Establishing and Accelerating Critical Projects

We collaborate with companies, inventors, factories, and research groups to run and support technical projects—testing and validating concepts that drive industry-wide innovation. These initiatives are highly targeted, focusing on specific tangible outcomes chosen and guided by footwear companies. Current examples include:

• Regulatory Innovation – Developing new tools and technologies to innovate around upcoming regulations, such as extended producer responsibility (California), new Ecodesign laws (EU), and traceability issues. (Project in progress)
• Carbon Emissions in Footwear Manufacturing – Researching modern emissions caused by footwear manufacturing in Asian factories, including new data to support future research and ideas for reducing carbon output. Read Report Now
• Re-Assessing Modern U.S. Footwear Production & Opportunities for Catalyzing Strategic Re-Shoring – Exploring opportunities to expand domestic manufacturing in the U.S., understanding financial models, the labor-to-capital environment, and other factors to help footwear executives evaluate reshoring options. (Project in progress)
• Manufacturing Innovation – Researching and testing how new machines and technology (including AI) can transform manufacturing processes. (Upcoming project)
• Trend/Inventory Innovation – Exploring new software and hardware solutions to finish or restyle footwear (e.g., applying color or patterns) in U.S. and European warehouses to meet real-time market trends. (Upcoming project)

Reach out to us if you are conducting footwear research or development projects and need our support.

Producing Forward-Thinking Papers and Research

• Crafting insightful reports and papers to identify ‘white space’ opportunities — areas of untapped value that remain unrecognized within the industry.
• Offering innovative ideas and strategic insights to foster growth — enabling broad, exploratory thinking to help shape the industry's forward evolution.
• Helping increase critical thought in the footwear industry — helping shape the future of research projects.

Advising Academics and Researchers to Improve R&D Outcomes

We provide exclusive knowledge and insights into footwear — both as a product and as part of the larger system — to support and guide researchers as they explore key issues and challenges. We can help you access key insights, data sets, and a deeper understanding of how the industry operates. Additionally, we offer guidance on what R&D projects the industry is seeking.

Reach out to us if you are conducting footwear research or development projects and need our support.