Knee-deep sea: rubber shoes

The astronomical growth in the popularity of shoes, which only a few seasons ago had the right to exist except on vegetable beds and livestock farms, occurred in the summer of 2012 in Britain, to which the world owes the appearance of wellington boots (this term has long been firmly entrenched in shoes made from rubber). Over the past two years, the international shoe market has increased sales of PVC and natural rubber shoes several times.

The rainy season, heavily flavored with country festivals and all kinds of fashion parties, forced British it-girls to leave fashionable sandals on the shelves of their dressing rooms and change into waterproof "hunters" and related boots that can withstand the bog of Glastonbury and South Wales. In the same 2012, the respected The Guardians and The Daily Mail devoted their front pages to the new trend. The publications unanimously declared to the world: in rubber shoes you can appear in a secular society, it goes well not only with work overalls, but also with a light chiffon dress. No wonder 23 pairs of rubber shoes were sold every week in Britain that summer! For example, the reputable department store Debenhams increased sales in this segment by 000%. But the season has passed, and the fashion for waterproof shoes has remained. Moreover, it not only remained, but acquired an international status.

According to experts, the rainy British summer was only a catalyst. Naomi Shefford, Director of Footwear Marketing at Debenhams commented, “Yes, the cold and wet summer has become the ideal environment for retailers focused on rubber footwear. But, in my opinion, more and more people are ready to wear these models every day. " These words are confirmed by statistics. A new study by online agency Fash, published on very.co.uk, found that women wear waterproof boots more often than athletic models during the rainy season. 57% of women surveyed said that they gladly put on rubber shoes when going for a walk or work. And 68% confirmed that it is not at all a shame to appear in such models in the city center.

“The fashion for these shoes is due to the general global trends in the fashion industry. Even 8 years ago, rubber boots were not considered an indispensable element of the wardrobe, and they could be found in the closet unless an amateur gardener or a young mother. Over the past years, the catwalks have convinced us that rubber shoes are a real fashion accessory, greatly underestimated in our country. Now, fortunately, the situation is changing ”, - comments Christina Shakhova, General Director of Golden Trade LLC, SWIMS representative office in Russia.

According to market experts, the global growth in rubber footwear sales has been driven not only by the catwalks and celebrities actively adopting Wellington boots, but also by the affordability of these styles. "There are several factors that have influenced the development of this segment. First, the price – these shoes are cheaper than leather ones. Second, practicality – molded footwear is utilitarian and durable. These boots require little maintenance, which is also important for the modern pace of life. Third, molding can create incredible shapes and color combinations that are impossible to imagine with natural materials. Waterproof boots have the right to be provocatively bright, shiny, and cheerful, which can be successfully used to create a stylish look, or simply to lift your spirits and ignore the gray, gloomy sky above. “Fourthly, we mustn’t forget about the strong environmental movement – ​​more and more people are trying not to consume products made from genuine leather,” comments Andrey Starkov, marketing manager for Crocs.

Mythic Discoveries and Market Growth

Despite the fact that in Britain and abroad rubber boots are often called simply "Wellingtons", Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, has a very indirect relationship to their creation. The fact is that he instructed his shoemaker to sew boots that are comfortable for riding long before the new material appeared. The craftsman fulfilled the task by creating a model of very durable calfleather.

The history of waterproof shoes began several decades later, when in 1852 Chriam Hutchinson acquired a patent from Goodyear for the production of rubber shoes. A year later, returning to his native France, the American businessman founded the company l'Aigle ("Eagle"), just 4 years later it already produced 14 pairs of shoes by hand per day! And today the company remains the market leader, and 000% of its products are manufactured using manual technology.

During the First World War, the need for durable rubber shoes increased, and a new manufacturer entered the market - the North British Rubber Company (now Hunter): by order of the War Department, it develops special models of boots suitable for the military. In those years, a total of about 1 pairs were produced for the British army. The subsequent decline in demand was short-lived. World War II rekindled demand for rubber shoes and Hunter got down to business again. By the end of the war, "Wellingtons" became popular not only among the military, but also among the civilian population. It was the low cost and ease of production that made rubber footwear especially relevant in the post-war years. And the khaki boots with the Hunter logo over time have become a real symbol of Great Britain.

