There is a deep cultural trait in Brazilians – almost an invisible heritage – that makes us look at any international stamp with a disproportionate fascination. It is the old and well-known “mutt syndrome”, immortalized by Nelson Rodrigues.
We grew up conditioned to believe that labels written in English have unquestionable quality and that foreign technology is automatically superior.
In the sports market, the rule has never been different: if your shoes didn’t feature the logo of a European or American giant, they weren’t worthy of your most important walks (or runs). The national was the choice of necessity. The imported, the desire.
But what happens when a Brazilian brand decides to overcome this inferiority complex and prove that our industry can, indeed, dictate the pace of innovation?
Street racing: the new craze for Brazilians
The answer to this paradigm shift could be seen last Sunday, April 12th, during the 30th São Paulo International Marathon. The streets of the largest metropolis in Latin America were taken over by more than 20 thousand runners, consolidating an irrevocable social phenomenon.
Road racing is no longer just a weekend sweat. It has become the new lifestyle for those who love playing sports and pushing limits. It’s the social network on the move, a hub for live connections and the new status currency for a generation that prioritizes mental health and performance.
And it is exactly in this demanding scenario that the case of Olympikus – and its controlling company, Vulcabras, led by Pedro Bartelle – turns into a true lesson in business and branding.
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The timeline: from utility to top of the podium
To understand the magnitude of what Olympikus did, we need to rewind the tape chronologically. Go back in time about ten years.
Let’s be honest: the brand carried an indigestible stigma. She was often labeled as “uncle’s sneakers”. Those honest shoes, focused on cost-benefit for hitting the clock at work or at the gym, but that were far from the shelves of sports greed.
The classic marketing manual solution?
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Create a sub-brand from scratch (with a foreign name, of course), double the prices and seek out a new clientele by pretending not to be who you always were.
What did Olympikus do?
The exact opposite. They decided to annihilate the “mutt syndrome” from the inside out, betting on the strength of its origin.
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The ground zero of this revolution happened in 2019, with the launch of the family Corre. The thesis was bold, but of unique clarity: to create the first high-performance sneakers developed 100% in Brazil, designed for the Brazilian runner’s body type and designed to withstand the imperfections and heat of our asphalt.
The evolution was gradual. The first model made noise, but it was with the following interactions (Run 2, Run 3, Run 4 and, more recently, Run 5) that the magic of engagement happened. The brand went down to play… Or rather, to the asphalt.
He put sneakers at the feet of sports advisors, formed a community of runners (amateurs and professionals), swallowed the feedback and adjusted the engineering. “Cost-benefit”, which has always been in the company’s DNA, gained the name “high performance”.
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The numbers?
They speak for themselves. According to reports from Strava, for the fourth consecutive year, the Corre line is the favorite and most used by runners in Brazil. More than that, sneakers have already ranked as the fourth most searched consumer product by Brazilians on Google.
Financially, the strategy was an unstoppable traction engine. Leading this turnaround, Vulcabras continues on an impressive pace of 27 consecutive quarters of growth. A 100% national brand disturbing giants like Nike and Adidas in our own backyard.
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The missing cherry: the “hypertennis” of the elite
After dominating the amateur categories, Olympikus decided it was time to look for the highest spot on the podium. And, in February this year, it launched the Peace runs.
We’re not talking about an ordinary running shoe. The Pace was born with the promise of being an authentic “hypertennis”, designed for the world elite who fight for milliseconds. It is super light equipment (only 140 grams), with a midsole made of PEBA foam expanded with nitrogen and a three-dimensional carbon fiber thrust plate – similar or even superior technology, according to the brand’s engineers, compared to the best products from Nike and Adidas.
It was with this national “machine” on their feet that elite Brazilian athletes crossed the streets of São Paulo yesterday, fighting on equal terms against the strong African and international squad.
My thoughts for today’s “Idea Therapy”?
Corporate reinvention is not about denying the essence or trying to appear foreign in your own country. It’s about improving core competencies to a level of excellence so unquestionable that the market has no choice but to respect it.
In the end, Olympikus showed us that the true “Brazilian mongrel” was tired of chasing after others. Now, he is the one who sets the pace of the pack – and whoever wants to, try to keep up.
