# Urban Sneaker-Boot Hybrids Columbia Sportswear's SH/FT Collection Appeals to Millennials & Gen Z By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2019-08-07 | Fashion Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/shft-collection References: [cnbc](https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/06/columbia-sportswear-unveils-its-shft-sneaker-boot-hybrid.html) & [columbiasportswear](https://www.columbiasportswear.ca/en/shft/) With its new SH/FT Collection, [Columbia Sportswear](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/camping-collection) is gleaning inspiration from sneaker culture with a range of colorful, urban [sneaker-boot hybrids](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/danner-x-brandblack-boot) targeted at Millennial and Gen Z consumers. Although Columbia is known for its technical outdoor apparel, this youthful collection sets itself apart with sleek, fashion-forward colors and sneaker-like styles created in collaboration with DJ Zedd. The sneaker-boots that can be found within the SH/FT Collection appeal to young consumers who are looking for versatile, multi-use shoes that can work as both athletic and fashion footwear. Taking a page from sneaker culture, Columbia generated hype around the release its new "[hybrid hiking shoes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/columbia-bugaboot-1)" by teasing a new "drop" ahead of the official release date and offering limited availability of the street-ready styles. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 5.6/10 - Popularity: 80% | Activity: 79% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Fashion](https://www.trendhunter.com/fashion) > [Shoes](https://www.trendhunter.com/shoes) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Sneaker-boot Hybrids:** Designing sneaker-boot hybrids is a disruptive innovation opportunity for brands to appeal to young consumers seeking versatile and fashion-forward footwear. - **Multi-use Shoes:** As young consumers look for multi-use shoes, creating sneaker-boot hybrids is a disruptive innovation opportunity for brands to provide versatile footwear that meets both athletic and fashion needs. - **Hype Marketing:** Teasing new product drops and creating limited availability of styles is a disruptive innovation opportunity for brands to generate hype around new product releases. ### Where This Applies - **Footwear Industry:** The footwear industry can explore creating hybrid sneakers-boots to appeal to young consumers seeking versatile and fashion-forward footwear. - **Fashion Industry:** The fashion industry can integrate multi-use sneaker-boots in its product offerings to meet the needs of young consumers seeking versatile and fashionable footwear. - **Marketing Industry:** The marketing industry can adopt hype-marketing tactics to generate buzz and anticipation around new product releases. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Stylish Footwear Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/flex-as-you-go.md) - [Streetwear Hiking Sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hoka-tor-summit.md) - [Streetwear-Inspired Snow Boots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/snow-boot.md) - [Winter Boot Collabs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-adidas-x-moon-boot.md) - [Performance-Inspired Fashion Collabs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/reebok-x-white-mountaineering1.md) - [Utility Streetwear Footwear](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sorel-x-aries.md) - [Shrouded Hi-Vis Dynamic Sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mafate-three2-2.md) - [Nature-Inspired Shoe Collabs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ultraboost-5-x-hermanos-koumori.md) - [Low-Cut Boot Transformed Shoes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/moon-boot-sneaker.md)