed science that Ranton has refined for his employees.

One approach he uses to educating staff is by collaborating with vendors (like Superfeet, one of the largest names in their insole business, Powerstep and Spenco) to host clinics. These

clinics, or education sessions, help employees deeply understand the product, while Ranton steps in giving tips on how to bring up the topic.

Take for instance, customer Jane Doe. She comes in looking for a pair of shoes, and you want to include insoles in her purchase. A bad example of what to do would be to let Jane sit down, try on shoes and then at the end say, “how about insoles?”

“This doesn’t send the right message to the consumer,” said Ranton, who suggested instead to make insoles a part of the staff/customer conversation from the beginning. “Don’t make it just about the shoe. It’s a knowledge-finding experience. Jane should come in and learn about added benefits — after all, when people come in we’re trying to do preventative things to maxi-mize experience and lessen the chance of injury,” Ranton continued.

Insole Wall at JackRabbit Union Square, NYC

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The second approach JackRabbit Union Square uses to promote insoles is headed by Accessory Buyer Samantha Kerr, providing a three-part system to ensure the right kind of in-soles are available on the floor, and those insoles are positioned in a buyer-friendly way.

“A big part of the insole and assortment busi-ness is replenishment based,” she said. “We can foresee demand where we have historically seen sales by volume and profile. Before launching something new, we have a conversation with well educated staff and ask, ‘does it fill a gap?’”

Thus far, the store has seen the most success in selling regional performance-based brands, as some regions tend to be stronger in one brand or another, which boils down, again, to which insoles the staff is educated in and com-fortable selling. Kerr’s trick of the trade: level the sales distribution between other brands by

asking them to come out to the store for clinics. “Brands are very happy to do this,” she added.

Another variant that must be taken into account in selling insoles is the space layout of the retail lo-cation. “In terms of merchandising, we’ve rolled out an ‘Insole Destination’,” said Kerr, who re-members seeing some specialty shops line up their insoles at the bottom of the footwear wall (a big no-no), or in places that feel like an afterthought. To helping staff include insoles from square one, their presentation should mirror the conversation, which means changing the layout to help give a vi-sual to different product pairings and stories.

JackRabbit Union Square recently put its in-sole pedagogy to the test, launching the new Superfeet Flex series. “These are marketed at a lower price point,” Kerr said, “but we know they won’t be successful unless our staff feels com-fortable making recommendations.”

Let's Get Social@SPORTSONESOURCE

Alex Ranton, Store Manager, JackRabbit Union Square, NYC

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MAY 23, 2016 | SGBWeekly.com 11

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12 SGBWeekly.com | MAY 23, 2016

ONE-ON-ONE

Patrick O'MalleyPresident, Saucony

How a specialty running brand can survive in today’s crowded market.

By Thomas J. Ryan

Earlier this year, Patrick O'Malley was appointed president of Saucony, which is part of Wolverine World Wide Inc.

He succeeded Richie Woodworth, who became president of the com-pany's Lifestyle Group, which includes Sperry Top-Sider, Stride Rite, Hush Puppies, Keds and Soft Style.

O'Malley has more than 25 years of experience in the footwear industry, most recently serving as Saucony's senior vice president for global prod-uct. During this time, O'Malley helped develop game-changing products that have lifted Saucony in the running category, including the launches of the innovative Isofit and Everun collections.

Prior to his 12 years with Saucony, O'Malley held various leadership positions with both Nike and Reebok.

Talking with SGB, O'Malley reflected on Saucony’s position in the mar-ket, the brand’s opportunities and the newer challenges faced by the run-ning channel.

What makes you excited about your new job? I’ve been a part of thie Saucony family for close to 12 years and a lot of key members of the team were here when I first got here. So I know how special the team is. For me personally, one of the things that has always motivated me since I’ve been here at Saucony is that I get to be a part of a runner’s journey. I get to be a part of that person who decides to start running one day to lose weight, or reduce stress or for social reasons or decides to want to just race faster. But to be a part of those journeys is such an honor to me and now I get to do it on an even broader level.

What is Saucony learning about the millennial runner? They make up a quarter of the U.S. population and 50 percent of adult runners consider themselves millennial. So they’re going to be the ones that are shaping the future of running and they’re all about experiences. The starting line and the finish line and “How fast can I get there” — that’s definitely a big part of running and is always going to be an important part of our sport. But millennials also want a community of running and want experiences. So the color runs, Tough Mudders and things like that create experiences for them with their friends and that’s what they want to do. And that’s a good shift for the sport in moving away from “the loneliness of the long-distance runner” to more about the running community. It’s much more about that experience and exclu-siveness and that’s something we’re excited about.

