By Mark Seavy 

Footwear companies are finding new and increasing effective ways to market their products on social media through partnerships with influencers as well as by spotlighting consumer content.    

Ground Up, for example, monitors social media for organic, in-store videos of their products. Accounts like Mama Shops and Target Minis recently generated millions of views on Tik Tok and Instagram, respectively, for Ground Up’s new Bluey slippers (size five to 12) at Walmart and Target. Ground Up also developed adult sizes for Bluely footwear after it attracted attention on Reddit and, as a result, also created adult sizes for its footwear connected to the upcoming Beetlejuice 2 film. 

“You can see the build of sales—it is not that the video goes up and consumers start buying the next day,” Ground Up CEO Jack Gindi said. “Rather it builds over three to five weeks. It creates awareness that the footwear exists. But whether consumers buy it or not is a different story. We are trying to accelerate this a little more.” 

SG Companies, meanwhile, is expanding its social media efforts with the marketing platform Upfluence, which enables the company to identify influencers that fit best with the brand. The program will launch during the holiday season to promote color drops of SG’s Rugged Shark Kano footwear on the brand’s website, said Kristy Yvars, VP of Licensing and Marketing at SG.  

This shift comes as the company has licensed InMocean for Rugged Shark men’s swimsuits that will launch at Walmart in the spring and for backpacks due in fall 2025, Yvars said. SG, having licensed the Sperry brand from Authentic Brands Group, is also readying a new collection of kids footwear (sizes 11 to six) that will initially be available in the spring before receiving new designs in fall 2025. 

“Social media allows you to communicate and tell a story more organically and learn about what is engaging your customers,” Yvars said. “It’s a great opportunity to get feedback from and understand how consumers are interacting with your brand. Many consumers are using social as a first entry point to your brand, and it is imperative to show up across those platforms.” 

This focus on social media comes at a time when more suppliers are crafting experience-focused in-store retail displays and consumer meetups, both of which have been found to inspire posts on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. 

Ground Up, for example, is seeking to build awareness of its Bluey products with in-store pallets at three Sam’s Club stores, including those in Rogers and Bentonville, AK (November) and Grapevine, TX (October 19). The display will feature Bluey and Bingo costumed characters working four-hour shifts. Ground Up will staff the booth and handle security.  

Footwear supplier Steve Madden, meanwhile, hosted a “Sip and See” event at the Fashion Footwear Association of New York (FFANY) show last week to gain consumer input for its spring/summer 2025 women’s shoe collection. The line includes a licensing deal with WHP Global for its Anne Klein brand.  

It’s especially important for brands to do everything possible to connect with consumers, as many suppliers and retail buyers at the FFANY event expressed concerns about tighter consumer spending and how global events (including the upcoming election in the U.S.) could affect the industry.  

Katy Perry footwear, despite these concerns, is expanding into Mexico with a new distributor and seeking a similar agreement for the Asian market. It is all part of a plan for the brand to expand into international markets with a collection of block heel, strappy, and slide sandals, according to company executives.  

“Retailers are looking for lower risk on the front end and [to] chase opportunity on the back end,” Gindi said. “That way, you mitigate your risk up front. And if you scramble and miss a week or two of sales, so be it. But at least you are nimble, and you chase into the stuff that is performing.”