Starting Five: Product Highlights [February]
Jil Sander, Salomon, Nike, Mizuno & Yeezy
Keeping up with footwear releases is almost a full-time job these days, especially with the current pace of drops, rumours and leaks. It can be even harder to cut through the noise to distinguish genuinely good design.
Whilst good design is subjective and releases bountiful, at Conceptkicks we only spotlight the product that moves us, that sparks excitement or conversation within the studio. Often, this product deserves a little more attention than the fleeting-likes of social media.
Here’s a little update on the details you may have missed with the speed of your feed - 5 product highlights we can’t stop thinking about...
Jil Sander Platform Leather Sandal
The power duo of Luke and Lucie Meier have continued to spearhead Jil Sander into a new era with their highly considered creative direction. With a constant attention to premium construction - the brand has continued to maintain a level of understated elegance, through executing on quietly luxurious forms.
These buttermilk slides epitomise this ethos - updating a footwear staple with contemporary construction. Made in Italy from soft nappa leather they feature a wrapped padded strap, resting on a chunky chamfered footbed and finished with a rubber trek outsole.
Available now via Matches
Fumito Ganryu x Salomon Ultra
Fumito Ganryu and Salomon continue their partnership with the release of a monochromatic Ultra. After a decade long career with Comme des Garçons - the designer’s independent line has seen a recent revival under his namesake Fumito Ganryu. Blending technical fabrics with traditional techniques the brand encourages consumer’s to explore the relationship between nature and the city.
The Ultra is a long-distance silhouette from Salomon, which Ganryu has transformed into an all-terrain sneaker through the addition of a heat-welded rain cover. This update makes this low-top runner suitable for both outdoor and urban environments. Branded hits on the heel and toe finish this collaboration off.
Releasing Feb 12th from select Salomon partners
Nike Go Flyease
A truly revolutionary product, positioned as the company’s first “hands-free sneaker” - the newest silhouette on Nike’s roster is an inspiring piece of engineering that has made a common task effortless.
The Go FlyEase is held together through a tension band that runs the length of the shoe. This mechanism breaks down the shoes movement into two states: open and closed. The open state locks the shoes into a high heeled position that allows for ease of entry. The closed state is achieved simply by pushing down with the foot. Inside a continuous footbed provides full-length cushioning and stability. The durability and comfort of this laceless shoe is something that is yet to be determined, nevertheless we’re excited to see where Nike chooses to take this patent-pending technology.
Launching March 19th on Nike.com
Sorayama x Mizuno Wave Prophecy
Hajime Sorayama is a contemporary artist who has steadily carved a strong visual language through the pursuit for beauty in the human body and machines. This collaboration came together as a celebration of the 10th generation of Wave Prophecy - combining this silhouette with Mizuno’s Infinity Wave structural technology.
The intended purpose of the Wave Prophecy was to provide more flexibility to the sole structure while making it both physically and visually lighter. The initial design brief of “sneakers that float in the air” was achieved through the use of translucent air pockets. Produced in a sleek robotic colourway, this final execution is a maximalist shoe that merges Mizuno’s technology with Sorayama’s creative vision that celebrates mechanical flowing forms.
Available now via Kith
Yeezy 1020
The enigma of the Yeezy footwear design team has continued to shape trends and divide opinions throughout the industry. Outside of it’s most clambered over hype-driven silhouettes, they continue to push the boundaries of proportionality and new methods of covering the foot.
The 1020 boot consists of a futuristic military language consistent with the Yeezy world of recent memory. The high-cut silhouette is driven by a vibrant orange execution that sweeps across form and materiality. A semi moulded ballistic mesh upper features a subtle 3 stripes nod and is closed with a tanned utility zip. The lower half of the shoe continues the orange hue palette through trail ready tooling and high toe guards.
Releasing in 2021 (date unknown)
