Latest news with #Oboz
West Australian
5 days ago
- Business
- West Australian
Kathmandu owner KMD Brands flags earnings slump as warm weather dents puffer jacket sales
Australia's unseasonably warm autumn has dampened sales for Kathmandu owner KMD Brands, warning full-year earnings could fall by as much as $NZ35 million ($32.3m). KMD, which also owns surfwear brand Ripcurl and footwear label Oboz, expects underlying earnings to be in the range of $NZ15m to $NZ25m, compared with the $NZ50m reported last year. Kathmandu was the worst performer for the group, with sales slumping 6.4 per cent in the four months to May. In a trading update to the market on Thursday, the group said unseasonably warm weather in Australia had a material adverse impact on Kathmandu's insulation product category, which includes its puffer jackets. 'While the volatility of Kathmandu's sales performance is frustrating, we acknowledge that unseasonably warm weather in Australia, including Victoria's warmest autumn on record, has negatively impacted sales,' group chief executive Brent Scrimshaw said. Woolworths boss Amanda Bardwell last month signalled similar trends, saying clothing was particularly challenging for its long-struggling discount department store Big W with a slower start to autumn and winter sales. But KMD on Thursday said the recent change to cooler weather in both NZ and Australia had reignited sales momentum at Kathmandu, with the first few weeks of June delivering a 13.2 per cent sales growth year-on-year. School holidays and the start of the ski season offered further opportunities to continue the momentum for the remainder of the financial year, it said. 'Kathmandu's significant sales improvement, including strong online momentum in recent weeks, reinforces our enduring brand health and strengthens our confidence in the future growth opportunity,' Mr Scrimshaw said. KMD said it continued to monitor the 'fluid US tariff situation' and anticipates a $NZ1m impact on its earnings for the 2025 financial year. For the 10 months to the end of May, group sales were down 0.5 per cent. Sales at Oboz were 4 per cent lower, while Rip Curl was the outlier, posting a modest 0.4 per cent growth. 'The group is proactively working on a range of initiatives to unlock future growth opportunities across the portfolio, address short-term market challenges and improve medium to long-term performance and value for shareholders,' Mr Scrimshaw said. The online channel continues to be a key growth opportunity, with sales up 10.7 per cent in the 10 months to the end of May. 'Kathmandu recently upgraded its online trading platform, with a significant improvement to the consumer journey,' KMD said. 'Since implementation in May, online sales have been 26.1 per cent above last year, with the recent Australian public holiday being the highest online sales day for over two years.' RBC Capital Markets analyst Wei Weng-Chen said KMD's earnings guidance was 50 per cent below the $NZ39.6m consensus expectations. KMD shares were down 1.9 per cent to 26¢ just before midday on Thursday. They are off 32 per cent this year so far.
Chicago Tribune
10-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- Chicago Tribune
Explore nature in the best Oboz hiking boots
A good hiking boot can be the difference between hobbling on blistered feet and enjoying a march through nature. It's never a good idea to skimp on good footwear for hiking, especially since your feet do all the work. Selecting a pair of hiking boots from Oboz ensures you'll be setting off on the right foot. The best Oboz hiking boot is the Oboz Bridger BDRY Hiking Boot. Of all the Oboz hiking boots available, the Bridger is the most popular due to its extreme comfort in any weather or climate and its high durability and quality of construction. Your size Like all footwear, it's essential to ensure your shoes fit exactly to your foot. Any extra space or wiggle room can and will strongly impact the comfort of your experience. That said, you should also consider how thick the socks you plan to wear will be and ensure the width of your foot is as snug as the length. How hiking boots should fit What type of hikes you plan to go on Oboz makes hiking boots for more than just the great, rugged wilds. They also offer boots that are better suited to urban jungles. The key difference is the type of outsole used. A thick, heavily treaded outsole is better suited for the outdoors, while less intense treads are better for urban hiking. Insulation Some Oboz boots offer insulation for cold climates to keep your feet both warm and dry. Wearing an insulated boot in warm climates can be uncomfortable, so make sure you select the right boot for your hiking destination. Waterproofing Most Oboz boots have water resistance, but certain designs, like mesh-heavy boots for maximum breathability, can lead to far less water resistance. Other features There's more to Oboz boots than just their fit and some waterproofing. Other aspects, like rubber toe caps and their style and color, are equally important when selecting a pair. It's rare to find any kind of quality shoe for less than $100, especially good quality hiking boots, but luckily, the Oboz brand isn't one of the highest costing brands available. You can find an excellent Oboz hiking boot for around $130-$150, with even better options opening up as you spend closer to $200. If you're really serious about hiking, you can also find Oboz boots available for much more than $200. Oboz is quite a name. Is there a good story behind it? A. Yes. Oboz originated around a decade ago in Bozeman, Montana. The people who founded the company adored the outdoors and loved the area where they lived enough to hike its splendors daily. So they named their fledgling company a shortened portmanteau of 'outside Bozeman,' or Oboz. Does Oboz have any commitments to helping the environment? A. Yes. Its headquarters run on completely sustainable energy in the form of solar, wind and biomass power, plus the company plants a tree for every single pair of Oboz boots it sells. It also donates any of its unsold boots to organizations that are committed to providing footwear to those in need. Top Oboz hiking boot Oboz Bridger BDRY Hiking Boot What you need to know: This is the most purchased Oboz boot due to its durability and comfort. What you'll love: These Oboz boots are available in men's and women's styles and stay comfortable in any weather