Golden Goose Bets In-Store Cobblers Will Appeal to Sneakerheads

  • Upscale fashion brand is hiring cobblers to repair sneakers
  • Move aimed at young buyers looking to break throwaway cycle
The Golden Goose Cusani store in Milan, Italy, on May 24.Photographer: Francesca Volpi/Bloomberg

Golden Goose, the upstart maker of $500 sneakers, is turning back the clock to keep pace with its trendy Generation Z fans, staffing its stores with trained cobblers to help meet demand for products that won’t end up in a landfill.

The Italian brand, a favorite of Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift, has long insisted that its customizable, star-emblazoned sneakers only improve with age. But adding repair services performed by cobblers — who can mend and revive shoes made by Golden Goose or anyone else — is helping the company bring the concept to the next level, Chief Executive Officer Silvio Campara said in an interview.