Loewe Loewe X On capsule series visual blockbuster
On is a sports shoe brand headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. In March, it not only launched a new running shoe with better performance, but all the joint products launched in cooperation with Loewe have been sold out, which means that the brand's popularity is changing from a single product specially designed for marathon runners. Breakthrough in the field of sports shoes.
When you see this shoe, the sole will first catch your attention. The hollow midsole structure looks weird and seems to be an alien product. This distinctive, patented CloudTec sole technology has been the signature look of APA’s lightweight running shoes since its inception in 2010. The LOEWE The overall look is like a mouth with jagged teeth.
Angpai has used this sole to design some sports shoes with comfortable foot feel, cushioning and rebound, which are highly praised by tennis superstar Roger Federer (Roger Federer, now one of Angpai's investors) and the discerning technology Fans love it. They fell in love with Angpa’s quirky shoes as much as they fell in love with Patagonia fleece vests and zip-up hoodies.
Tennis superstar Roger Federer
At the end of March, Angpa launched the new Cloudmonster sneakers with a maximal style, starting a new stage in the history of its sole design (this elastic and bulging sole is enough to make you a few centimeters taller). The sole is still a combination of U-shaped cubes, but the cubes are larger, longer and not arranged in neat rows, roughly forming a honeycomb pattern.
Angpa's latest Cloudmonster 7
sneakers have thicker soles
Compared with previous low-key and stable shoe models such as Cloudnova and Cloudstratus, Cloudmonster is like a monster, a big walking shoe rack. And that's exactly the point, because it's aimed at a segment of runners that Ampere has previously ignored: those who prefer larger soles that enhance cushioning. Perhaps not coincidentally, this shoe type with thick soles and suitable for cross-legged display has a certain relationship with the California-based Hoka company, which is one of Angpa's strong competitors in the professional running shoe market. Marc Maurer, co-CEO of
, disagrees with this statement. “We didn’t think, ‘Okay, Hoka makes a popular shoe,’” he said. Then Angpa would make a similar pair. "In general, this is what we think about, what do consumers want?"
So far, Angpa seems to understand the needs of consumers very well. The company, which went public last year, had net sales of approximately $775 million in 2021, a 70% increase from 2020. Matt Powell, senior industry consultant at the NPD Group, a market research organization, said that Angpa's revenue this year is expected to surpass Hoka, pushing it closer to the top position in the field of professional sports shoes (referring to those companies that have long dominated the market, such as Nike and Adidas). and , New Balance, , etc.). Currently, Angpa's products are sold in 8,000 retail stores, including Road Runner Sports, the largest running store, and Bloomingdale's ) and other chain department stores.
Running shoes remain Angpa’s core business: Maurer estimates that 40% of its revenue comes from professional running equipment. The brand attaches great importance to its sports market share. For this reason, it has sent analysts to observe popular jogging routes in major cities to count how many sprinters wear Angpa running shoes.
But in order to promote the company's development, Angpa has also directly targeted a new customer category: luxury consumers. In mid-March, Angpa launched its first cooperation with a fashion brand. It has teamed up with Spanish luxury brand Loewe to launch a footwear and apparel collection that includes the Cloudventure, a gradient blue trail running shoe ($390) and a gradient waterproof jacket ($890).Although its price is much higher than Angpa's main line products, it is almost completely sold out worldwide.
LOEWE Loewe "There was no reason for us to do the 250th sneaker collaboration," said co-founder David Allemann.
But he was persuaded by Loewe's British creative director Jonathan Anderson. The latter, a big fan of Angpa running shoes, called Allemann with the idea of a collaboration. The co-branded products are jointly designed by Angpa and LOEWE, and are sold in LOEWE and Angpa offline boutiques as well as retail stores such as Bergdorf Goodman, Webster, Net-a-Porter, etc. The co-branded running shoes are so popular that they are selling for almost twice the list price on sneaker resale platform StockX.
For the Angpa team, an important point is that the co-branded products include not only shoes, but also clothing products. Apparel is currently the company's fastest-growing category, which Maurer believes is key to the brand's positioning as an athletic footwear company.
As the brand evolves to compete with Nike and Adidas, the launch of Cloudmonster running shoes and the joint collaboration with Loewe represent Angpa's "stepping into a new track," Maurer said. "On the one hand, it is really hard work. Developing the running shoe business, on the other hand, is obviously trying to enter the fashion field."
Sports and fashion are no longer as distinct as they used to be. Angpa executives say they have discovered that their shoes are more about fashion than performance. They're as accessible to top fashionistas like Anderson as they are to technophiles.
In early 2022, Louis Vuitton launched the new
LV Runner Tatic sneakers,
drawing inspiration from the running trend of the 90s
(swipe to view)
Allemann said: "We feel that performance is almost taking over the status of fashion. A look born for sports. Design has jumped into the mainstream of fashion culture.”
Admittedly, Angpa is also openly showing its favor to consumers who pursue fashion. When it launched its first collaborative sneaker with Federer in 2019, The Roger, the shoe was only available at Dover Street Market boutiques in cities including London, New York and Tokyo.
Forging partnerships with boutiques known for selling sophisticated pleated pants rather than running shoes is a key growth strategy for Angpa. “They’re knocking on our door,” said Kevin Carney, founder of Mohawk General Store, a store in Los Angeles’ Silver Lake neighborhood that has been selling Angpa sneakers for a year. He said that Angpa not only opened its own stores, but also tried to cooperate with retail stores like its own. In the store, Angpa’s futuristic shoes sit next to pants from Issey Miyake and knitwear from Stüssy.
Cloudmonster itself may turn in a surprisingly good score in fashion. Extreme outsoles have become mainstream in the sneaker market in recent years, with brands such as Gucci and Converse adopting the design. Just a few weeks ago, Balenciaga unveiled the Defender, an imposing shoe with a massive curved sole that could be considered a cousin to the Cloudmonster.
Balenciaga launches new sneaker Defender,
The tire-shaped thick sole is particularly eye-catching
Justin Machus, owner of Machus, a fashion boutique in Portland, Oregon, said sales of "those nerdy, chunky running shoes" are good at the store. It not only sells Angpa running shoes, but also shoes from top niche fashion designers such as Rick Owens and Willy Chavarria. In the Machus store, some picky customers will stop in front of Angpa running shoes. They probably feel that Nike and Adidas have too much exposure. Machus said they are "looking for other things that are weird and fun."
