FROM FOOTWEAR PLUS: STRADDLING SPORT AND LUXURY: A CONVERSATION WITH MALLET LONDON
MR is pleased to share this post from Footwear Plus, our sister publication at Wainscot Media.
On July 1, luxury London-based footwear brand Mallet launched a new menswear and womenswear collection. Available through the brand’s website and Saks, the relaunch includes new fresh styles like The Compton (think cool basketball sneaker vibes) as well as the return of brand favorites, like the Almorah, with an elevated upgrade. The collection emphasizes lightweight design, flexibility, and comfort as well as style. The range spans platform sneakers, trainers, skate-inspired styles, retro runners, and slides.
Mallet Co-founder and Business Director Evren Ozka has a background in textiles and manufacturing. At age 18, he ran his division at his family’s textile companies for seven years before beginning Mallet London in partnership with Tommy Mallet in 2015. Ozka and Mallet saw a gap in the market for quality-designed shoes at an accessible price point, and that goal continues to be a beacon for the brand. Ozka sat down with Footwear Plus to discuss the relaunch, brand ethos, and even tease some upcoming collabs.
How did textiles and manufacturing inform your footwear career?
The understanding of the industry and learning the importance of putting a high-quality product together really helped. I understood how to get from design all the way through to the final product very efficiently. The core of a great product is using great materials — you can’t make a world class recipe unless you have the best ingredients.
Tell me about this new launch.
New logo, new silhouettes, same mission. This is our most progressive collection yet, it’s the one we are most proud of and that we’ve worked the hardest toward. We’ve pushed the boundaries of what we thought was possible for us as a brand.
The brand has had some killer collabs lately. How do these partnerships grow your business?
For us, collaborations give us the chance to position the brand in front of people who wouldn’t see it previously. We’re so proud of the work we’ve been doing with our collaboration partners and the unique campaigns that were put together around each launch. It’s transformed us as a business in terms of visibility. It was also satisfying to work alongside Reebok given that we are both British brands from humble beginnings.
What’s hot for SS25?
SS25 for Mallet will see some brand new styles as well as some fan favorites. I love all of our silhouettes, but my favorite is the Jupiter right now. The style and aesthetic touches on elements we have not considered before and it’s a shoe that can be worn day or night depending on the colorway. We have some great new colors and silhouettes coming for SS25.
How does Mallet continue to straddle sportswear and luxury? What does the brand bring to the U.S. market?
I think the sportswear and luxury spaces are merged now more than ever. They have seemed to completely cross over, and you can see someone in luxury head-to-ankle with a sport sneaker on; it’s incredible. For us, we always strive to bring a luxury look and feel but sometimes with a more casual look depending on the style. The new Compton silhouette really showcases this. What we bring to the U.S. market is a fresh take on sneakers from a British brand that is independently owned. We want to give the U.S. audience a luxury product at a more accessible price point.
What’s the next step for the brand?
Continuing to elevate. We have made so much progress over the last six months, and all the team are Mallet are united for us to reach our North Star. The core of our success has always been product; we will continue to innovate and bring the best of what the UK has to offer in terms of design and quality. We also have some incredible collaborations in the pipeline that we know the people will love and I can’t wait to reveal them…but not just yet!