condition. What you should consider: These aren't the most breathable boots, and the rubber toe is known to crack. Top Oboz hiking boot for the money Oboz Women's Sapphire 8 Inch Insulated BDRY Waterproof Hiking Boot What you need to know: These women's boots are meant for cold-weather treks about town, but they still provide comfort and traction on wilderness hikes. What you'll love: The thermal insulation is available in 100, 200 and 400-gram weights to provide just enough heat for your needs without making your feet too hot. What you should consider: There does not appear to be a similar style of this Oboz boot for men. Worth checking out Oboz Sawtooth II BDRY Hiking Boot What you need to know: This is an evolution of the original Sawtooth line of Oboz, built for comfort on any terrain. What you'll love: The Sawtooth outsole is built to provide extra traction on any type of ground you intend to walk on. What you should consider: Some customers report a narrowness to the midsection and tightness around the toes. BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. BestReviews and its newspaper partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Yahoo
Best hiking shoes, clothes and accessories for men in 2025, according to an avid hiker
Since the pandemic, hiking has sneakily become one of Canada's favourite pastimes. In 2021, 85 per cent of Canadians explored the country's vast, 27,000-kilometre network of trails, and now, eight million of us hike regularly — for dates, hangouts and solo exercise. For much of the come-up, Canadian brands like Arc'teryx have dominated the hiking and trail running market with their base layers, backpacks, waterproof coats, and even performance sneakers. Their garments are as high-performing as they are expensive, but many of us still stretch our finances for them — often not willing to put our faith in discounted gear and risk scaling the mountains feeling cold, wet and disappointed. Lately, other sport-related brands like HOKA have made aggressive pushes into hiking and trail running, as have younger companies like New Zealand-born Kathmandu and Montana-based Oboz. That's a good thing; it is giving hikers more quality options at varying price points. In recent months, I had the chance to test out a gamut of hiking gear in a French Alps Hut-to-Hut trip, on a picturesque Sea to Sky hike in Squamish, and on trail runs on the course of the UTMB Canyons Ultra in Auburn, California. Based on those expeditions and more, I've curated a list of ten items that I think are great buys, to help you decide how to prepare for your next hike. With the Mafate X, HOKA has successfully brought their winning road running shoe formula into a trail sneaker. It's a training shoe of the times, with a carbon-fibre plate and a high stack of supercritical foam that at once provides stability and speed. And, in classic HOKA fashion, the Mafate X has a stable ankle and lots of rock-forward power. The treads, shaped little pizzas and tacos (just roll with it), will also leave you satisfied over any terrain. When it comes to shoes, I rarely venture away from the brands that I know, but the Katabatic Wind by Montana-based company Oboz was my surprise revelation of the year. It's a fastpacker's dream — light, responsive and built to last. Its ACTNitro dual-density foam offers lightweight cushioning without sacrificing support, while the abrasion-resistant mesh and TPU overlays ensure durability on rugged trails. The pièce-de-résistance: a carbon plate in the forefoot that provides propulsion, efficiency, and balance on the hills. While the Mafate X and Katabatic Wind feel like bulldozers for feet, the Arc'teryx Vertex Speed is lighter, faster and more refined. Their minimalist silhouette is perfect for faster climbs and trail runs where agility and ground feel are essential. Featuring a Vibram Megagrip outsole and a TPU film for enhanced traction, they weigh just 8.0 oz, keeping you quick and secure on the move. A zoned outsole grips confidently on rock and soft terrain, while shock-absorbing cushioning ensures stability on both climbs and descents. It's in the name: the Alpha Jacket is the best piece of hiking gear I've worn in the past year. Made from abrasion-resistant, ultra-light GORE-TEX, it delivers an exceptional balance of breathability and waterproof performance. The StormHood keeps your head and face dry, even in harsh conditions. It's reflective, insulated, backed by a limited warranty, and impressively lightweight at just 370g for a hardshell. Of course, quality comes at a cost — the Alpha is an investment, but a worthwhile one. Just like their counterpart Alpha Jacket, the pants are also stellar, expensive and come with a warranty. They are waterproof, windproof, breathable and durable thanks to a GORE-TEX outer fabric; and allow for complete range of motion at the knees. What's cooler is they are built with adventure in mind: full side zips make layering and quick changes effortless, and their waist cinch fits well with a climbing harness. They excel in every condition. The world of mountain-friendly GPS watches is now completely saturated with adequate options, though I've been impressed with the Vivoactive 6 because it offers top-level GPS and connectivity at an affordable price. It comes with a range of health tracking settings like heart rate variability, fitness measurements and sleep metrics, and also apps that come in handy on the regular, like Garmin Pay and an irregular heartbeat detector. The Amoled display is straightforward and bright, and the 11-day battery life is highly impressive. I am not sure why it's so hard to find light, properly-fitting, affordable T-shirts these days, but it is. When a brand manages to create a sporty top with a flattering fit, they price it at $120. The Seeker Short Sleeve Shirt, in contrast to that, is a sigh of relief. It falls on the body where it should, and has breathable, sweat-wicking polyester material made from recycled carbon that is just right for summer runs and hikes. And best of all, its cost is easily digestible. My nickname for the Gnarwhal 25L is Narnia Wardrobe: a lot more fits in there than you think. Made with lightweight, durable 500D CORDURA Nylon, and bolstered with a steel frame, it comes with two separate main compartments, an avalanche tool pocket, hydration nooks, and even a laptop pouch. There is even a velvet hidden pocket, which makes a cozy spot to store valuables.
