Rocket Dog is investing in brand elevation to give itself a boost in the market with more pricing options, improved positioning at better retailers and inroads into the lifestyle category.
At the same time, the company aims to reach early trend adopters between the ages of 16 to 30 who want cool-looking shoes that are both comfortable and durable.
To meet those goals, Rocket Dog last month added two members to its design team: Heather Marie de Courrèges, a seasoned shoe designer for global and lifestyle brands, and Lana Andes, a specialist in the development of casual outdoor lifestyle footwear.
FN spoke with the design leaders to get their early thoughts on translating luxury to Rocket Dog, connecting with the modern-day consumer, and updating iconic lifestyle shoes.
Footwear News: What is Rocket Dog’s design ethos?
Lana Andes: The DNA is rooted in our laid-back, playful styling, which proudly shows off the California lifestyle and takes global fashion and cultural trends in but at the same time adds our own off-beat twist. We fuse casual looks that unforgivingly require all-day comfort and reflect a free- spirited and youthful attitude.
FN: What is your plan to elevate the brand?
Heather Marie de Courrèges: It’s important to do early research, follow and shop the market closely, and get ahead of trends by applying original ideas and creativity as early as possible, ensuring the designs are original.
The guard rails at an affordable price point require a designer to be more thoughtful in how the product is engineered. Each step is first approached creatively, but significant time is also spent ensuring proper engineering, with the end goal of providing high-quality, original product that offers value.
FN: What are some specific tools you use to offer improved quality and value?
H.M.d.C.: We have a very proactive development team in China committed to sourcing the latest technologies for materials and components. We use supportive insoles and memory foam with arch support. Since Rocket Dog is rooted in EVA and sport, there is a natural expectation to carry comfort into any new categories, and the development team is enthusiastic to try new ideas.
FN: How will you broaden Rocket Dog’s footwear options?
H.M.d.C.: Women are looking for product that is versatile and can take them a lot of places. By adding dress-leisure product in shoes and boots, along with a more feminine assortment in athletics — from low-profile items to wedges and some new EVA shapes — the collection can become more of a lifestyle footwear resource. The brand is known for wedge platforms, whether sandals or flip-flops.
FN: How do you keep that core style fun and relevant?
L.A.: [In terms of] the Rocket Dog platform wedge, we are excited to expand this category. Instead of solely relying on legacy, we’re focusing on keeping this style always fresh and highly relevant. We will integrate a mix of new engineering, materials, shape trends and style them into contemporary wardrobes of today.
FN: Is it challenging to offer a luxury feeling and still stay within a certain price range?
H.M.d.C.: Customers are less divided between price points and more interested in good design. You see it across the industry in cross-market collaborations and guest design collections for affordable retailers. The key is staying ahead of the curve on trends and continuously researching and exploring. Recycled materials and synthetics have come a very long way in recent years and, additionally, I think material-finishing techniques play another important role in creating value.
FN: Who is the current Rocket Dog customer?
L.A.: The core customer is youthful, fun and has an independent and young-minded spirit. She’s not strictly sporty, but is definitely active. She values sincere, effortless individuality and does not copy trends, but instead mixes the ones she does like within her own style. She reflects our heritage, that beach-casual ease, and incorporates it into an all-day urban, fashion-conscious daily lifestyle.
FN: How will you keep that youthful brand attitude?
L.A.: We are embracing our roots, an original Y2K icon, for a new generation of Rocket Dog consumers by actively expanding into a new product mix that focuses on the “all- day and play” credo, designing and reacting to street style, music and pop culture that surrounds us.