Just eight months after joining Aerosoles as its new president and chief brand officer, industry veteran Jimmy Gabriel is ready for the market to see what he’s been up to since coming on-board.
Debuting at next week’s FFANY market week in New York, the American Exchange Group-owned footwear company will unveil the Aerosoles Essentials Collection, which builds on the brand’s most iconic, archival shoes.
According to Gabriel, the debut collection will be over 100 styles – everything from dress heels, wedges, mid platforms, block heels, and flats with a range of closed toe, sandals, and sneakers. Expect to also see a variation of materials used including stretch, woven, and knits, as well as iconic ornaments that are synonymous with the Aerosoles label including buckles and hardware.
Priced from $29 to $89, the collection incorporates Aerosoles’ signature comfort technologies including the Diamond Flex Sole, Stitch N’ Turn construction, and diamond-embossed pillow-soft insoles. The collection is slated to be available to consumers by the fourth quarter this year.
“The archives for Aerosoles are pretty incredible,” Gabriel told FN in an exclusive interview ahead of FFANY. “We started by diving into nearly four decades of iconic samples, catalogs, and feedback from both retailers and consumer. That history helped us identify the brand’s most beloved and successful styles.”
The executive noted that the idea was to bring that consumer along the journey to what Aerosoles used to be while also regaining the faith from that customer by updating its icons.
“There’s going to be a number of shoes that people are going to see in the collection and say, ‘Oh my god, I remember that look.’ That’s what I’m excited for everyone to see,” Gabriel added.
As for what else has changed at the brand, the executive noted that following its 2022 acquisition by American Exchange Group, Aerosoles has entered a new era of growth.
“Before the acquisition, Aerosoles was more of an item-driven business,” Gabriel said. “Now the brand is a complete line and the consumer is reacting. We have tripled the business since the acquisition – a lot of which came from building our online presence.”
Gabriel also noted that the customer range has widened in the past few years. Indeed, Aerosoles is now seeking out women aged 25 to 65, according to the exec.
“We now have three generations of consumers who know the brand,” he said. “I want to make sure that we include all of them in Aerosoles going forward.”
