Marketers know that baby boomers are the largest consumer base with money to spend. So footwear retailers and manufactures are sitting up and taking notice of how Baby Boomer’s shoe buying habits are different from other generations. Baby Boomers do not see themselves as aging, and certainly don’t want to be reminded of it, so they want shoes that don’t look like they say “senior citizen,” yet want them to be as comfortable as possible for their aging feet.
They are looking past the trendy designers to find ones who meet both their needs of comfort and style. While they are still willing to open their wallets for a good shoe; they are less influenced by traditional marketing and therefore require designers and their ad campaigns to hit the drawing board to understand what style and effective marketing strategy will work in their favor.
Many more female Baby Boomers are also shopping online for their footwear needs. I spoke with She Finds back in mid-November, as they explained women’s online shoe buying habits. These same habits hold true for Baby Boomers and it’s no surprise to see that online retailers, such as internet giant Amazon, are capitalizing on this trend.
Baby Boomers, I would love your input. What do you look for in a shoe? What brand gives meets your needs?