Caleres rebrands Zodiac footwear

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Jul 29, 2019

Zodiac USA, the popular footwear brand of the 1970s, has been relaunched and rebranded under new owner, Caleres.

According to a press release, the new Zodiac blends elements of the past and present, “staying true to its bohemian and western-inspired roots," explained the St. Louis, Missouri-based footwear company.

The debut spring 2020 collection features a range of women's boots, sandals and flats. The majority of the collection will retail between $69 to $89, with flat sandals starting at $69 and boots starting at $129.

“Now is the right time for Zodiac to return to the global marketplace,” said Jay Schmidt, brand portfolio division president of Caleres. “Zodiac is a heritage brand that appeals to and connects with an extraordinarily widespread consumer base while maintaining a highly differentiated, highly original, and truly authentic foundation in bohemian and western design trends.”

The relaunched Zodiac will make its debut on August 5 during the Fashion Footwear Association of New York market week. The footwear will be available at in-store, and online in the spring of 2020.

First launched in the late 1970s, Zodiac footwear was created by two entrepreneurial tannery owners who used leather scraps to make their footwear. Popular within what Caleres calls “the blue jeans and rock-n-roll culture” of the era, Zodiac was particularly known for a variety of boots in silhouettes that fell somewhere between a classic knee-high and a cowboy boot.

The Zodiac debut follows Caleres’ announcement of positive sales for the first quarter, reporting a 20.3% increase in sales within its brand portfolio. The company’s consolidated sales for the first quarter ended May 4, came to $677.8 million, compared to $632.1 million in the prior-year period. However, net earnings clocked in at $9.1 million, down from $17.2 million in Q1 2018.

Earlier this month, the company announced its plans to distribute footwear in greater China, as part of a joint venture with Brand Investment Holding.
 
Caleres first acquired Zodiac in 2005. Other brands in the Caleres portfolio include Sam Edelman, Naturalizer, Allen Edmonds, Vionic and Dr. School’s Shoes, among others.