3 · Customer and market
Who buys it, what they buy now, and where you sell first
Chapter 3 · In progress
Who buys, where they buy now, what they pay, what’s missing. Comparison shoes with their price. The primary market, and why that one. Half a page on the segment. No market-size slide. Guide: the full plan §3.
Draft
The customer. People around 18 who are deep into fashion, part of the community that follows and buys from young independent designers on Instagram. They know the luxury references by name. They wear their shoes as an everyday fit and for going out. Right now they buy which young brands, at what prices, and which of the five reference shoes they actually own.
References and alternatives. These are two different lists. The references are the shoes the customer has in mind when they look at Sartro. The alternatives are what they spend the money on instead.
The references:
| Shoe | Price | What Sartro shares with it | What it lacks that Sartro has |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rick Owens × Vans | check | Leather | Mesh, chrome |
| Bottega Veneta Orbit | check | The open mesh | — |
| Asics Gel-Kayano 14 | check | Runner shape | Leather |
| Prada America’s Cup | check | The architectural style | — |
| Chanel runner | check | Chrome | Leather, suede |
Each of the five does one thing Sartro does. None of them combines leather, suede, mesh and chrome in one balanced shoe.
The alternatives: two or three young Instagram brands your customer buys from, with their prices. These are the real competitors, because they’re who the customer pays.
What’s different. Two things. First, the combination: Sartro balances features that the reference shoes only offer one at a time. Second, who makes it. Every reference comes from a famous house. Sartro is an underground brand started by an 18-year-old, on the rise, and that’s exactly what this community buys into. The customer isn’t only buying a shoe. They’re backing someone their own age, early.
The segment. Underground designer sneakers sold direct to a young fashion community through Instagram. These brands win on design, scarcity and the founder’s story, not on technology or heritage. The industry page sets out the structure.
The market. The first customers are in Boston, New York and Paris. The plan proposes the US first: Boston and New York are two of the three cities, the plan is in dollars, and the US is one customs and sales-tax territory. Paris follows as phase two, from a date, once EU VAT, the 14-day return right and EU labelling are set up. The US vs Europe page covers what changes.
Decisions
| Decision | Current answer | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Customer | Around 18, in the fashion community that buys from young designers on Instagram | Decided 2026-10-20 |
| Occasion | Everyday fit and going out | Decided 2026-10-20 |
| Reference shoes | Rick Owens × Vans, BV Orbit, Gel-Kayano 14, Prada America’s Cup, Chanel runner | Decided 2026-10-20 |
| What’s different | The combination of materials, plus an 18-year-old founder’s underground brand | Decided 2026-10-20 |
| Real alternatives (young brands) | Not named | Open |
| Cities | Boston, New York, Paris | Decided 2026-10-20 |
| Primary market | US: Boston and New York | Proposed |
| Second market | Paris, as phase two | Proposed |
| Price band | $120–180, under review | Open |
| Customer conversations | None yet | Open |
Questions for you
- Where do you live? Boston, New York, Paris, or somewhere else? Where you live decides where the company is registered, where stock is shipped from, and which market really comes first.
- US first and Paris second: yes, or would you rather launch in both at once?
- Name two or three young Instagram brands your customer buys from. What do their sneakers, or their main pieces, cost?
- What would your customer pay for a Sartro pair? Your references go from Asics to Chanel, so the price could land almost anywhere. A number you’d say out loud to a friend is the starting point.
- Talk to five people who fit the description before the next round. Four questions are enough: What’s on your feet right now, and what did you pay? What’s the last thing you bought from a young brand, and why? What would make you pre-order a pair and wait ten weeks? What would you pay? Write down anything that surprises you.