Sorel Footwear to Enter Outerwear

The Sorel footwear brand is preparing to follow its parent into the outerwear business. Sorel, founded in 1962 as a cold-weather men’s footwear brand for farmers, fishermen and other outdoor enthusiasts in Canada, became part of Portland, Ore.-based Columbia Sportswear Co. when its trademark was acquired out of bankruptcy in 2000. Tim Boyle, chief executive officer of Columbia, outlined objectives for the brand during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call last month, saying Sorel needed to continue to “focus on young, fashion-forward female consumers; evolve purposefully and thoughtfully into a year-round brand,” and continue to earn real estate at specialty footwear boutiques. Acting on those goals helped the brand expand to a $166.2 million franchise in 2014, 29.1 percent above the $128.7 million sold in the prior year, with much of the growth coming from its ability to combine its traditional protective mission with style and enjoy strong penetration in the women’s fashion footwear market. “Seven years ago, we were predominantly a utilitarian men’s business, and today it is predominantly a women’s business, and a fashion women’s business, too,” said Mark Nenow, who was named president of Sorel in a realignment of corporate duties earlier this month, after nearly eight years as vice president of

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