The foundation will launch soon. Below are efforts we are establishing to help companies and ultimately consumers. Please come back to this space to keep up with our progress.

Expanding ideas and minds to help the industry find new ways to do business

We aim to enhance critical thought across the footwear industry, rewiring how industry leaders and workers fundamentally look at problems via new outside minds and ideas. Working to help companies operationalize innovation so it is not seen as a one-off, leading to innovation boom and bust cycles, but rather becoming a part of everyday work.

• C-Suite Innovation Seminars and Industry Symposiums: Bringing in world class thinkers to help us rethink our work and find new ways forward.
• Thought Papers/Briefs: Challenging industry orthodoxy with new ideas to expand minds.

Forward thinking research to help industry leaders envision the future

Crafting insightful reports to identify ‘white space’ opportunities – areas of untapped value that remain unrecognized within the industry – offering innovative ideas and strategic insights to foster growth. This approach allows for broad, exploratory thinking to help shape the industry’s forward evolution. 

• Sourcing Innovation: Research papers on what is needed to expand and rebuild domestic shoe manufacturing (re-shoring).
• Supply Chain Innovation: Research paper on how one would put more shoes into a cargo container and package in U.S. and European warehouses, including financial calculus and quality control considerations.
• Retail Innovation: Research papers on the future of shopping via technology, as well as exploring new footwear retail B&M layouts.
• Sustainability Innovation: Research paper on modern shoe manufacturing emissions to help companies better understand and address impacts (work in progress).

Technical projects on critical systemic issues companies cannot conduct alone

Collaborate with factories and research groups to test and validate concepts. These initiatives will be highly targeted, focusing on very specific tangible outcomes that are chosen and guided by footwear companies. We have three areas of priority:

• Regulatory Innovation: Developing new tools and technologies to innovate around coming sustainability regulations on extended producer responsibility (California) to new ecodesign laws (EU) (work in progress).
• Manufacturing Innovation: Research and testing how to combine new machines and technology (AI) to innovate out manufacturing processes – new systems (work in progress).
• Trend/Inventory/Tariff Innovation: Research and testing new software and hardware to finish footwear (apply color or patterns to meet real-time market trend, find possible duty reductions) in U.S. and European warehouses.