Key Takeaways:
- Salomon’s XT-6 line lands at Foot Locker July 19.
- Nike’s rough patch opens room for brands like Salomon.
- Consultant and footwear retail expert Matt Powell questions outdoor retail’s slow response to Salomon.
Foot Locker, which is in the midst of a transformation under the stewardship of Dick’s Sporting Goods, will introduce French outdoor brand Salomon to its lineup this summer, signaling that sneaker appetites are changing, Matt Powell, senior advisor with BCE’s consumer sector, said in an interview.
“We used to have a purity test about what was a sneaker or wasn’t, and the marketplace has become much more about who are the cool shoe brands and shouldn’t they be in my store? We’ve already seen brands like Ugg and Birkenstock at Foot Locker. Ten years ago you would never dream that either one of those brands would be there. This is an extension of where they’ve been going: looking for the hot brand, the cool brand, and Salomon certainly fits that description.”
Starting on July 19, Foot Locker’s U.S. stores will carry the popular Salomon XT-6, XT-6 Gore-Tex and XT-Whisper models, which were originally developed for trail running and have become lifestyle and streetwear favorites in Salomon’s Sportstyle assortment.
“As our customers continue to embrace brands that sit at the intersection of sneaker culture and style, Salomon is a key addition to our brand portfolio,” said Michelle Wang, SVP and Chief Merchant at Foot Locker and Kids Foot Locker, in a statement. “The brand has carved out a unique position in the marketplace through design and growing street style influence, making it an exciting addition to our offering while amplifying our merchandising strategy and reinforcing our position as the ultimate destination for sneaker culture.”
What the Partnership Signals About Foot Locker’s Turnaround
Since Dick’s acquired Foot Locker last September, the company has been remodeling and remerchandising stores under what it’s calling the “Fast Break” initiative. In the first quarter ended May 2, Foot Locker reported positive comp sales for the first time since Q4 2024. But the back-to-school season will be the true test, marking the first quarter where new leadership has had complete control over product buying.
Powell said he has visited several of the refurbished Foot Locker locations.
“The stores are very much cleaned up from where they were before Dick’s bought them,” Powell said. “The mix was a little muddy. It was unclear what they were really trying to say to the consumer, and frankly, there were way too many styles on the wall. They needed to take some drastic action to liquidate that inventory, which Dick’s did, and so the stores are just much more shoppable now.”
When Dick’s acquired Foot Locker, Chairman Ed Stack said part of the reason he felt excited about the opportunity was because of Nike’s renewed commitment to wholesale, which had fallen off in recent years as the company focused on DTC. As Nike works to regain its brand heat, other brands have been capitalizing.
“We’re going to see a broader variety of brands during Nike’s tough period,” Powell said. “Hoka and On, New Balance is having a really great run. I think the consumer is looking for unique products. They’re going to wear sneakers, jeans and hoodies, but they don’t want to wear the same brands that all their friends have. We’ll see more new faces emerge, and this is just the beginning of that happening.”
When Nike does bounce back, Foot Locker is well positioned to benefit. In the meantime, there’s room for smaller brands to take up some shelf space, he said.
“Nike is in no danger of giving up the No. 1 position, but I think they’re going to share the wall with more brands than they did before their troubles.”
Salomon’s Deliberate Push into the U.S. Market
Salomon, which is under the Amer Sports umbrella with Arc’teryx, has been expanding its U.S. presence with stores in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, and growing wholesale partnerships with Nordstrom and REI.
“This partnership marks a defining moment for Salomon across the U.S. marketplace,” said Laura Stauth, SVP of Wholesale at Salomon, in a statement. “We have spent decades pushing the boundaries of performance and design, and that dedication has allowed us to resonate authentically with consumers who live at the intersection of style and sport. Foot Locker is a key partner in bringing that vision to life, and we’re thrilled to connect with even more consumers who are shaping sneaker culture as we continue to drive growth and expand our presence across the country.”
Powell applauded what he called a “deliberate” U.S. expansion.
“Two years ago, when this brand first started to heat up, they could have rushed out and opened up a bunch of retailers and probably grabbed the gold for a few months before it fell apart,” he said. “They’ve been very smart and deliberate in how they’re expanding, when they’re expanding and using their own stores to tell that story the best way it can be told.”
Foot Locker is the logical next step, he said. The measure of whether the partnership is successful is if Foot Locker adds more styles from Salomon down the line.
“This whole launch is all around XT and variations of XT, the Gore-Tex and the Whisper and so forth, but it’s all essentially the same shoe,” Powell said. “I think the metric will be, ‘Okay. We got a hot item. Now, how do we build on that? How do we add the next style and the next style, and expand the presentation of the brand in the stores?'”
To celebrate the brand launch, Foot Locker and Salomon will host a “farmer’s market inspired” pop-up on Aug. 1 at Foot Locker’s 22 East 14th St. store in New York City.
Is Outdoor Retail Missing the Boat on Salomon?
When Finnish fashion designer Heikki Salonen was appointed Salomon’s creative director in January, some in the outdoor industry wondered if Salomon was watering down its outdoor and performance edge. Does the Foot Locker partnership also potentially pose a threat to the brand’s relationship to the outdoor consumer?
“I think you’re actually asking a much larger question here, which is what the heck is wrong with the outdoor industry,” Powell said. “If there’s a hot shoe out there, why aren’t they carrying it? Why aren’t they all over this?”
Powell compared Salomon to Timberland, which is also enjoying a lot of brand heat.
“The outdoor retailers would turn their nose up and say, ‘Oh, that’s not outdoor.’ No, but people want to buy it, right? If you’re a good retailer, why aren’t you saying, ‘How can I figure out how to get a piece of it?’ I’m not saying the whole store becomes Timberland, but how do I find a way to step in? And the same thing with Salomon. And frankly, I would bet you that Salomon is somewhat disappointed in the reaction of the outdoor retail space, because nobody’s really jumped on this in a big way that I’ve seen on the outdoor side. So, it almost forces a brand to go out and find other distribution.”
