On a clear, sunny day in Paris, dozens of runners were lined up outside a local shoe store—not to buy shoes, but to “steal” them. The goal was to steal a pair of running shoes and escape without being caught. By the end of the day, 74 people had been stopped in their tracks. Only 2 got away—and kept the shoes, no strings attached..
This wasn’t a PR stunt gone wrong; it was a calculated campaign by Distance, a Paris-based running store, designed to catch eyes and send a message—a message that has been a long-due critic in sportswear for years.
It all starts with one question: To whom are you really making running shoes for?
A Campaign Built for Runners, Not Resellers
For its “Rob it to Get it” campaign, Distance turned its store into a one-day-only challenge. If you could grab a piece of gear and outrun French Olympic sprinter Meba-Mickael Zeze—one of the fastest men in Europe—you could keep whatever you took. Most runners didn’t stand a chance.
It might seem like a flashy PR stunt, but there’s more under the surface. Over the past decade, consumers have noticed that the focus has moved from athletes to hype. This campaign brought attention to a growing tension in the sportswear industry: Performance gear isn’t about performance anymore. Distance wanted to remind people what the gear was actually made for: running.
In many ways, this was the physical version of ranking #1 on Google Maps. Here’s what made it work and what it teaches us about winning at local SEO:
👟Locally rooted. Globally resonant.
Distance zeroed in on a specific community: Parisian runners. The event happened on a single block, in a single city, for a single day. Showing up meaningfully in the lives of the local community is what local SEO is really about.
👟They turned their location into a story
They had the clever idea of turning their regular space into a stage. The store itself was the attraction, not a separate local. That kind of brand movement drives real digital signals: foot traffic, reviews, photos, and check-ins that boost visibility on Google Business Profile.
👟They chose local over viral and still got both
By building for their corner of Paris, they created something authentic. And authenticity travels. That’s the sweet spot of local SEO: be essential to someone, somewhere. Don’t chase global reach, earn it by showing up locally in a way no one else can.
Not Everyone Deserves the Gear
Distance’s “Rob It to Get It” hit a nerve for a good reason. It reframed (or, in this case, went back to) what sportswear marketing should look like. For once, getting the gear wasn’t about being early, lucky, or well-connected. You had to earn it. Literally.
This move reframed Distance as more than just a retail brand. It positioned them as gatekeepers of the sport, willing to challenge the norms that even global brands tiptoe around. While most brands think the right move should be appealing to everyone, Distance drew a line. They made it clear: not everyone deserves the gear.
And in doing so, they nailed a crucial insight:
People want to belong to brands, not just buy into them.
Distance took its stand on the side of real runners. And that matters because most brands talk about community, but very few activate it in a meaningful, physical way.
They invited their audience not to spend but to show up and move. They used a national sprinter—someone locals recognized—to represent the standard. They held the event in Paris, right in their own streets. They turned a global commentary into a local experience.
It said: If you’re a runner, this is your space. And you don’t need hype to earn your gear—just speed.
Why Local Still Matters
The campaign could’ve been a global stunt. It could’ve relied on influencers, sneaker hype, or a polished YouTube ad with millions of views. But Distance kept it grounded. Local runners. A Paris storefront. A French national athlete. That choice wasn’t incidental, it was the point.
I like the local framing of this event, compared to a faceless brand. It was about a neighborhood store inviting its people to take part in something bold. The lines outside weren’t full of influencers or actors. They were real runners, locals, and loyalists who already lived in that culture.
That’s where this campaign hit deeper than most.
It gave locals a story. It gave runners a reason to show up. It gave Parisians a chance to claim a part of something no one else in the world could. And it reminded everyone that for all the talk about “global community,” local is where brand trust is built.
In a way, Distance pulled off the retail equivalent of getting ranked #1 on Google Maps, not by trying to be everywhere but by being essential to someone, somewhere. A point global brands should pay attention to: authenticity doesn’t just come from scale, reach, or gloss. It comes from having a stance and being willing to act on it.
You can’t fake belonging. You have to earn it.
Just like the gear.
