Upcoming Trade Shows in for Shoes

The age-old challenge for the shoes industry has been how to outsell one’s competitor, and the market only becomes more cutthroat with each passing year. So, selling smarter is every company’s priority. From cutting-edge 3D technology to a renewed focus on comfort and personalization, today’s top footwear brands are trying out different strategies to meet rising consumer expectations. The trends shaping the shoe industry in 2024 point toward innovation at every level. Footwear might be last sector you’d expect for 3D technology to make an impact, but 3D has unlocked new avenue for manufacturing and selling. What once served merely as a tool for rapid prototyping is now a full-scale design and sales asset. Brands are using 3D modeling not just to experiment with designs quickly, but to offer a fully immersive buying experience. Through platforms like NuORDER, companies can present 360-degree views of shoes before a buyer ever adds a pair to their cart. This shift is helping close the gap between online and in-store shopping thanks to digital previews that are far more compelling than static images. Now let’s circle back to comfort; the thing the shoes industry has lost sight of in recent years. If you ask consumers what they want in their footwear, nine out of ten will list comfort as the first criteria. Major brands are launching comfort-first designs with companies like Spanx introducing Sneex, a new line of comfortable high heels, while Lululemon and Heydude continue to build campaigns around wearability and daily use. Personalization is also redefining the customer experience. The rise of data-driven customization tools allows brands to tailor their offerings in real time. NuORDER’s Assortments feature enables wholesale buyers to view curated collections based on the most recent inventory and customer trends, which mimicks the individualized nature of a DTC experience without the heavy lift of direct advertising.