Venetian footwear manufacturer Fly and the Gondoliers of Venice association are at odds with Nike. At the centre of the dispute is an advert released by the American brand (pictured on the right), in which Venetian gondoliers are seen wearing shoes bearing the Swoosh. What’s the issue? The gondoliers, represented by their association, have a contract specifying that their official footwear is the “Keh-noo for Venice” model (pictured centre and left). Amid clarifications and strong reactions, the matter may soon end up in court.
Fly and the Gondoliers of Venice vs. Nike
Who would have thought that gondoliers’ footwear could become such a contested subject? In a joint press release, the Gondoliers of Venice and Fly spoke out against “a social media advertising campaign by Nike Italy that improperly associated the name and image of Venetian gondoliers with Nike footwear”. The association and the footwear manufacturer dispute the suggestion — which they consider misleading — that Venetian gondoliers wear Nike shoes. This is not the case. The affiliated gondoliers exclusively wear Fly shoes. This is established by a licensing agreement signed last April between the association — “the sole representative body of Venice’s gondoliers” — and the company Al Duca d’Aosta, which in turn granted Fly an exclusive sublicence for the production, marketing and supply of the “Keh-noo for Venice” shoes.
A key detail
However, there is an important distinction. The individuals shown in Nike’s imagery are not gondoliers, but sandolisti — drivers of the sandolo. While both the gondola and the sandolo are traditional Venetian boats, they differ in several key ways — though these differences are often unknown to the general public. In Nike’s campaign, the sandolisti, a profession entirely distinct from gondoliers, are incorrectly presented as gondoliers. “Fly and the Gondoliers of Venice Association state that they will resolutely defend their rights and image through all appropriate legal channels”, the statement concludes.
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