Aerosoles' Alison Bergen: We had to accept that we'd lose customers as we evolved

After becoming sold on accepting the CEO job at Aerosoles, Alison Bergen is hellbent on selling fashion fans on shopping the brand. 

“I don’t think I ever thought I would end up at a comfort footwear brand. And I think [Aerosoles] offered me the job twice before I accepted it, because I had to get over my own snobbery,” Bergen said on the latest Glossy Podcast. Prior to Aerosoles, she held lead merchandising roles at Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors and Diane von Furstenberg. 

“What finally attracted me to [Aerosoles] was the original story about the founder, Jules Schneider,” she said. “How and why he started the brand … felt like it was equally relevant today as it was revolutionary back in the late ’80s when he founded it… He thought, ‘Women shouldn't have to sacrifice comfort for style, or vice versa.’”

Bergen joined the brand in 2018 with the goal of modernizing its approach to design and business — which has proven to be quite the feat. 

“Taking a Titanic and trying to change the course doesn't happen by just hitting one button,” she said. “You’re really repositioning and realigning so many facets of the business. Whether it was distribution, product, branding, team structure -- all of those things were going to change, in order to push this brand into relevancy and a healthy future, from a profitability perspective.”

Bergen also discussed the internal changes she’s made and the customer response to the brand's recent updates, including product pricing.