The British can be considered trendsetters for rubber footwear, but the popularity of these models was not limited to the borders of Foggy Albion. In Canada and the United States, it appeared in the same middle of the 20th century. And in Russia - a little later, in the early 60s of the last century. In the post-war years, almost two dozen factories for the production of rubber footwear were opened on the territory of the Union. In the XNUMXs, when Nikita Khrushchev, who came to power, proclaimed the "battle for modesty", rubber shoes were declared "socialistically correct" and in fact became the only one available to most citizens. Therefore, in modern Russia, at first they reacted extremely cautiously to the newly emerged trend: the memories of "galosh childhood" were too strong.

However, modern waterproof footwear made of natural or synthetic materials cannot be compared to the models of the last century. "Both the quality and appearance of footwear have changed significantly in recent years. We have long since moved beyond the concept of rubber footwear in the 'Soviet' sense, and we devote significant attention to design. To this end, we engage specialists from Holland and Spain. A wide selection of styles and colors for children's, men's, and women's footwear allows us to expand our customer base as much as possible, which positively impacts sales," comments Maxim Melnik, Head of Sales at Gavary Shoes Group.

According to market experts, in recent years, the direct dependence of rubber footwear on season has disappeared: rubber mid-season boots, insulated winter models, summer sandals, and ballet flats have appeared. The product range expands every year, thus "covering" all seasons. Summer models are appearing on the market that are ideal for beach holidays (you can even swim in them), picnics, and city walks. "Considering the peculiarities of the Russian climate, the seasonality of rubber footwear is not limited to the autumn months. This is especially true for women's rubber boots, which are now in demand year-round. The situation is different for men's galoshes and waterproof boot models; in these cases, sales typically increase during the off-season, with its prevalent precipitation, slush, and mud," comments Kristina.

Technologies and materials

The main materials for the production of "rubber" footwear are natural rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and materials based on EVA (ethyl vinyl acetate).

Some brands, despite the high cost of the starting material, continue to use exclusively natural rubber in their production, such as Swims and the pioneer of the genre - the l'Aigle company, each pair of boots of which consists of 80% natural material.

Large brands of injection molded footwear tend to invest heavily in R&D to create new materials with unique characteristics for their shoes. For example, Melissa manufactures all products from the patented Melflex material, and Crocs from the Croslite ™ material (crosslight) - a special foam polymer that is light, soft, but at the same time durable and has the effect of “memory of the shape of the leg”.

Some companies use EVA-based materials that have high elasticity, good shock absorption and high wear resistance. One of the properties of EVA is high thermal insulation, so shoes can be used at temperatures up to minus 30 ° C.

Which material is best? There's no definitive answer. "Each material has its pros and cons. For example, rubber is softer, but the manufacturing process requires gluing different parts together by hand, which means there's a risk of defects. PVC isn't as soft, but the manufacturing process minimizes the risk of defects. EVA is very light and soft, but if the boot sole isn't reinforced, it can puncture very quickly, damaging not only the boot but also your foot. Therefore, each manufacturer decides for themselves which material is right for them," comments Mikhail Vakhrushev, CEO of Boomboots.

Production capacity

Today, competition in the rubber footwear market is fierce: the trendsetters of the genre Hunter and l'Aigle are still confident, but newcomers - Brazilian brand Melissa, American Crocs and Norwegian Swims - are stepping on their heels. Boldly relying on the production of one category of goods, these companies are developing at a rapid pace. Thus, the Melissa company, founded in 1979, has produced in less than 35 years, more than fifty million pairs of shoes, most of which were exported to 80 countries of the world. The first pair of funny clogs with a hole appeared only in 2002, and today Crocs collections have several lines of shoes, more than 300 models for all occasions are presented in 90 countries of the world.

