I don't think anybody would be surprised to hear ZARA entering athletic appearal. That move seems to target a need for affordable clothing. It caters to both existing ZARA and fast fashion shoppers, and an affordable athletic apparel line may attract some avid runners (maybe). I don't see avid runners going for a fast fashion performance shoe though. The performance shoe seems like a low hanging fruit. It has seeped into street fashion, with celebrities grocery runs to fashion weekends. At the end of the day ZARA is a money making machine and footwear has the highest margins in fashion so "why not".
Agreed! I feel like the discerning customer may be curious, but won't be an advocate for their footwear. Great point about the expansion of this design language in fashion...sounds like this may be the potential beginning of a new wave casual carbon? lol
This marked the official commoditisation point of carbon plated shoes.
They're now no longer a special product that's viewed as having been engineered by the top shoe designers and researchers.
It unfortunately diminishes the whole category, and will make consumers less excited about the next indie running brand that does a super shoe.
(Imagine how you'd feel about the Eliot Racer had ZARA beat Tracksmith to putting out a super shoe...IMO it'd feel much less 'super')
what a wild world we live in now that carbon is now "table stakes" hahaha
Great callback to my Tracksmith days, Thomas!
I don't think anybody would be surprised to hear ZARA entering athletic appearal. That move seems to target a need for affordable clothing. It caters to both existing ZARA and fast fashion shoppers, and an affordable athletic apparel line may attract some avid runners (maybe). I don't see avid runners going for a fast fashion performance shoe though. The performance shoe seems like a low hanging fruit. It has seeped into street fashion, with celebrities grocery runs to fashion weekends. At the end of the day ZARA is a money making machine and footwear has the highest margins in fashion so "why not".
Agreed! I feel like the discerning customer may be curious, but won't be an advocate for their footwear. Great point about the expansion of this design language in fashion...sounds like this may be the potential beginning of a new wave casual carbon? lol