Rebooting Communist Kicks for Modern Sneakerheads

A dozen years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Alexander Barré noticed a friend sporting shoes he recognized from his childhood in the former East. They were quirky and old-fashioned—and seemed ripe for revival as a brand aimed at urban hipsters. With no experience in the shoe business, Barré sought the advice of an 80-year-old cobbler who’d worked with Puma SE and Adidas AG. “If you had any idea what you’re getting yourself into,” the man told him, “there’s no way you’d do this.”

Barré pressed on with the blend of naive passion and raw excitement all entrepreneurs exhibit when faced with finger-wagging parents, partners, friends, and industry veterans such as the cobbler. Many—even most—end up in financial ruin. Some live to tell the tale of building a business, though typically after countless setbacks. Barré grappled with suppliers who failed to supply, materials of dubious origins, fickle business partners, overexpansion of the store network, and even a burglary at a shop. “We were absolutely clueless,” he says. “For 10 years, every time I opened my mouth I swallowed water, because we were drowning.”