Sojitz General Merchandise Corporation (Sojitz GMC), a Sojitz group company and wholly-owned subsidiary of Sojitz Corporation which handles general consumer goods, will sell Royal Elastics branded casual shoes from the spring/summer 2011 collection starting from early March 2011 at select shops and shoe stores nationwide and online.

The theme for the spring/summer 2011 collection products is “the pursuit of simplicity and comfort.” In addition to prior designs, many new styles which incorporate the novel ideas of the Royal Elastics brand were added to the lineup. Sojitz GMC will conduct in-store promotions and reinforce marketing strategies that focus on brand image through media tie-ups with Websites and fashion/lifestyle magazines.

Royal Elastics was established in Australia in 1996 and is now based in Los Angeles. The brand is characterized by a system for putting on and removing shoes that use elastics as well as comfort and original fashion styles created through unrestrained design. Under the brand slogan “no time for laces,” Royal Elastics has carried out sales strategies that target active youth, particularly in art and music.

Sojitz GMC entered into an exclusive sales agreement with Royal Elastics International, Ltd. on July 2010 to sell Royal Elastics branded casual shoes in Japan. Sojitz GMC will import and sell the Royal Elastics international line-up starting with the fall/winter 2011 collection and will supplement the product lineup with its own original products developed under license and collaboration styles created with leading shops to establish new products unique to Japan that reflect the tastes of the highly-sensitive Japanese market.