Forgive me for speaking in the first person for once, but after years of using this blog to write about brands, industry analysis, and broader market trends, I felt it was the right moment to speak directly about SAYE and my role leading this project. For the past two years, I have been giving 200% to SAYE as CEO of this Barcelona-based company, with 92% of its sales generated outside of Spain and a DNA that goes far beyond any border.
These have been two intense years of hard work focused on stabilizing the company, restructuring it, and laying the foundations for sustainable growth. Not only have we improved SAYE’s operational efficiency and overall profitability, but we have also strengthened the core of our DNA: creativity, the use of innovative and environmentally responsible materials, and impact.
- Creativity and Design: Reflected in the launch of more silhouettes than in the previous six years combined. And there is much more to come: more silhouettes, more fashion, more color, and a stronger feminine expression. All sneakers made in Portugal.
- Innovative Materials: Greater use of innovative materials: corn-based nappa, premium certified animal suede, lignin-based nappa, cactus, elephant ear plant, recycled coffee, and many others.
- Impact: We continue planting trees, but also kelp, collecting plastic bottles from the oceans, and we have launched a new project focused on protecting bees and supporting pollination.
I’m sharing my latest interview with FashionNetwork, where we discuss our current position and strategy for the coming years.
Saye, a Barcelona-based trainer brand, entered the market in 2018 with a classic-silhouette design, a made-to-order business model and a sustainability proposition that went beyond materials alone, committing to plant two trees for every pair sold.
After weathering several setbacks, the brand entered a new phase in April 2024 under the leadership of Alfonso Segura, an executive with extensive experience in the fashion sector who first approached Saye as an external consultant and ultimately acquired it alongside a consortium of ‘friends and family’ investors from his network.
Of the three founders, only one remained with a minority stake. After a period of stabilisation and loss reduction to return to positive territory, Saye closed 2025 with revenue of €4 million. It is now in the midst of executing a strategic plan to double in size and reach €8 million in 2028, paving the way to €50 million by 2035.
“What I did in the first months at the brand was assess its situation and begin to stabilise and restructure it. There was also a sourcing issue, as production had been moved to Asia, and I saw we needed to restore the brand image by bringing production back to Portugal, where we can also avoid overproduction by placing small orders,” recalls Segura.
“Today, we are a profitable company; we have turned it around by pulling a number of levers: sustainability, materials and fashion,” the executive sums up.
You can read more on Fashion Network (published on May 14th, 2026)
