Young people are increasingly moving to urban areas, and this urbanization is influencing what they purchase, from food to footwear.
The rising costs of living in urban areas means smaller apartments for many Gen Z. And, when your living room is the outdoors, you need a shoe that can go from concrete to green space.
Enter Columbia Sportswear’s SH/FT footwear, which are designed to fit the pavement-to-park lifestyle of emerging generations.
Dr. Denise Villa, CGK’s CEO and Co-Founder, participated in the expert panel at the launch of the new shoe line. She shared Gen Z data including findings from CGK’s annual Gen Z research, as a panelist at the SH/FT shoe release in Brooklyn, New York. The panel was led by Complex’s Joe La Puma and included Columbia’s Vice President of Footwear Peter Ruppe, Vanessa Garrison, the founder GirlTrek, and GRAMMY-award winning artist, DJ, and producer Zedd.
As Dr. Villa shared, Gen Z is very much a social generation, and outdoor activities are one of the ways where they’re able to get together. They are the most active generation, and they still want to look good while being active outdoors.
Our research is showing that this generation is more frugal and utilitarian than Millennials when it comes to their shopping and spending. They want to get more value for their money. Particularly, when it comes to footwear, Gen Z are more likely to eschew use-specific shoes. They expect more flexibility and seek products that they can use in different situations.
The SH/FT shoe collection is a great innovation by Columbia, and Dr. Villa had a great time being on the panel!
Is Your Brand Adapting to Win Gen Z?
At CGK, we lead custom national and international Gen Z consumer research studies for our clients every day. We also keynote events and participate on panels around the world, helping businesses better understand emerging Gen Z consumers and brand trendsetters.
Want to learn more about how we can help you or your brand? Send us an email or give us a call and we’ll be happy to provide a little information or set up a call with our research team.
Keep the conversation going. Follow CGK on Twitter @GenHQ. We are passionate about sharing our latest generational discoveries!
Disclosure: Dr. Villa received a speaking honorarium and sample product from Columbia Sportswear Company for her participation as a panelist, but this is not a sponsored post.