Is Saucony facing any challenges reaching the new crop of runners? One of the great things we did about eight or nine years ago is we decided to go after cross country and track & field. Our goal behind that was to get that kid at 16 years old to get that experience with our brand and we’ve started to notice a difference with that in run specialty. We’re the number one brand in cross country and we’re the number two brand in track & field at run specialty. So now many of those first runners are turning 24, 25 years old and they already know us and that wasn’t the case before. That initiative is starting to pay off, and it’s such a fun area to be in with that en-ergy around the younger consumer. With that said, we still want to always speak to the older consumer, and I hate to use that term. But we look at this as a life-long journey with the runner. Our brand goal is to make that experience so good that we create a lifelong dialogue with them and keep them as part of our family for the rest of their athletic life.

Photo courtesy Saucony

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MAY 23, 2016 | SGBWeekly.com 13

How is the overall run category doing? A mild winter is definitely a good thing for a running brand. But the marketplace is tough. The market is probably over-saturated. There are a lot of points of distribution. What’s going to happen is that the really good retailers and the really good brands are going to be the ones that will come up the winners on the other end of. But what’s going to be most important is that those really good retailers and those really good brands work together and help each other through this tough marketplace. It’s just an interesting time. Running’s had tail-winds for a long, long time and the last 18 months it’s been headwinds, and I think 2016 is going to be one of those years where people are going to gut it out. A positive about 2016 is there will be a strong focus on the sport because it is an Olympic year. So the back half of 2016 could see a bump from the Olympics and hopefully provide momentum for 2017.

What are some key priorities for the coming year? We launched Eve-run in November and the response has been phenomenal. The first three shoes that introduced it were the Triumph, Hurricane and Perregine - all won Runner’s World’s Editors Choice. As we continue to introduce more shoes, they’ll all transition into Everun technology. Our Originals line is the fastest growing part of our brand and we’re going to continue to build on that. Our collaborations are working well, and we’re having great suc-cess — even some success in non-traditional distribution channels. And then another initiative that you’ll start to see come to life is what we call “Life On The Run.” The idea behind it is that it’s great functional product, it can still work for running, but it’s got a lifestyle vibe to it. So it’s a nice bridge between our Originals product and our performance product. We think that that’s going to be a good opportunity to allow the runner to wear our brand as a badge throughout the day to tell people that are out on the streets that ‘Hey, I’m a runner’ or ‘I’m fit’ or “I’m athletic.’

What opportunities is Saucony missing? Brand awareness. The people who know us, love us. We’re known as this great running brand. But there’s an opportunity to reach the people who are not as tied into this running world to find out who we are and what we’re all about. Maybe it’s that athlete who runs for their sport. Or maybe it’s someone who was an ath-lete who runs after they’re done with whatever athletic endeavor they’ve gone through in their life, but they only know certain brands based on the sports they played. So for us the big opportunity is brand awareness — get-ting people to know who we are and to shout a little bit louder.

Can you discuss some of your marketing plans? Our social engagement is very strong. We will continue to reach out with social media, but we’re also trying to find aspirational ways to engage the consumer like with our ‘Seeker Stories’ series. These are about different individuals with compel-ling stories telling how running affects their lives. It’s an astronomer out in Hawaii, it’s a chef out in Montana, it’s a cartoonist out in San Francisco, etc. And we put together these great videos that tell that story. We also run it through everything — social media, print ads, etc. And as we go into an Olympic year, we’re starting to do these stories around our elite athletes like Jared Ward and Sarah True. Also, to introduce our Everun technol-ogy, we’ve brought a little bit of fun to it with Max and Miles, a campaign featuring cartoon characters meant to represent Saucony lab technicians. They explain the technology in a tongue-and-cheek way and it makes the technology relatable. And it just brings a nice personality to our brand.

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14 SGBWeekly.com | MAY 23, 2016

Not so long ago, athletes used to buy insoles for injury prevention or in many cases to

help recover from one. Now, comfort has be-come the primary selling point. Consequently, after-market insoles are now available across a variety of densities, elasticity, arch shapes and heel cups to assure the proper fit.

But providing adequate cushioning and sup-port has become just a starting point for insoles. Features such as breathability, moisture manage-ment and odor control that used to be included in only premium brands are now a standard fea-ture. Aesthetic considerations like sublimation and artwork, that once were used to surprise, have also become the norm. Beyond their use in athletic pursuits, insoles are increasingly being used to support the foot in casual, dress, lifestyle and work shoes, expanding the category’s reach.

More Flexible, Less RigidInsole construction is again being influenced by running footwear trends. In this case, it’s the shift away from motion control running shoes as well as stability models to a lesser degree.

