The intensifying competition within the digital-era footwear industry necessitates brands to go beyond offering superior products by fostering emotional connections with consumers. Thriving in a competitive environment necessitates the integration of utilitarian advancements with efforts to foster emotional resonance among consumers. The study investigates the impact of brand satisfaction on brand loyalty, mediated by emotional brand attachment and brand love, within the Indonesian footwear market. Utilizing a quantitative research design, data were gathered from 350 Indonesian consumers through purposive sampling. Structural Equation Modelling with Partial Least Squares (PLS-SEM) was applied to analyze the relationships among variables. Rooted in attachment theory, the study presents an integrated framework highlighting the critical mediating roles of emotional constructs in transforming satisfaction into loyalty. Findings reveal that while brand satisfaction significantly drives emotional brand attachment and brand loyalty, its direct influence on brand love is not statistically significant. Emotional brand attachment is shown to strongly mediate the formation of loyalty and brand love, confirming its essential role in fostering emotional connections within functional product categories. The research contributes to the literature on consumer-brand relationships by offering theoretical advancements and practical insights for brand practitioners. The findings underscore the significance of integrating emotional constructs, particularly attachment, into brand-building frameworks to strengthen consumer loyalty. Future studies should explore additional emotional mediators, including brand trust and passion, and examine demographic moderators to deepen understanding of loyalty mechanisms in diverse consumer contexts.
keyword—brand loyalty, emotional attachment, brand love, digital business