In 2022, Canadian footwear brand Aldo introduced Pillow Walk, a comfort technology exclusive to its shoes. Initially released in limited styles, Pillow Walk is now featured in approximately 75% of Aldo’s men’s and women’s shoes.
Pillowwalk technology with dual density foam is designed to provide increased shock absorption, rebound response, stability and support while walking, while molded sock foam provides additional padding at the ball of the foot and heel. The incorporation of high density polyurethane and soft memory foam eliminates the need for a break-in period with new shoes, according to Aldo.
Aldo’s chief brand and product officer, Dianara Grullon Amalfitano, said the company saw Pillowwalk as a post-pandemic opportunity, recognizing that as consumers begin to dress up again, they will still want comfort.
In 2022, Aldo said Pillowwalk products accounted for 39% of its net sales in women’s wear and 22% of its net sales in men’s wear. By 2023, those figures will rise to 66% and 39%, respectively. Amalfitano emphasized that the sales trends reflect both positive consumer response and product line expansion. Aldo is owned by Aldo Group, a Canadian footwear and accessories design and manufacturing group owned by Canadian businessman Aldo Bensadoun. Aldo Group most recently reported revenue of $1 billion, but the company does not disclose revenue by brand.
Aldo has around 40 designers, developers and engineers who, under the guidance of Director of Product Engineering Manoj Kanchipuram, are constantly looking for ways to make Aldo shoes more comfortable.
“We focus a lot on aspects like the amount of adhesive we use to make sure the material is soft and comfortable,” Amalfitano said. Additionally, Aldo recently conducted research into how the human foot has evolved and has begun incorporating new fit features into its designs accordingly, she said.
To promote the technology, Aldo used social media and its e-commerce site. The Pillowwalk launch campaign, which launched in 2023, has garnered 270 million social impressions and 116 million video views worldwide to date. The campaign featured a CGI version of the Pillowwalk logo floating around the models and shoes. This CGI Pillowwalk logo has been featured in several campaigns, including the Spring 2024 campaign.
“We wanted to make sure that this campaign didn’t create the impression that we were an old-fashioned comfort brand,” she said.
In addition to the core collection, Pillowwalk has also appeared in Aldo’s product collaborations, most recently the Barbie collaboration that was released in July 2023. Celebrities such as Selena Gomez, Jessica Alba, and Lupita Nyong’o have also worn Pillowwalk shoes, further increasing its popularity.
Aldo is present in 110 countries worldwide with more than 1,600 stores. Key markets include North America and the Middle East, with more than 300 stores each, as well as Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific.
“We are now looking to bring in more technologies with similar innovative components,” Amalfitano said. “We are already [newer] It uses a technology it calls “Easy On, Easy In,” and the company says that a softer lining allows users to slip the shoe on with ease.
Footwear brands are increasingly realizing the importance of proprietary technology: Nike’s Air technology, FitFlop’s biomechanically engineered footbeds, Hoka’s performance-driven designs, and On’s Cloud Tech cushioning. These features not only enhance the wearer’s experience, they set new standards in footwear, driving the competition forward and pushing the boundaries of design and performance.
A June report on Gen-Z behavior from Launchmetrics showed that comfort-focused product categories like athleisure and sneakers are driving higher media impact value for brands. And those categories are also proving to drive higher sales.
