Cole Haan launches luggage, positioning itself as a travel brand

Global Retail // August 6, 2026 Cole Haan launches luggage, positioning itself as a travel brand By Julia Waldow Cole Haan Cole Haan says it’s getting “more intentional” about its travel offerings as it solidifies its place as an everyday lifestyle brand.

This month, the footwear company debuts its first luggage products in both carry-on and checked bag sizes. It’s also rolling out a new GrandPrø Packwell Sneaker that’s easier to pack and condense, thanks to its unlined construction. Finally, Cole Haan is establishing more stores in markets popular with tourists, including Boston and Orlando, Florida.

This isn’t Cole Haan’s first foray into travel; the brand has sold duffle bags, backpacks and other travel accessories for decades. But the company is now ramping up its offerings as it works to establish itself as a modern lifestyle brand attuned to the post-pandemic era.

Cole Haan’s customers want products that perform in all types of settings, from office meetings to dinners — an ethos the brand has described as “nine to five and five to nine.” Now, Cole Haan wants to bring that same versatility to travel products.

“Our target customer, even as it has fluxed over the years, has really over-indexed in travel,” Jeanine Farucci, vp of global brand marketing at Cole Haan, said in an interview. “[Travel] has really become an organic part of how they live and work.

As we dive further into expanding what the Cole Haan lifestyle feels like, travel is an essential component of that. … The goal is really to play a bigger part in that travel market by creating a more robust ecosystem of what we can offer.” Cole Haan is investing more in travel as it gears up for its 100th birthday in 2028.

Formerly an independent company, Cole Haan came under Nike’s ownership in 1988 when Nike paid $95 million for the brand. In 2012, Nike sold Cole Haan to the private equity firm Apax Partners Worldwide LLP for $570 million. Although Cole Haan planned to go public in 2021, it scrapped plans for an IPO.

At the time, Cole Haan revealed that its revenue for the year ending June 1, 2019 totaled $686. 6 million, up 14. 1% from a year earlier. Over the last five years, Cole Haan has gone into various new categories, from tennis sneakers to golf apparel. The brand’s first-ever suitcases launch on Aug. 17.

There are four collections in total, varying by price: Legacy Grand Top Tier ($450-$700), Heritage Pro Top Tier ($350-$550), Legacy Grand Mid-Tier ($250-$350) and Traverse Series Mid-Tier ($200-$300). All have TSA locks and are made of polycarbonate.

Farucci said Cole Haan is applying the same R&D principles for its footwear to its luggage, including balancing “innovation versus craft.” The brand worked with manufacturer Travelway Group to create bags that are sturdy and lightweight, with smooth wheels. Cole Haan wants to “give [shoppers] that premium feel that comes along with the brand,” Farucci said.

The GrandPrø Packwell Sneaker, which launches Aug. 6, was also designed to look and perform well, Farucci said. It hopes to solve a specific traveler pain point: saving suitcase space.

The shoes, which come in men’s and women’s sizes and retail for $140-$160, have a slimmed-down silhouette and an unlined interior, making them easier to stuff into a bag’s corner or pocket. They also have grippy soles to handle different terrains. For travelers, the sneaker is “just one less thing to plan, one less thing to think about,” Farucci said.

“That is the consumer mentality we want to service.” Indeed, data indicates that shoppers value versatility when making a travel-related purchase, said Beth Goldstein, footwear analyst at Circana. “In our consumer research, versatility increased as a purchase driver year over year, while price and promotion became less important,” she told Modern Retail.

Still, she emphasized, “Quality remains the top purchase consideration.” Cole Haan plans to highlight its new travel offerings in its more than 500 stores. “The hope is that we do have a dedicated travel section in stores, one day,” Farucci said. For now, though, stores will have vignettes showing off the GrandPrø Packwell Sneaker and luggage.

Cole Haan plans to stress how the merchandise fits with the rest of the assortment, including belts and sunglasses. As Cole Haan expands its travel SKUs, it’s also looking to have a bigger presence in tourist hubs. It is opening a location in Disney Springs (near Walt Disney World Resort), as well as Boston, this fall.

Meanwhile, its new location in King Abdulaziz International Airport is its 18th store in Saudi Arabia and operates 24 hours a day. Going into more airports “is part of the consideration, for sure, especially globally