Collection Review: Key

Items – Women's Footwear

S/S 22
As brands prepare for a partywear boom, comfort and
seasonless appeal remain top of mind for next season's
buy

the WGSN Accessories & Footwear Team

10.22.21 · 5 minutes

Blumarine
Market analysis
The footwear category saw significant shi s towards comfort and leisure during
the pandemic, with active and # twomilewear styles dominating consumer spend.
For S/S 22, comfort remains key, with # clogs and the # flatform featuring. Keep an
eye on occasion styles, as the # pointedpump and # toepostsandal are reframed by
fashion leaders who are backing a pent-up demand for partywear
At retail, sandals are dominating the new-in product mix, continuing to increase
their share over the past three S/S seasons (+2ppts to 44% UK, +2ppts to 47% US)
For climates with inclement weather, bolster collections with all-weather
silhouettes such as the boot (occupying 9% of the UK and 11% of the US footwear
category mix), which despite its small hold, is one to watch for retailers and ready
to sit with the trend for rising hemlines

Givenchy

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Test or invest
Invest in comfortable styles that bridge formal and casual appeal to tap into consumer demand for versatility. Newcomers including the #clog and the # atform remains
key for the season ahead, while fashion-forward styles such as the #pointedpump should be tested in occasionwear lines. The #toepostsandal holds strong as a core
silhouette. Consider the transseasonal versatility of the boot: as hemlines get shorter, opt for lighter materials and long-line pro les to pair with the miniskirt.

Test Invest

Fendi Miu Miu Rokh Stella McCartney Ganni

01 02 03 04 05
Long-line boot Pointed-toe slingback Toe-post sandal Flatform Clog
pump

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 The clog
A solid performer at retail this season,
continue to explore the versatile clog
silhouette across fashion and core markets
for S/S 22.

Clog styles are key to our # twomilewear

trend, which highlights items that work just
as well at home as they do for the office, bar
and everything in between
This # 70s-honed footwear style resurfaced
Sunnei Lorenzo-Mari
across the streets, trade shows and regional
Loafer hybrid Chunky chains catwalks this season. It is performing well at
retail due to its comfort-driven qualities
Explore a variety of styles, from classic
leather and wooden renditions for your core
market, to fashion-forward rubber iterations
for a directional finish. # Stackedplatform
heels are set to uptrend

Givenchy Salvatore Ferragamo Paris

Futuristic form Classic horsebit style Stacked platform

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 The atform
One of the most dominant silhouettes this
season, the comfort-driven atform can be
interpreted across a plethora of styles,
giving it huge scope for commercial
versatility come S/S 22.

Classic slider styles should be core to your

range, in line with the Newstalgia mood cited
throughout the season. Strappy cupsoles,
puffed uppers and padded straps nod to the
Tod's Hermès need for comfort, while cra ed renditions
work well for our Freedom Chasers story
Strappy cupsoles Gladiator-style and sportif straps
Sustainable materials and performance
qualities are a must for this beach-ready
item. Chloé's collaboration with Ocean Sole
used # upcycled materials, while Stella
McCartney featured an EVA sportif sole

Pixy Chloé Stella McCartney

Padded straps Upcycled soles Hardware details

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 The toe-post sandal
Bridging the gap between comfort and style,
be sure to include this forever piece across
summer assortments.

Brands are backing a variety of sandal styles

this season, including the contemporary
# toepostsandal. The look sits between a
flip-flop and # strappysandal, borrowing the
language of comfort and detailing from both.
Designers keep the loop simple in leathers,
Shanghai with the occasional pop of colour adding
Supriya Lele
newness to the mix
Embellishment details including bows, coins,
orals and butter ies  Asymmetric straps  Opt for responsibly sourced smooth box
leathers to offer a premium feel
Noteworthy for fashion-led assortments are
continuing 1990s # squaretoe iterations.
Lower heel heights or add comfort footbeds
for occasion styles – ideal for # gardenparty
drops

Tod's Angel Alarcon Yohji Yamamoto

Angular feature heel Square toe  Embellished and crafted straps

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 The pointed-toe slingback
pump
The slingback pump offers a mix of day-to-
evening styles that will cater to consumers'
lifestyle needs.

