Coach is looking to meld its luxury offering with a new city-inspired sneaker.
The luxury purveyor debuted CitySole on Monday, a new line of sport-inspired footwear said to take its style cues from New York City life. Fresh off a widely-hailed performance at the Super Bowl LIV halftime show, Jennifer Lopez—Coach’s new global brand ambassador—and the face of its men’s collection, Michael B. Jordan, are at the center of the new line’s messaging.
The collection combines leading footwear technology with Coach’s luxury authority, the fashion house said, and was designed for both comfort and flexibility at a minimum weight and environmental impact.
CitySole will initially consist of three different styles at launch, each a take on popular sneaker styles and sensibilities, available in one of more than 40 colorways. The CitySole “Court,” for instance, boasts a triangle toe box, 3M seam taping and a pivot point on the outsole, mimicking features normally found on basketball sneakers.
The CitySole Runner is based on a running shoe silhouette, making it a bit more practical and athletic, while maintaining an elevated style. The third in the collection, the CitySole Lowline, is a classic low-top sneaker in a more casual, leisure-inspired silhouette that lends itself to versatility.
“I have always been inspired by the people and unique energy of our hometown, New York,” Coach creative director Stuart Vevers said in a statement. “Like everything we design, CitySole was created with this in mind. It’s a collection for people who live always-on, spontaneous and adventurous lives.”
Coach doesn’t plan to leave the collection’s popularity up to chance, the release will be paired with an advertising campaign focused on Lopez and Jordan, who both grew up in New York City. The campaign includes a number of vignettes directed by Danielle Nemet that center on New Yorkers’ lives as they navigate the city.
“When you grow up in New York, sneakers are such a big part of your lifestyle because you have to pound the pavement,” Lopez said. “Coach CitySole is perfect for my lifestyle—I’m a dancer, and I’m always on the go and they’re very versatile. They can be dressed up and dressed down, and can be functional but also super fashionable.”
The collection is currently available on Coach’s website, at Coach Stores and through Macy’s at prices ranging from $125 to $195. Started Tuesday and running through March 1, Coach will also be operating CitySole pop-ups at the Foot Locker Times Square flagship and in the Bloomingdale’s 59th street location.