Pro-Keds' Strategic Comeback: Fashion Legend Rediscovered
Florence, dinsdag, 24 juni 2025.
Under the leadership of former Gucci CEO Patrizio di Marco and Jay Schottenstein, owner of American Eagle, Pro-Keds stands on the brink of a large-scale international repositioning. The historic American sports shoe brand, originally founded in 1949, is returning to the international fashion sector with a promising new retail strategy. Interestingly, the brand’s origin lies in a tyre factory that used innovative rubber material for shoes, which was a groundbreaking approach in the sports footwear industry at the time.
Strategic Repositioning
Pro-Keds announces an ambitious international re-entry into the fashion sector, led by two prominent figures in the fashion industry. Patrizio di Marco, former CEO of Gucci, and Jay Schottenstein, owner of American Eagle, have struck a strategic agreement to revive the historic sports shoe brand [1]. The collaboration was originally discussed in the summer of 2023, when Schottenstein acquired the Keds and Pro-Keds brands [1].
Historical Origin
The brand history of Pro-Keds is particularly interesting. Both brands, Pro-Keds and Keds, share a common origin in a tyre factory that used innovative rubber material for sports shoe production [1]. This original approach was pioneering in the shoe industry at the time, with a technical manufacturer transitioning into fashion and athletic footwear [1].
Launch Platform
The brand announced its strategic repositioning during the prestigious Pitti Uomo fashion exhibition, where a striking stand was set up in the Sala Ottagonale of the Fortezza da Basso [1]. This location choice symbolises Pro-Keds’ ambition to regain a prominent position in the international fashion sector [1].