Himanish Goel
Foot Locker
Sole Story
Discover. Choose. Belong.
Style that speaks your story.
Style that speaks your story.
Role = UX Strategist & Researcher and UI/UX Designer
Tools = Figma and Photoshop
Project Type = Independent Study
OVERVIEW
Foot Locker is a footwear and apparel retailer with international presence. They are primarily a mall retailer, and they were the top footwear retailer till early 2000’s. Foot Locker brand continues to survive but the retailer has recently been struggling to attract customers to its stores.
The company’s total revenue has shrunk by 8.8% in the last two years (from $8.75B in 2023 to $8.0B in 2025).
BACKGROUND
The global sneakers market is projected to reach $170 billion by 2033, reflecting the growth of sneaker culture worldwide. Within the sneaker culture, there is a growing culture of sneakerheads, people who collect and trades sneakers as a hobby. The rise of sneakerheads can be attributed to the growth of athlete endorsed shoes in the early ‘80s.
- 95% of sneakerheads view their sneakers as an integral part of their identity.
- 66% of consumers purchase sneakers two times a year or less, but sneakerheads tend to buy more frequently, often seeking limited editions and collaborations.
THE SOLUTION
Foot Locker - Sole Story
Launch the Sole Story as a sub-brand, to position Foot Locker as a reliable source for sneaker resales by appealing to sneakerheads. Foot Locker is uniquely positioned to bring back real stories through annual sneaker events and community events at local stores. Foot Locker can leverage its legacy to reinvent itself as a trusted and reliable partner in trading sneakers. Given the increasing importance of sneaker resale, this pivot is needed for Foot Locker to be relevant in today's sneaker world.
Launch the Sole Story as a sub-brand, to position Foot Locker as a reliable source for sneaker resales by appealing to sneakerheads. Foot Locker is uniquely positioned to bring back real stories through annual sneaker events and community events at local stores. Foot Locker can leverage its legacy to reinvent itself as a trusted and reliable partner in trading sneakers. Given the increasing importance of sneaker resale, this pivot is needed for Foot Locker to be relevant in today's sneaker world.
INSIGHT
We believe in seeing stories of icons and trendsetters come to life and inspiring a new you.
BUSINESS IMPACT
The global resale market for sneakers is expected to grow to $30 billion by 2030. Assuming Foot Locker is able to get 10% market share in the next five years, their total sales will skyrocket to $11 billion from $8 billion in 2025, growth of 38% from 2025. In addition, the growth in the sneaker resale market will help them create a brand cachet among the young cohort and sneakerheads audience.
STRAT LINE
Where every sneaker has a voice, and every step is personal.
TAGLINE
Every sole has a story. Every story has a soul.
Product Outcome - Foot Locker Sole Story
Foot Locker Sole Story is an app that helps make every sneaker personal. This video communicates how sneaker lovers can build their own identity badge, trade kicks with guaranteed authenticity, join events like SneakerCON, and connect with the community. The journey of Sole Stories is where every sneaker gets a voice and every story finds its soul. At heart, Sole Story is turning shoes into something more than a story you can wear.
Product Outcome - Social Connect
Process & Reflection
PROCESS
Research on the sneaker industry was an eye opener for me. I never realized that the buying, collecting and trading of shoes has grown into such a massive industry from its modest beginnings in the 80’s. I never envisioned the humble sneaker to be a collection item! While researching, I learnt that there are sneakers which sell for six figures and a few rare ones have even fetched seven figure sums. Nevertheless, it was a great learning experience.
I was involved in all pieces of this independent study project from screen prototyping, mobile app development, strategy, and the final case study. The project took many twists and turns, and the strategy finally presents actionable recommendations for Foot Locker.
Research on the sneaker industry was an eye opener for me. I never realized that the buying, collecting and trading of shoes has grown into such a massive industry from its modest beginnings in the 80’s. I never envisioned the humble sneaker to be a collection item! While researching, I learnt that there are sneakers which sell for six figures and a few rare ones have even fetched seven figure sums. Nevertheless, it was a great learning experience.
I was involved in all pieces of this independent study project from screen prototyping, mobile app development, strategy, and the final case study. The project took many twists and turns, and the strategy finally presents actionable recommendations for Foot Locker.
REFLECTION
Revitalizing a legacy brand has its own challenges. The brand which once defined the footwear market is now a shadow of its past successes. It has been unable to keep up with the times and changing trends. Even though Foot Locker has a huge physical footprint, there is a diminishing awareness among the new generation of sneaker buyers.
My research and product ideas were focused on making it relevant for the current generation of sneaker buyers. Foot Locker has the tools, it just needs to reinvent and leverage its brand recognition to create a market for itself. Rolling over and playing dead is not an option.
Revitalizing a legacy brand has its own challenges. The brand which once defined the footwear market is now a shadow of its past successes. It has been unable to keep up with the times and changing trends. Even though Foot Locker has a huge physical footprint, there is a diminishing awareness among the new generation of sneaker buyers.
My research and product ideas were focused on making it relevant for the current generation of sneaker buyers. Foot Locker has the tools, it just needs to reinvent and leverage its brand recognition to create a market for itself. Rolling over and playing dead is not an option.
Finance is no longer just for the insiders.