Goodyear Takes to Footwear to Expand Footprint

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. has launched a new range of footwear to expand brand awareness. Goodyear Licensed Products is a Goodyear subsidiary and has recently launched “The Goodyear Performance Collection” in the United States comprising five different types of shoes ranging in price from USD 60 to USD 80 that have been inspired by the world of racing. Billed as comfortable shoes for long summer trips, they range from high-top sneakers to canvas shoes for casual occasions. The shoes are being sold through a network of 180 retailers across the United States and will also be listed on Amazon.com.

Goodyear is betting that the shoes will be a way for those from the company’s home base of Akron to exhibit hometown pride and might even become the next fashion craze among fashionistas. In any event, they are expected to showcase the Goodyear brand and its expertise in rubber technology. The company’s founder, Charles Goodyear Jr., the son of the man who came up with the concept of vulcanized rubber first made a name for himself as the maker of the “the Goodyear welt” — a strip of rubber running around the perimeter of a shoe’s sole before he made even a single tire. With the new line of shoes, Goodyear is harking back to its heritage in the rubber industry.

Even before many people had heard of Goodyear tires, it was in the business of making shoes. According to a company spokesman, it made soles and heels for shoes as far back as the 1890s. The shoes of today are far different and customers are a lot more demanding.

Nancy Ray, director of licensed products for Goodyear, said that Goodyear footwear now includes “products ranging from traditional leather boots to hiking lines and the new men’s sports shoes.” The new product line is meant to enhance Goodyear’s strong brand recognition in the U.S. where Good year merchandise in retail stores and the Goodyear blimp has made the company a household name.

Goodyear’s range of lifestyle products includes car accessories, tools, workwear, watches and a lifestyle clothing collection. With the new range of shoes, Goodyear will certainly go places.