Footwear retailer Foot Locker has announced that HeyDude merchandise will begin to be sold. Initially, the brand’s products will appear in 450 Foot Locker, Champs Sports and Kids Foot Locker stores in the U.S. and Canada and online stores. Later, the brand will also be rolled out to other markets where the retailer has a presence.
“As we strategically grow the HeyDude business, partnering with a trusted partner like Foot Locker, Inc. was ideal given the retailer’s global presence and an extensive community of next-generation consumers,” said Sean Finucane, senior vice president and general manager of HeyDude North America, in a statement.
Foot Locker is adding HeyDude products to its retail store assortment to compensate for Nike’s cutbacks. It was previously announced that Nike’s assortment would be reduced due to a change in brand strategy and a shift to direct-to-consumer sales. In Foot Locker’s portfolio, Nike traditionally accounted for the largest share of sales.
“As a footwear brand whose values of style, comfort and affordability align with those of our customers in many ways, HeyDude fits seamlessly into our growing portfolio of products for the whole family,” Chris Santaella, Foot Locker senior vice president and director of merchandising, said in a statement.
In late 2021, it was revealed that Crocs planned to acquire the HeyDude brand for $2.5 billion. Following the deal, the company rebranded, updating fonts, logos, color schemes and marketing strategy. Revenue for the brand increased 105% to $235 million in the first quarter of 2023. Crocs said it expects to make HeyDude a billion-dollar brand.
