Why do Foot Locker Employees Wear Referee Shirts?
Foot Locker is one of the best and most famous sportswear and footwear retailers in America and around the world. Headquartered in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, the retailer operates in 28 countries.
Famous for their wide-selection of shoes, sports apparel, and sportswear, Foot Locker is most notably found in malls across the United States and has a distinct style which attracts millions of shoppers annually.
And if you’ve ever entered a Foot Locker store, you’ve probably noticed that the employees all wear referee styled shirts. But just why do Foot Locker employees wear referee shirts and how does doing so help the brand and company distinguish itself from other footwear retailers?
Quick History of Foot Locker
In 1963, the F.W. Woolworth Company purchased the Kinney Shoe Corporation, operating it as a subsidiary. In the 1960’s, Kinney branched into specialty shoe stores, including Stylco in 1967, Susie Casuals in 1968, and Foot Locker on September 12, 1974.
Opening its first Foot Locker location in Puente Hills Mall in City of Industry, California, the Woolworth company would continue to diversify its portfolio, looking to expand into specific specialty store formats at enclosed shopping malls across the country.
In addition, in the 1980’s, the F.W. Woolworth Company would incorporate a separate company, the Woolworth Company, in New York state and would acquire Champs Sports, renaming itself the Woolworth Athletic Group.
However, the idea failed to materialize and in 1997, Wal-Mart replaced Woolworth in the Dow Jones average. In 1998, with Woolworth continuing to be the parent company of Foot Locker, they would change their name to Venator Group, Inc.
However, by the 1990’s, Foot Locker was responsible for more than 70 percent of Kinney Shoe Corp. sales, while traditional shoe retailer Kinney was in decline. Venator announced the shuttering of the remaining Kinney Shoe and Footquarters stores on September 16, 1998.
As the Foot Locker brand had become the Woolworth/Venator company’s top performing line, on November 2, 2001, Venator changed its name to Foot Locker, Inc.
In 2004, Foot Locker acquired the Footaction USA brand and approximately 350 stores from Footstar for $350 million. On April 14, 2004, Foot Locker Inc. announced that it agreed to buy about 350 Footaction stores from bankrupt Footstar Inc. for $160 million to expand in urban areas.
And in 2019, Foot Locket would invest over $100 million in GOAT, an online resale marketplace for sneakers and athletic wear.
Although Foot Locker has a more traditional retail sales format, they have steadily risen in rank on the Fortune 500, from 446 in 2011 to 363 in 2018.
Where Does Foot Locker Operate?
Although the Foot Locker was founded in the United States and is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, it operates stores in 28 countries.
- United States: 871 (contiguous) Puerto Rico: 18
- U.S. Virgin Islands: 2
- Guam: 1
- Canada: 108
- Australia: 83
- New Zealand: 14
- Saudi Arabia: 28
- United Arab Emirates: 15
- Kuwait: 10
- South Korea: 6
- Bahrain: 4
- Qatar: 4
- Lebanon: 2
- Malaysia: 1
- Singapore: 4
- Hong Kong: 5
- Macau: 2
- Indonesia: 1
- Italy: 179
- France: 146
- Germany: 83
- United Kingdom: 79
- Spain: 60
- Israel: 68
- Netherlands: 41
- Belgium: 20
- Portugal: 16
- Czech Republic: 10
- Switzerland: 9
- Austria: 8
- Poland: 8
- Ireland: 7
- Denmark: 6
- Sweden: 6
- Greece: 3
- Norway: 3
- Luxembourg: 2
- Turkey: 3
- Hungary: 1
- Romania: 1
Why do Foot Locket Employees Dress Like Referees?
Unfortunately, in our research, we could not find the specific date that Foot Locker employees first began to wear the referee-styled shirts and pants. However, we were able to ascertain just a few reasons and leading theories as to why Foot Locker employees wear referee shirts.
- To mimic the corporate logo – the most obvious reason as to why Foot Locker employees wear referee-styled shirts and pants is due to the Foot Locker’s corporate logo. The corporate logo, featuring a referee with their hands and arms by the side of their body, is easily recognizable and makes for a unique, distinct employee uniform.
- To give an heir of authority – another probable reason as to why Foot Locker employees wear referee shirts is due to the authority and gravitas that referees are provided on the field and court. Referees are seen as the singular source of authority in a game and mimicking those uniforms helps Foot Locker to establish their employees as authority figures within the stores and with regards to athletic wear and footwear.
- To associate the store and the brand to sports – and lastly, another reason why the Foot Locker utilizes referee-styled shirts and pants for their employees is due to the recognition of referees as being uniquely sports related. No other field or niche has referees, so by having their employees don refereeing gear, the Foot Locker is able to help customers associate the brand as a destination for sports and sports related gear.
What is the Dress Attire for Employees at Foot Locker?
The Foot Locker goes to great lengths to ensure all employees and store managers are dressed appropriately and in matching uniforms. This is done to not only create a more unified brand identity but also to ensure that all employees are dressed properly and appropriately for the time that they are working in the store.
Currently, all Foot Locker employees are mandated to wear referee-styled shirts. These are black and white striped shirts and typically come in short-sleeve variations.
Employees will be asked what size they prefer when they first begin working at Foot Locker and will be offered multiple different size options that fit them best.
In addition to the black and white striped shirts, employees are expected to wear black pants or slacks. The Foot Locker does not allow employees to wear jeans, joggers, leggings, or shorts while working in the store.
And lastly, employees at Foot Locker are expected to wear plain, black shoes to match the overall theme of the uniform.