Comfort Was Key Footwear Trend at Coterie

Comfort is king for many consumers these days.

And for buyers attending the three-day Coterie trade show from Fashion by Informa that ended Friday at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City, shoe brands delivered a range of comfort-friendly options.

Over 70 brands were participating in the show, and comfort elements ranged from special gel-insole cushioning to contoured footbeds, flats, and lower heel heights that included kitten and block heels.

Milan-based Moon D’Elle showed at Coterie for the first time. The brand is cofounded by the sister team Chandra and Tabitha Perkins. “We think a woman can look elegant without suffering,” Chandra Perkins said, adding that she and her sister test each shoe design.

The high-heel line includes pumps in bold colors, as well as softer whites that are part of their bridal collection. Despite the heel heights, they’re made with comfort in mind. According to Perkins, its popular Parelio pump in the bridal collection features gel cushioning so the wearer “can’t feel the heel.”

Moon D’Elle shoes retail between $400 and $800 a pair, with wholesale pricing at 40 percent below retail prices.

At Aquatalia, the brand known for its water-resistant and waterproof styles, “footbed [sandals] are doing well,” said Lauren Nelms, account executive. The contoured footbeds provide both comfort and support, she noted.

Also popular for spring are loafers, which is the preferred “everyday shoe for work,” she said.

Nelms, who also reps the Bruno Magli line, referenced the brand’s spring ’27 Cynthia Rowley x Bruno Magli collaboration. The line incudes a mid-heel pump for work.

Opening price points at retail for Aquatalia start at $350 and for Bruno Magli at $299, with wholesale 55 percent below retail.

Andre Assous was busy with current and future orders being placed by existing and new accounts, according to Christine Fuchs, general manager, luxury brands at Vida Shoes International Inc.

“Customers are primarily buying spring ’27; however, we are also getting current orders for fall ’26,” she said. Fuchs noted that its retail customers “naturally gravitate toward our Featherweight Collection, which includes our wedge and flat sandals built with comfort, while remaining fashion-right. We are also seeing growth in our dress and dress sandal category.”

She noted that comfort is a given in fashion now, and customers are gravitating toward the brand’s raffia and cork materials. “We also bring texture toward all shades of neutral, white, metallics and navy — these are consistently our top-selling colors,” she said. For spring ’27, the core flat starts at $50 wholesale and $110 at retail, while the wood wedge is up to $100 at wholesale and $219 retail.

At Kelsi Dagger Brooklyn, comfort is the name of the game. The brand offers a selection of ballet-styled flats and mary janes. They feature added padding in the insoles, as well as its signature unline leather uppers. Style options average between $130 to $160 for retail, with boots at $195, and wholesale prices between $55 and $65 on average, with the exception of boots, which are slightly higher.

Kate Ciccone, head of sales, said the spring line includes a collection of shoe options priced at under $100 retail. Not all are genuine leather and some, such as flip-flop options, feature PU. “Even though there’s less material, we’re not taking away the comfort features in the shoe,” she said. The ballet and mary janes are popular in the core neutrals, such as tans, browns and beiges, while the PU jellies are popular in tomato red and soft baby blue.

The Frye Co. is primarily known for its boot collection, which makes up 70 percent of total sales. Tim Schreier, vice president of sales, said 20 percent of volume is attributed to its dress business, and the remainder from its fledgling sandal line.

“Our Faith loafer retails at $158 and has very good sales at Nordstrom and Anthropologie,” he said. Frye’s sandal options include its Harper Fisherman style and the Rosie Fisherman slide.

Price points for the sandal line average between $128 and $198, with wholesale at between $58 to $103.

Gola USA’s president Steven Weinreb said that buyers are placing orders, but noted some are buying “lesser quantities than in the past,” and that orders being place are both for future orders and immediate deliveries.

“Traffic has been good,” Weinreb said, noting that existing accounts are placing new orders and adding onto those already placed. “We also met with retailers that we previously have not worked with and some of those have opened up accounts with us.”

Buyers are moving more toward the lower profile sneakers and the more feminine styles, such as ballerinas and mary janes, Weinreb said, adding that Gola sneaker “mules are also becoming a bigger and bigger part of our business.” The main price range for Gola sneakers range from $85 to $140 at retail.

Betsey Johnson’s shoe options focused on the colorful and whimsy, with many styles also featuring over-the-top embellishments that are her signature look. Bianca Arguello, sales representative, said that while there are core replenishment styles, most buyers are “looking for something colorful to add to their wall.”

The shoe styles feature platforms, as well as the more comfortable low-block and kitten heels. The brand is also offering novelty sneakers with bling for different holidays, such as a sequined sneaker with pumpkins for Halloween, a high-heel shoe with ankle straps in pink with red valentines for Valentine’s Day and a glittery silver high-heel slingback featuring a variety of colored ornaments for Christmas.

Arguello said wholesale prices average between $56 to $67, while retail starts at $119 to $139 for “jeweled-out styles.”