Case Study: Sneaker10 | How Michalis Mavrakis Crafted a Contemporary Retail Icon

When I relocated to Athens from Crete, carrying with me a strong design ethos and a deep love for visual storytelling, I couldn’t have anticipated the pivotal collaboration that was about to unfold. Shortly after my move, I received a call from Michalis Tsiknakis, CEO of Cosmos Sport. He already knew my work from my early years as a graphic designer at Guru Adv in Heraklion. But this time, he had a bold vision in mind, Sneaker10.

The brief was clear and ambitious. To design the logo for a new retail concept with a unique philosophy. Sneaker10 wasn’t just aiming to sell sneakers. It set out to shape culture. More than a store, it aspired to become a platform for the modern sneaker community, a hub with distinct identity, aesthetic depth, and cultural relevance. The branding needed to resonate across physical stores and mobile screens alike. And above all, it had to be rooted in truth.

What followed was weeks of intense creative collaboration. Michalis and I spent countless nights in video calls, diving deep into a process that far exceeded traditional project frameworks. It was a deeply immersive journey — a blend of creative flow, focused strategy, and design chemistry. We weren’t simply exchanging ideas — we were co-creating. We researched obsessively, dismantled concepts, explored aesthetics, and aligned our vision at every level. From late-night design marathons to real-time decision-making sprints, every element had a reason to exist. Every pixel carried weight.

The journey began with the logo. Not as a one-off task, but as the outcome of a rigorous design process grounded in research, international benchmarking, and strategic clarity. We mapped out visual references, analyzed global trends, and built a design system from scratch. The Sneaker10 logo was never meant to be flashy, it was designed to be authentic, timeless, and culturally relevant.

This was just the beginning. As our collaboration evolved, we moved into designing the first substantial version of the Sneaker10 e-shop. We approached it not as a digital extension of the brand, but as its core expression. We built an e-commerce experience that reflected the identity of Sneaker10 at every touchpoint, from layout and navigation to tone and behavior.

Shortly after, I was entrusted with the redesign of the cosmossport.gr e-shop. This project was a chance to rethink the UX strategy and elevate the visual design of one of Greece’s most prominent online retailers. The result laid the foundation for what later became a fully-fledged platform, evolving over time.

Following this design phase, further development and expansion of the digital ecosystem were taken over by specialized partners such as Sleed, who continued to build upon the design direction we had initially set in motion.

Today, Sneaker10 stands as a bold retail asset. Cosmos Sport has received numerous industry accolades, including seven consecutive e‑volution Awards for top sports e-commerce platform in Greece, Platinum distinctions for Customer Experience and Omnichannel Marketing, and recognition as a “Growth Driver” of the Greek economy.

For me, this collaboration was transformative. Not only did I help bring a future-forward brand to life, but I experienced what true creative trust feels like. Michalis Tsiknakis saw me as a strategic partner, not just a designer. He gave me space to explore, push, and refine. And that elevated both the process and the outcome.

I am sincerely grateful to Michalis Tsiknakis for his trust, vision, and energy and for all the projects he entrusted to me. It’s a true honor to help shape brands that go beyond expectations and set new visual standards, through the creative lens of mavrakis.design.