Comfort footwear brand, Rockport, is celebrating the 35th anniversary of one of it's best-selling shoes, the DresSport, this year. In celebration, the brand will release the DresSport DS35 anniversary shoe. Rockport's Australian brand manager, Nick Blackwood, talks to Imogen Bailey about the history of the brand, the anniversary, as well as what is to come.
Talk me through the history of Rockport generally and then, specifically in Australia.
Rockport was born in Boston in 1971 with the father and son team of Saul and Bruce Katz. Back at the very beginning there was a clear focus on designing tradition style shoes with emphasis on lightness and comfort.
Fast forward to 1983 and they were the first to put sport technology into footwear. So they really pioneered that whole concept of sport features into dress shoes.
True Alliance has been looking after Rockport for over 30 years and Australia has been a strong market for Rockport over the last 30 years. We've built some great relationships over the years and had success in walking, dress and casual – so all the categories.
In September we're talking about our DresSports' 35th anniversary, and we're looking back to 1983 when this DresSports collection was born – the same collection that is one of our best selling shoes in all channels right now – was born in 1983, so it's quite incredible that we've been able to have a shoe that's been so successful for so many years, and in the Australian market too.
Is there anything particularly different with the anniversary DS35 DresSport shoe compared to the others?
It similar and it's built with all the same features and benefits in mind. This dress shoe has been designed for the “daily marathon” of a work week and has literally been put to the test in actual marathons!
This one in particular, the black wing-tip, features; [a] full-grain, dress-leather upper; it's [got] a white biomechanically designed, injected EVA outsole – which is very important – the injected EVA is high quality and that component of the shoe gives it it's incredible feel and comfort on foot; then you've got classic broguing details; beautiful silver reflective underlay; the proprietary 'Tru tech' technology, which is built into the heel; and, the little 35 on the backstay of the heel, which is a little nod to Rockport's milestone.
It's very similar, but with the beautiful broguing and a white midsole, that contrast on the midsole, it really pops. Then the reflective silver is amazing, but it's the same concepts all the way through.
Any other celebrations happening for the 35 years?
So we're launching the 35th anniversary of the DresSport at the beginning of August and then in September we've got our Let's Walk range launching, which is an incredible shoe with our new 'Integrated Motion Technology.'
We had an incredible sell-in when we took it [Let's Walk range] out to sell for this summer 18 period, and we've also got another great range coming for winter 19, so we're really excited about the Let's Walk technology and the release which is on the back of the 35th anniversary DresSport release, which is pretty cool.
Bob Infantino, the CEO of Rockport, is very clear about, 'hey, let's get back to our walking roots. This is about comfort and about having a shoe that people will talk about. When it's on their feet, they'll be telling their friends about it.'
It's kind of the way Rockport is actually. It's one of those shoes that once you've got it on your foot, it's very hard to not put a Rockport on your foot, because you just get used to that comfort.
I think the really exciting thing for Rockport, personally, from my point of view, is that every season we see something incredible that we're excited about in a shoe.
When you're working in comfort footwear – whether it be dress shoes or casual shoes – to come to each season and to be genuinely excited by the innovation and design, it's incredible.
This article has been edited for clarity and brevity.