Email Marketing Strategies in the Shoe Industry [Best Practices & Examples]

The shoe industry has seen a significant number of new players entering the market. With the competition becoming fiercer, the industry has stepped up its e-commerce marketing strategies, particularly focusing on email marketing and social media advertising to differentiate itself and capture consumer attention.

Within the shoe industry, there are commonly observed practices for sending newsletters, as well as valuable best practices that we can explore. Contents revolve around the factors such as trend and season, style, quality and durability, and sustainability to mention a few.

Let’s see what we can learn from these shoe brands that are taking creative email marketing seriously - and let’s find ideas you could use as well in your own marketing strategy!

1. Share how-to-style guide
2. Stay on top of the season
3. Promote your core values
4. Offer education on top of everything
5. Invite creativity among your audience
6. Help your audience pick their style

1. Share how-to-style guide

The purpose of creating a newsletter is to provide value to its readers. In the shoe industry, one of the best and most effective ways to offer worthy content is by sharing how-to-style guides. Why?

• It showcases your expertise as a fashion brand
• It addresses the hesitation of customers about whether or not your products belong to the fashion trends
• It demonstrates care to your customers who were dealing with styling issues, thanks to your suggested outfit
• It is a clever way to present/promote your other products that go perfectly well with specific style ideas

Here are example emails from Wolf & Shepherd and Taft where they lay out various outfits that pair best with the shoes. Here, the former also shows versatility by using a playbook-style suggestion while the latter emphasizes how the shoes can be worn on various occasions.

How to Style the Swiftknit™ Weatherized

Style Guide - See how it's done 🤎 🖤

2. Stay on top of the season

Most marketers would agree that fashion is divided into four seasons - Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall/Autumn. What’s in for summer might and most probably would not be the trend for winter. That’s one advantage that the change of weather tells us — there’s always an opportunity to launch new products, update your collection, and meet (and exceed) your customers’ ever-changing needs. Consider every change of season as a winning moment to hit your audience’s inbox with timely, relevant, and solution-focused offers. It is also a way to position your brand as a go-to source of fashion trends and inspiration.

Allbirds ensures that their audience is prepared for the rainy season. It’s even more effective because they tackle the product’s benefits given its inside and outside built.

Cariuma features one of its classic pieces while connecting to the season and the usual activities people do during this time.

Are You Ready For Rain?

New Season, New Sneakers

3. Promote your core values

Fashion, being one of the biggest industries in the globe, proves itself to be a key contributor to climate change. People today are increasingly aware of the environmental impact of their purchasing decisions, and this awareness extends to their footwear choices as well. Good thing, more and more brands commit to sustainability. One of the best ways to communicate their commitment is to incorporate it into their newsletters. Not just to share their story or educate, but to engage their audience in a broader sustainability conversation and empower them to make a positive impact.

Thesus Outdoors and Cariuma both do well in providing insights about their effort towards sustainability through their product design and materials used.

Good for you and the planet.🌎

Plant-based for the summer?

4. Offer education on top of everything

People are naturally hungry for knowledge. So remember to balance educational content with promotional messages. This provides more value to your audience and therefore sustains their engagement.

Kuru Footwear made a great move by sending out information on topics relating to foot problems. Through this, Kuru Footwear equips its audience with knowledge and guidance on how to improve their foot health and make informed decisions when choosing footwear. This informative email also promotes their blog since the CTAs redirect to the entire blog article.

Lane Eight takes proactive steps by discussing topics like algae and how they use it to produce their products.

What You Need To Know About Bunions.

Can Algae Reduce CO2?

5. Invite creativity among your audience

Taft believes that every audience has its own preferences, creativity, and self-expression when choosing the right footwear. They have found a remarkable way to involve their email subscribers in the design process by allowing them to style their own shoes. This interactive email can unleash their audience's interest and creative side, therefore fostering a stronger connection with them.

🎄TAFT x You - Design Your Own 🎁

6. Help your audience pick their style

It’s a fun and exciting way to incorporate personality in each style of product you present. Just like what Brown Shoes does when they exhibit personalities related to sneaker choice. It’s not just a means to promote their collection, it also encourages customers to embrace a style that personally relates to them. In a way, it makes the purchaser feel happier and more into it.

Which Sneaker Persona are you?

Sorel makes the selection easier by presenting just the right amount of options and details, thus eliminating the overwhelming feeling of choosing the best shoes for you. Within the email, they present side-by-side comparisons of different sneaker models, highlighting their unique features and styles. Now you can get the perfect pair without too much overthinking.

Our “This or That?” guide

Find out what works best for your brand by incorporating one or a combination of the above key points. Put your best foot forward today!