We posted a press release the other day about OluKai’s debut of closed-toe shoes for women, including some fashionable-looking boots.
It seemed like an important new development for the brand, which changed the sandal market a few years ago with the success of its high-end – and higher priced – sandals.
I was intrigued by this new direction, so followed up with Marketing Director Kerry Konrady.
It turns out that OluKai is expanding into closed-toe shoes for women, men’s and kids.
Below, Kerry answers some questions about developments at OluKai.
OluKai is coming out with several closed-toe styles. Tell us about the thinking behind this expansion.
OluKai Men’s styles for Fall 2011OluKai has created a true premium brand for the ocean lifestyle consumer. We began by taking a handcrafted footwear approach to design and manufacturing of sandals. We offered comfort, quality and a new choice for footwear that was on par with high-end wetsuits and hand-shaped boards that surfers seek out at core shops.
This really changed the landscape of sandals in the surf channel, pushing price points higher and creating a conversation about comfort and quality in our category.
Ultimately consumers give permission for brands to successfully expand categories. We intently listened to ours. Our consumers have a desire for comfortable and authentic footwear but cannot always wear sandals, for example while at the office or during winter seasons. And in fact, they leave the surf shops to buy these products elsewhere.
By staying true to our consumers’ needs for quality, comfort and authentically inspired closed toe products, we are seizing this opportunity to expand the premium category again at the core shops and keeping the surf consumer wearing lifestyle products all year round.
How many styles are your offering and for what gender, ages? What are the price points?
We offer two categories of footwear for men’s, women’s and kids. Our Makai Collection (“Towards the water”), features sandals and shoes which are water-friendly for active lifestyles around the ocean. Our Mauka Collection (“Toward the land”) blends high character leathers with handcrafted designs for comfortable and sophisticated styling. We are focused on 3-point sandals, casual shoes as well as chukka, desert and upcountry boots. Price points range from $100 to $300.
Did moving into closed toes requiring hiring more people and/or additional design expertise? Did you have to find new factories to make them?
OluKai’s core competency is design and manufacturing premium footwear. As we expand product categories, we’ve built and surrounded our core team with fresh talent and proven experience. Our process is very collaborative and driven by inspiration from the ocean and island lifestyle, for example we partnered with Hawaii’s lifeguards to research and develop a performance training shoe that meets the lifeguards’ island performance needs.
We also create our footwear using the most environmentally methods possible, including sourcing leathers from one of the greenest tanneries in the world. The tannery is LWG Gold-Level Certified and unique because it uses a closed-loop system in which nearly all resources and byproducts of the tanning process are reduced, reused and recycled within the tannery.
What aesthetic are you going for with closed toes?
We want to make products with the sophistication of a luxury brand but with an approachability that more people can relate to. Our aesthetic is inspired by a relaxed and healthy life lived in an island or ocean environment.
We also use technical innovations to make our shoes more comfortable. For example our Moloa and Ohana styles feature collapsible heel design so they can be worn as a shoe or slip-on. People love this versatility.
See Page 2 for more, including details about women’s styles
What is the target distribution? Is it different than sandals?
Our distribution formula is no different than sandals. We aspire to partner with premium retailers that offer unique and distinct products, have knowledgeable and motivated sales teams and cater to an educated consumer who buys authentic and quality goods.
The surf channel is a huge growth opportunity for OluKai as consumers realize the surf shop is a destination for quality footwear. We recently were honored as SIMA’s Breakthrough Brand of the Year and are working very hard to continue provide our independent retailers with great product and service.
How have retailers responded to the new offerings?
OluKai’s women’s styles for Fall 2011We are very humbled by the support of our retailers. From the beginning, many of our retailer partners took a leap of faith because they believed in the people behind the brand. Their support has been rewarded with an efficient and growing premium footwear business.
The early success of the sandals was important for the expansion into closed toe. Retailers understand the vision of OluKai, as a class of products for the ocean lifestyle that is completely different but very complimentary to what they carry in their stores. It is always a great sign to see retailers wearing your product on the floor or at trade shows. This is an important sign that they are fans of the brand, too.
In men’s, how are you differentiating OluKai from the other closed-toe offerings in the surf market?
We pay equal attention to design aesthetics and comfort. Recently, our team was at a trade fair in Europe and we heard someone comment ‘You bring the quality of a great European footwear brand with the aspiration and lifestyle of an American brand.’ We think that statement is a great compliment to OluKai.
People consistently tell us our products are some of, if not the most comfortable shoes they’ve ever owned. From this feedback we believe our footbed shapes and contours certainly separate us from other shoes. We think people appreciate the details we put into our shoes.
The women’s line looked very fashionable, which seems to be a somewhat different take than the sandals. How did you decide on the approach for women’s?
The Fall 2011 season is about the evolution off the beach and into the upcountry – from the sand to red dirt. Parker Ranch on the Big Island is a great example where Paniolos (Hawaiian ranchers) are still very much part of the local culture. This inspiration led to the creation of several boot and casual shoe styles that make a strong statement about the direction of OluKai’s women’s footwear collection.
I understand OluKai has moved into kids. Can you tell us what you are doing with that category?
The notion of family is prevalent at OluKai everyday, our staff brings in kids and dogs into the office or company events. As we grew the product line, the kid’s footwear is one we did not want to sacrifice on comfort or quality. Parents, we feel, should have the opportunity to provide their kids with sandals and shoes that offer the same arch support and quality construction found in our adult product.
This coming spring we are excited to bring our first closed-toe shoe for kids to market. This marks a complete expansion into the entire family of shoes and an exciting foundation to grow from in the future.
