Pregnancy may increase a woman's foot size and track and field Olympian Allyson Felix is bringing attention to this with a new Maternity Returns Policy through her footwear brand Saysh. With this new policy, women who are pregnant can trade in their old Saysh shoes for a larger and more comfortable size. This new policy reflects Felix's own struggles with shoe sizing during pregnancy.
The Saysh Maternity Returns Policy stands out as an example of how the footwear industry as a whole is challenging the "shrink it and pink it" model of designing men's sneakers first and adapting the fit for women as an afterthought. An increasing number of styles and services are being created for women first and foremost.
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Maternity Footwear
- The rise of maternity footwear as a separate category presents a disruptive innovation opportunity for footwear brands to create specialized products catering to the needs of pregnant women.
- Female-centric Design
- Designing sneakers specifically for women rather than adapting men's designs presents an opportunity for footwear brands to invest in research and development to create innovative and stylish footwear for women.
- Sustainable Shoe Return Policies
- Following the example set by Saysh and other brands, offering sustainable shoe return policies could be a disruptive innovation opportunity for footwear brands to not only support pregnant women but also increase sustainability and improve customer trust.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Footwear
- The trend of specialized maternity footwear is expanding the market for footwear brands and creating opportunities for innovative design and sustainable policies.
- Athletic Apparel
- The Saysh Maternity Returns Policy exemplifies the need for athletic apparel brands to consider women's needs as a priority, which is a disruptive opportunity for the industry to change the way they design and market their products.
- E-commerce
- As more brands move towards sustainable return policies, e-commerce platforms could provide an innovative disruptive opportunity by offering specialized features such as contactless pickups or virtual try-on for women's maternity footwear.
