Hotter, the comfort footwear brand, which has more than 4 million customers worldwide, has this week announced that the sale of active and outdoor shoes jumped up by 65% in July 2021 compared to July 2019, a category which now accounts for 20% of its total footwear sales, up from 11% in July 2019.
Ian Watson, CEO of Hotter Shoes, said: “There’s been an ongoing shift in footwear trends and corresponding sales during recent years which have been amplified by the pandemic as outdoor leisure and staycations surged and office working, which typically fuels the formal wear market, declined. We anticipate this demand for active footwear will only continue.
“Our strategy was focussed on these categories, however, our teams responded and accelerated our product range expertly at the start of the first lockdown, adding 32 new styles to the brand’s comfort and casual lines further driving purchases and giving us the capability to sell the types of footwear our customers needed throughout.”
Hotter’s sales data follows on from Mintel’s 2021 research which showed a 27% footwear sales growth worldwide in 2020 (equivalent to £3.6bn) driven by comfort wear including slippers, which are now the second most purchased type of women’s footwear. The figures mean that footwear has become the most purchased fashion item online, despite a general decline in the overall fashion retail market.* In contrast, the Mintel report found that the formal footwear market declined.
Watson added: “The fact that Hotter remained ahead of the curve is testament to our years of knowledge in the industry and our ability to successfully implement a digital transformation in the last 18 months. But we will never rest on our laurels; we are always looking to innovate and design the very best shoes centred around great comfort, style and fit.”
During the last 18 months, Hotter has invested heavily in technology and focused on enhancing its customer experiences online and in-store. The firm boasts industry-leading Footprint technology in its 17 stores, providing a 3D foot scanning facility to accurately measure foot width and size.
Alongside this, Hotter was the first brand in its category to launch Augmented Reality in its app for customers to try on products virtually from anywhere in the world.
Hotter’s investment in in-store and online experiences with shoe fitting has been crucial to its success as it responds to the changes on the high street post-pandemic, reflecting global data revealing that two in five (35%) footwear customers visit stores for inspiration before purchase.*
Victoria Betts, Chief Commercial Officer at Hotter, said: “While the last 18 months have been challenging for so many reasons in the retail sector, we’ve been sure to focus on what will secure future growth and longevity for the Hotter brand. We’ve harnessed leading technology alongside developing fantastic, relevant products and brilliant in-store and online experiences to provide excellent customer service.
“The future of the retail sector depends on a hybrid of all of these elements. We believe we’re leading the way in our category; ensuring that our customers can purchase the products they need to suit their lives in a bespoke and convenient way.”
Hotter’s two best selling products this year so far are Leanne ll and Walk ll – both active shoes launched in SS21.