“Many shoe companies are moving away from always seeking to ‘correct’ how people run via shoes,” observed Lutz Klein, CEO CurrexSole

Americas. “Insoles like CurrexSole are already designed in this way. It’s about enhancing the comfort of the runner's footwear to help prevent injuries and enhance performance.”

Klein also noted that the shift comes as stud-ies from Germany's University of Cologne and Canada’s University of Calgary have found choosing running footwear based on comfort is the best way to prevent injury.

Advanced materials are enabling insole com-panies to develop more flexible insoles that lend themselves to more efficiency in running yet still packing support.

For example, Spenco’s 3-POD Modulation System positions pods of varying degrees of firmness beneath key areas of the foot, helping insoles change the ground forces reaching the foot during activity. “This tunes the ride for in-creased performance and comfort while helping to reduce over-pronation - a common problem that causes foot, leg and back pain,” said Jeff An-tonioli, vice president and head of global sales and marketing at Spenco.

Mike Baker, founder and CEO of Sole, said the movement from minimalist to maximalist has given the industry a greater understanding of foot health and under-foot conditions. But

the most recent shift to more neutral midsoles in running shoes has been favorable as footbeds integrate and better compliment neutral shoes compared to a control shoe. “The pendulum swung to both extremes and has settled in a logi-cal place (for the moment),” Baker said.

David Church, president of Sorbothane, agreed that while there’s a healthy shift away from “very rigid support systems” to more dy-namic-flexible construction, insoles still need to offer proper arch support and padding to absorb shock.

“Many doctors agree that there is no ‘one in-sole fits all’ answer when it comes to insoles,” Church said. “Insoles need to be comfortable along with functional.”

Viva VarietyBeyond flexibility, insole buyers are looking for a wide range of options for different shapes and materials — from soft to firm and thin to thick — to try on to ensure their insoles personalize the fit and feel of their shoe.

“The perception of comfort is something that is highly individual,” noted Matt Gooch, Superfeet’s product development and education manager.

Insoles Move Beyond Injury PreventionFlexibility, moisture management, anti-microbial benefits and demand for instant built-in com-

fort, are supporting new levers for insole sales.

By Thomas J. Ryan

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MAY 23, 2016 | SGBWeekly.com 15

Ideally, the insole should help adapt the rela-tively flat inside of the shoe to the three dimen-sional foot, effectively personalizing the fit and feel of the shoe. Gooch said that’s why Superfeet has moved towards developing products that are specifically developed to fit the needs of con-sumers in specific retail/footwear environments and/or for specific types of activities. For ex-ample, Superfeet’s new Flex line of insoles comes in three ranges —Flex, FlexMax and FlexThin — varying by thickness of the foam, enabling a simplified fit and selection process.

“Many athletes today don’t fall into the tradi-tional silos of activities, rather they engage in an multitude of activities on a weekly basis,” Gooch said. “The goal is to truly provide a comfort fo-cused insole that enhances the comfort of a wide range of athletic footwear by providing the op-portunity to tune the fit and feet of shoe.”

The shift from technical footwear towards more lifestyle and casual options in the sport-ing goods channel is also creating opportunities for insoles supporting a broader range of shoes. “The trend is more around how an insole can provide benefits to anyone regardless of their footwear choices,” said Drew Davies, Sof Sole’s national sales manager.

With insoles looked on as a point of differen-tiation with running footwear models in many places, it’s become more important for retailers to carry more than one insole brand to maxi-mize the category’s potential at retail.

“Insole users tend to be brand-loyal, so of-fering multiple brands can drive more repeat business,” said Brett Jewell, sales representative, Powerstep. “In turn, these repeat customers will be more likely to purchase more expensive items (shoes, apparel, and other gear) in-store.”

Chris Bevin, vice president and head of spe-cialty retail sales at Implus LLC, the parent of Sof Sole, said that due to a broadening range of customers with different needs and footwear choices, it has become increasingly important to find the right shoe, footbed, and sock combina-tion. He added, “People use everything from a simple sock liner to more corrective orthotics, and we see a big opportunity in being able to ac-commodate those people in between.”

Custom Fit As in many other categories, customization is also feeding a stronger fit message around in-soles with the aid of new technologies.

As an example, Pam Gelsomini, OrthoLite’s president, pointed to a strong trend toward “memory foams” that offer “a cloud-like feel when stepping into the shoe” as the footbed ma-terial shapes to the foot for a customized fit.

She agreed on the need to provide a wide range of choices for consumers and the need for an insole to work with the shoe likewise promises a customizable option. For instance, a minimalist or low-profile shoe might require an ultra-thin insole with foam that has high

performance in thin applications while a maxi-malist shoe may require a thicker insole with high rebound properties.

Spenco offers more than 40 types of insoles, including not only ones with varying degrees thicknesses and firmness but Race and Train versions under its Ironman sponsorship as well as a Walker/Runner insole, a Cross Train and Spenco for Her.

