Aerosoles Revived Direct-Mail Marketing Strategy

The brand is targeting younger consumers and legacy shoppers through a new 35-page physical catalog.

Updated on Oct. 7, 2026 in Retail

Bold vector illustration of a single leather shoe resting on an open blank catalog, representing a tactile marketing strategy. — Aerosoles has introduced a 35-page physical catalog to reach younger and legacy shoppers, pivoting away from a strictly digital-only marketing strategy. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Aerosoles has launched a new 35-page direct-mail catalog titled Be Real, marking a shift toward physical marketing collateral to engage customers. The effort follows American Exchange Group’s 2022 acquisition of the footwear brand.

Why it matters

The company is responding to an increasingly digital-only retail environment by leveraging tactile engagement to reach younger demographics and re-engage legacy shoppers. This pivot seeks to rebuild brand identity after significant store closures during a 2017 bankruptcy.

The brand once operated 200 stores at its peak, though it closed 74 locations during its 2017 bankruptcy filing. The new 35-page catalog aims to capitalize on market data showing that 85% of Gen Z and Millennials engage with physical mail.

The players

Aerosoles

A footwear brand that has transitioned from a large brick-and-mortar footprint to an omnichannel model.

American Exchange Group

A diverse consumer goods company that acquired the Aerosoles brand in 2022.

Jimmy Gabriel

The president and chief brand officer of Aerosoles overseeing the brand's current repositioning strategy.

The details

Aerosoles produced its new marketing materials in Stockton, New Jersey, featuring real people to shift away from depersonalized digital advertising. Management analyzed historical company archives to inform the design direction of the new range. The brand currently distributes its products through its own website alongside major retailers like Macy's, Nordstrom, and DSW.

1987: Aerosoles was founded during a transit strike.
2017: The brand filed for bankruptcy and closed 74 stores.
2022: American Exchange Group acquired the Aerosoles brand.
October 2026: The company launched the Be Real marketing campaign.

Market Landscape

This campaign marks a departure from the brand's post-bankruptcy consolidation phase, which saw the company move away from a 200-store physical footprint. It follows a trend of legacy retailers attempting to re-establish brand relevance after significant operational restructuring.

Operators should monitor how the return to direct-mail marketing affects customer acquisition costs compared to purely digital spend. With Aerosoles considering potential new locations in markets like Chicago and Los Angeles, local retailers should track whether the brand re-enters the physical space.

The takeaway

The move demonstrates how legacy brands can attempt to cut through digital noise by leveraging physical media to build brand equity. Operators should track the conversion performance of their own legacy marketing channels against modern digital equivalents to identify underutilized opportunities.