Despite the huge market in fashion footwear, no single academic textbook specifically addresses the fashion footwear business. In general, retail, marketing, brand and business elements of the sector are both under-researched and under-represented in existing fashion marketing publications, and no single text focuses on the business and strategic direction of this product category from a fashion marketing perspective. Marketing Fashion Footwear sets out to address this gap and to demonstrate how footwear is now seen as an integral part of the retailer mix, providing fashion, marketing and design students alike with an invaluable guide to research in this product area as well as insider advice on how to gain employment in this competitive industry sector.

The first book to provide in-depth insights into one of the fastest growing areas of the fashion industry, Marketing Fashion Footwear: The Business of Shoes explores the retail environment, consumer attitudes to footwear, as well as brand creation, production and protection. Marketing Fashion Footwear: The Business of Shoes takes as its specific focus the marketing and merchandising of fashion footwear, as opposed to performance footwear, or health and safety footwear, such as work boots or orthopaedic shoes. As such, Marketing Fashion Footwear: The Business of Shoes uniquely provides a comprehensive guide to the theories and strategies used to develop, manage and market fashion footwear. Key marketing, merchandising and brand management theories are applied to current case studies from some of the most successful international footwear and fashion brands, and interviews with key industry figures offer unique insights into this lucrative industry, making it a must-have text for all students of fashion retailing, fashion merchandising, fashion management, and those looking to specialise in the footwear industry.

Fiona Armstrong-Gibbs is Senior Lecturer in Fashion at Liverpool John Moores University, UK.

Tamsin McLaren is Senior Lecturer in Fashion Management with Marketing at Southampton Solent University, UK.

Introduction

1. What is fashion footwear?
The evolving role of footwear in the fashion industry; -Size and structure of the global footwear industry

2. The Retail Landscape
Who's who in the shoe shop business?; -Footwear specialists; -Case studies: Tory Burch and Steve Madden; -Department stores; -Clothing retailers; -Case study: Topshop; -Multi-channel and challenges and future trends in web-based retailing; -Industry perspective: Converse All Star Forever; -Workshop I: 'Crossing cultures'

3. Retail theatre and design concepts
The traditional shoe shop environment tested; -Challenges of visual merchandising; -Speedy Self Service – off the shelf shoes; -Case study New Look; -A departure from the old – a new home for shoes; -Industry Perspective: Selfridges Shoe Hall v Saks 5th Ave Zip Code; -Workshop II: 'Trading pairs'

4. Management strategies for retail growth
The Ankle Boot Analysers; -The Platform Prospectors; -The Sling back Reactors; -The Brogue Defenders ~ the last shoe shop standing; -Industry Perspective: Stealth like Repetto or crazy for Crocs?; -Workshop III: 'Going Global'

5. The Consumer
On your 'uppers' – shoe shopping in a recession; -Demographics – proliferation of the fast fashion shopper; -Psychographic motivations for new shoe purchases; -The shoe consumer explained….typology of shoppers; -Conspicuous consumption; what your shoes say about you; -'If the shoe fits?' One brand for all – the global consumer; -Wearing and disposal of shoes; -Industry Perspective: Shoe Shwopping at Oliver Sweeney; -Future consumer trends; -Workshop IV: 'consumer profiling'; -Production and supply chain; 0-Product life cycle - wardrobe staple or one-season wonder?; -The critical path; -From trade fairs to trend prediction; -Footwear construction; -Handmade or mass produced?; -World map of shoe production; -Europe – the shift from West to East; -The Americas – Across the equator from USA to Mexico; -Asia – China, India; -Sizing and Quality - Fit for purpose?; -New technology platforms - Just Do It; -Industry Perspective: Irregular choice in China; -Workshop V: 'Shifting production for demand'; -The global footwear trade; -Logistics and legalities; -Ethics and CSR -Very Veja; -Sourcing footwear suppliers – check list; -Wholesale distribution – the fashion footwear cycle; -Industry Perspective: Toms do the right thing; -Workshop VI: 'Footwear Buying'

6. Branded footwear management
Protecting the brand-Y.S.L . versus Louboutin; -Intellectual property - In 3D not 2D; -Global counterfeit culture; -Industry Perspective: Franchise model management-The Ugg classic; -Workshop; -VII: 'Combating the fake trade'

7. Marketing communications
Shoes in the media; -From shoemaker to the red carpet; -Shoes on the small screen; -The digital revolution for shoes; -Harnessing the effect of social media; -Managing the Event - Joules and horses for courses; -Industry perspective: Holding Court; the prevailing growth of Jimmy Cho; -Workshop VIII: PR strategies for success

8. The Value of the Brand
Measuring shoe success –awareness, adoption and sales; -Consumer brand Royalty (LK Bennett and KM); -Sneaker 'style-tribes' united in the digital age?; -Collaborations-Clarks, Eley Kishimoto and Harris Tweed; -From function to fashion – the creation of a footwear icon; -The footwear designer versus the entrepreneur; -Industry perspective: Kat Maconie (UK); -Workshop X: 'Branded for Success'

9. Working in the footwear industry
Industry perspective: Roles and job profiles in Design, Supply Chain, Buying, Wholesale, Retail & Marketing; -Conclusion; -Glossary; -Bibliography; -Useful Resources; -Acknowledgements and Credits