The investment, which is part of the group's portfolio development program, will support the SeaVees ambition to grow the business within the US and internationally. Established in 1964, the brand was rediscovered by owner Steven Tiller, after a chance encounter in a Tokyo thrift store which led to the rebirth of a forgotten American original.

Today SeaVees honors its 1960s origin by continually making modern amendments to classic designs, resulting in a timeless sneaker of exceptional quality. The investment combines Steven’s footwear market knowledge and creative direction with Pentland’s expertise and passion for growing international footwear brands.  The partnership hopes to bring the authentic sneaker brand to new consumers across the world.

Chirag Patel, Global Strategy Director, Pentland Brands, commented: “Our portfolio development programme looks for high potential, high growth brands, so SeaVees is a great addition to our portfolio of footwear brands”. He continued: “We have a strong track record of investing in brands in the long-term, so our plan is to give Steven and his team space to build the SeaVees brand, while giving them access to the size and scale of our network that, as a global brand management company, Pentland can offer.”

Steven Tiller, CEO, SeaVees, stated: “Since the resurrection of the SeaVees brand in 2010, we’ve been intensely focused on creating timeless product of extraordinary quality and establishing an authentic voice with our customers. Pentland’s world-class resources and impeccable reputation in brand building make them the ideal partner for the next chapter of SeaVees.”