US sneaker label Creative Recreation back in Europe with JD Sports, launches apparel collection

By

Christel Divert

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Oct 2, 2018

US sneaker label Creative Recreation is making a come-back in Europe, where it has launched its first apparel collection. The brand was founded in California in 2002, and made a name for itself through its trainers, managing to carve a niche in a market that was far less competitive at the time. The brand then went through a troubled patch, and its US owners, Rocky Brands, sold it to an investment fund in 2017.

The licence for Creative Recreation's production and European distribution was then taken over by Two Squared, a UK-based firm owned by the JD Sports group. Backed by the latter, Creative Recreation is launching an apparel collection, to be distributed in Europe initially.

Last year, a few JD Sports stores tested the waters with an embryonic Creative Recreation apparel line. Sales results were positive, and the British sport group decided to distribute the collection in other European markets too.

Creative Recreation is now distributed in France by 4Cs Consulting. At the last Who's Next trade show, it presented the Spring/Summer 2019 footwear and apparel collection, which includes t-shirts, sweatshirts, wind-breakers and tracksuits. The collection has a metro feel, and seems more suitable for urban use rather than sporting practice, though it features distinctive details like reflective bands and Velcro strips.

To break into the French market, 4Cs Consulting is targeting between 30 and 50 specialised retailers, and the brand seems to be able to attract major accounts and directional fashion stores too. Creative Recreation’s retail prices are quite competitive, with t-shirts between €35 and €39, tracksuit tops at €69 and shoes between €70 and €90.