Keep calm and carry on wearing sneakers. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s misstep towards coolness wearing pristine Adidas Samba sneakers has drawn criticism but could drive sales.
Sunak has apologised to sneaker fans for wearing the style, popular with influencer Hailey Bieber and supermodel Bella Hadid, to a Downing Street interview last week. Despite claims by men’s magazine GQ that “Sunak took an eternally cool sneaker and ruined it for everyone”, the apology was unnecessary.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the offending Adidas Samba sneaker that he formally apologised for wearing during an interview.Credit: @rihisunakmp/instagram
“No one wants to see politicians trying to be cool,” says Simon “Woody” Wood, editor-in-chief of footwear bible Sneaker Freaker. “It’s like thinking of your parents having sex, but this won’t have an impact on Adidas sales.
“The average 12-year-old girl doesn’t give a toss what the prime minister of Britain is wearing when she’s buying sneakers. Sambas are popular because times are tough, and they’re great value [$180]. If anything it might help sales.”
Hailey Bieber wearing Adidas Sambas in Los Angeles in July.Credit: Getty
Fashion brands spend millions of dollars aligning with celebrities that represent their values, with Dua Lipa at Versace, Margot Robbie at Chanel and tennis player Carlos Alcaraz at Louis Vuitton, but unsolicited support from politicians can have an unexpectedly positive result.
“You might find that in the next three months the stock price for Adidas goes up because their sales have increased,” says Nitika Garg, professor of marketing at UNSW Sydney’s Business School. “Having a prime minister wear a brand and then apologise for it is incredible publicity. It’s a marketer’s dream.
“This is not about being cool, which most brands seek. Brand coolness is limited to a smaller segment of customers, so the broader profile of a politician might be beneficial to them.”
The power of politics paid off for Loro Piana, the cashmere brand owned by luxury conglomerate LVMH. In 2022, brand representative Pier Luigi Loro Piana distanced the label from Russian President Vladimir Putin when he wore one of its €12,000 ($20,000) jackets to a Moscow rally.
That year, the fashion division of LVMH posted record profits, with the success of Loro Piana highlighted alongside Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior.
Former Victorian premier Dan Andrews’ support for outdoor brand North Face, also worn by Ariana Grande, Bella Hadid and Justin Bieber, led to countless jokes during the pandemic but a positive perception of the brand overall.
President Vladimir Putin wearing a €12,000 ($20,000) Loro Piana jacket to a Moscow rally in 2022.Credit: Getty
“While it’s usually controversy that follows politicians and their fashion choices, we’re surprised and just a little delighted, to find that Dan Andrews has the opposite effect on North Face,” said Chris Cook, managing partner of Nature consultancy in 2021.
Cook’s research found that 56 per cent of people who had seen Andrews’ media conferences were more likely to buy a North Face product in the future, compared with 41 per cent who tuned out.
“By their very nature politicians are too divisive for brands to work with directly,” Garg says. “People either love them or hate them. Fashion is associated with a youthful, liberal audience so conservative politicians like Sunak or Trump are not looked at by brands.”
It could all be a storm in triple stripe shoe. Sunak’s failed fashion flex is a molehill compared to the mountain of Yeezy shoes by Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) with a retail value of 1.2 billion euros ($2 billion) held from shelves, following antisemitic remarks in 2022 by the rapper.
“I don’t really give a stuff what sneakers a politician wears,” says Mitch Orr, head chef of Kiln and owner of more than 100 pairs of sneakers. “Sneaker trends don’t come from politicians. If they have good policies they can wear pyjamas for all I care.
“Anyway, I’m more of a Nike man.”
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