A few weeks ago, WSA announced new dates for its February show in Las Vegas. They just happened to be the same dates as FFANY, the footwear show in NYC.  Now, the industry is scrambling to figure out their next moves. Which city will have the better brands? The better retailers?  With the industry in such flux, BPMW assembled 2 dozen of the footwear industry’s most opinionated shoe folk – designers, money men, analysts,sales reps,  marketing peeps and retailers were all in attendance. In addition to talking trade shows, we discussed trends, challenges at retail and tried to figure out why UGGs are still super hot. If you’d like to weigh in on the conversation, join our discussion group on Facebook.

Also, read more about last night’s event on consultant Jasmine Takanikos’ blog.

Sneakers always play a huge part of Compass, and we’ve got an international blend of big names, and small, up and comers. After the jump, a selection of styles and brands that made a splash at the show.  At left– ProKeds’ old new look.

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With all the Mod and British influences in menswear right now, we’re kinda hoping for a Creeper revival. And T.U.K. is the source for all of that.  Pictured left, a fresh take on the classic style.

Sometimes sneakers just aren’t right. Footwear that’s both distinctive in its styling, and casual, but not too casual is the direction the market is headed this season, as evidenced by the abundance of dressy-casual hybrids we saw at Compass last weekend. Check out some highlights after the jump. At left, the latest from Vael.

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We’ve just shown you a few styles earlier this week from Rachel Comey’s footwear collection but we’ve got a lot more here, live from Compass.

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John Varvatos just celebrated his 10^th anniversary in the footwear game—he began by making high quality Goodyear –welted shoes for his runway shows and started wholesaling them shortly after—now footwear accounts for close to 25% of his total business. The collection is known for the use of soft, aged leathers, stripped colors, and a familiar worn in look. At Compass, the designer is showing 2 labels—Collection, which is made in Italy and is affiliated with his clothing collection; and Star USA, a new label which ties back to the sportswear of the same name. We’ve got some pics… after the jump.

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Palladium’s been looking pretty good to us since their re-launch at retail this month.  We like these hemp styles they’ve introduced for spring, thanks to details like embroidered eyelets (rather than riveted ones) and hemp cotton shoelaces. More pics from spring  and a look at their unique sole construction, after the jump.

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Abington, the fashion forward label of the Timberland brand  has been impressing our guests at (capsule) NY and Compass with their live footwear sewing. The collection featured several hand sewn styles, all made in the Dominican Republic, and they’re promoting that fact by having one of their skilled sewers actually make shoes at our shows. So cool!   Timberland Boot Co, the heritage component of Timberland  is also looking great with some innovative soles that make them look like they’re super old and have been restored and repaired. We’re also excited about the launch of women’s. Pics after the jump.

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We’re pretty excited about the Red Wing Wabasha collection, which brings a fresh look to the classic American brand. Made of 2 tone leather in the Red Wing tanneries in the USA, combines with waxed canvas, these styles are all hand sewn in the USA.  The company is also debuting a new colorway for their classic chukka. The sage color seen after the jump is inspired by a particular color Red Wing makes for the US military in their tanneries.

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The Chippewa brand is a true American heritage brand, making footwear since 1901. The brand is known for its rugged outdoor styling and is a favorite of a core consumer base of hunters, motorcyclists and outdoor enthusiasts. Of course all styles are made in the USA, and many are hand  sewn—a technique which seems to be rising in importance in our segment of the market- so keep an eye out for hand sewn styles. We loved one collection in particular which incorporated cordovan leather with sand suede. At a retail of under $200 Chippewa is definitely on our must have list, More pics after the jump.

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