H&M takes a giant step; Jimmy Choo to design limited collection of shoes for sale to masses

Shoe addictions are hard to kick. Sales of shoes for hiking, walking & running rose in the 1st-Q fiscal even as consumers cut back on clothing & other fashion items, according to the NPD Group. Outdoor-shoe sales rose 7.9%. while sport-leisure-shoe sales rose 5.8% for the combined months of Feb., March & April compared to the year-ago period, the Port Washington, said the NY-based market research co. Meanwhile, sales of children's footwear rose 12% in that time frame, hopeful sign for coming back-to-school events, said Marshal Cohen, NPD chief industry analyst. Overall footwear sales fell 6.4%. Dress shoes fell the most, a 23% drop, it said. Still, that hasn't stopped Swedish fast-fashion retailer Hennes & Mauritz from stepping into the designer-shoe business. This week H&M signed Jimmy Choo to create a limited collection of shoes & handbags formasses. The British shoe-design house, whose pricey stilettos made "Sex & the City" character Carrie Bradshaw swoon, is slated to unveil the collection Nov. 14 at 200 H&M stores worldwide. H&M said Jimmy Choo will create a dozen shoe designs for women and 4 shoe designs for men priced from roughly $50 to $140. Jimmy Choo shoes typically sell for $500 to $800, & some designs are priced as high as $1,300. It is the first time H&M is collaborating with a shoe designer. In recent years H&M