Never one to shy away from statement-making footwear, Versace is gearing up to launch one its most interesting shoes to date next month.
Called the “Versace Mercury,” the unisex silhouette combines elements from various footwear styles into a design that conceals a complex structure of 86 meticulously crafted components that are cut and stitched together. The upper and lining alone consist of 30 pieces per pair.
According to Versace, the shoe takes 27 craftspeople to assemble in Italy and features elements often seen in outdoor shoes, like rope detailing and cutouts in the upper. The use of ropes is significant here, as the company explained the usage as a nod to its advertisements in the ‘80s and ‘90s. As such, each Mercury sneaker has 16 meters of crochet rope into every pair, with artisans dedicating three hours to the hand-weaving and application process, the company added.
Other details of the sci-fi-influenced design include an upper that boasts handmade woven laces, an EVA sole adorned with the brand’s Greca pattern, metal Versace lettering on the metal-plated heel, subtle Versace lettering on the tongue and eyelets, and a ribbon featuring the Greca motif in tonal jacquard. Notably, for the first time, the style code, country of manufacture, and size scales are printed inside the tongue.
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In terms of the rollout, Versace said it plans to release the new sneaker in three iterations.
The classic Versace Mercury M_VS_01 will be available in sleek all-black and all-white colorways, featuring a distinctive shell-like, hand-woven roped upper. Special editions include the Versace Mercury M_VS_02, which features rhinestone appliques carefully hand-sewn onto a hand-woven, waxed cotton netting, offered in black-silver and dusty pink-silver. Plus, the Versace Mercury M_VS_03 includes a white-silver-gold base and replaces the rhinestones with a knotted upper, attached to the same netting featured in second special edition.
Along with the shoe launch, the brand will be releasing the Versace Mercury crew sock, designed to complement the sneaker’s look. What’s more, the company will also launch an augmented reality experience on Snapchat, as well as a digital fashion collection for Bitmoji, in tandem with the sneaker release.
The full Versace Mercury sneaker collection, including special editions, will be available in limited numbers on June 4 at Versace.com and select boutiques worldwide, and will follow a wider release at a later date.
Versace’s Mercury sneaker is the company’s largest shoe launch since it debuted the Odissea in 2022.
In fiscal 2023, Versace achieved record revenue of over $1.1 billion, an increase of 14 percent in constant currency.
