Ronnie Fieg accepted the Person of the Year Award at the 2025 Footwear News Achievement Awards in NYC on Wednesday.
While accepting the award, which was presented by American television host and former professional football defensive end Michael Strahan, the Kith founder, chief executive officer and creative director homed in on legendary designer Tommy Hilfiger.
“If you were to tell me when I was a kid, that I would be in the same room with Tommy winning an award the same night, I wouldn’t believe it,” Fieg said. “It still feels surreal to me.”
Fieg also gave a shout out to his mom, who attended the awards gala on Wednesday night. “People always ask me, ‘how do you just continue to change the concept of what you do?’ And it has a lot to do with the audacity that I have to try new things and execute on the next level,” the founder said. “And I think that I got that from my mom growing up. So, I wanted to say thank you to my mom.”
The retail leader also mentioned that he wouldn’t be able to build Kith without his support system. “This starts at home with my wife and my kids, my parents, and then it extends to the office and to the stores, with all the employees that allow me to do what I do,” Fieg said. “So, this is for everyone that’s been in my corner.”
Fieg added: “If you stay creative and stay humble you can go as far as you’d like to go.”
In 2025, the Kith founder topped himself again and again – turning every collaboration, store opening and runway show into a fresher, bolder expression of his singular vision.
Out-of-the-box thinking is a Fieg trademark. Just look at his new hospitality venture, Kith Ivy, which opened in late November at the intersection of the West Village and SoHo. The concept centers around the still-emerging sport of padel, and brings together a group of eclectic brands no one else would dream of putting together in one space.
A short walk away, Kith’s reopened NoHo flagship, which consistently has lines around the block, served as the backdrop for the brand’s August runway show dubbed “Institution” — its first in six years. The spectacle, held in front of the store on Lafayette Street, brought together rappers, athletes and actors, and featured collaborations with Clarks, Adidas, Birkenstock and more.
For 39 years, the annual FN Achievement Awards — often called the “Shoe Oscars” — have celebrated the style stars, best brand stories, ardent philanthropists, emerging talents and industry veterans. The 2025 event is supported by Caleres, Listrak, Nordstrom, Skechers, Vibram and Wolverine Worldwide.