Sports shoes defeated by high heels

Any foreigner that comes to Romania says women here are very beautiful and elegant. High heels, although most uncomfortable, are a mandatory accessory for any Romanian woman, whether she goes to work or just out for a walk. Under the circumstances, how likely are the sports equipment makers to register high sales in a country like Romania?
“The use of sports gear in Romania remains low even if compared with the neighbouring countries, particularly because the women prefer to dress business instead of casual,” says Mirela Rosca, general manager of Sport System Development (SSD) Srl, importer of the Italian Lotto products on the domestic market.
Therefore it was only natural that the best-selling products should be the “fashion” ones, instead of the specialised ones.
“All-purpose shoes were our best-sellers last year. Still, the consumers are becoming more and more educated, so that when they come back to buy the second or the third pair of shoes, they usually ask about a special running shoe or one for various kinds of sports,” Dan Tudose, sales manager of Kraus, the company importing Reebok products in Romania feels.
The low penetration rate of sports gear in Romania is also caused by the unfair competition from counterfeits. Still, the importers of the international sports brands on the domestic market report growth on a yearly basis.
How can this be?
“We are still going through that phase when the battle of the brands on the local market is not really fierce. What we, the importers, do is grab one more slice of the counterfeit imports market every year,” Mirela Rosca thinks.
The representatives of the Reebok importer have a different opinion, though.
“The importers do clash over the domestic market, and they fight the battle through the new models they offer. We had 80 new models last year, but we will bring 130 such models this year,” Tudose added.
The company sold more than $1.6 million’s worth in Reebok products last year, up 40% from 2001 and estimates to sell at least 25% more in 2003. Lotto sold nearly 3.5 million euros’ worth last year, up 70% from 2001.