Designed to provide athletes with a better wearing experience than slippers after games and training, Kane shoes are becoming a cultural force
Kane Footwear’s business is booming. The brand, maker of a popular active recovery shoe, has tripled its revenue year-over-year since its launch in 2021 and has inked deals with retail giants like Dick’s Sporting Goods, Nordstrom and Scheels.
Not only that, but Kane has managed to tap into the sneaker zeitgeist, and as word of mouth spreads, Kane’s shoes can be seen everywhere from NFL and NBA locker rooms to the feet of celebrities like Drake to parents across the country.
There’s a good chance you’ve seen Kane somewhere, whether in person or on social media, even if you don’t quite know the brand behind this unique shoe. Kane’s flagship product Kane Revivalis an active recovery shoe that features a two-piece mold, proprietary foam technology and upper ventilation holes.
Kane’s early success comes as the global footwear market is expected to reach $26.7 billion by 2033, up from about $11.2 billion in 2023, likely due to increased consumer demand for healthier options. Kane is expected to be one of the major forces driving this growth over the next decade.
John Gagliardi founded Kane with the goal of providing athletes with a better post-race (or post-training) footwear option than the slip-ons that had traditionally dominated the market.
“I think of our shoes almost like another piece of equipment that athletes or fitness enthusiasts wear after a performance,” Gagliardi, a former professional lacrosse player and co-founder of sports equipment company Maverik Lacrosse, told Athletech News. “I saw other (restoration) products and I just thought we could improve them.”
The inside of an ‘active recovery’ shoe
To create a truly effective active recovery shoe for athletes, Gagliardi sought expert guidance. He enlisted the help of Dr. Daniel Geller, a sports podiatrist and foot/ankle surgeon in New York City who designed the Kane Revives.
Dr. Geller, who serves as Kane’s chief medical officer, told ATN that the Revivs feature a wide base and a dual-density cushioning system designed to provide firmness where the foot needs it and softness in other areas.
“This combination allows you to feel supported through the bottom of your foot and through your arch, while also allowing you to feel protected from ground reaction forces, providing an extremely smooth heel-to-toe gait cycle,” explains Dr. Geller.
Revives also feature RestoreFoam technology, a proprietary blend designed to provide adequate cushioning without being too soft. Other features include a 10mm heel-to-toe drop, tiny nodes inserted into the sole to help stimulate blood flow, and ventilation holes in the upper.
From locker room to daily life
Revive’s features attracted the attention of professional strength and conditioning coaches across the country, who agreed with Gagliardi’s assessment that athletes needed a better post-game shoe option than flip-flops.
“We pretty much launched it at a fitness event,” Gagliardi recalled of Kane’s early days. “Then we got calls from strength trainers and equipment managers in the NFL and NBA who said, ‘Can you send me a few? I want to buy these for my team.’
Keen viewers of HBO’s Hard Knocks series may have seen Kane’s shoes pop up on screen during locker room scenes with the Chicago Bears or Detroit Lions, with players from both teams wearing Revives.
Gagliardi quickly noticed the organic nature of Kane’s early development, with both NFL and NBA coaches approaching him instead of the other way around.
“We don’t have any connections in these organizations,” he said. “They buy them for their teams and their organizations. We’re not giving anyone (free) shoes.”
Beyond science, Cairns have a unique and attractive appearance that attracts the attention of social media stars, athletes, and everyday consumers.
Today, Kane has partnerships with sports and fitness influencers including Matt Tsai and Eric Hinman. The brand also has licensing agreements with at least 24 college sports programs Joint shoesincluding football powerhouses like Alabama, Clemson State and Georgia.
Cain is also active in the name, image and likeness (NIL) world of college sports, having a sponsorship deal with Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III, who is projected to be a selection in next year’s NFL draft. Popular pick.
But it’s not just elite athletes who wear Kane shoes – Revives can be seen on the feet of everyone from high school students to parents to running club enthusiasts.
“It’s definitely evolved from locker rooms and gym bags to everyday, general use,” Gagliardi said. “It’s built for top sports athletes, but it’s also suitable for the everyday weekend warrior and people just taking active steps, going to the market, walking the dog and going to the beach.”
What’s next for Kane?
As the company seeks more growth, Kane will look to move beyond its current relationships with stores like Dick’s and Nordstrom and into new retail channels.
“We want to be an omnichannel brand,” Gagliardi said, although he noted that Kane is very strategic about where he chooses to sell his shoes.
“We say ‘no’ more often than we say yes,” Gagliardi noted. “We just want to grow normally at the right rate.”
For Kane, part of growing right means focusing on quality and sustainability.
Kane is a B Corporation-certified company whose Revive shoes are made from Brazilian sugar cane, a material the brand says is more environmentally friendly than traditional materials because it is renewable and reduces CO2 emissions.
“We try to do things the right way,” Gagliardi said. “We could have produced this product in Asia for about a quarter of the price, but we do it in Brazil by a top manufacturer using sugar cane (a renewable material). Not everything is related to how much we can make It’s about the money; it’s about creating a great product.”
Still, Kane doesn’t put too much emphasis on sustainability considerations in its marketing, choosing instead to focus on the quality of its Active Recovery shoes.
When asked about the key factor that has allowed Kane to grow so quickly since its founding three years ago, Gagliardi pointed to word of mouth. That’s more important than marketing plans, influencer campaigns or lofty statements about Kane’s commitment to the environment, he said.
“We developed the right product from the beginning,” he said. “People love it, so they tell their friends, and then they buy multiple pairs. I think that’s the point of it.”
