Starting Five: Product Highlights [May]
Acne, Suicoke, Spectus Shoe Co, Li-Ning & Craig Green
Starting Five is a new series where we spotlight recent product highlights that have caught our attention. Staying up to date with footwear releases is almost a full-time job these days, especially with the current pace of drops, rumours and leaks. Here 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…
Covering modular components, interlocking outsoles and translucency aplenty, this cohort of product highlights showcases the most interesting developments in footwear design from brands both big and small. With cues from tradition, sculpture and utility, our selection demonstrates the variety that can be achieved from modern chemical compound technologies and the combining of autonomous subcultures.
The ability to keep one foot in the traditional while the other searches for something new is a key theme throughout, as brands strive to be familiar yet intriguing in presenting themselves to consumers. From sandals and sneakers to derby shoes and the wonderful hybrids in between, we take a look at some of the most innovative current offerings in the footwear market that might have slipped your attention. Here are five (plus a bonus!) product highlights that we’ve been thinking about...
Acne Studios Bolzter Bryz
Having developed a recent affinity for the successful application of chunky outsoles, Stockholm-based design collective Acne Studios transfer this theme into sandal form in the shape of the Bolzter Bryz. Best known for their undeniably good denim and elevated basics, the brand has come to epitomise the meaning of Scandinavian cool with minimal silhouettes, ethereal colour pallets and thoughtful fabric applications. Covering a multitude of creative disciplines, the studio relates an artistic intelligence into classic design that appears both precise and nonchalant in equal measure.
The upper is reminiscent of a more traditional sandal, with mesh and faux-suede working cohesively to makeup the perforated layers of the toebox and straps. The materials and tonality of these components present a tactile appearance that softly complements the rubber midsole’s sculptural qualities. The visual highlight of the shoes is the translucent ice-blue outsole, a treaded rubber section arranged like a shattered pane of glass. The outsole wraps up and around the foot at various points to give an extra-terrestrial reptilian appeal and provide substantial grip for the wearer, making the Bolzter Bryz a serious contender in the category of hiking sandals.
Li-Ning Mix Ace
Having developed their presence as a global leader in sportswear, Chinese brand Li-Ning sustain their attempts to push thought-provoking design alongside their dedication to tradition and heritage. With a continued mission to showcase Chinese national identity on the world stage since the 1990 Olympics, the brand offers core athletic qualities in a range of sports equipment and everyday wear as well as in premium collections aimed at the fashion conscious. While we might consider modular shoes to be a thing of the future, Li-Ning can consider them to be a product of their past.
Having been first presented by the brand over a decade ago and now available internationally for the first time, the Mix Ace draws inspiration from the traditional Chinese joinery concept of ‘Sun Mao’. The sections of the design may be reconsidered over time as they depart from each other to rethink the spatial form of the unit as a whole. The lightweight mesh upper is placed upon the separate UVA outsole before a flexible cage made from TPU is laid over both to combine all three sections into one. Grooves along the bottom of the outsole allow the frame to be held tightly in place and prevent it from eroding against the ground, while laces hold the top of the frame against the foot in the traditional way.
Suicoke Gut Sandal
Now in their fifteenth year, cult Japanese brand Suicoke have become synonymous with the comfortable wardrobe staples of sandals and boots. Counting collaborations with Brain Dead, Dr Martens and HAY among others, Suicoke have a strong reputation for fusing bold ideas with stripped-back utility as a way to channel their style of contemporary effortlessness, having done so in their native homeland and ever since they hit the global markets.
With an open round toe and press-release buckle, the Gut Sandal hold the unique ability for its soles to be slotted together between the ridges of each foot. This provides the perfect solution to travelling outdoors, when dust and dirt can gather on the outsole and it is undesirable for this to affect the rest of your belongings. With the soles pressed firmly together, there is no danger of the dirt spreading to whatever else is in your bag, making these the perfect sandals for keeping on the go. With the usual elements of rubber, nylon webbing and a moulded EVA foam footbed that you expect from the brand, they continue to innovate functionality while keeping the recognisable design cues that have propelled them thus far.
SPECTUSSHOECO Day Trekker Lite
After a period at the helm of NUMBER (N)INE’s shoe branch and collaborative efforts between his own label ‘foot the coacher’ and TAKAHIROMIYASHITA The Soloist, Toshinosuke Takegahara presents SPECTUSSHOECO as a more modern and forward-thinking counterpart. The Day Trekker Lite is a combination of various functional technologies that are deliberately kept simple in order for each to shine in their own light.
With a construction boot outsole courtesy of Vibram’s lightweight Tweety line and the durability of Cordura formulating the upper, the shoe brings high-grade grip and cushioning for its battle against the elements. For such a highly robust shoe, the Boa Closure System enables ease of use by way of a simple dial function in place of a traditional lacing system while the addition of a Poliyou breathable insole improves hygiene levels inside the shoe. The outcome is a derby-esque hybrid model that looks both presentable and hard-wearing in a culmination of the sleek and the sensible.
Craig Green x Adidas ZX 2K Phormar
Since graduating from the world-renowned Central Saint Martins fashion course, Craig Green has gone from strength to strength in carving out an identity as one of the most proficient designers in menswear. The London-based namesake brand brings a soft sensibility to the realms of utility and function by challenging masculinity through texture and drape. Unsurprisingly, the brands latest collaborative effort with sportswear giants Adidas is no exception to the case.
After a partnership with Grenson and a regular spot among Moncler’s Genius program, Craig Green have followed up their Adidas Kamanda release with the ZX 2k Phormar. The translucency of the ripstop upper and rubber outsole provides an ethereal and mystical quality to a functional sports shoe. The finished article contains the iconic three stripes branding and the world-leading comfort of BOOST, but not to the detriment of Craig Green’s innate ability to deliver calm for the viewer. The collapsible form is integral to the function of the shoe, utilising construction elements of cords and stitching for a minimal fluidity that represents the future of footwear.
SIXTH MAN
IYSO Aerow
IYSO is an independent South Korean sneaker brand with a unique perspective on the development of sculpture and detail. The brands offerings are as impressive as the mythical references they are named after (Halo, Mercury, Uranus), as Creative Director Jamie Lee defines the brand by striving for complete harmony in the final product outcomes. With a moody tonal upper consisting of premium leather and mesh, the IYSO Aerow presents a wearable sneaker with a considerable amount of depth. The standout feature of the shoe is undoubtedly the formation of the rubber outsole, as a slew of concentric steps are placed at systematic points along the foot to aid with cushioning and maintain a balance of pressure. Taking cues from nature and culture as a dual-approach to identity, IYSO fuses original research into bold creations and is a name to remember among fledgling brands.
