Fox has moved into performance footwear. At Agenda, I had a chance to check out the line and to talk with Footwear Marketing Manager Kellen Trachy, who recently came to Fox from Olukai.
The performance shoes were lightweight and looked very much in line with what you’d expect to see if Fox made shoes for training. I spoke with Kellen briefly about the line, why Fox decided to go into footwear, and where the shoes are selling.
Why did Fox go into Footwear?
Fox Footwear Marketing Manager Kellen TrachyKellen Trachy: Since 1974, Fox has been building performance products for action sports. From motocross boots to award winning helmets, performance is in our DNA.
Today’s action sports athletes are participating in weight, cardio, and agility training in ever increasing numbers. The motivation is not only better health and well being, but an increase in performance in action sports. Traditional training brands have not addressed the needs of these customers. Fox Footwear was born from a desire to create a better class of performance products for the training needs of moto, surf, mountain bike, BMX, and wake athletes.
Where is Fox selling the shoes?
Fox footwear on display at AgendaKellen: Retailers carrying the 2013 line include Maui Nix, Ron Jon, Surf and Dirt, PacSun, Journeys, Tilly’s, Glik’s, the Buckle and Zappos.
What makes Fox shoes stand out?
Kellen: Our key differentials are based around a new branded technology called Fox Motion. Motion is made up of five key components that work in harmony to provide superior cushion, comfort, and flexibility, while drastically reducing weight. The result is a quantum leap in performance.
Another Fox footwear styleWe actually tested our shoes with the fitness trainers at EZIA, which is a training facility that caters to action sports athletes like Ian Walsh and is located in Carlsbad. The trainers did a series of speed and agility tests with the new Motion Elite shoes and were able to set all sorts of personal records. They proved that our shoes outperformed every other shoe they’d used before.
We adapted Fox Motion Technology from our training footwear and have incorporated the technology into our lifestyle collection as well. Even our casual shoes ‘perform’ in that they deliver revolutionary levels of comfort and flexibility, and are incredibly lightweight.
What’s the best shoe in the Fox line and what are the price points for the shoes?
Kellen: Price points range from $75 to $95. The Motion Elite is our best selling style right now at $90.
What’s the marketing story behind them? Are you sponsoring any athletes?
Kellen: We have eight elite athletes on the footwear team representing motocross, surf, BMX, and wake. Athletes include Ken Roczen, Ian Walsh, Bruce Irons, Bede Durbidge, Rusty Malinoski, Ryan Hughes, Reed Hansen, and Drew Bezanson. Our “Prepare to Perform” campaign, launching this spring, will tell the story of how our athletes train and how that training enables them to perform at the highest levels in their respective sports.
Anything else?
Kellen: We’re delighted with the momentum behind our footwear and all the positive feedback we’ve received from our retail partners, trainers, team riders, and customers. We’re excited about the innovative new products we are introducing this year, as well as what we have in the works for the future.
