After more than 60 years in business, Sorel is embarking on several first-time initiatives.
The heritage footwear label is opening its first pop-up shop in Williamsburg in Brooklyn on Friday, which coincides with the release of its first celebrity design collaboration with musician and actress Chloe Bailey.
Both the pop-up and collaboration are initiatives meant to tap into the brand’s heritage, deepening its connection with its customer base and expanding its reach to new audiences.
“The way we view it, it’s an opportunity to reembrace the heritage of this brand, especially in a marketplace with brands with deep, rich heritages,” said Sorel president Craig Zanon. “It’s such a vital advantage to serve consumers and provide them a proposition that’s unique and that’s different than other brands out there.”
Embracing the brand’s heritage is one of the goals of Sorel’s pop-up, which will remain open through Oct. 22. The pop-up celebrates the brand’s popular Caribou silhouette and carries several bestselling styles, all in the Sorel signature “optimized orange” colorway. The store itself is also designed in the color and offers customers interactive experiences where they can engage with the styles and the brand’s history.
“The pop-up is an ignition point to what we’re trying to do and put forth in the world,” Zanon explained. “It’s a spot that allows us to bring that story of heritage to the consumers. I’ve always thought of New York City as the epicenter of the footwear world and then within New York City, Brooklyn is the hotbed now — the hotbed of consumers that footwear brands want to attract.”
Zanon explained the Sorel Caribou style is another core part of its future plans. The brand is aiming to reengage its male consumer with a series of collections centered on the Caribou silhouette that offer men’s and women’s options.
While Sorel launched as a men’s utility boot brand, over the last decade it has become more of a women’s fashion footwear label. According to the brand, Sorel anticipates business will still be led by a female consumer into the next year, projecting double-digit growth.
“It’s important to go from a men’s utility boot brand to a women’s fashion footwear brand,” Zanon said. “Now the opportunity is to pivot the brand back, leaning back into the heritage because it’s authentic and it’s real. That heritage and that proposition knows no gender. It knows no borders — that adds to the Sorel brand. We feel like it’s a real opportunity to expand our proposition — to bring more people into the amazingness of the brand.”
Sorel’s collaboration with Bailey is part of this mission to engage a larger audience. Zanon explained the collaboration came together naturally, as Bailey has long been a fan of the brand. She worked with Sorel to create her own boot design, which is a black leather platform boot with gold accents. The style will be available exclusively at the Williamsburg pop-up.
“My whole life, I’ve always loved Sorel boots,” Bailey said. “In my song ‘Make It Look Easy,’ I am telling the story of my journey and the experience of walking through life in my shoes, so it felt like Sorel was the perfect partner to make a statement. My favorite part of the shoe is the ‘Make It Look Easy’ tag. All of us go through a lot. People have no idea until they walk a mile in our shoes.”
Last year Columbia Sportswear — which is Sorel’s parent company — stated it expects the footwear company to be its fastest-growing brand this year, projecting a 20 to 22 percent annual growth rate in the next three years. In 2022, Sorel saw net sales of $347 million.
Beyond the pop-up and collaboration, the brand has additional plans to further its presence in the European market to continue to broaden its customer base.
“By re-embracing our heritage, it’s about deepening and expanding the reach of this brand to more people in the world,” Zanon said. “It’s a significant advantage for us to deliver a more compelling proposition to more people in the world.”