“老人鞋之王”跌落神坛，足力健为何留不住大爷大妈心？

Core Viewpoint - The elderly shoe brand "足力健" (Zulijian) is facing significant challenges, including debt issues and a decline in consumer interest, despite the growing elderly population in China [4][12][29]. Group 1: Company Background and Growth - 足力健 was founded by Zhang Jingkang, who initially struggled in the health product industry before pivoting to the elderly shoe market, achieving rapid growth with sales reaching 40 billion yuan [5][6]. - The company expanded aggressively, establishing thousands of stores and launching a large-scale production facility, which led to a peak revenue of 40 billion yuan in 2019 [6][7]. - However, the rapid expansion resulted in high inventory pressure and cash flow issues, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to store closures and debt accumulation [6][12]. Group 2: Financial and Legal Challenges - 足力健's manufacturing company, 睢县足力健鞋业有限公司, has accumulated debts totaling approximately 15.42 million yuan and is involved in numerous legal disputes, with total claims reaching 8.08 billion yuan [4][7][8]. - Zhang Jingkang himself has been restricted from high consumption and is listed as a defaulter, with the company reportedly using 70-80% of its annual revenue to service debts [12][18]. - The company has faced multiple asset auctions that ended in failure, indicating severe financial distress [10][12]. Group 3: Marketing and Brand Perception - 足力健's marketing strategy has relied heavily on traditional advertising methods, which are becoming less effective in the current digital landscape, leading to a perception of being outdated [18][19]. - The brand's focus on comfort over aesthetics has resulted in products being perceived as unattractive, failing to meet the evolving preferences of the elderly demographic [22][23]. - Despite high brand recognition, the company struggles with a lack of innovative marketing strategies and product offerings, leading to stagnation in growth [22][29]. Group 4: Product Quality and Competition - 足力健 has faced quality control issues, with several products failing to meet safety standards, resulting in public trust issues [23][24]. - The competitive landscape is intensifying as other brands, including Nike and Skechers, are entering the elderly market with targeted products, further challenging 足力健's market position [22][29]. - The prevalence of counterfeit products in the market has also undermined the brand's reputation, complicating consumer trust and brand integrity [27][29].