Gucci drops first 'Made in China' sneakers

In a departure from its century-old Italian manufacturing tradition, French luxury house Gucci has launched new sneaker models bearing "Made in China" labels. The move comes as creative director Demna works to drive innovation while managing production costs to win back price-sensitive, aspirational luxury consumers.

The centrepiece of the launch is the Drip sneaker, Demna’s first sneaker design for Gucci, priced around US$1,000. Part of the brand's Primavera collection, the mid-top silhouette merges a streamlined basketball shoe structure with the laceless convenience of a loafer.

Featuring a sock-like shape in nylon, canvas, and suede, the design echoes Demna’s streetwear-defining, chunky footwear during his tenure at Balenciaga and marks a shift from Gucci’s classic white leather Ace sneakers. A second leather slip-on model from the same collection is also listed as "Made in China."

In response to international media such as Reuters, Gucci said that Italy remains "at the heart of Gucci’s manufacturing model and identity." The brand stated that it selected the Chinese supplier for its technical expertise, drawing a parallel to its longstanding use of Swiss and Japanese partners for watches and eyewear.

"The partner selected offered the technological know-how and capabilities most appropriate for achieving the performance and quality standards we were seeking," the brand said, adding that there are no broader plans to relocate general shoe production outside Italy.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Kering for a statement. 

The manufacturing decision arrives at a pivotal moment for Gucci and parent company Kering. As Kering’s flagship label, Gucci has seen sales decline significantly over the past three years, pressuring profit margins and leading to store closures.

According to Kering's financial statement, Gucci generated €2,757 million in revenue in the first half of 2026, representing a 9% decline as reported (5% on a comparable basis) year-on-year. However, the refresh of the product range, new artistic direction, and accompanying activations drove a sequential improvement through the period. The new collections built steady momentum, enhancing brand visibility and supporting progressive recovery across the directly operated retail network.

Directly operated store and eCommerce sales fell 6% on a comparable basis during the first half, though performance showed a notable 7-percentage-point sequential improvement between the first and second quarters.

Revenue in the Asia-Pacific region fell by 10% on a comparable basis over the same period, primarily impacted by softer local demand and reduced store footfall. Nonetheless, higher conversion rates and an increase in average spend helped regional performance improve progressively through the end of the half.

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