Almost all market players have separate lines of waterproof shoes - from the premium segment (just remember the Chanel models, the excitement around which flared up a couple of years ago) to brands operating in the middle price segment (in previous seasons, Analpa announced high sales growth in this product categories).

Oddly enough, despite the general decline in domestic production, in the post-Soviet space today there are many factories focused on the production of footwear made of PVC materials. One of the largest manufacturers is Pskov-Polymer. In addition, there are several dozen smaller industries that produce similar products: PK KhimProm (Rostov-on-Don), Dailos LLC (Moscow), Tomsk Rubber Footwear Plant LLC, PKF Duna LLC -Ast "and LLC" Sardonyx "(Astrakhan). These factories work under the order, and also produce products under their own brands. Growing competition does not stop the influx of new players in the market. Some manufacturers trust domestic factories to release their goods, others prefer to place orders with factories located in Italy, Mexico, Bosnia, Vietnam and China. The global production of rubber footwear is constantly growing. Today it is measured in billions of dollars a year.

Table 1. World trade turnover of rubber footwear, in 2008-2011, thousands of US dollars. Source: International Trade Centre.

According to the International Trade Center, the world's largest suppliers of such products are: China, Italy, France, the Netherlands and Germany. The total export volume of the studied products of these countries in 2011 amounted to more than 64% of the total. Moreover, the share of China amounted to more than 42%. In 2013, the total volume grew to 72,3%.

Experts are sure, as in any other shoe segment, correct brand building, originality of ideas and product quality are the main tools in the struggle for the attention of the buyer. Some manufacturers are starting to expand their segments and, for example, position their shoes as designer shoes in the casual lifestyle segment, offering options for both autumn and winter shoes (there are even boots with fur). This allows retailers to rethink their approach to sales and move from small shelving with a limited set of pairs of rubber shoes to an expanded presentation of the manufacturer's entire model line in the store. And the sale of such unusual and bright-looking shoes not only increases store traffic, but also increases sales. At the end point of sales - a store - the sales results are also well influenced by well-organized marketing programs. Merchandisers believe that displaying in-store video clips showing the process of making these shoes and reporting from fashion shows using these shoes is an excellent product promotion strategy. Variants of ready-made "bows" on mannequins work perfectly (many women of fashion do not fully understand what exactly such shoes can be worn with).

Boomboats

Mikhail Vakhrushev, CEO: Sales depend on the weather

Materials. "The brand's current range includes two types of boots: PVC and rubber. Since we place orders in China, raw material issues are handled by our Chinese counterparties, and we constantly monitor product quality. From the very beginning, we chose a manufacturer that only works with high-quality raw materials, and we have had no problems in this regard."

Competitive advantages. "There are two ways to compete in such a narrow market: through pricing and by following new trends. We sell high-quality footwear, so a price war is not a priority for us. Our company annually expands its range with ultra-fashionable models that reflect current trends, which allows us to attract new customers and successfully manage our business. BOOMBOOTS footwear is now sold not only in Russia but also in Europe through our Latvian branch – this facilitates logistics and generates additional revenue during the off-season. Some of our shoe styles are sold on ASOS, one of the largest UK websites, in the Marketplace section, which features independent designers and emerging brands.

The target audience. We sell only women's boots, our audience is girls and women from 16 to 40. The target audience as a whole is constant

Advertising

Advertising of Business Global Expo LLC, Taxpayer Identification Number (INN) 7710961530, erid: 2W5zFJRB7Va

Development plans. BOOMBOOTS regularly expands its product range and is currently preparing new items for the next season. The brand's line includes unique models: the latest technology allows us to create rubber boots that are visually virtually indistinguishable from their leather counterparts. Predicting the new season is difficult, as our sales are directly dependent on the weather, which even specialized organizations cannot predict.

