Motorsport enthusiasts take note: On Sunday night, Piloti, the performance-driven luxury footwear brand, will bring select race cars to River Park at the Mart to mark its debut at the Chicago Collective.

The brand was created in 1999 in Southern California by a footwear designer and motorsport fan who saw some white space in the driving shoe market. The footwear was adopted early on by celebrity drivers including Jay Leno, Patrick Dempsey and David Letterman, and by 2006, professional racers had also jumped on board, with Ron Fellows, the champion of 24 Hours of Le Mans, among them.

Piloti’s claim to fame is that the footwear not only looks stylish, but it features a sole that allows the wearer to feel the pedals, making it ideal for both the track and the streets. The shoes also feature the company’s proprietary Roll Control Heel technology that distributes force evenly for enhanced support, stability and control.

Piloti’s success led to its purchase by Canadian Tire in 2014, which allowed it to expand its footwear offering as well as its team, car, driver and track sponsorships. In 2020, Piloti got involved in the popular Formula 1 series with a sponsorship of Scuderia Alpha Tauri, the same year it also snagged six footwear awards. The following year, Windsong Brands, a Connecticut-based private equity firm that also owns Tommie Copper, Swims, Cloudveil and a slew of other labels, added Piloti to its stable.

Since then Piloti has added limited apparel and accessories to its offering, including Ts, polos and vests. But footwear remains its core product. The shoes are engineered first for driving precision and then refined for comfort and classic style. Since 2016, they have been created from premium leather and suede in Italy’s top-rated tannery and also feature an Onsteam antimicrobial lining.

Top sellers include the Drift, a driving shoe in Italian nubuck with a gum bottom for a superior grip; the Shift, more of a comfort shoe in suede, and the Avenue, a luxury sneaker with a cork or compressed recycled foam and EVA insole. Other models that are gaining fans are the Icona, a true fitted driving shoe with a multidirectional tread and last shape; the Compass, a sneaker-like style with carbon fiber panels, a wheel-inspired tongue stabilizer and red hand-stitching, and the Drift Mid, a high-top version of the Drift with laser-perforated details for breathability and a hand-stitched heel inspired by taillights.

The footwear retails for $150 to $350 and is targeted to automotive enthusiasts. There are also plans for expand into other categories in the future, including leather outerwear, with a planned fall 2026 launch.

“Our roots are on the racetrack, but our eyes are on the future,” said David Sweedler, Piloti’s president. “Chicago Collective is the perfect place to share our evolution — bringing together the design, heritage, and innovation that define Piloti. We’re here to connect with retailers and buyers who are looking for something truly distinctive for their customers.”