Footwear brand sees niche in health buff market

Despite the general slowdown of consumer spending due to soaring inflation, a lifestyle brand of footwear is still looking at positive sales and growth potential as the health conscious market in the country is increasing.

In an interview with Melody Nubla, Kenrich International Distributor Corporation’s brand associate for Fitflop, the newest lifestyle footwear brand in the market, agreed that these days consumers’ disposable income has indeed decreased as influenced by the increasing prices of commodities.

Because of this economic situation, retail players have foreseen decrease of spending for non-essential products such as fashion and lifestyle but Nubla remains optimistic that the increase of health conscious individuals these days will stabilize the downtrend.

Fitflop was just recently lunched in the Cebu market and is now being distributed through ResToeRun, a concept store that showcases various lifestyle footwear brands under Kenrich International.

ResToeRun was opened last year at the Ayala Center Cebu and it now carries 14 international brands such as DC, Lofu, Kickers, Sanuk, The North Face, Dopie, Aigle, Tsubo, and Terra Plana, among others.

Kenrich International is under The Primer Group of Companies which started in 1985 and is engaged in the distribution, retailing and licensing of consumer and industrial products in the Philippines.  

The conglomerate is composed of companies divided to three business groups namely: consumer products, industrial and services. Its consumer products include lifestyle footwear and apparel, bags, luggages, accessories, and outdoor wear and equipments.

Nubla said that Fitflop is a hybrid shoe that allows a more natural form of walking giving both comfort and improved performance in the calf and hip muscle groups in comparison to a training shoe.

“Flip flops are a growing trend in fashion these days but Fitflop is unlike no other flip-flops for it’s the flip flop with a built in gym. With its technology, it stimulates hard muscles that ease back pains as well as leg and muscle pains,” said Nubla.

With price ranging from P2,990 to P3,490, Fitflop is targeted for women of all ages especially the segment that is active with health and wellness activities.

The product originated in United Kingdom and has become part of Oprah Winfrey’s “top picks for the year, said Nubla.

Even still a month in the Philippine market, Nubla is optimistic with the positive reception from the market as this early they have already experienced good sales. —Rhia de Pablo