“No two athletes are the same,” Antonioli said. “The ability to choose a product for specific needs helps increase performance and customer satisfaction.”

At a more advanced level, FootBalance offers customized molding in-store through a ten-minute process, as well as a moldable option that molds in an oven. “We see runners wanting their products custom-tuned to their feet,” said Steve Sheridan, senior vice president of sales at Hickory Brands, which last year took over U.S. distribution of FootBalance.

Sole’s Baker finds heated moldables becoming a sub-category of insoles with many other mold-ables now in the marketplace. For its part, Sole is launching its first custom-moldable product with a metatarsal pad to help with Mortons Neuroma and other major forefoot problems beyond plantar fascia strain.

Beyond Fit and Function Ortholite’s Gelsomini said visible technology is a buzzword in insoles.

“We have the ability to customize every Or-thoLite mold design to create optimum per-formance through contour, raised padding, massage bumps, air flow grooves, etc. … so the consumer can immediately ‘see’ and ‘under-stand’ that there is something special inside the shoe,” she said.

An eco-message is also increasingly being used as a differential among brands and expected to become a louder message in the years ahead.

Overall, insoles sales remain healthy in part due to the improved quality of insoles in the marketplace.

“The chasm between doctor-made custom or-thotics and quality over-the-counter insoles has closed,” said Sole’s Baker.

Baker also credited that insole’s momentum to the exposure of Dr. Scholl’s pressure-mapping system across the mass channel, the similar mainstream success of Dr. Scholl’s three-fourth’s length custom orthotic inserts, and the lessons Vibram Five Fingers and minimalism taught runners about proprioception and proper bio-mechanics.

Photo courtesy Sof Sole

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16 SGBWeekly.com | MAY 23, 2016

TRADE ASSOCIATIONS BUYING GROUPS

Athletic Dealers of America1395 Highland AvenueMelbourne, FL 32935t 321.254.0091athleticdealersofamerica.com

National Shooting Sports FoundationFlintlock Ridge Office Center11 Mile Hill RoadNewtown, CT 06470t 203.426.1320 nssf.org

National Sporting Goods Association1601 Feehanville Drive I Suite 300Mount Prospect, IL 60056t 847.296.6742nsga.org

Nation’s Best Sports4216 Hahn Blvd.Ft. Worth, TX 76117t 817.788.0034nbs.com

Outdoor Industry Association4909 Pearl East Circle I Suite 300Boulder, CO 80301t 303.444.3353outdoorindustry.org

Sports & Fitness Industry Association8505 Fenton Street I Suite 211Silver Spring, MD 20910t 301.495.6321sfia.org

Snow Sports Industries America8377-B Greensboro DriveMcLean, VA 22102t 703.556.9020snowsports.org

Snowsports Merchandising Corp.235 Cadwell DriveSpringfield, MA 01104t 413.739.7331Snowsportsmerchandising.com

Sports, Inc.333 2nd Avenue NorthLewistown, MT 59457t 406.538.3496sportsinc.com

Sports Specialists Ltd.590 Fishers Station Drive I Suite 110Victor, NY 14564t 585.742.1010sportsspecialistsltd.com

Tennis Industry Association1 Corpus Christi Place I Suite 117Hilton Head Island, SC 29928t 843.686.3036tennisindustry.org

Worldwide 8211 South 194thKent, WA 98032t 253.872.8746wdi-wdi.com

INDUSTRY CALENDAR

SEPTEMBER1 Worldwide Fall Show Reno, NV

21-23 Interbike Las Vegas, NV

25-28 NBS Fall Market Fort Worth, TX

OCTOBER20-23 ADA Fall Buying Show Charlotte, NC

28-30 ADA Fall Buying Show Phoenix, AZ

NOVEMBER7-11 Grassroots Fall Summit & Connect Knoxville, TN

17-19 Athletic Business Conference & Expo Orlando, FL

29-30 The Running Event Orlando, FL

DECEMBER1-2 The Running Event Orlando, FL

MAY22-25 NSGA Management Conference and Team Hilton Head Island, SC

JUNE9-10 Womens Running and Fitness Event Chicago, IL

13-17 Grassroots Spring Summit & Connect Albuquerque, NM

23-25 Sports Inc. Athletic Show Minneapolis, MN

JULY

13-17 IDEA World Fitness Convention Los Angeles, CA

AUGUST3-6 Outdoor Retailer Summer Market Salt Lake City, UT

5 40 Under 40 Park City, UT

11-13 Sports Inc. Outdoor Show Minneapolis, MN

28-31 Worldwide Fall Show Reno, NV

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MAY 23, 2016 | SGBWeekly.com 17

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