Runners, work boots and leisure loafers: With the COVID-19 measures forcing a lifestyle adjustment for many, people are flocking to shoe retailers to accommodate their changing needs.
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This definitely helped our local shoe stores decide to reopen, a fraught task made easier in the face of huge customer demand and heart-warming shows of support.
Both The Athlete's Foot and Easy Living Footwear reopened on Monday, and are seeing some really interesting trends in people's purchases.
It's all about active wear and duty shoes, like those worn by nurses and tradies, says Athlete's Foot franchisee Paul Lawrence.
"I have been ecstatic over the support I've received from the community, a lot of smiling faces coming through," Mr Lawrence said.
"When we were online only, we were selling a lot of duty shoes. We are finding that now we've opened, a lot of people are walking, exercising, so we've really started to pick up on the runners as well. Everyone is going stir crazy."
For us, March and April are our prime selling times. It's going to be hard to recoup that. Without JobKeeper we would have found it difficult to stay afloat.
- Robyn Mclennan
But it's about leisure wear for Robyn Mclennan, owner of Easy Living, who says people are needing a comfortable shoe when they work from home - something that isn't slippers.
"Things they can wear now while they are at home. They need lifestyle products to wear around the house - it's not ideal to go barefoot, and they still want to feel good in things that aren't slippers!" Ms Mclennan laughed.
As Accent group, owner of The Athlete's Foot, announces closure of over 20 stores Australia and NZ wide, it says other stores are set to welcome customers this week.
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"I think with the government restrictions, we found we had to do something to start again," Mr Lawrence explained, after closing his doors at the end of March.
For Ms Mclennan, opening the doors again after a solid month hiatus was only on the cards thanks again to community support, and to the JobKeeper initiative, without which they would've been in dire straights.
"For us, March and April are our prime selling times," she lamented.
"Its going to be hard to recoup that. Without JobKeeper we would have found it difficult to stay afloat."
