Axel Arigato is a people-powered lifestyle brand that aims to bring customers together through pop-ups, album signings, magazine launches, and music events. Axel Arigato focuses on the quality, craftsmanship, and longevity of its products and hopes to integrate sustainability into every aspect of the brand in the long term. One way Axel Arigato extends the longevity of its products is through its Sneaker Cleaning Church. On the first Sunday of every month, Axel Arigato offers a complementary sneaker cleaning service to customers in its London, Copenhagen, and Paris stores. No pre-booking is required, just show up and leave with clean shoes.
This past Sunday, the 4th of December 2022, I put Axel Arigato’s London Sneaker Cleaning Church to the test. The event was taking place from 12pm – 6pm and I showed up around 4pm. When I arrived, I was asked to wait in the outdoor event queue and waited for a maximum of fifteen minutes. When I was let into the store I was asked to wait a few more minutes on the benches.
Prior to the shoe cleaning, I didn’t know if I would need to hand over my shoes or wear them, so I carried my Axel Arigato shoes in a little bag with me around London. Once I arrived, I realised that I needed to wear my shoes, and that I could have worn them all day. To start the cleaning, I climbed into the shoe-cleaning chair. I talked to the man working the event and he informed me that people usually show up right when the event starts or ends, thinking that the line will be the shortest, but usually, they end up waiting for the longest amount of time. I remember him saying that some people waited an hour for the shoe-cleaning experience. He said that some people come in with really dirty shoes and others (like me) come in with relatively clean shoes; just for the experience. It was nice to sit in the chair and have someone clean your shoes. He used soapy water, a microfibre cloth, and a toothbrush to clean my shoes. I saw he had other supplies around him that were perhaps for more dirty shoes. I thought it was a relatively seamless, quick, and relaxing experience and I think my shoes looked a lot cleaner afterwards.
Concluding Remarks
So, would I recommend the Axel Arigato Sneaker Cleaning Church? Yes! Pictured above are the before and after pictures of my shoes. The before is on the left and the after is on the right. I probably won’t be returning for a few months because I try and keep my sneakers very clean. But, if you find yourself with dirty sneakers around the first of the month, I would definitely recommend going to the event. I really liked how you could wear your sneakers all day and then pop into the event rather than carrying them in a little bag as I did.
I was interested in attending an Axel Arigato event because as a fashion student I hear a lot about brands trying to connect to consumers and hosting events to increase customer loyalty. I thought it was fun to attend the event; however, I do not feel any more connected to the brand than I did previously. The shoe cleaning event is a great way to get customers back into the store, and I like the subtle nod towards sustainability and increasing the longevity of what you already own.
Axel Arigato Price Increase
I was scrolling through the Axel Arigato website in preparation for writing this blog post, and I noticed that the sneakers that I bought in June have increased in price. I think Axel Arigato increased the prices of its goods across the board. I bought my Clean 90 Triple Sneakers in June for £180 and now they are retailing for £210. The cheapest Axel Arigato Clean 90 shoe on the website is now £200. I would still recommend these shoes despite the price increase because they are extremely comfortable and will last for a very long time if you take care of them well.
XO, Alicia
Wow, cool event! Did you see anything good in the store while you were waiting?