November 2022
Shop Usability Award
The Shop Usability Award is one of the best-known e-commerce awards in Germany. The award has been presented once a year since 2008. The best-known software manufacturers sponsor the award. For participants, winning the award is a great distinction that recognizes and demonstrates the unique effort each company puts into its online shop.
The e-commerce landscape is constantly evolving. Online shopping is booming, especially in times such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Every company can increase its sales through a professionally designed and easy-to-use online shop. Alongside design and usability, creativity and storytelling are also among the evaluation criteria. The award is presented in 13 product categories and 3 special categories. These include categories such as Food & Beverages, Furniture & Living, and Sports & Outdoor.
In November 2022, BÄR was nominated to participate in the Shop Usability Award. In the Fashion category, competing against more than 400 entrants, the BÄR online shop was selected as one of the top five.
For the BÄR e-commerce team, this confirms that the continuous development of the online shop in terms of customer experience and performance places them among the “state-of-the-art” e-commerce sites in Germany. The primary goal is, of course, to make the shopping experience as appealing and enjoyable as possible for customers, with all the information they need. It is even more gratifying when this work is recognized at such an important award.
On November 9, the e-commerce team was invited to the awards ceremony in Munich. In addition to a unique venue and wonderfully friendly colleagues, the winners in each category were honored. At this point, we would like to congratulate our colleagues at Hugo Boss on this year’s victory in the Fashion category. For BÄR, this is an incentive to become even better and win the Fashion category next year.
November 2022
BÄR goes marketplace
BÄR shoes have represented a positive attitude toward life for 40 years. They are daily companions for people who confidently and independently express their own style. Perfect shoes for women and men that support foot health and well-being. Customers appreciate their comfortable fit without having to sacrifice contemporary style.
In BÄR shoes, your feet experience what it means to move naturally. Feet generally adapt to footwear, but in BÄR shoes, the shoe adapts to the shape of the foot. This allows you to experience a natural barefoot feeling.
Marketplaces give BÄR the opportunity to share these principles with even more customers. Today, marketplaces are almost essential in online retail for reaching customers through many different channels. They facilitate the sale and purchase of products. This means that products can be marketed not only through the company’s own online shop, but also through other marketplaces that sell the products via a website.
BÄR launched the marketplace project in November. This project required the existing processes to be reviewed and various adjustments to be made or completely reorganized. With a few refinements and improvements, BÄR successfully entered marketplace integration. This is a true milestone for the BÄR brand, founded in 1982.
The first selection will be launched on Mirapodo. Thanks to proven technology that enables brands to connect to marketplaces and operate as retailers, BÄR now has a starting point from which to develop its omnichannel business quickly and flexibly. The foundations have been laid, and the next step is to connect further marketplaces one by one.
October 2022
BÄR Shoes Presents “Scan2Fit” Pilot Project
The BÄR Manufactory is launching the innovative “Scan2Fit” project at its outlet in Bietigheim-Bissingen for optimal foot analysis using 3D scanning. Visitors have the special opportunity to have their feet scanned and analyzed free of charge. The scanner identifies misalignments and provides an excellent basis for analyzing issues such as back pain, which often originates from foot problems. The precise digital capture of the foot provides information about size, width, circumference, and more.
The individual scan data is transferred to an intelligent program that automatically analyzes the foot. BÄR manages all its shoe lasts digitally and can use the foot scan to match the appropriate shoe size from the anonymized data and even determine model recommendations. In the footwear industry, the BÄR “Scan2Fit” method is a sensational innovation and advancement in foot analysis of its kind.
The complex software solution has so far been an absolute unique selling point in the industry. Customers gain incomparable value for their foot health by being recommended a model that fits their foot perfectly and offers the best comfort. This means that problems can not only be identified and analyzed but also solved directly. Another advantage is that, at the customer’s request, BÄR’s “Scan2Fit” can manage digital measurement data and compare scans taken at different times, for example. This makes it possible to identify changes in the foot. Registered customers can also make their personal 3D scans available to doctors. BÄR’s lasts can be improved based on all scans to optimize fit in the future, reduce return rates in mail-order sales, and protect the environment.
BÄR sees significant learning potential in evaluating the anonymized mass data and hopes to gain an exciting basis for adapting shoe development to customer needs. In the near future, customers should be able to order orthopedic insoles from BÄR that are perfectly tailored to their shoes. This provides an additional service while reducing customers’ effort and saving time. BÄR’s vision is to manufacture perfectly fitting shoes tailored individually to each customer in its own production facility—perfect fit for every foot: analyze the foot, select the recommended model and size, and receive an exclusively made shoe at the price of a standard model. The concept was developed together with one of the footwear industry’s most experienced last makers and an innovative, leading provider of orthopedic measurement systems.
For 40 years, BÄR has pursued a consistent production philosophy that continually advances and supports social, economic, and environmental sustainability. Take part in the project launch: have your feet scanned, receive comprehensive information, and get expert advice.
September 2022
Crepe Sole Made from Natural Rubber and Mushroom-Based Upper Material
Crepe sole made from natural rubber
BÄR’s 10 mm-thick natural crepe soles, made from 100% rubber, combine unique cushioning with low abrasion. The sole’s flexibility allows the foot to train itself and maintain its natural rolling motion, keeping it healthy. Reflex zones are activated by sensing the texture of the ground. This enables the feet’s sensory system to immediately adapt walking impulses to the surface, making long city walks, strolls, trade-show days, and extended periods of standing at work enjoyable without tiring the feet. The soles also provide good full-surface ground contact, abrasion resistance, and slip resistance—on ice, the natural crepe sole is simply unbeatable. Natural rubber is a durable, water-repellent, and breathable material. Its excellent resilience protects the foot, while the shoe provides additional support. Since the sole is made from natural materials, its characteristic color is a light honey-brown or milky white. Its crinkled texture and porous feel are also characteristic features of a natural crepe sole.
The raw form of crepe is a milky liquid obtained from rubber trees. The soles are made from naturally white, pure latex milk sourced from rubber plantations and processing facilities. No trees are felled to obtain the latex milk from rubber trees. The latex milk is processed under strict hygiene standards to ensure the purity of the product. Once the liquid coagulates, it forms a viscous mass that is pressed into a thin, fine rubber sheet using a roller. Producing natural crepe soles is extremely labor-intensive and complex, requiring extensive expertise. For this reason, the process is no longer widely used.
Mushroom-based upper material
The ethically correct and sustainable alternative to animal leather.
Mushroom-based upper material—the new innovative product with a bio-based content of over 90%. Visually, it closely resembles familiar animal leather. The unique “ALOE” and “OLEANDER” models feature a grained leather look and highly contemporary natural colors, perfect for the fall and winter seasons. But how is it possible to create such an animal- and environmentally friendly alternative? Using the innovative HyphaLite™ TC technology, mushrooms that do not meet retail standards are sustainably reused. HyphaLite™ TC is extracted from the fruiting body of the mushroom. After harvesting, the mushrooms from Vietnam are dried, mixed with water, and then puréed. Finally, the mixture is pressed to create a leather-like structure. HyphaLite™ TC is a circular product that is highly regenerative and reusable over the long term.
The upper material made from mushrooms is highly absorbent, antibacterial, and antiseptic. Microscopic air pockets in the material make the shoe particularly lightweight while also providing an insulating effect. Thanks to the breathable material, the feet enjoy a comfortable climate in every season.
