Oboz Footwear Ships On-Time to Retailers

Oboz, the new footwear brand that launched last summer under the guidance of footwear veteran John Connelly, has shipped its first orders of lightweight, performance trail shoes to retailers.

Shoppers at online retailer backcountry.com (www.backcountry.com), Spokane, Washington-based Mountain Gear (www.mountaingear.com) and Bugaboo Mountain Sports, in Santa Cruz, California will get their first look at the footwear inspired by the Bozeman, Montana and greater Yellowstone environs. Oboz takes its name from ‘outside Bozeman’ and was launched last summer under the guidance of John Connelly, a veteran of numerous outdoor shoe brands.

Next shipments of Oboz will go to key retail partners including REI (www.rei.com), Hudson Trail Outfitters (www.hudsontrail.com), EMS (www.ems.com), Zappos.com (www.zappos.com), and about 60 other specialty dealers in the United States. Additionally, Kathmandu (www.kathmandu.com), with 75 shops in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia, is also selling Oboz.

“Our launch has been a success,” said Connelly, whose experience includes developing, designing and marketing footwear at Keen, Montrail, Tecnica, 5.10, and Vasque. “Good retailers are always looking for up and coming brands to replace the underperforming shoes on their walls.”

For spring 2008, the Oboz collection includes six styles each for men and women, some of which are named after the wild places near Bozeman. Top-selling styles include the Yellowstone, Hyalite and Bridger—all lightweight styles that can be used for hiking and kicking around the outdoors—and the Ignition, a trail running shoe. “Our goal is to deliver exciting products that blend top-shelf materials and execution with superior fit and fresh styling,” said Connelly.

About Oboz
Oboz is a new outdoor footwear brand inspired by the wild environs ‘outside Bozeman,’ Montana – spanning the region from Bozeman to Jackson, Wyoming. It is there that Oboz is found—a place for play and work, and a state of mind that has the deepest respect for the area’s rich natural heritage. Oboz shoes—arriving in stores in February 2008—are designed to have meaningful innovation, solid performance and recognizable quality.

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