Cole Haan's Timeless Innovation

May 16, 2017
2 min read

This article caught my attention because it discusses Cole Haan’s ability to stay relevant in a highly competitive market. Trends come and go quickly so it is crucial that companies understand their customers and bring the right products to market. Cole Haan has kept its 89-year heritage alive by focusing on providing the consumer with a high quality shoe that is breathable, durable, light and comfortable. The vice president of design and innovation at Cole Haan, Scott Patt, has helped create a “method to the madness.” He encourages the design team to solve specific problems instead of jumping around without any guidance.

The design team wants to create a shoe that is based around the consumer's lifestyle. Many companies in the footwear and apparel industry are working to make products functional yet stylish. The athleisure trend has become very popular and many companies are trying to offer products that fit into that category. Cole Haan has just created a hybrid shoe that is essentially an oxford shoe on top and a sneaker on the bottom. Cole Haan has been able to reinvent themselves in the market and stay profitable by understanding their target consumer’s lifestyle. The company's ability to combine traditional methods with modern innovation will continue to drive profits at Cole Haan.

Segran writes that in the last five years Cole Haan has evolved from a purveyor of classic New England dress shoes into a brand known for pushing the boundaries of footwear. However, Segran leaves out part of the story. Cole Haan had already evolved its classic New England style once before under Nike’s ownership. Nike had integrated athletic footwear technology into the Cole Haan line that kept them a step ahead of rival luxury brands. Lunarlon cushioning was in Cole Haan’s leather LunarGrand Wingtip; Air technology was in the Franklin Wingtip, the Air Rhone Boot, and the Dorian Waterproof Boot. This partnership ended when Nike sold Cole Haan in 2012. Cole Haan’s lessons about the importance of human-centered design, talent from everywhere, and constant tinkering are at least shaped by their separation from Nike. Cole Haan finds itself without the support of world-class technology from Nike and needs to bring fresh designs and innovations to their market. Otherwise, they face the ever-looming risk of irrelevance.

Additionally, the article references how Cole Haan is able to keep up with today’s trends by taking what already exists and improving upon it to give the consumer what it needs. The consumer says that they want comfort with style and Cole Haan is able to produce this. Innovation in business does not always have to involve technology; brand positioning is a great way to stand out and propel a company forward. We can learn a great deal from this footwear company and their 89 year heritage.