Designer Brands, Inc. reportedly launched the first footwear line by Le Tigre, the New York City sportswear brand and “disrupter of classic casual American style since 1977.” Designer Brands said it is “flexing its power as a brand-building engine with a bold foray into the athleisure footwear category.”

Designer Brands, which also owns retailers DSW Shoe Warehouse and The Shoe Company, said the addition of Le Tigre, along with the recent acquisitions of Keds and Topo Athletic, enables the company to grow its brand portfolio in the “increasingly important athletic and athleisure space and expands its branding capabilities, while leveraging the direct-to-consumer infrastructure of its stores in North America and its digital platform.”

“The process of envisioning, defining and bringing the essence of Le Tigre to life in footwear has been an exciting journey,” said Bill Jordan, president of Designer Brands, Inc. “As brand builders, we are focused on creating style and value for our customers powered by our passion for inspiring self-expression. Launching the new Le Tigre footwear collection strengthens our Owned Brands portfolio and aligns with our goal of doubling sales of Owned Brands by 2026. This is an opportunity to truly disrupt the footwear marketplace, delivering great design and creating something truly special.”

Designer Brands holds a one-third interest in the Le Tigre brand and will exclusively design and produce the footwear to sell primarily through DSW and The Shoe Company direct-to-consumer stores and e-commerce channels and to select wholesale accounts through leTigreglobal.com.

Drawing from Le Tigre’s New York City roots, each of the six shoe designs carries the name and spirit of the Big Apple. For example, Tompkins is a nod to Tompkins Square in the East Village, and the Loughlin draws from the Bishop Loughlin High School band’s tradition of performing the Rocky theme song for three hours to inspire NYC Marathon runners each fall.

“This is a monumental occasion for Le Tigre as we embark on a footwear journey with industry leader Designer Brands,” said Ike Franco, CEO of Le Tigre. “Le Tigre has long represented an image of style disruption and uniqueness. This new footwear line embodies that sentiment.”

Photo courtesy DSW