FN's Inaugural Switchback Dinner Puts Women at the Heart of Outdoor's Future
The outdoor industry has long been associated with rugged terrain, technical gear, and a demographic that skewed heavily male. But that narrative is changing — and it's changing fast. At Footwear News' inaugural Switchback Dinner, a gathering of some of the most influential voices in outdoor footwear and lifestyle, one theme rose above all others: women are not just participating in the outdoor industry's evolution — they are leading it. From the executive suite to the trail, female leaders and consumers are redefining what the outdoor space looks like, feels like, and stands for.
What Was the FN Switchback Dinner?
The Switchback Dinner, hosted by Footwear News, brought together executives, brand leaders, and industry innovators for an intimate evening of conversation centered on the shifting landscape of outdoor lifestyle and footwear. The event was designed to go beyond surface-level trend talk and dig into the structural, cultural, and commercial forces that are driving meaningful change across the category. Among the most compelling conversations of the evening were those involving leaders from Altra and Chaco — two brands that have staked their identities on authentic outdoor experiences and community-driven values.
Unlike a traditional panel or conference format, the dinner setting created space for candid dialogue and honest reflection. Leaders didn't just share their brand wins — they spoke openly about the challenges of serving an evolving consumer base, the responsibility that comes with increasing female representation in leadership, and the ways in which listening to women has fundamentally altered how their companies think about product, marketing, and community.
Altra and Chaco: Brands Built for Every Trail
Altra Running and Chaco represent two distinctly different corners of the outdoor footwear market, yet both arrived at the Switchback Dinner with a similar conviction: that women are not a secondary consideration in their business strategies — they are central to them.
Altra, known for its foot-shaped toe box and zero-drop platform that has attracted a loyal following among trail runners and ultramarathon athletes, has seen significant growth in its female consumer base. Altra's leadership at the dinner emphasized that female runners don't simply want a smaller version of a men's shoe. They want footwear that is genuinely engineered for the female foot — with attention to width, arch profile, cushioning distribution, and biomechanical nuance. This philosophy has become a product development mandate, not just a marketing talking point.
Chaco, the beloved sandal brand synonymous with river crossings, festival grounds, and lifelong adventure, brought its own perspective on how women have shaped brand identity. For Chaco, the female consumer has consistently been one of the brand's most passionate advocates — a community builder who evangelizes the product through word of mouth, social media, and genuine lifestyle alignment. Chaco leaders at the dinner discussed how recognizing this influence has led to deeper investment in women-centered design, colorways, and storytelling.
Female Leadership Is Changing the Industry From the Inside Out
One of the most powerful threads running through the Switchback Dinner discussion was the role of female leadership — not just female consumers — in transforming the outdoor category. When women hold decision-making power within brands, the entire product development process shifts. Priorities change. Questions get asked that weren't being asked before. And the result is often a more thoughtful, more inclusive, and ultimately more successful product line.
Leaders at the dinner pointed to specific examples of how having women in senior roles across design, marketing, and business strategy has opened doors to underserved consumer segments and created stronger brand loyalty. It's not simply about diversity for its own sake — though that matters enormously — it's about the business case for including voices that reflect the reality of who is buying, wearing, and advocating for outdoor products today.
- Product development: Female executives are championing performance footwear designed around women's biomechanics rather than scaled-down men's lasts.
- Marketing and community: Women leaders are pushing for authentic storytelling that reflects the full spectrum of female outdoor experiences — from competitive athletes to casual weekend hikers.
- Brand culture: Female leadership is fostering workplace environments that attract and retain diverse talent, creating a virtuous cycle of inclusive innovation.
- Consumer trust: Brands with visible female leadership often earn deeper loyalty from female consumers who see their values genuinely reflected.
The Female Outdoor Consumer: A Force the Industry Can No Longer Ignore
Data and lived experience have aligned on a critical truth: women are one of the fastest-growing segments in outdoor participation. From trail running and hiking to backpacking and water sports, female participation rates have surged over the past decade — and accelerated further in the post-pandemic outdoor boom. Yet for years, the industry's product offerings, advertising campaigns, and retail experiences lagged behind this demographic reality.
The Switchback Dinner conversations made clear that brands like Altra and Chaco are committed to closing that gap. The female outdoor consumer is not a niche audience. She is a core driver of category growth, and she is increasingly vocal about expecting products and brands that genuinely understand her needs, celebrate her achievements, and earn her loyalty through action rather than lip service.
What the Future of Outdoor Looks Like
If the FN Switchback Dinner offered any single vision of where the outdoor industry is headed, it is this: the future is more inclusive, more female-informed, and more dynamic than the industry's past. The brands that will thrive are those that don't treat women as an afterthought or a secondary market — but as architects of what outdoor culture becomes next.
Altra and Chaco, alongside a growing cohort of forward-thinking brands, are demonstrating that centering women in product design, leadership, and community building isn't just the right thing to do. It's the smart business strategy for a category that is finally catching up to the full breadth of people who love the outdoors. As the Switchback Dinner made abundantly clear, the evolution of outdoor is not coming — it is already here, and women are leading the way.