Saks Fifth Avenue Announces SNEAKS: A New Men's Sneaker Collection

On February 22, Saks Fifth Avenue will debut SNEAKS, a new home for men's designer sneakers in key markets around the country. The SNEAKS installation will include high tops, slip-ons, athletic sneakers, collaborations and limited-edition, exclusive packages from Maison Martin Margiela, Giuseppe Zanotti, Dsqaured2 and more.

To kick off the launch, Saks Fifth Avenue will host a series of high-profile events in partnership with local athletes. In Houston on February 26, Saks and former Houston Rocket Dikembe Mutombo will host a charity cocktail to benefit the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation. On March 19 in Beverly Hills, Saks will host an exclusive event with Angeleno Magazine to benefit the Sports Spectacular foundation. The event, presented by DJ Skee and music producer Harvey Mason, will feature appearances by Seattle Seahawk Ricardo Lockette, former NBA All-Star Byron Davis, Hudson Jeans owner Peter Kim and graffiti artist Alec Monopoly, who will be donating a piece of sneaker art. The event will be followed by a ten-day in-store SNEAKS trunk show. In Boston on March 25, Saks will host a designer cocktail event with the Boston Bruins Foundation and Bruins players.

"This launch comes in response to the overwhelming popularity of sneakers at Saks Fifth Avenue over the past three seasons," says Tom Ott, Senior Vice President, GMM Men's, Saks Fifth Avenue. "Saks buyers have pulled together an incredible assortment for spring to cater to the growing demand for the what's new and next in designer sneakers."

One focus of the launch will be a series of designer collaborations. Raf Simons x Adidas is a unisex collab with a playful comic book aesthetic and a mad mix of materials. Y-3 x Adidas brings together Yohji Yamamoto and legendary art director Peter Savilleâ€"famous for his Joy Division and New Order album artwork. There will also be a springtime focus on slip-on sneakers, a luxed-up version of the classic skater shoe that has been a laid-back staple for sneakerheads.

SNEAKS will include sneakers available exclusively at Saks from Maison Martin Margiela, Hugo Boss, Fendi, Dsquared2, Pierre Hardy, Jimmy Choo, Giuseppe Zanotti and Bally. Other sought-after brands available at Saks will include Versace, Valentino and Lanvin. The sixteen stores with a new SNEAKS area include: New York, Beverly Hills, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, Boston, New Orleans, Las Vegas, Bal Harbour, Troy, Chevy Chase, Tysonâ€s, Bala Cynwyd, Beachwood, Columbus, Indianapolis, and Richmond. SNEAKS will also have a dedicated presence on saks.com.

About Saks Fifth Avenue

Saks Fifth Avenue, one of the worldâ€s pre-eminent specialty retailers, is renowned for its superlative American and international designer collections, its expertly edited assortment of handbags, shoes, jewelry, cosmetics and gifts, and the first-rate fashion expertise and exemplary client service of its Associates. As part of the Hudsonâ€s Bay Company brand portfolio, Saks operates 41 full-line stores in 22 states, five international licensed stores, 72 Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH stores and saks.com, the companyâ€s online store.

Saks Fifth Avenue is proud to be named a J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Customer Service Champion and is only one of 50 U.S. companies so named.