Power 100 2025 What Footwear’s Finest Can Teach the Rest

The Power 100 2025 Footwear’s Finest list is not just a list of big names. It is a useful snapshot of what is actually working in footwear right now and why some brands continue to cut through while others struggle to stay relevant.

This year’s names Birkenstock Clarks Crocs Dr Martens Dune London FitFlop Footasylum Kurt Geiger Russell & Bromley Schuh and Veja cover a wide spread of the market. Different price points different customers different business models. What they share is not a look or a trend but a clear sense of direction.

For anyone leading or investing in a footwear business the message is fairly simple. The brands doing well know who they are they know who they are for and they have built teams that can deliver on that consistently.

Heritage Still Matters But It Has to Be Worked At

Several brands on this list Clarks Dr Martens Russell & Bromley Kurt Geiger have long histories. That brings recognition and trust but it also brings risk. Heritage only helps if it is actively looked after.

Dr Martens continues to show how a brand can stay true to its roots while still feeling current and commercially sharp. Clarks has spent recent years getting back to basics focusing on what made it successful in the first place while putting stronger leadership and operational structure around it.

What we see behind the scenes is that this kind of reset often comes with tough decisions. New leadership roles changes in ways of working and a sharper focus on execution rather than ideas alone.

Comfort Is No Longer a Compromise

Birkenstock Crocs and FitFlop being on this list says a lot about how consumer priorities have shifted. Comfort is no longer something people apologise for. It is something they actively choose.

Changes in how we work live and spend our time have reshaped what people expect from footwear. Brands that understood this early and committed to it fully have been rewarded.

From a people point of view this has changed the profile of senior hires. There is more demand for leaders who understand both product and customer behaviour and who can turn insight into ranges that sell not just look good in a deck.

Retailers Have More Influence Than Ever

Footasylum and Schuh appearing alongside brands is not accidental. Retailers are no longer just a route to market. They help shape trends influence buying decisions and build communities around footwear.

The strongest retailers know their customers inside out and are increasingly selective about which brands they back and how they show up in store and online. That shift puts more pressure on brands to be clear consistent and easy to work with.

It also makes commercial and wholesale roles more complex. These jobs now sit at the intersection of data relationships brand and performance.

Sustainability Works Best When It Feels Normal

Veja continues to stand out for taking a quieter more consistent approach to sustainability. Rather than making noise about it the brand has built it into how it operates day to day.

This reflects a wider shift we are seeing. Sustainability is no longer a separate initiative. It is part of supply chain decisions sourcing leadership and long term planning.

The challenge for many businesses is finding people who can handle this practically without slowing the business down or turning it into a marketing exercise.

What Ties These Businesses Together

These brands are not all doing the same thing. What they have in common is solid leadership and teams that know how to execute.

Footwear is a tough category. It is expensive to run sensitive to trends and operationally demanding. The businesses that stay strong are the ones that invest in the right roles at the right level and give those people space to do their jobs properly.

At Consumer Exec we see this play out in the briefs we receive. Most are not about replacing a CEO. They are about strengthening the layer just below bringing in experienced operators who can steady the ship drive growth or lead change.

Source
Power 100 2025 Who are this year’s Footwear’s Finest
By Gabriele Dirvanauskas and Anne Bruce published 4 December 2025

Thank you to Drapers for compiling and sharing this year’s Footwear’s Finest list and continuing to spotlight leadership and influence across the fashion and retail industry.