Santoni used New York City marathon weekend to showcase its lightweight Easy shoe collection through a two-day pop-up, performances and a race-day challenge involving three athletes.
The Italian brand’s pop-up operated on Oct. 30 and 31 in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District, at the intersection of Washington Street and Little West 12th Street. The space featured the Easy collection alongside a selection of Santoni’s best-selling men’s and women’s products.
On Friday, performers dressed in formal outfits and paired with Santoni Easy Run shoes staged flash mobs and traveling performances. Their route began in the Meatpacking District and continued through locations including Central Park and Times Square before ending at the brand’s Madison Avenue boutique. Santoni said the performances were intended to bring the collection’s emphasis on freedom and movement into the city.
The activation continued on marathon day, when three athletes ran wearing the Easy Run lace-up. Executive president and chairman Giuseppe Santoni said the initiative was designed to attract attention in an unexpected way while demonstrating the shoes’ quality. He also stressed that Santoni was not entering the training or running-shoe business.
The Easy Run weighs 295 grams and uses a rubber sole with a distinctive density that Santoni described as making it one of the softest and lightest leather shoes on the market. Its other features include Santoni’s Arancio Santoni Sigillo stitching, an integrated invisible elastic system, a perforated nappa leather lining, a memory foam insole and a full Arancio Santoni sole.
Santoni said the United States remains the brand’s most important international market and a major contributor to global growth. He reported that U.S. business had increased 52 percent year over year, with gains in owned retail and wholesale and solid performance at Nordstrom, Saks, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman.
The executive also highlighted the growth of Santoni’s women’s business, which he said was up nearly 85 percent from the previous year. He noted that women’s sales already exceed men’s at certain locations, including Saks Fifth Avenue’s New York store, Neiman Marcus in Dallas and Bergdorf Goodman.
Santoni said his five-year vision is for the women’s offering to become three times larger than the men’s business, driven by further growth in the women’s category rather than a decline in men’s.
Sources: WWD.