Louboutin launches new sneaker with Pitti polo party
The Aurelien sneaker, customised in Italy, made its debut at the Florence event
Last week, legendary shoe designer Christian Louboutin made his Pitti Immagine debut with a one-of-a-kind event in the stunning surrounds of the Santa Maria Novella in Florence.
The historic Piazza served as the breathtaking setting for the high energy, full-day Bike Polo tournament that brought together eight teams – representing France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, the UK and the USA – for a competition under the beating Italian sun.
But it wasn’t just about the sport. All of the players debuted a key new AW17 style, the low-top sneaker ‘Aurelien’ – and each team of three wore a different colour Aurelien sneaker, customised in form by Louboutin’s Florentine factories solely for the sport and the occasion itself.
Special guests including Raffaello Napoleone (the CEO of Pitti Immagine), tastemakers from around the globe, and editors from a host of respected magazines and papers, as well as the Florentine public joined designer Christian Louboutin himself on the day.
But it wasn’t just about the sport. All of the players debuted a key new AW17 style, the low-top sneaker ‘Aurelien'
Guests of the brand spent their day cheering on teams, sipping on Aperol Spritz’ and even indulging in individual pizza’s, complete with specially designed Christian Louboutin branded boxes.
Speaking on the choice of partnership, Mr Christian Louboutin commented, “I discovered Bike Polo through people in Paris, who are friends with our teams. I love that they are all so passionate. I greatly admire people that have the passion and discipline to make sport their life.”
This new sport-meets-fashion collaboration follows last year’s support of the Cuban Olympic delegation to the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. While Bike Polo itself is still very much an underground sport, there are indeed 450 clubs and thousands of players around the world, and viewers of the day in Florence will have noticed the tangibility of just how passionate this community is.
With a full day of games complete, as the heat of the sun finally lowering it’s temperature and the Pitti fair having come to a close for the day, the finale saw a great number of spectators flood to the Piazza to watch the battle of the finale between Italy’s own Treee and the Gnarcats of the USA.
I discovered Bike Polo through people in Paris, who are friends with our teams. I love that they are all so passionate
With the Italians Enrico Pancera, Edoardo Oboe and Edoardo Noro eventually crowned champions, they were awarded a custom trophy as well as the generous covering of the trip to the 2017 Hardcourt Bike Polo championships in Lexington, Kentucky this autumn.
The new Aurelien is available in store and online here.
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