MARK SAN BUENAVENTURA

THE NORTH FACE

WOMEN'S REIMAGINED HIKER

ASK /

Expand on the state of women-specific growth in the outdoor market through a modern-day iteration of a hiking boot.

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CHALLENGE /

Women-specific product design and marketing of past is just that. The days of 'shrinking and pink-ing' footwear and apparel is insensitive to modern day women's interests, which are more sophisticated in terms of how such product is being used in fashion and function. According to my poll asking millenial females their opinion on what they look for in a hiking boot, the general consensus was that it still had to be "cute" while retaining what you would expect from a mass-market hiking boot (i.e. not a hiking boot for more extreme conditions like backpacking or Alpine pursuits). What is "cute" and how far do you push performance?

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PROCESS /

Through initial insights, this product fit right into the brand's category called "Mountain Culture," in which this segment of consumer represented the mass market of the outdoor industry, and therefore valued more versatility than sport-specific benefits. In other words, a design language that was simple/straight-to-the-point that did not scream 'features' or 'tech' (but could have them, just hidden) was key.

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This cued a design proposal that resonated familiarity, yet constructed in a way that enhances the user's experience and modern day needs. Familiar, or an even stronger connotation– a cult-like following, for many women of the recent past was the boot from the book/movie "Wild." (“As soon as Reese posted photos of herself in the boots, we started getting requests from fashion publications and from fans wondering where to buy them,” WIll Pennartz, Danner's (the company that recreated the 1970's iconic boot style for the movie) Marketing Manager says.) Combining this with modern construction methods and the juxtaposition of natural & synthetic materials, we were able to create a product that performed as agile as a trail running shoe but embodied a style that was almost timeless from first glance.