SWIMS

Christina Shakhova, General Director of Golden Trade LLC (SWIMS representative office in Russia): Designers help to fight for the consumer!

Material. The brand's Norwegian technologists initially began using exclusively natural rubber in production, employing an innovative process that allows SWIMS shoes and galoshes to withstand temperatures ranging from +35 to -25 degrees Celsius without changing their properties or shape. The lining of the galoshes is lined with soft textile, which not only doesn't damage the sensitive surface of the shoes, but also, through gentle friction, naturally cleans minor stains.

Competitive advantages. SWIMS competes exclusively in its price segment, which is far from the case with all rubber footwear manufacturers on the market. To compete fairly for customers, the brand's designers and technicians offer increasingly comprehensive collections year after year, meeting the latest fashion trends and high customer expectations. This applies to the silhouettes of the models in the collection, the materials used, and, importantly, the color palette. Together, these elements—silhouette, material, and color—embody the unique Scandinavian design and quality that distinguish SWIMS footwear.

Target Audience. SWIMS has a fairly broad audience reach, as its collections include both classic and ultra-fashionable styles, appealing to a broad audience aged 20 to 65.

Development plans. The Norwegian brand SWIMS is a design company that never stands still, creating new models every year and using high-tech materials to ensure the comfort and practicality of SWIMS shoes and galoshes. For four years now, our summer moccasins have been available in our market, available in bright, fashionable colors for both women and men. With each season, more and more people around the world are learning about our brand and becoming its ardent fans. Russia is no exception, and we are incredibly excited about this!

GAVARY SHOES GROUP (OYO BRAND)

Maxim Melnik, Head of Sales, Gavary Shoes Group: In the current season, sales increased by 12%.

Materials. Gavary Shoes Group manufactures footwear from innovative EVA (ethyl vinyl acetate) materials, which surpass rubber footwear in many characteristics. We can confidently say that our models are high-tech and comfortable. Our team of chemists is constantly working to refine our raw materials to enhance the product's physical and technical properties, such as wear resistance, flexibility, elasticity, and UV resistance. When producing winter shoe soles, we also use other materials that enhance traction—in other words, achieve a non-slip effect. All our shoes feature high shock-absorbing properties, a "smart" insole that molds to the shape of the foot, and additional toe protection. They are hypoallergenic and resistant to harsh chemicals, such as reagents and oils.

Competitive advantages . Gavary Shoes Group has been in the footwear market for over 10 years. That's not a long time for a business, but during this time, we've created a product that meets all market demands. We continually analyze the competitive landscape and work hard to stand out: through design, innovative materials, marketing support, high quality, and affordable prices. Comfortable footwear is increasingly popular today, and when it combines high performance and appeal with a retail price of 1,500-2,000 rubles, the reasons for increased demand are obvious. Our current product range consists of four lines in different price segments, targeting both young and older audiences.

Target Audience . Our target audience is quite broad, as we produce women's, men's, and children's footwear for all seasons. While previously shoes were bought primarily for gardening, they are now successfully worn in everyday life.

Development plans. We are constantly working to expand our product range. At the end of last year, for example, we launched the GOW project, developed in collaboration with Dutch designers. This season, shoe sales increased by 12% compared to last season. Our primary distribution channel is chain hypermarkets. Given the current economic situation, we don't expect a dramatic increase in store numbers, so we plan to drive sales growth through increased shelf presence, i.e., expanding our product range, and pursuing a strong marketing strategy.

CROCS

Andrey Starkov, Crocs marketing manager: The company is constantly working on improving materials.

Materials. Our signature material is Croslite™ – a foamed polymer with a cellular structure that offers many advantages over similar materials used in footwear. Our classic clog model made from this material was introduced in 2002. Since then, the formula has been constantly refined – Croslite™ has become lighter, softer, more flexible, and more resilient. Technological advances have also made it possible to create new, interesting shades and textures. This year, Crocs unveiled its biggest innovation – Colorlite™, a new generation of Croslite polymer, used in all of the brand's footwear models. It is extremely thin, has a leather-like appearance, yet is incredibly lightweight. This new material allows for the creation of more sophisticated designs.

