nce Siddon, Walmajarri people – to share stories of their community, cultures and Country on custom-designed pairs of Volley shoes, with the footwear brand providing leather and canvas hi-tops for the artists to work with. The showcase enabled the artists involved to illustrate what it’s like to walk in their shoes. According to Volley’s partnership manager Renee Jaeger, the NGA approached the brand after seeing Volley’s Wear it with Pride campaign. She said the showcase was received well online and within the NGA, where visitors could view the shoes up close. “The Gallery was thrilled to work with Volley on this significant project, their inaugural First Nations artist collab, and were delighted with the outcome. We can’t wait to share details on the next collaboration, be sure to keep an eye on the National Gallery and Volley socials,” Jaeger said. The Walk in their Shoes campaign is one of a number of collaborations and limited-edition projects by Volley. The brand recently teamed up with athleisure brand The Upside on vegan shoes and a tennis capsule that was on display at the Australian Open, and last year it worked with ice cream company Streets on a pair of summer shoes. Meanwhile, its mullet shoe, in partnership with the Black Dog Institute, was dedicated to the understanding, prevention and treatment of mental illness. Volley’s content and marketing manager Anna Geason told Inside Retail that the best collaborations happen when there is an authentic connection between partner brands. “Whether that connection comes from a heritage in tennis – as per our recent collab with The Upside – or celebrating iconic Australian brands, as per some of our partners [like] VB and Vegemite, it’s a huge objective for us,” Geason said. “The partnership needs to speak to who we are as a brand and what is important to us.” She said that not every collaboration undertaken by Volley is developed as a commercial project. “Our motivation behind collabs can [also] be to raise awareness, increase visibility to our non-core customers, and occasionally have some fun and push boundaries,” she said. Opening up again Volley – which was sold by Pacific Brands to private equity firm Anchorage Capital in 2014 following a collapse in sales – has managed to transform its reputation as a ‘daggy’ shoe company. In 2019, Volley’s brand manager John Szwede told News.com.au that Volley was “legitimately dying” in 2016, before it started working to appeal to a younger audience, and gaining further exposure through brand collaborations and images of recognised artists and celebrities, such as Faye Wong, wearing its shoes. Meanwhile, Martin Matthews, then-chief executive of Volley-owner Brand Collective, told the Australian Financial Review in 2019 that the brand had been in decline for 10 years before the sale. He said the brand’s renaissance involved launching a dedicated B2C online store, and expanding with stores across China. Szwede also told the AFR in 2018 that the split between online and store sales was roughly 50-50, with about 70 per cent of wholesale sales going to China. Prior to the emergence of Covid-19, the brand planned to open 40-50 stores across the country by 2021. Geason said that Volley is now coming off a record online sales period post Covid-19 restrictions, and that it has been able to build a community of highly engaged and increasingly diverse customers. “Our wholesale channels have remained strong with customers increasingly embracing a balance of online and bricks and mortar shopping,” she said. She also explained that, over the last few years, the brand was primarily focused on local distribution and cementing its Australia base.  “Now that the world is opening up again, and travel is back on the agenda, we’re definitely looking to expand our international footprint again,” she said. Beyond bread and butter Volley has just released a new design, Volley Cross Court, which was motivated by the brand wanting to do a better job for the planet. This, Geason said, can be achieved by taking advantage of advancements in material technology. She noted that the mesh upper of the Volley Cross Court shoe is made of 50 per cent recycled material, and the sole is made of 10 per cent recycled sugar cane, 100 per cent recycled webbing and 25 per cent recycled EVA. “[We’re] using more sustainable, recycled and environmentally friendly materials with less waste [which is] something that is becoming more important to our customers,” she said. Geason also revealed that Volley is releasing a new addition to its Pride collection in June – with $5 from every pair sold to be donated to Wear it Purple, a nonprofit that supports young, LGBTQIA+ people. “To date, we have donated almost $75,000 to their wonderful work. Stay tuned for our new Pride shoe – it’ll be flashy and fabulous,” she said. The brand is also continuing its partnership with the Black Dog Institute – hosting a special activation during mental health month in October – and is developing a kids’ range with new ideas and designs, after exiting the market a few years ago. Beyond shoes, Volley is also focusing on its accessories range – which includes socks, hats and backpacks. “Shoes have been our bread and butter, but accessories are a growing segment and are overwhelmingly popular with our customers,” Geason said.