Ashley said:
I don't see why you say that they look like cheap dollar store shoes. Maybe from the distance, but if you look close you can tell the differnce in quality and detail. If you say it like that, then you could put just about any shoe, converse to adidas to nike and they all have something that looks like it at Wal-mart or K-mart.
Sure new styles are something that Keds should do, but if they stop making the classic canvas champion then I stop buying them.
I'm not trying to be argumentitive here, but....
Remove the blue label at the back and what differences are there to the average person? They are both white CVO type sneakers with the same sole pattern, sole height, etc. They both have the same number of eyelets, tounge, etc. Really, from the outside there is no difference.
For us, we notice all the details of sneakers. Me, it's "real" sneakers like Nike, Reebok, Adidas, Asics, etc. I can look at a sneaker on a woman and instantly pick it out, know a lot about it. I can even spot a fake "AIR" shoe a mile away (Nike clone from China). Yet, to my wife who doesn't share this passion, they're all about the same....
The inside and cushioning may be a different story, but most consumers, given the above would buy the $2 K-mart shoes vs the $30 Keds.
It's one of the reasons why Nike, who owns Starter uses their old designs as inspiration for the Wal-Mart Starter line. It wants to reach those people who won't pay $60 for a pair of Nikes but will pay $15 for a pair of Starter shoes at Wal-Mart that look like Nikes.
Other than that, there are real obvious differences between Everlast and Nike and The Body Co. and Reebok. Or even Champion and Puma, New Balance, K-Swiss.
I'd bet if you stood on a street corner in just about any city in America and had a Ked (blue label removed) and a Hanes CVO from Walmart, few would be able to tell the difference or want to pay the Keds premium.
Not sure how Keds will go about shaking the stigma with anything other than new styles. Mischa may wear Keds on the OC, but when it comes time to buy shoes, Mary will look at the $30 Keds and the $2 Wal-Mart shoes that look just like the Keds and buy the $2 pair and spend the rest elsewhere. Then when she finds out how bad the shoes are she'll probably never wear Keds or Wal-Mart shoes again....
New styles that look less generic would be a great way to turn Keds around. Relying on the past is working for Converse because the past for them is cool - think rebel. That appeals to the younger generation (too bad they don't realize that their Dads and Granddads wore the same shoes) today.
The past for Keds is not so good. For people of my generation, Keds are Dirty Dancing shoes - a chick flick from the 80's. And Keds are what your Grandma wore or wears.
Ask a teenager what a Chucks is and you'll probably get an answer of "Converse sneakers".
Ask the same teenager what a Keds is and you'll probably get a blank stare.
That's what they are dealing with - brand recognition. The best way to get that is with new models and
LOTS of advertising. You can still sell the Classics (see Converse for a perfect example of how to sell both), but you have to bet the company on new products.
That may be one of the reasons Stride Rite picked up Saucony. They have a loyal following, a hot classic line (Jazz, Shadow, etc), and decent returns on their investment.