Competitive advantages. Croslite™ is the signature feature of Crocs footwear, the secret to its comfort and uniqueness. Incredibly lightweight and soft, the material conforms to the shape of the foot, absorbs shock, and distributes weight evenly. Practically, Croslite™ is strong, resilient, durable, stain-resistant, bacteriostatic, has low thermal conductivity, and is easy to care for.

Target Audience. Crocs offers styles for adults and children, covering all seasons and various wear situations. However, we pay particular attention to family purchases. As is well known, women typically make these household decisions, so our communications are aimed specifically at them.

Development plans. Crocs currently offers over 300 models in various styles for all four seasons. This means it's no longer a single product, but a diversified offering for various customer segments. We follow trends and successfully leverage our expertise in fully molded models to create hybrid lines, guided by the following principles: comfort, color, and innovation. For example, a 2014 innovation is the Stretch Sole line with Fit2U Technology™, for which Crocs has received a patent. This technology allows the sole to stretch in multiple directions, completely adapting to the unique characteristics of the foot.

KEDDO (Analpa inc)

Anastasia Buydenok, Head of Promotion:

Rubber shoes snapping incredibly fast

Materials The laboratory of our company in the Dutch Waalvik is constantly working to improve the quality of materials and improve the technology and functional characteristics of shoes. At the same time, the safety of products for consumers and manufacturers is always at the forefront for us. All materials meet the necessary technical requirements and are safe for consumers. Part of the production we produce in Italy, Russia and Belarus, most of the models for the Russian market - in Southeast Asia.

Competitive advantages. The brand's line of waterproof footwear includes a wide variety of styles: boots, ankle boots, high boots, wedges, platforms, heels, and lug soles. The new KEDDO collection features boots with unusual textures that imitate fabric, lace, and even studs; shoes with metallic elements; and shoes trimmed with unusual materials and vibrant prints. KEDDO waterproof boots feature a hygroscopic insole for added comfort. The line includes models made of both durable and frost-resistant PVC and lighter, more flexible rubber.

Target Audience. Buyers of rubber footwear have always been broad and not limited by age or status. While this was previously driven solely by the functionality and practicality of waterproof footwear, today it's also explained by its current fashion trend. The KEDDO collection includes both a children's line of waterproof boots and shoes, as well as an adult line. They offer a wide range of styles to suit every taste and are suitable for wear in any weather conditions.

Development Prospects. The brand's waterproof footwear lines are expanding season after season, adding new models. KEDDO's developers are constantly working to improve the functionality and style of their footwear, delighting customers with a variety of colors, styles, and design elements. By expanding their product range, KEDDO's waterproof footwear sales are growing year after year, allowing the brand to consistently maintain a leading position in this segment.

Sales Nuances

“Sales techniques are very important when working with models made of innovative materials,” emphasizes XXXX. Most companies conduct regular trainings for sellers, in which all the necessary specification about goods (quality, service life, model variations, etc.) is revealed to the maximum, allowing the buyer to convey all the information he is interested in.

The seller must:

Explain the benefits of new technologies. Russian consumers still refer to all waterproof footwear as "rubber," without fully understanding the materials and manufacturing nuances. Most consumers remain unaware that new high-tech materials are safe to wear. Reputable global manufacturers produce footwear from materials that are free of the most common allergens, such as latex, rubber, ethyl mercury, and thimerosal. Lightweight, comfortable, durable—it's important to list all the advantages of a particular model.

Offer to try on the model you like. Trying on the shoes and your personal impressions are the most important factors in making a purchase decision. It's important to remember that these models don't stretch with wear, so it's crucial to choose the correct size.

Pay close attention to the care of these shoes. For example, high temperatures can cause the material to warp, so it's best to wash them with cold water. For the same reason, avoid drying waterproof shoes near heat sources.