Hummel International, the Danish sports and fashionwear company, has given an update on its progress in making footwear one of its most important strategic areas. It started the focus in 2007 on team sports, especially handball and football, but noted that by 2009 its lifestyle footwear business was doing well also. As part of its efforts it has signed several handball clubs and top players, including the World Champion Daniel Narcisse of France and Mikkel Hansen of Denmark, and 90 players at last year’s handball World Cup in Croatia wore Hummel footwear. In 2008 it came up with SoleMade, a sockliner that can be warmed in the oven and then customized for the wearer’s feet, preventing blisters and sore feet that are common when first wearing new shoes. Hummel’s total sales have doubled in the last three years, rising by 34 percent in 2008 alone. Pre-orders for the 2010 spring/summer footwear collection are triple the figure for last season. The company attributes its growth to its narrow distribution, quick delivery, a “never out of stock” system and increased sales of team sports and lifestyle footwear.