Publications

01 Sep 2004
News

Stiletto Science

MIT grad Brian Hughes (MBA ’79) is bringing technology to bear on what may result in a giant step forward for womankind. Imagine, gushed the Austin, Texas, American-Statesman (July 8, 2004), a high-heeled shoe “so cozy you can wear it all... View Details

Keywords: high-heeled shoes; Clothing and Clothing Accessories Stores; Retail Trade

Web

The General Shoe Company, 1921 | Baker Library | Bloomberg Center | Harvard Business School

Skip to Main Content Exhibition Home Exhibition Business Education & The Case Method The General Shoe Company, 1921 Case Writing & Industry Expansion of the Case Method The Case Method Classroom Teaching & The Case Method Impact on... View Details

15 Apr 2020
News

Staying Healthy Indoors, the past and Future of Power, and Shoe Libraries: Books in Brief

Web

Polishing Chrysler bodies similar to shining shoes - The Human Factor – Baker Library | Bloomberg Center, Historical Collections

Production Chapter Introduction Chapter Images The Worker The Audience Bibliography previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 next Polishing Chrysler bodies similar to shining shoes ca. 1937 Chrysler Corporation Photographer unknown After Chrysler bodies have... View Details

May 2013
Article

Sweatshop Labor Is Wrong Unless the Shoes Are Cute: Cognition Can Both Hurt and Help Motivated Moral Reasoning

By: Neeru Paharia, Kathleen Vohs and Rohit Deshpandé

The present research investigated the dual role of cognition as either an enabler of moral reasoning or self-interested motivated reasoning for endorsing sweatshop labor. Experiment 1A showed motivated reasoning: participants were more likely to endorse the use of... View Details

Keywords: Moral Sensibility; Motivation and Incentives; Working Conditions; Cognition and Thinking

Find at Harvard

Read Now

06 Apr 2024
News

Behavioral Scientist Michael Norton: ‘When a Tennis Player Ties Their Shoes in a Particular Way, They Feel They Can Play at Wimbledon’

January 2015
Case

The Blonde Salad

By: Anat Keinan, Kristina Maslauskaite, Sandrine Crener and Vincent Dessain

In 2014, Chiara Ferragni, a globe-trotting founder of the world's most popular fashion blog The Blonde Salad, and Riccardo Pozzoli, her co-founder and business partner, had to decide how to best monetize her blog as well as her shoe line called the "Chiara Ferragni... View Details

January 2015 (Revised July 2015)
Case

Jimmy Choo

By: Anat Keinan and Sandrine Crener

Jimmy Choo is a British luxury accessories brand, specializing in shoes, handbags, accessories, and fragrances. Founded in 1996 in London by couture shoe designer Jimmy Choo and Vogue accessories editor Tamara Mellon OBE, the brand enjoyed immediate success and rapidly... View Details

15 Jul 2022
News

The Right Step: Q+A With Rakoh Founder Raphael Kohlberg (MBA 2018)

Profile

Leo Markel

HBS, I flex my decision-making muscle and learn by stepping into the shoes of the case protagonist. Furthermore, I feel fortunate to hear the perspectives of the Marines, political leaders, and many other students who come from... View Details

Keywords: Venture Capital / Private Equity; Financial Services; Other Financial Services; Nonprofit / Government

03 Nov 2021
Blog Post

Recent Grad Reflections: From Being Cold Called to Becoming a Case Protagonist

change the perception of what an “ideal VC” is. When I was an MBA student, one of my favorite aspects of the case method was stepping into the shoes of the case protagonist to make a decision from their perspective. Yet never in my... View Details

September 1985 (Revised October 1988)
Case

NIKE in China

By: James E. Austin and Francis Aguilar

Nike is reviewing its strategy for producing shoes in China for the U.S. market. Compares the experience in China with that in other countries. View Details

Keywords: Strategy; Production; Manufacturing Industry; China; United States

Find at Harvard

August 1994 (Revised July 1995)
Case

Astra Sports, Inc. (A)

By: John A. Quelch

Astra executives meet to discuss how to counteract the appearance of Korean-made counterfeit athletic shoes in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. View Details

Keywords: Brands and Branding; Strategy; Crime and Corruption; Manufacturing Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Sports Industry; North Korea; Latin America; South Korea; Asia; Europe

August 1994 (Revised December 1996)
Case

Astra Sports, Inc. (B)

By: John A. Quelch

Astra executives meet to discuss their options with a Venezuelan company that, for seven years, manufactured and marketed athletic shoes under the Astra name without authorization from Astra. View Details

Keywords: Strategy; Crime and Corruption; Brands and Branding; Manufacturing Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Sports Industry; Venezuela

April 1990 (Revised August 1993)
Case

NIKE in China (Abridged)

By: James E. Austin

Nike is reviewing its strategy for producing shoes in China for the U.S. market. Compares the experience in China with that in other countries. View Details

Keywords: Strategy; Production; Manufacturing Industry; Consumer Products Industry; China; United States

22 Jan 2016
Blog Post

Case Protagonists at HBS

The case method is a cornerstone of the HBS pedagogical method. During their time at HBS, students will step into the shoes of 500 different case protagonists – and learn how to make difficult, critical decisions with limited information.... View Details

April 2006 (Revised June 2008)
Case

New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc.

By: H. Kent Bowen, Robert S. Huckman and Carin-Isabel Knoop

Considers whether New Balance, one of the world's five largest manufacturers of athletic footwear, should respond to Adidas' planned acquisition of Reebok--a transaction that would join the second- and third-largest companies in the industry. Highlights the unique... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Production; Supply Chain Management; Performance Improvement; Competition; Consolidation; Apparel and Accessories Industry

March 2012 (Revised September 2014)
Case

Clarks at a Crossroads (A)

By: John A. Davis and Suzanne Stroh

Clarks at a Crossroads (A) describes how this venerable British shoe company falls behind its competition and into financial trouble. The case ends with a pivotal vote by shareholders on whether to sell this family company. View Details

July 2023
Case

Crocs: Using Community-Centric Marketing to Make Ugly Iconic

By: Ayelet Israeli and Anne V. Wilson

In 2022, the Crocs Classic Clog was the best-selling item of clothing on Amazon, the brand was one of the fastest growing brands in the U.S., and global net revenue had increased to approximately $3.6 billion. By most accounts, Crocs had become the “it” shoe. Crocs... View Details

Keywords: Brands and Branding; Product Development; Growth and Development; Customer Value and Value Chain; Digital Marketing; Digital Strategy; Segmentation; Advertising; Consumer Products Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; United States