2024 Vendor of the Year - NSRA

ara Shoes Named Vendor of the Year by The National Shoe Retailers Association

Hershey, PA- The National Shoe Retailers Association (NSRA) announced at its annual Footwear Forum that German footwear brand ara Shoes has been named Vendor of the Year. Sam Spears, President of ara Shoes North America, accepted the award with several members of his team in front of over 300 retailers across the USA and Canada.

“We’re honored to be recognized by the NSRA and the retailers we’ve worked so closely with through the years to build the ara brand,” said Spears. “This award is a direct result of the hard work and dedication of our sales team, support staff in Gatineau and Ogdensburg, and the design and manufacturing operations in Germany and throughout the world. The future is bright for ara!”

Since 2010, the NSRA Vendor of the Year award has been presented to companies that independent shoe retailers hold in high esteem for the integrity of its business practices, and for their commitment to the independent retail channel. Previous winners include Mephisto (2023), Keen (2022), and Brooks (2021).

ara North America provides fashion comfort footwear for all aspects of a woman's life and is Quite Possibly the Most Comfortable Footwear Brand You've Never Heard Of! ara North America has 26 employees and independent sales reps across the US and Canada with warehouses located in Ogdensburg, NY and Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. To learn more about ara, please visit www.ara-shoes.net.

About ara Shoes
For over seven decades, ara has been known for crafting shoes that combine attractive design with the perfect fit. A family-owned company with the highest quality standards and leading edge designers, ara combines traditional craftsmanship with innovative technologies for every step of the day and night. ara is headquartered in Langenfeld, NRW, Germany and owns all of its factories and production outlets. ara shoes are sold in over 300 retailers across North America.

About NSRA
NSRA was founded in 1912 to represent independent shoe retailers and provide their companies with business services, education programs and information resources that help them remain profitable and on the leading edge of retail. For more information, please visit www.nsra.org.