From Kilian to Zara

Zara, the Spanish ‘fast fashion’ label is getting into the carbon plated footwear game. Sounds ridiculous and everyone seems to think so.

Here’s the Running Shoe Guru, just one of the many articles that were posted about this over the last couple of weeks:

When Zara dropped its first-ever carbon plated running shoe last week, the running community didn’t just raise eyebrows – it collectively gasped. The Spanish fast-fashion giant, known for rapidly turning runway trends into affordable streetwear, had just stepped into one of the most technical and hotly contested spaces in performance athletics.

There’s a lot that can be said about how fashion and performance are currently colliding. But I want to offer a slightly different take, that is just that, a take. I have no insight on this, it’s pure speculation.

Zara is a Spanish fashion retailer and so is Camper, the shoe maker that is partnering with Kilian on their NNormal brand. There’s a chance that Zara is seeing what Camper is working on with Spaniard Kilian Jornet and NNormal and being inspired to also get into the shoe game on a serious level. Sometimes it’s literally regional connections that drive businesses into making certain decisions. Maybe.