Business makes Canadian shoe to appeal to athletes
By Rachel Brady, CTVOlympics.ca Posted Thursday, July 30, 2009 10:13 AM ET
A Calgary business envisioned a Canadian-themed running shoe that would appeal to Canada's patriotic athletes and sports fans. With an Olympic Games coming to Vancouver and Whistler in 2010, it was time to kick the business plan into action.
Calgary triathlon store Tri it Multisport learned of an Australian-themed shoe that quickly sold out in that nation, and thought perhaps the same could be done in Canada. Their research showed no company had ever produced a Canadian-themed running shoe.
Zoot, the maker of that Australian shoe, and a popular name in triathlon sporting goods, designed and manufactured the special Canadian shoe. Tri it Multisport calls it the Zoonie, and is now marketing it with the slogan "the new Canadian currency in speed."
Jordan Brydon, Canada's top Canadian tri-athlete under 23 and a hopeful for the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games, works at the store and helped Zoot design the shoe. The challenge was making it appeal to not just elite runners, but athletes from many sports who want a dry-land training shoe or a comfortable walking shoe.
"We wanted to do something cool and patriotic to support them in their training," said Brydon, who has already worn the shoe on race day. "Myself, I travel to different countries all the time, and wearing a shoe like that is like wearing a Canadian jersey."
But the Calgary business faced a challenge with their strategy since there are strict rules against using any Olympic branding or "ambush marketing". So Tri it Multisport went big on the simply Canadian motif.
The Zoonie is a sleek, white runner adorned with bold, red maple leaves. Weighing just seven ounces, compared to the regular 13 ounces of an average running shoe, Brydon calls it ideal for speed and agility training since lighter shoes allow more reps of an exercise. They put holes in the bottom for drainage - for athletes who pour water over themselves during workouts.
Canadian Olympic hockey gold-medallist Gillian Ferrari and teammate Tessa Bonhomme are among a handful of 2010 Olympic hopefuls who are wearing the Zoonies. They were shopping for heart rate monitors at Tri it Multisport when the store's owner, Brian Del Castilho, showed them the shoes.
"He said 'we're so proud of our Canadian athletes'," said Ferrari who wore the shoes to a recent photo shoot in Calgary with CTVOlympics.ca. "He was like 'I want you guys to wear these with pride and, you know, your feet carry the heart and pride of Canada.'"
Tri it Multisport is strategizing to get the limited-edition shoe on more high-profile Canadian athletes, a task that has proven tough for a company that typically specializes in serving runners and triathletes.
"Most of our circle is triathlon and summer sports Olympians," said Brydon. "We want to get into the winter sport circle too."
So far, the company has sold about 150 pairs of Zoonies. Showing off the shoes at Ironman Canada in Penticton, B.C. in August kicks off the efforts they plan to promote the shoes to Canada's circles of athletes.
"We wanted to put our name on the market as being the only store in Canada where you can get this shoe," said Del Castilho. "We're marketing to two groups: athletes and people who just want to show they're Canadian. Ideally speaking, to me, this would be one of those things people would want to wear at the Olympics."
The shoe retails for $184.99 (triathlon racing shoes typically range from between $150 - $220, says Del Castilho) at Tri It Multisport in Calgary or on their website, www.tri-it.ca.
Does taking a Canadian-only theme absolve the shoes and the brand from ambush marketing entirely? Not mentioning the Olympics saves the Zoonies from infringing upon the anti-ambushing legislation in place, but is there any doubt of the brand's aim to capitalize on the Olympics? IOC, VANOC, you may well have just opened the door to ambushers - 2010 will be a year of patriotic marketing in Canada, and the precedent is set.
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