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Icon in the Making

They are on everyone’s feet. On every teenager, (perhaps over-represented in this category), on every hipster, even though they’ve asked themselves if the shoes have become too mainstream for them, and let’s not forget the yuppies who wear them to complement their camel coats- all groups that embody a chic and young attitude. That’s Stan Smith for you, a real marketing sensation.

Someday we will look back on this pair of shoes knowing that would have certainly earned a spot in Roland Barthes’ 1972 classic Mythologies, if it had existed during this time period. An “extra” ordinary pair of sports shoes, with no façade, no displayed promises of performance, inspired by a man who is hardly a legend (who had previously heard of Mr. Stan Smith?), sold at an “acceptable” price and positioned as “a touch of cool modernity”, essential for all body silhouettes. It’s a brand that pleases all populations, all social classes, all ages, from individuals of various living situations, walks of life, and ambitions.

We’ve also learned that an American tannery, Horween Chicago Leather, has revisited the “mythical” Stan Smith shoe, by offering it in a new material: with high-quality, hand-crafted leather made through the process of vegetal tanning. The shoe has been available in Adidas stores since October 9. The leather is crafted from one large piece, and the logo is sewn with a gold thread on the tongue and heel. The conceptual details are precise and meticulous. The idea is audacious.

Why can’t manufacturing be inspired by other sectors? Imagine iconic products now mastered with industrial production, but reproduced by skilled local artisans, in a limited edition series. A hand-woven Lacoste polo, a Swatch assembled manually by Swiss watchmakers, but also, why not a Milano cookie, Toblerone chocolate or a “simple” Yoplait re-imagined by a chef and promoted on his menu. It’s a way for products to attract attention to the originality of their shapes and recipes, their brand history, their origin, and above all, their desirability.

The aim is not to imply that the industrial version is of lesser quality than the artisanal version (inevitably), but to highlight that the ‘craft’ version is the model, and therefore, a unique “work”. Therein lies its value.

So What ?

Faced with the multitude of short-lived nature of trends, “iconic” products possess a salutary effect. For the brands that have them, valorizing their identity is a way of rising above other products on the market…

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