As called out in our Buyers' Briefing, the

# slingback pump is another item that ticks
the all-day-wear box consumers are
demanding from footwear silhouettes going
into S/S 22
Deimille Nensi Dojaka
Offer plenty of choices for next season.
Exuberant embellishment Asymmetric strap Evening styles will soon recover, so test out
exuberant embellishments for party styles,
including playful # hypertexture
For looks that cater to an all-day aesthetic
ideal for Business Casual drops, look to
asymmetric strap placements or penny
loafer detailing, as seen at Miu Miu
Feature sculptural heels are set to uptrend
for S/S 23, so start testing at retail now

Miu Miu Copenhagen MM6 Maison Margiela

Penny loafer detail Kitten and feature heels Hypertexture

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 The long-line boot
Back the boot as a transseasonal must-have,
perfect when paired with thigh-grazing
summer silhouettes.

No longer reserved for A/W, next season's

boot styles introduce long-line silhouettes,
from knee-high to over-the-knee – a must-
have when paired with the season's skirt du
jour, the mini. Low-impact and visually
appealing high-shine finishes and mood-
Paris Paul & Joe boosting colour pops will refresh your
range. Introduce # gardenflorals, taking
Flatform sole Garden orals stacked platform
inspiration from Paul & Joe's design
Focus on # flatform, # stackedplatform and
hybrid # clog soles, all offering comfort
properties

Liu Jo Christian Dior Givenchy

Mood-boosting colours High-shine nish and cutouts  Over-the-knee clog silhouette 

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Action points
Invest in items that deliver
comfort and style
The pandemic has shi ed consumer
preference into the familiarity of
comfort. For footwear, this reinstates a
number of core styles such as the
# clog, while flatforms deliver on-trend
style and ease of wear
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Prepare for partywear
Fashion leaders are backing a pent-up
demand for partywear styles come S/S
22, so explore items such as
the # toepostsandal and pointed-toe
slingback pump for occasionwear
drops. Ensure these incorporate
comfort-first qualities – a key consumer
priority for the season ahead
Inclement climate's call for all-
season items
Although sandals and open-toe styles
are your seasonal go-to, don't
underestimate silhouettes such as the
boot for an all-weather appeal. As
weather patterns change, increase your
share in seasonless looks that will
appeal to the consumer looking to buy
with longevity in mind
Source sustainably and harness
collaborations
# Sustainability is an ever-increasing
consumer purchasing priority. Be
transparent about your sourcing and
leverage the power of
# creativecollabs, partnering with
suppliers who utilise responsible
materials, upcycled details and trims
Methodology
WGSN e-commerce data
Analysis based on women's apparel, footwear and accessories products collected
from WGSN's proprietary retail e-commerce data platform during the S/S 20 and
S/S 21 retail seasons in the US and UK
Please note, some retailers are excluded to ensure like-for-like calculations and
to avoid inflated product counts due to the acquisition of new retailers on the
platform
Numbers may fluctuate as we recategorise to help clarify ambiguous/new
products or if retailers refactor their websites
Definitions :
Assortment mix (%): products in each category divided by overall apparel
products available during the specified period
New-in: the products that are newly added to the retail website within the
timeframe selected
Markdown (%): products in markdown divided by overall products available
during the specified period in each given department or category
Out-of-stocks (%): the proportion of products that have 50% or more SKUs out of
stock (OOS)
Percentage point (ppts): a percentage is the proportion of a set of products over a
larger set. An example is new-in trousers over new-in apparel mix. A percentage
Altuzarra
point computes the arithmetical difference between percentages; going from 40%
to 44% is a 4ppts increase
YoY: year-on-year