Stepping into the motorcycle market

Bates Footwear adds riding boots to law enforcement, military lineup

For 130 years, Bates Footwear has focused on a tight customer base, producing footwear for members of the military and law enforcement and security officers, a base which it refers to as “those who wear uniforms for their job.” Now the company is looking to expand its limited market by joining the powersports industry.

Bates unveiled its first four motorcycle shoe models at the SHOT Show in late January in Las Vegas, and company officials say if the initial launch goes well, more powersports products may be in its future. 

Entering into powersports

Bates is a division of Wolverine Worldwide, a global company that also includes Keds, Sperry Top-Sider and Merrell.

Bates decided to join the powersports market about 18 months ago. With only a few million potential consumers in its combined military, law enforcement and security marketplaces, Michigan-based Bates was looking for opportunities to expand, and powersports seemed like an ideal offshoot.

“Our core customer for us has always been the men and women in uniform. We saw the connection between law enforcement and military consumers — those who wear a uniform for their job — and their affinity for the motorcycle lifestyle, at least from a hobby standpoint,” Andrew Fowler, director of operations for Bates, told Powersports Business. “We also observed that we knew a lot of our current product line was being worn on bikes, so with those two anecdotal observations and some research, we saw the connection between how our brand existed and how it’s used by people outside of the uniform world and how the men in uniform have an affinity for the motorcycle lifestyle. So that is where the process started for us, to see where can the opportunities lead to.”

Though the Bates staff could lean on the company’s century-plus time in the footwear industry, they admittedly knew little about motorcycling. However, Bates employees refused to go blindly into this new venture. (Bates is the manufacturer of Harley-Davidson Footwear, but that division is operated separately.)

They first leaned on Al Johnson, key accounts manager, their resident motorcyclist and owner of a 2010 Harley-Davidson. They also conducted focus groups with motorcyclists that ranged from teenagers to Baby Boomers. Bates also purchased a variety of motorcycle shoes already on the market to analyze what competitors are bringing to market and to find where the Bates brand could differentiate itself.

“When our product team started diving into what was available for the motorcycle consumer right now, buying the product, wearing the product, talking to people that wore it on bikes, we felt the opportunity was based around footwear that would be equally functional on the bike and would be equally comfortable off the bike,” Fowler said.

Bates discovered its focus would be on performance, comfort and fit. The goal was to design footwear that protects the rider in a crash, is waterproof, fits well with motorcycle controls and is lightweight and comfortable enough to be worn all day.

The product

Each of the first four models Bates is bringing to market fit into two segments — Street (ST) and Speed (SP). Each boot in both categories is waterproof and includes high-abrasion leather, a molded heel counter and an oil- and slip-resistant rubber outsole.

The Street line is based off skater shoe style, though it has a higher ankle and ankle protection. The two shoes in the Street line are the ST250 Marauder and the ST250 Taser.

Shoes in the Speed line resemble more of a work or military boot, and they include Poron XRD ankle protection and a Molle ankle strap for containing laces. The first two Speed shoes are the SP500 Adrenaline and the SP500 Beltline.

With its first four models, Bates believes it will be able to reach most rider demographics. The shoes were designed to replace athletic shoes for riders who wear those while riding, and to provide better comfort for riders who usually wear heavy motorcycle-specific boots.

“If we’re doing our jobs right, we’ll convey to the consumer that there is a way to develop shoes that give them an all-encompassing comfort story, on and off the bike,” Fowler said. “I think that inevitably means you’re getting consumer conversion from those who solely focus on comfort and might want an athletic shoe at the price of other things, and conversely those that are so focused on ‘I’m going to be protected, no matter how uncomfortable it might be to be protected.’ You can bring those people to the middle ground, and you can have it all in one pair of shoes.”

Bates has hired Acorn Woods Communications to help educate its staff on the industry and market the motorcycle product. Now that the product is ready and has been unveiled, the next step is to decide on a distribution channel.

“We aim to ground ourselves in authentic motorcycle distribution, but with that as the focal point, this will be traditional brick-and-mortar stores, e-commerce — ways the consumer goes out a learns about new product and buys them,” Fowler said.

With the motorcycle line backed by Bates’ already-strong brand, the motorcycle group is being given freedom to find its own success.

“Right now it has the same name as our heritage business, with 130 years in the making in the law enforcement category,” Fowler explained. “But outside of that, we’re starting from scratch, from product development, consumer insight, distribution, marketing message, trade, all the things that are unique to this category. So I think you have to bring an entrepreneurial mindset to help you grow in that, and we’re going to learn about the things that are important to have from the beginning to be successful.”

If sales in the motorcycle line go well, Bates plans to expand that category, and also consider how it can equip riders of ATVs, side-by-sides and other powersports vehicles.