If the Shoe Fits: Visit Milwaukee Ties Music Festival Experience to Sneakers

Visit Milwaukee is taking a new step into its destination marketing evolution with a collaboration highlighting many of the DMO’s core principles.

At the center of its new activation are two Adidas shoe lines, which not only serve as fashionable ways to promote the city but also contain a built-in NFC chip tied to Summerfest, a nine-day music festival held at Henry Maier Festival Park in downtown Milwaukee. It’s held over three separate weekends in June and July. The shoes act as a scannable ticket to enter the festival.

Purchasing the shoes also unlocks access to an exclusive website that will feature contests to win special prizes and experiences at the festival or throughout the city. It’s proof that “Visit Milwaukee is a lifestyle brand,” said Josh Albrecht, the DMO’s chief marketing officer.

It’s Gotta Be the Shoes

For its well-earned reputation for brats, beer, and cheese, Milwaukee likes to also tout itself as a city of festivals. Tying a major marketing push to a hometown special event made sense in that regard.

Alexander-John, Eric "Shake" James and Josh Albrecht are promoting the new Visit Milwaukee shoes. Photo Credit: Matt Swenson

Adding to the local flavor, the sneakers were designed by Milwaukee native and local sneaker designer Eric “Shake” James, in collaboration with nationally recognized contemporary artist Alexander-John. James, a former rapper who has toured with RUN DMC and other legends, owns Clicks and Sneex, a boutique store in the city.

The first shoe concept is known as the “View Finder” and features a map of Milwaukee printed onto the sneaker. It went on sale at James’ store, with some pairs available online, on April 14, referencing Milwaukee’s 414 area code. The line stretched out the door until 6:20 p.m., when all 2,500 sneakers had sold out.

The second drop will include 3,000 pairs and is launching on June 6. Known as “What the Milwaukee,” it features mismatched elements inspired by iconic Wisconsin themes, including local sports teams, geography, and culture.

Both shoes are priced at $140, in line with standard sneaker prices, Albrecht noted.

The View Finder shoes sold out in one day in Milwaukee. Photo Credit: Visit Milwaukee.

Going Outside the Lines

The bulk of sales went to locals, naturally, who Albrecht said are often an untapped resource for destinations looking to promote a city.

“This is a real, tangible way that they could see what it means to be a part of the tourism ecosystem,” Albrecht said.

Both shoes are adaptations of current Adidas models, and the shoe company even allowed holes within its signature stripes, which is believed to be a first. Albrecht was seen wearing the View Finder in Atlanta recently as an example of the shoes’ appeal outside of the upcoming festival.

Albrecht added that there will be activations after Summerfest to keep attendees engaged until the next year’s shoes are released, in April 2027. The idea is to maintain a “Non-Fungible Tourism” presence, riffing on the Non-Fungible Token phenomenon.

Interestingly, this is not the first time Visit Milwaukee invested in shoes as marketing. The DMO enjoyed earlier success with “Cheese Force Ones” in 2022.

The shoes themselves are, of course, a piece of marketing swag that can capture attention. But the campaign itself is designed to raise Milwaukee’s profile, Albrecht said. It’s not a coincidence that the shoe promotions launched at South by Southwest, the annual trendsetting trade show in Austin, Texas.

By promoting apparel and not a specific destination or event, Albrecht has found a path to reach potential new visitors. “The sneaker culture has its own ecosystem,” he said. “This gets us into a space that we aren’t typically in to raise our profile in that world.”

Main Image courtesy of Visit Milwaukee.