ÉS SKATE FOOTWEAR F/W 2025 PREVIEW
Retail Buyers Guide: Skate Footwear F/W 2025 Retail Buyer’s Guide
Brand: és
Interviewee: Michael Morey, Footwear Designer & Merchandiser
MARKETING
What stories are you pushing this season?
For éS, the main story is TJ Rogers’ first pro model shoe. There are also some cool color/material stories. For example, the full-grain leather pack dropping in winter Season for éS, which TJ’s shoe is included in. Another cool one is the latest update to the Swift family which is the Swift 2.0. For winter we’ll be adding the Plex to the line, which is a straightforward stylish vulc skate shoe.
What are your collection themes for FW25?
Across both brands we are focused on ensuring a full offering so that there’s something for everyone. For éS there are a few ways in which we dip into archival colorways on new product and styles which have been working well for us for some time that will excite longtime fans.
Are there any events/ projects to keep an eye out for?
The KSLIII and TJ Rogers. We are getting behind both of these as they really stand out in the crowd. They are both amazing silhouettes, so the love will be poured in to support them to make sure they get on the right feet.
DESIGN
What design trends are you noticing for this season?
One trend that we continue to see is the trend of retro-inspired court sneakers. This is a pretty vague way to say that sneakers are still trending within the broader footwear market. Specifically in skate, there’s always going to be a vulcanized shoe loyalist consumer, but generally cupsoles are what’s more in demand these days.
Any new pro models to watch out for?
As I mentioned previously, there are some sick pro models coming out for both Emerica and éS. TJ Rogers’ pro shoe is the first new signature model for the brand in over 15 years. Creating the shoe with TJ was a lot of fun as we did a deep dive into his favorite éS models from years past and took inspiration and pieces from each of those to build something totally new and totally TJ. The shoe will also introduce E-BOUND foam, which is a new foam compound that is super spongy. It’s 20% more impact resistant and has a 5x longer functional lifespan than standard molded EVA foam. Spanky’s KSL III takes some subtle design cues from his previous models, but the real focus on this one was creating something that was clean, sharp, sensible, easy to wear, but undeniably skateable. It has an Empact foam heel pod for some added cushioning. These things came out so clean.
Any brand collaborations?
éS has a very special project with Movember which will drop in November to coincide with Movember’s big push. Movember started as a nonprofit to raise awareness around testicular cancer and prostate cancer, but has since grown into a full-scale men’s health awareness movement. The partnership came naturally from TJ’s connection to the Movember crew which came about during his journey beating Testicular cancer.
Does your footwear brand have a sustainable element? Vegan shoes?
Both brands are sure to include some vegan options each season as the demand for good animal-friendly footwear is consistent. My personal favorites this season are the Black/Grey Accel Slim for éS.
Must have styles for FW25?
Gotta be the TJ Rogers and the KSL III. I know, two polar opposite silhouettes. But trust me, both that look great and skate even better. On the éS side, some other must-haves are the full-grain leather Accel as it’s as fresh as they come and then the powder pink Accel – it’s something different, and it’s always good to have a statement piece.
Key Products:
TJ ROGERS:
FA25 TJ ROGERS
SWIFT 2.0:
FA25 SWIFT 2.0
ACCEL POWDER PINK:
Accel- Pink
Brand Previews
