Bolstering its claims to greater participation in the running and triathlon industries, clothing and run shoe company K-Swiss has reportedly signed a four-year deal to produce a range of Ironman branded shoes. The deal has reportedly been signed with World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), owner of the Ironman brand.
According to K-Swiss Director of Sports Marketing Erik Vervloet, the company approached the triathlon organiser in 2008, prior to the Ironman World Championships in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. “I asked them to let us make a shoe for the athletes, but there was no deal made then,” Vervloet said.
In its Q3 2008 earnings report, K-Swiss stated that it ‘continues to be a brand that is a leader in the triathlon space.’ During the third quarter of last year, the company’s athletes made the podium in several full and half Ironman, Olympic and sprint distances. K-Swiss sponsored the Malibu triathlon as well as the Ironman World Championship in Kona.
According to K-Swiss, the events helped cement its commitment to the sport of triathlon. The company’s new 2009 running shoe, billed as the K Ona, originally appeared at Kona in October last year. The exact brand name on the K-Swiss / Ironman shoe has yet to be confirmed.
The use of the Ironman logo shall clearly bolster the credentials of future K-Swiss shoes, as Vervloet explained: “How many logos do people tattoo on their skin? That says something about how people feel about Ironman,” he said.
It is understood that K-Swiss will undertake a cautious roll out in 2009 and shall seed the new product to professional triathletes. It may then offer products for sale on its website later in the year. Then, in 2010, it is expected that the new line will be rolled out to specialty running stores. Exact details on shoe branding, range, design and positioning shall follow soon.
“The easy way would be for us to link up with a big-box retailer and throw it out there,” Vervloet added. “But we’re not going to do that. We’ll be at every Ironman event and we’re putting that on our athletes. We want to prove it first with the athletes. If it works for them, it will work for the average runner.”
The running shoe is expected to retail for US$105 to US$120. Other lifestyle products may also feature the K-Swiss / Ironman co-branding, with reports of a high-performance compression sandal and a casual sandal.
“We plan on expanding this brand to cover a range of shoes,” Vervloet said. ”Then we’re going to take the innovation we’re doing and cross it over to our other running products. We want to be a full running [brand], and this is a piece of the running puzzle for us.”
