Florsheim Shoes' Magnetic Appeal
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Executives at Florsheim Group admittedly missed the trend toward casual shoes, as well as the industry's shift to offshore production and away from traditional shoe stores. But now they think they've found a fad that will pull the venerable company back into the black as surely as a compass needle points north: magnets.
Hoping to cash in on the trendy New Age use of magnets as painkillers, Florsheim has begun selling dress and casual shoes with insole magnets. In 1999, Florsheim sold 70,000 pairs of magnetic-soled MagneForce golf shoes, costing about $120 a pair. With the new lines of magnetic-soled shoes, Florsheim expects to sell twice that number this year.