Cherokee’s return: handcrafted shoes, but 3,000 a day
A brand’s revival, powered by a factory that can make 3,000 shoes a day
The story
Cherokee footwear is relaunching with a capsule collection, reacquired by founder Jim Argyropoulos, who is returning to its original roots with handcrafted shoes made in Mexico.
Source: wwd.com
Our reading
The relaunch of Cherokee footwear is all about handcrafted shoes made in Mexico, but the factory can churn out 2,000 to 3,000 pairs a day. It’s like a Renaissance fair meets a factory line, where the magic of ‘California construction’ is now a numbers game.
The founder wants to bring back the ‘Cherokee feel,’ but the factory’s capacity suggests the brand is less about nostalgia and more about scaling up the same old formula. It’s a paradox of authenticity and efficiency, where the past is just a marketing tool for the present.
The shoes are hand-washed and hand-stained, but the factory’s output is anything but artisanal. It’s the same old story: tradition with a side of volume, as if the past was just a blueprint for the future.
