XTRATUF Hanging Shoes 2024 Preview

Retail Buyers Guide: Hanging Shoes 2024 Retail Buyer’s Guide
Brand: XTRATUF
Interviewee: Peter Russell Manager Sales & Product International Markets

How was 2023 for the hanging shoes market?
2023 was challenging for all retail however, we saw high double-digit growth as the brand established itself and that is continuing in 2024 as we pick up new retail partners across various channels in the independent and mainstream sectors.

What are the current trends in hanging shoes?
Internationally, we’ve seen developing trends in molded shoes for Spring 24 onwards – in the USA, XTRATUF® have introduced the Riptide sandal as part of the SS24 range. Here in the UK our focus is on the Après Fish slider, and the ongoing trend to include and improve the use of recycled and bio-based materials wherever possible.

What new styles and shapes are you offering in 2024?
We continue to focus on our Après Fish collection. Designed to provide comfort and safety in transitioning out of a long day in XTRATUF® boots, the Après Fish is a one-piece, lightweight slide made completely of BIO LITE, a low-compression, high-performance EVA foam that delivers superior impact absorption and support. The Après Fish is non-marking and has an SRC rated slip-resistant outsole, gripping the deck or floor’s surface for sure footing. For 2024 we have added new swirl colour options, mixing the colours in the mold to create unique patterns – making each pair an original!

What materials and construction techniques are you using in your 2024 collection?
The Après Fish uses our proprietary BIO LITE EVA. BIO LITE has been granted a Green Leaf certificate by Intertek, an accredited independent Third-Party testing facility, verifying that this product will properly biodegrade in bioreactor landfills. Landfill biodegradation validated utilising the ISO 15985 test method.

What colours and prints are you offering in 2024?
As mentioned, we have a range of new swirl and plain colour option for both men and women.

Anything new in terms of sustainability?
As well as our proprietary BIO LITE material, all XTRATUF® packing is FSC certified sustainable.

Please tell us about your key marketing stories for hanging shoes for 2024
We are incredibly excited to be supporting the RNLI this year, providing 1,600 RNLI lifeguards across 240 UK beaches with a pair of bespoke red & yellow Après Fish sliders! We will be working with RNLI to share water safety messaging and will donate £1 per pair of our lifestyle range (which includes the Après Fish sliders) sold on the XTRATUF® UK website. Watch this space for lots of exciting marketing stories to come!

How are you helping retailers sell this category?
We are extending our retailer network in 2024 and will continue to support current and new retailers both in store and online. In terms of instore – each pair of Après Fish sliders comes with a recyclable hanger within the box. We work with an independent, UK based workshop to create several in-store POS solutions, including wall mounted, freestanding and countertop displays, as well as recyclable shelf and window displays. We produce these on a small scale, allowing us to create bespoke solution for retailers and always use sustainable materials wherever possible. Online, we provide each retailer with lifestyle imagery to help bring the brand to life! We love working collaboratively with retailers on social and digital marketing campaigns, whether that be collab posts on Instagram, co-branded video content, newsletters, blog posts. XTRATUF® is designed for those that DO and we love to share their stories with customers wherever we can! We have recently launched a ‘stockists’ page on the XTRATUF® UK website – to help drive customers to our trusted retailer network, allowing our community the opportunity to try on and get a feel for our footwear.

Key Products:

BLACK APRES FISH:
The Apres Fish slider is a slip-resistant slider, built from an innovative lightweight, durable and eco-concious material BIO LITE RRP £45.