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Golden Goose, the upstart maker of $500 sneakers, is turning back the clock to keep pace with its trendy Generation Z fans, staffing its stores with trained cobblers to help meet demand for products that won’t end up in a landfill.
The Italian brand has long insisted that its customisable, star-emblazoned sneakers only improve with age. But adding repair services performed by cobblers — who can mend and revive shoes made by Golden Goose or anyone else — is helping the company bring the concept to the next level, CEO Silvio Campara said in an interview.
“At a time of standardised production, we want to engage with the client in the creative process and encourage loyalty,†said Campara, who helped reposition a small Venetian fashion firm into a vintage-inspired brand whose 2022 sales grew 30% to about $548 million.
“We also want to show them the value of repairing old shoes instead of throwing them away.†Golden Goose, which is controlled by Permira Holdings LLP, is already known for its personalised sneakers, with company designers who help add touches like embroidery or tattoo-style graphics. Shoe repair by qualified cobblers is a newer service being rolled out at selected stores across the world.
It could make a good fit with the company’s core demographic: more than 80% of Golden Goose buyers are Millenials or from Gen Z, Campara said, and they put a premium on breaking out of the throwaway-product cycle.
Tailoring and repair, now available at Golden Goose locations including Milan, New York and Dubai, extends sneaker lifecycles and reduces environmental impact, the CEO said. The goal is to have about 70 cobblers at some 10 key stores and at a Golden Goose repair hub near Venice. Golden Goose has passed through the hands of three global investment groups.
Carlyle Group bought the company from Ergon Capital Partners SA in 2017, sparking its expansion into the US and China.