# Public Shoe Trade-Ins Panam Shoes Offers New Kicks to Those Who Need Them Most By Michael Hines | Published 2011-10-06 | Fashion Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/panam-shoes References: [springwise](http://www.springwise.com/fashion_beauty/mexico-retro-sneaker-brand-relaunches-free-shoe-exchange/) & [panam.mx](http://panam.com.mx/) Mexican footwear maker Panam Shoes has created an ingenious publicity stunt designed to drum up interest for their shoes. Panam Shoes has taken to the most popular public squares throughout Mexico to host shoe exchanges. In these exchanges, people trade their old shoes for a new pair of Panam trainers. Panam is attempting to capitalize on the renewed interest of all things retro with their public shoe trades. The brand used to be a force in Mexico until larger companies such as [Adidas](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/style-your-toe) and [Nike](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nikes-soup-shop) moved in and took over the market. As awesome as these shoe giveaways sound, there are a few strings attached. Panam only offers shoes to the first 250 people who shoe up and each person can only claim one pair of shoes apiece. People can go to the company's [Facebook](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/manmades-the-boxer-brief) page to vote on where the next giveaway should be. My vote: San Francisco. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 0.8/10 - Popularity: 3% | Activity: 12% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America, South America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Fashion](https://www.trendhunter.com/fashion) > [Shoes](https://www.trendhunter.com/shoes) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Retro Shoe Craze:** Panam Shoes is capitalizing on the renewed interest in retro fashion by offering shoe exchanges. - **Publicity Stunt Campaigns:** Panam Shoes' public shoe trade-ins prove that businesses can create buzz by using clever marketing tactics. - **Limited Time Offers:** Panam Shoes' shoe giveaways to the first 250 people only highlight the effectiveness of limited time offers. ### Where This Applies - **Footwear Industry:** Panam Shoes' shoe exchanges highlight opportunities for disruption in the competitive and constantly evolving footwear industry. - **Marketing Industry:** The success of Panam Shoes' publicity stunt campaign shows that the marketing industry has room for innovative approaches to create brand awareness and customer loyalty. - **Social Media Industry:** Panam Shoes' use of social media to gather votes on where the next shoe exchange should be held highlights the growing importance of social media in successful marketing and advertising campaigns. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Awareness-Raising Shoe Store Concepts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/soles4souls-canada.md) - [Gratitude-Giving Sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/air-jordan-xi-retro.md) - [Customizable Shoe Decorating Events](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/style-your-toe.md) - [Branded Newspaper Kiosks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/grey-days.md) - [Branded Interactive Parks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/birkenfields.md) - [Branded Taco Swaps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/taco-swap.md) - [Shoe Brand Pop-Up Shops](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/autry-opens-an-ibiza-popup.md) - [Mobile Try-On Tours](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mobile-tryon-tour.md) - [90's Archival Footwear Pop-Ups](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/buzz-bus.md)