You can be on Entrepreneur’s cover!

Sneakers for Entrepreneurs: How K-Swiss Rebranded Around the Modern Hustle K-Swiss President Barney Waters and Social Media Community Manager Omar Prestwich share how the sneaker company has inspired entrepreneurs.

By Carlos Gil

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

In its more than 50 years as an LA-based brand, K-Swiss has undergone several transformations. From its tennis origins, to its "90s cult following, to its effective "I Wear My K-Swiss" campaign in the aughts, the company has embraced rebrands to connect with customers amidst ever-changing pop culture.

Around three years ago, under the direction of new president Barney Waters, the company began its latest pivot to become the go-to sneaker company for entrepreneurs. Since then, K-Swiss has shown an impressive ability to tap into the zeitgeist, underscored by creating a shoe line with famed marketing entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk.

This collaboration has coincided with revamped marketing efforts focused on providing valuable business insights, such as through a new K-Swiss podcast, CEOs Wear Sneakers.

I recently sat down with Waters and Omar Prestwich, the social media community manager for K-Swiss. During the interview, Waters and Prestwich share how the company rebranded around entrepreneurship and how K-Swiss creates genuine connections with those who hustle and grind.

While other sneaker companies like Nike and Adidas battle for dominance in athletics by partnering with some of the world's most famous sports stars, Waters notes that K-Swiss found an open lane in entrepreneurship. The company realized that young people today often aspire to create businesses, and they see grinding and hustling as a badge of honor.

To reach this audience, K-Swiss has partnered with influencers like Vaynerchuk and provided value to entrepreneurs. Whether it's through conversations on social media related to building businesses -- including genuine dialogues with Prestwich himself -- or creating original media content about entrepreneurship, K-Swiss forms real connections by providing real business knowledge while inspiring people to chase their dreams.

Waters and Prestwich drop insight after insight about what it takes to build a business -- especially at the end, when it gets real with some life lessons, including a frank discussion about the end goal of entrepreneurship.

Watch more videos from Carlos Gil on his YouTube channel here. Follow Carlos Gil on Instagram @CarlosGil83.

Carlos Gil

Author of The End of Marketing

Carlos Gil is the author of The End of Marketing: Humanizing Your Brand in the Age of Social Media and AI, an international keynote speaker, and award-winning digital storyteller with over a decade of experience leading social media strategy for global brands including LinkedIn.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

More from Real Talk w/ Carlos Gil

As Social Media Evolves, Do Marketers Need to Jump on New Platforms Like TikTok?

5 LinkedIn Growth-Hacking Strategies for 2020

Follow the 3 Ps to Grow Your Social Media Influence

Editor's Pick

Business News

'Wildly Inappropriate': Woman Says She Was Denied a Job Because She Didn't Wear Makeup During the Interview

Melissa Weaver was applying for a VP of HR job at a tech company via video.

Business News

From Tom Brady to Kevin O'Leary – See Who Lost Big in the Wake of the FTX Crypto Collapse

The crash exposed an $8 billion hole in FTX's accounts, leaving investors and customers scrambling to recoup their funds.

Business News

This Highly-Debated Piece of Cinematic History Just Sold For Over $700,000 at Auction

The wood panel from "Titanic" is often mistaken as a door. Either way, he couldn't have fit. (Sorry.)

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.