While killing time at Liverpool Street waiting for my train, I wandered into Oliver Bonas and spotted a rack of Gola trainers. They looked great, and I didn’t bat an eye at the £90 price tag. But it did make me smile, because when I was at primary school, wearing Gola trainers meant getting the Mick taken out of you. I should know, I was both a Gola-wearer and, at some point, probably a bit of a wind-up merchant too.

Back then, Gola was a budget-friendly brand, mostly known for kitting out kids for P.E. So what changed? How did Gola go from bargain-bin footwear to a £90 sneaker sitting proudly in Oliver Bonas instead of Shoe Zone (no disrespect)?

The Answer: Brand Positioning
At its core, brand positioning is about perception, how a brand is seen in the minds of its target audience compared to competitors. It defines what makes a brand unique, valuable, and relevant. 

In the late ’90s and early 2000s, vintage and retro-inspired fashion made a major comeback. Brands like Adidas and Puma capitalised on their heritage, and Gola followed suit. With roots dating back to 1905, Gola repositioned itself as a classic British sportswear brand, tapping into the growing appeal of ‘heritage’ brands. Nostalgia marketing is a powerful tool, we're drawn to the things that remind us of our younger, formative years. The chance to reconnect with those times through material objects makes us feel closer to our roots.

This shift in branding coincided with the rise of the indie music scene in the early to mid-2000s. One of my earliest memories of this era was The Strokes, they didn’t just sound different, they looked different too. After their debut single Last Nite rinsed MTV2, I imagine Converse sales went through the roof, and Gola paid attention. Around this time, the brand shifted its focus from budget-friendly school trainers to appealing to the fashion-conscious indie crowd. Gola aligned itself with music and youth culture, particularly the indie scene, where retro sneakers became a wardrobe staple.

From Budget to Boutique
Gola’s revival was strategic. By moving into trendier retail spaces like Urban Outfitters and ASOS, the brand repositioned itself from "cheap and practical" to fashion-forward and desirable. Gola also introduced limited edition designs and collaborations with well-known designers, adding both exclusivity and share-ability, just as social media was taking off.

Pricing played a crucial role too. A higher price tag can elevate a brand’s status, cheap products are often perceived as low quality, while a premium price suggests desirability. By raising prices, Gola repositioned itself as a ‘fashion sneaker’ rather than a budget-friendly alternative to bigger sports brands. The product itself hadn’t drastically changed, but the perception had, because the brand told us it had. And people bought into it.

Cultural Timing: Luck or Instinct?
Brand perception isn’t fixed, it can be repositioned by changing its context, audience, and narrative. But there’s another key ingredient: timing. Positioning your brand at the right moment, when a cultural shift occurs, can be the making of your business. Attaching yourself to a movement, whether it’s nostalgia, subculture, or changing consumer values, can transform a product from overlooked to aspirational.

Gola isn’t an anomaly. Dr. Martens went from workwear to punk fashion staple. Stanley Thermoses evolved from camping equipment to a Gen Z must-have thanks to TikTok. Carhartt shifted from blue-collar workwear to streetwear essential. LEGO, once a company in decline, repositioned itself into a global entertainment empire.

The lesson? Brand positioning is everything. It’s not just about what you sell; it’s about how people perceive what you sell. Keeping a finger on the pulse of cultural movements ensures your brand remains relevant, desirable, and successful. Those who fail to evolve risk being left behind, while those who master the art of repositioning write their own comeback stories.

James Higgs, Creative Director at Rev.01 Studio.