Piloti Racing Shoes Revived by Canadian Tire

A manufacturer of unique driving shoes is back in business thanks to Canadian Tire.

Racing apparel manufacturer Piloti was first founded in 1999 by a sport shoe designer and racing enthusiast. It didn’t take long for the brand to become a fixture in the car and racing worlds, that is until it disappeared a couple of years ago when the economy took a turn for the worst. But now Piloti is back and arguably better than ever thanks to new owners and a lineup with plenty of new additions.

Canadian Tire, the company behind Piloti’s revival, has nearly 500 locations across Canada and also features other brands in its portfolio, making it one of the 50 largest companies in Canada. Currently, Piloti has a five-year plan to become a force within the marketplace yet again, and hopefully this time, it won’t take a wrong turn on the road to success.

As for its new product offerings, there are three lines now available: Performance, Casual and Luxury. The Performance line is designed for professional race car drivers and includes fire-retardant Nomex lining and FIA certification. The Casual line is more geared towards the everyday user, looking more like sneakers that are designed for driving. Lastly, the Luxury line features products made in Italy (Performance and Casual are made in China) and puts fashion first with suede loafers and stylish wingtips. Pricing for the shoes will begin around $120 and climb as high as $450.

Piloti is currently setting up worldwide distribution and will include markets from the United States and Canada to the UK, Australia and Japan.