Superga And Steve Madden Agree to Part Ways
● The Italian shoe company will work with a new company in Los Angeles to manage its ventures in the U.S.
For a little more than 10 years, Steve Madden has been the exclusive licensee and distributor of the Italian shoe brand Superga in the U.S. and Canada.
At the beginning of next year, that will switch over to The Foundation, a
Los Angeles-based company that works with a number of apparel, footwear, home design, lifestyle, tech and food and beverage companies to expand their brands and increase business.
“We are so excited to bring Superga into The Foundation. It is an incredible brand and household name with a rich legacy that we plan to continue to evolve and expand while staying true to the loyal customer base who has been shopping at Superga for decades,” said Ari Langsdorf, cofounder of The Foundation.
Superga has a long history of making footwear. It was founded in 1911 in Turin, Italy, when shoemaker Walter Martiny first started making rubber-soled footwear for local farmers. More than a decade later, the company created its famous “2750” model that became very popular.
In 1951, the company merged with Pirelli Tire Company to increase production. But in 2004, Superga was acquired out of bankruptcy by Basic
Net SpA, whose portfolio includes Jesus Jeans, Briko and Sebago, for around 13 million euros.
After that, Superga began to expand. In 2011, Steve Madden’s corporation acquired the license to sell, market, and distribute Superga products in North America. Soon, Madden hired Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen to join the brand as creative directors for the Italian shoe label in the U.S.
The sisters then launched a collection of Superga shoes as a collaboration with their luxe ready-to-wear line, The Row, in conjunction with a Superga store opening in 2012 at 78 Crosby Street in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City. The store is still there.