1 Footwear Insights

LINES WE LIKE (AND WHY)
Five collections from around the market that caught our eye are shelf-space worthy
CUSHE • The brand’s new Shumaker’s Mark Ltd. Collection is a small, tasty line that
targets the early adopters in the sneaker world. The shoes skew toward fashion and make
use of premium full grain leathers for both the uppers and linings. The sole is made from a
mix of natural latex rubber with cork elements attached to the upper by a quadruple stitched
leather foxing. The limited edition collection will ship for Spring ’13.
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MERRELL • The brand’s new M-Connect series is its best yet marriage of barefoot technology
and outdoor expertise. The M-Connect series features three distinct collections: Merrell Barefoot, Mix
Master and Protera. All are built on a close-to-the-ground platform (zero to four mm heel-to-toe drop)
with flexible uppers for movement and graded cushioning for ground feel and protection.
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LEMING • We loved this brand when it first hit the market in January 2011 under the Stem brand and
we like it still under its newest moniker, Leming. The shoes are still super soft and flexible and offer a wide
toe box and zero drop design. While other brands like Altra have staked out performance turf, Leming is
walking the outdoor lifestyle path targeting outdoor stores, podiatry clinics and natural run/walk stores.
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ADIDAS OUTDOOR • In keeping with Adi’s reputation for fast and light the new Terrex Fast R for women
from the brand’s outdoor collection is indeed both and one of the best women’s trail shoes we’ve seen. Like its
brother, this shoe features a Continental rubber outsole made from the same compound used in mountain bike
tires. Adi’s Formotion design lends great stability on rough terrain. MSRP $160 without Gore-Tex and $180 with.
38 • Footwear Insight ~ May/June 2012
ARCOPEDICO • The name Shocks conjures up images of Nike’s
running shoes with mini-shock absorbers, but Arcopedico’s
shoes of the same name are nothing like that. Their name comes
from the notion that they are half shoe-half sock. Shocks are
made with soft, knitted sock-like uppers on top, and durable,
supportive shoe soles on the bottom. Their shock-absorbing
properties are based on cushioned, anatomical insoles with a
patented twin-arch support system to evenly distribute weight
over the whole surface of the foot.
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