What are the best-selling shoes? The changes brought by the pandemic
Among the different consequences caused by the appearance of Covid-19 at political, economic and social levels, life systems have adapted to a new reality, where values and priorities have been reordered according to the needs and possibilities of the various social segments.
In this regard, the food and health items are among the most essential, while clothing acquires its development to the extent that the above are satisfied.
Thus, FOOTWEAR, as an integral part of this sector, also evolves to form an offer according to the characteristics of the new consumption. The conditions of isolation, reduced mobility, less social exposure and a decrease in purchasing power in the majority of the population are decisive, for manufacturers, when planning and producing footwear.
Within these characteristics, the pandemic and the new ways of life only confirmed the growing advance of sports and athleisure footwear, extremely functional for different occasions. In addition to the strictly sports, lines are developed between casual, hybrid and domestic with simple and flexible constructions of maximum comfort. Notable among the latter is the greater demand for slippers, flip flops, espadrilles, slip-ons, and mules.
The designs accompany this concept with a simplified and minimalist aesthetic and construction, oriented towards practicality and comfort.
Luxury and high fashion, as well as formal footwear, are somewhat relegated to this new trend that tends to satisfy current demand.
It's hard to imagine an elegant Louis XV/Stilettos going through everyday life in a pandemic environment. It will surely be limited for special situations and for those who can access those products.
In line with the aforementioned, the decrease in the heights, in favor of the low lines, is appreciable.
With the greatest preference for comfort over aesthetics, the lasts adapt the volumes to the ergonomic aspect of the foot. That is to say, "contemplating the inside of the shoe more than its outside." Hence, the shapes are organic, rounded and smooth, avoiding angled tips -fine and square in excess-, generating greater amplitude of interior spaces.
Regarding the characteristics of the footwear most used in times of “quarantine”, it is unquestionable that among the materials, textiles and synthetics prevail over leathers. Hand in hand with technology, design and variety, different options have been developed in a wide aesthetic range with good flexibility, functionality and application properties.
Within the textile sector, woven uppers have proliferated, offering conditions of maximum comfort and remarkable ease of manufacture.
As a support, great technological advances have been registered in supplies and processes for the production of soles, also with excellent characteristics of low weight and flexibility. The injection of eva and expanded materials allow the obtaining of a great variety of light, flexible and diverse modeling soles.
The different injection processes have far exceeded the artisan elaborations.
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