Aerosoles is embarking on a major brand expansion this fall.
Next month, the American Exchange Group-owned footwear brand is set to launch men’s and kids’ shoes as well as handbags, marking one of the most significant category expansions in the brand’s nearly four-decade history.
The launches arrive during a pivotal period of growth for Aerosoles as the company continues its evolution from a footwear brand into a broader lifestyle business. Under the leadership of president and chief brand officer Jimmy Gabriel, Aerosoles has focused on modernizing the brand through product innovation, storytelling, and customer engagement while remaining rooted in the comfort-first foundation that built its reputation.
“When I came on board two years ago, I felt Aerosoles was lost; it was a little all over the board,” Gabriel told FN in an exclusive interview. “That was certainly not the fault of the design team. They had tremendous talent, but the brand needed clear direction and, most importantly, it needed to get back to its roots.”
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Gabriel explained that he and his team deconstructed the brand in order to rebuild it, with his first priority being revitalizing Aerosoles’ core women’s shoe business. And now, two years later, the executive noted that the brand is ready for more.
“From a merchant’s perspective, you never expand simply because you can; you expand because the customer gives you permission,” Gabriel said. “Once the core was strong and the customer believed in Aerosoles again, moving into men’s, kids’, and handbags became a natural evolution. That is Brand Building 101: get the product right, earn the customer’s trust, and then grow from a position of strength. Good things take time, and now we have the foundation to build Aerosoles into a true lifestyle brand.”
As for what to expect from the new categories, Gabriel noted that in men’s, Aerosoles is focused on modern loafers, sneakers, and versatile boots that deliver comfort while still looking polished. Kids’ is all about fun, comfortable knit flats brought to life with playful colors and thoughtful details. An in handbags, it starts with the “shapes women actually live in,” including crossbodies, totes, and shoulder bags, and then making them feel new through materials, colors, and hardware.
Gabriel also credited the work of Fabiana Rigamonti, creative director and head of design at Aerosoles. “Fabi loves to surprise people, and I encourage that,” he said. “I always say design has to keep looking forward through the windshield, while sales naturally wants to play it safe and look in the rearview mirror at what already worked. You need both, but you cannot build a relevant brand entirely from last year’s best sellers.”
The new product range will be showcased in Aerosoles new fall 2026 campaign centered around the theme “Be Real.”
Photographed across Bucks County, Pa., Stockton, N.J., and New York City, locations personally connected to Gabriel, the campaign pairs fashion imagery with documentary-style storytelling, highlighting local business owners, creatives, and community figures alongside the brand’s newest product categories.
Among those featured are Chef Bob Truitt of the Stockton Inn and Sophie Rosenberg of the Stockton Market, whose stories embody the campaign’s commitment to celebrating the people and communities behind the places that inspire the brand.
The launch of Aerosoles Men’s is introduced through creative director Jeremiah Hadjian, who steps in front of the camera as both the architect and subject of the campaign, reinforcing the brand’s belief that genuine connection begins with real people.
Also at the center of the fall rollout is the return of the Aerosoles catalog, arriving in homes nationwide beginning in September. Designed as an editorial extension of the “Be Real” campaign, the catalog brings together campaign imagery, the season’s new categories, and long-form storytelling in a format that allows customers to experience the complete Aerosoles story without the distractions of an algorithm-driven feed.
“At Aerosoles, we have a saying: ‘We like to turn the page, not scroll the screen,’” Gabriel said. “Listen, we know our demographic, and we say that with a lot of love! Our customer enjoys sitting with something, turning the pages, and seeing the complete story without an algorithm deciding what she should look at next. And in a world where everyone is scrolling past hundreds of messages every day, a beautiful printed piece can actually make someone stop and pay attention. Digital will always be important, but print is tangible, personal, and deliberate, and that speaks directly to our customer.”
What do the new categories mean for the long-term future of the brand?
“From my perspective, the new categories create more entry points into the brand, more reasons for customers to shop with us, and a much broader conversation with our retail partners,” Gabriel added. “When we can sit down with a retailer and discuss women’s, men’s, kids’, and handbags, we are no longer presenting just another footwear collection; we are presenting a complete brand strategy. That changes the conversation, the amount of space we can earn, and the size of the opportunity.”
Ultimately, the executive wants Aerosoles to be a true multi-generational brand.
“These new categories introduce Aerosoles to an entirely new generation of customers,” Gabriel said. “This is how you take a legacy brand and give it a bigger future without losing its soul. Women’s built the foundation; these new categories open the door to what Aerosoles can become next. We are not at the finish line; we are really just beginning the next chapter.”
