Stuart Weitzman is adding men’s shoes to its luxury footwear offering for the first time.
First seen last week at the brand’s Milan Fashion Week presentation, the inaugural men’s footwear collection will launch in February for the spring/summer 2024 season and will feature a range of sophisticated silhouettes crafted by artisans in Italy.
According to the Tapestry-owned footwear brand, the men’s line will consist of four parts — Premiere, Club, Resort and Sport, designed to offer shoes for all occasions. Standout styles include dress styles like loafers and derbys as well as casual slip-ons, sneakers and sandals. The company said consumers can expect to find the same craftsmanship and materials that the brand already uses in its women’s collection.
“Stuart Weitzman is synonymous with stylish and comfortable high-quality shoes that inspire confidence — and we are excited to expand our assortment to include offerings for men, as well,” Giorgio Sarné, brand president and CEO at Stuart Weitzman, said in a statement.
The collection will be distributed in the United States, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. With that, it will also offer multiple widths to cater to the diverse range of customer sizes across the globe.
Stuart Weitzman’s new men’s collection debuted alongside its latest women’s line in Milan last week. Across the women’s assortment, the tried-and-true nudist sandal is reimagined with wood veneer heels and platforms. And as the 5050 boot turns 30, the iconic style is back in the spotlight — with a big push planned for fall. The brand — which recently saw the departure of designer Edmundo Castillo — also is making a foray into women’s sneakers.
The push into women’s sneakers comes as Tapestry is aiming to increase market relevancy and emotionally engage its consumers at its Stuart Weitzman brand, which fell short in the fourth quarter.
In its earnings report released last month, Tapestry noted that its luxury footwear label saw a 13 percent drop in net sales in Q4 to $62.6 million, down from $71.9 million the same period last year. For the full year, Stuart Weitzman reported a net sales decline of 11 percent to $281.6 million, down from $317.7 million in 2022.
Looking ahead to fiscal 2024, Tapestry CEO Joanne Crevoiserat told analysts on last month’s earnings call that the company is focusing on driving growth in Stuart Weitzman’s core and iconic categories while adding depth to underpenetrated classifications that represent significant opportunity. This includes the launch of an extended sneaker assortment planned in the second quarter as well as expanded offering of flats, specifically trend-right ballet styles.
