Footwear News to Honor Rihanna with Shoe of the Year Award at
2016 FN Achievement Awards
Tuesday, November 29th at IAC Headquarters
Paul Andrew, Iris Apfel, Aldo Bensadoun, Linda Fargo, and Mark King
Revealed As Additional Honorees
Rihanna Takes the Crown from Previous Shoe of the Year Award Winners Kanye West and Stan Smith
FN Recognizes the Best and Brightest Stars in Footwear
New York, NY (November 4, 2016) – Footwear News, the industry bible of the shoe business for more than 70 years, announced today that Rihanna will be honored with the Shoe of the Year award for the FENTY PUMA Creeper from her coveted FENTY PUMA by Rihanna line at the 30th FN Achievement Awards at IAC Headquarters in New York City on November 29. Rihanna takes the crown from previous winners Kanye West who received the award in 2015 for his Yeezy Boost 350 sneaker with Adidas and tennis legend Stan Smith who was honored for his signature shoe with Adidas in 2014.
The 2016 FN Achievement Awards will highlight new stars paving their way to the top, as well as the figures that have shaped the industry for years. The annual event, often referred to as the “Shoe Oscars,” recognizes and celebrates the best and brightest stars in the footwear industry including footwear executives, designers and consumers.
This year’s event will also honor Paul Andrew (Designer of the Year Award), Iris Apfel (Icon Award), Aldo Bensadoun (Lifetime Achievement Award), fashion maven at Bergdorf Goodman Linda Fargo (Hall of Fame Inductee), and Adidas North America president Mark King (Person of the Year Award). Additional honorees will be revealed in the coming weeks.
Rihanna stated, “In my wildest dreams, I never would have imagined an honor like ‘shoe of the year.’ It means so much to me to make a mark like this in the shoe and sneaker industry and to have so many people share my love for the creeper.”
“Shoe of the Year is the most coveted award because it truly reflects industry dominance,” said Michael Atmore, FN’s editorial director. “Like Stan Smith and Kanye West, Rihanna made a statement shoe that drove global excitement and generated huge sales. Rihanna and Puma pushed the market in a new direction with an overnight sensation that has real legs.”
Footwear News selects the shoe of the year based on retail sales, consumer feedback, social media prowess and overall buzz. The FN Achievement Awards are proudly sponsored by the Fashion Footwear Association of New York (FFANY), Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA), Zappos Luxury and Two Ten Footwear Foundation (Two Ten).
About FENTY / PUMA BY RIHANNA
With the FENTY label, Rihanna fuses her fierce, independent approach to music and fashion with the unmistakable, sport-driven design of PUMA. Fearlessly bold and effortlessly stylish, PUMA BY RIHANNA is performance remixed.
About PUMA
PUMA is one of the world’s leading Sports Brands, designing, developing, selling and marketing footwear, apparel and accessories. For over 65 years, PUMA has established a history of making fast product designs for the fastest athletes on the planet. PUMA offers performance and sport-inspired lifestyle products in categories such as Football, Running, Training and Fitness, Golf, and Motorsports. It engages in exciting collaborations with renowned design brands such as Alexander McQueen to bring innovative and fast designs to the sports world. The PUMA Group owns the brands PUMA, Cobra Golf, Dobotex and Brandon. The company distributes its products in more than 120 countries, employs more than 10,000 people worldwide, and is headquartered in Herzogenaurach/Germany. For more information, please visit http://www.puma.com
About Footwear News
Footwear News is the publication of record for senior footwear and fashion executives, providing an insider’s perspective on top news, trends and strategies. FN keeps you and your business a step ahead on the retailing, manufacturing and financial aspects of the footwear industry. FN spotlights the hottest new designers, newsmakers, and business leaders, as well as reporting on the most groundbreaking fashion trends and more.
