There were plenty of impressive styles shown by the industry’s top brands at 2018 Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Denver this week, and while looking at what’s to come, several trends emerged.
Here are five of the trends to look out for when spring ‘19 footwear arrives.
Color Pops
Whether subtle or dominant, some of the best looks brands showed at Outdoor Retailer employed bold hues sure to catch eyes. Scarpa went all out with color with its Gecko Heel Flip lifestyle shoe for men and women, and Salomon uses bright colors sparsely with its men’s and women’s Outback 500 light hiker.
Low Price Point
Regardless of the style of shoe, whether a hiker or casual look, brands are delivering models with lower prices for the season. For those interested in a lifestyle shoe, Jambu has the Gwen Garden Ready duck boot style with fun prints for $39.
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Lifestyle Appeal
Technical styles took a back seat to casual looks at Outdoor Retailer. Although many of the styles presented had performance benefits, the emphasis is on aesthetics. An example of this is the Caprine low ($140) and mid ($150) for men from Danner, which incorporates knit on the upper and boasts Vibram Megagrip outsoles.
Athletic Infusion
The athletic world’s influence on outdoor footwear continues for spring ‘19. One of the best examples of this is running standout Hoka One One’s line of hikers, boasting the cushioning and tech people expect from the brand. The standout light hiker from the brand is the Arkali ($200), featuring heel and arch straps for lockdown, lacing down to the toe and Kevlar fibers on the upper.
Sustainable Style
Being eco-friendly isn’t a new passion of the outdoor industry, but green looks are more prevalent in spring ‘19 lines than in recent deliveries. Top lines to look out for include the Adidas Outdoor ZeroDye lineup with Parley for the Oceans and Merrell’s Gridway shoes.
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