The Altra footwear brand’s revenue grew 40% in Q2 and is on pace to offset ongoing declines at the company’s faltering skater brand.

Vans had some momentum earlier in the year, but Q2 marks the second straight quarter with disappointing results, in what Needham analyst Tom Nikic called an “excruciatingly long Vans turnaround.”

“While there are still green shoots at Vans, and guidance is for trends to improve significantly in [the second half of the fiscal year], the glacial pace of the turnaround continues to be frustrating,” he said in a Wednesday client note. “That said, we believe brighter days are ahead for Vans (eventually) and the rest of the portfolio is strong.”

On a call with analysts Wednesday, VF Corp. CEO Bracken Darrell said that in Q2, retailers were working through their Vans inventory and that orders for the next two quarters are picking up. That will include new styles, with “a pile of new things sitting next to me, and there's a bigger pile coming.” The brand also has opportunity in apparel and women’s footwear, he said.

Overall net inventories at the company were up 7% compared to a year ago to support demand for the second half of the year, VF said in a press release.

“We are super, super excited about Vans. I think we're really on a roll,” Darrell said. “I don't expect that level of innovation and renovation to stop. It's going to keep going.

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