Starting Five: Product Highlights [May 22]
Y-3, ACW*, THESOLOIST, Lanvin & Y’s
Starting Five is a series where we spotlight recent product highlights that have caught our attention. Here at CONCEPTKICKS® we only showcase 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…
In celebration of the old, the new and everything in between, our latest selection of current offerings contains anniversary specials, novel frontiers, and iterations you didn’t know you wanted. Continually impressed by heavyweight brands and cult designers alike, the industry is certainly not short of innovation. If they somehow managed to slip under your radar, here are five product highlights that have caught our attention…
Y-3 Makura
Twenty years on from its radical introduction, adidas and Yohji Yamamoto’s Y-3 continues to blend the sensibility of the Japanese avant-garde with highly technical sportswear. After several releases of anniversary products at the start of the year, the teams continue to develop and evolve their design repertoire resulting in their latest silhouette, the Makura.
The shoe’s bulbous, padded form is a sculptural highlight, featuring a foam-wrapped EVA midsole of nebular connotations. The simple lace closure system and premium suede used on the upper - along with the leather and technical mesh lining - evokes the minimalist aesthetic that we have come to expect from Yamamoto. The exaggerated tubular outsole has become a signature form of the line’s heavy hitters such as the Qasa High, but the Makura builds upon this idea with a fuller, softer shape. The outsole is wrapped heel to toe box with rubber spikes, an ode to the gear used by track and field athletes. Complete with a Y-3 printed tongue and Yohji’s signature upon a leather tab, the Makura lands in a black, white and cream colourway and - judging by the historical lack of colour among Y-3 offerings - is likely to remain that way.
Available here
ACW* x Converse Aeon Active CX Sneaker
Having grown from strength-to-strength ever since its inception, Samuel Ross’ A-COLD-WALL* is no longer the DIY fledgling brand loved by streetwear fans, but a refined and mature fashion offering in today’s menswear landscape. The London-based brand has breathed new life into the Converse roster, producing a shoe that looks quite unlike anything else from the American shoe company. The relationship started after multiple highly limited collaborations between ACW and Nike, of which Converse has been a subsidiary since 2003. For a brand like Converse, the silhouette represents an innovative entry point into what they imagine the future of footwear to look like.
The shoe itself utilises a stretch bootie collar with extenuated pull tab and tongue for an easy, laceless construction. Utilising a multitude of materials, the shoe combines maximal cushioning with technically advanced form-fitting fabrics for an active-ready object for daily use. There is a nod towards a more sustainable future, as the exaggerated foam midsole is speckled with recycled scraps from the factory floor, a key anchor point in Converse’s Renew line and an attitude that will hopefully infiltrate their entire range of products. The Aeon Active CX lands in a pair of future-ready colourways; a black offering accented with ice-grey, yellow and green highlights as well as a second grey option with an eye-catching mint-green sole unit.
Available here
Takahiro Miyashita The Soloist Suicoke Edition FiveFingers Sneakers
By far the most outlandish shoe on our list, Japanese cult shoe brand Suicoke enlists Takahiro Miyashita for an upgrade to one of the most controversial sneakers in history. A development that everyone wanted but no one was asking for, the latest edition of Vibram’s FiveFingers features suede overlays atop a mesh lining, with a padded collar and a more traditional lacing system than have appeared on previous versions of the shoe. Originally debuting in 2005 as a silhouette that replicated the experience of barefoot running but with added traction and protection.
A favourite of Balenciaga in 2020, the Vibram sole silhouette has been given the Suicoke treatment multiple times throughout 2022, of which THESOLOIST’s effort is the most decorated. Arriving in classic heritage tonal greys, the shoe’s use of more considered fabrication perfectly suits a colourway that is undoubtedly inspired by the New Balance resurgence of recent years. Getting rid of the neoprene, technical mesh and quick lock lacing, this lifestyle version of the shoe is its most wearable form.
Available here
Lanvin Mesh Flash-X Sneakers
The next choice in this month's list of favourites is the Mesh Flash-X from French fashion house Lanvin. A sculptural low-top silhouette, the shoe’s main attraction is the highly detailed texture found across the entirety of the model. From perforation in the heel, miniature dots on the toe and raised ribs on the lateral side, the various moulded shapes bring depth and definition to every part of the object. Utilising mesh, PU micro-fibre and EVA atop a rubber and TPU outsole, the Mesh Flash-X is by no means short of material application, bringing everything together in a cohesive and synergistic manner.
The outcome is one that on the surface looks quite straightforward, but delving into the makeup of the shoe reveals the level of care and attention that has gone into it. Logos appear on the tongue, heel pull tab and embossed into the side of the midsole, while the silhouette arrives in tonal black and white colourways as well as more adventurous blue and gold options for those with a tendency towards colour.
Available here
Y's x adidas SEEULATER x GSG9
Despite the strength of the Y-3 partnership and its anniversary year, our final entry falls under Yohji Yamamoto’s Y’s line to combine two of the lesser-known models from the Three Stripes’ archive. The SEEULATER was a trail silhouette first introduced in the 90s before being brought back in 2016, loved by hikers but by no means a frontrunner in the brand’s repository. The GSG9 on the other hand, is even more niche. Originally named after the ‘Grenzschutzgruppe 9’ (a tactical unit of the German Federal Police), the GSG9 is a durable tactical boot designed for high performance in extreme environments.
This hybrid offering from Y’s combines the two to create an active-ready silhouette fit for everyday use. Taking cues for the upper from the SEEULATER, the mesh sock lining is overlaid by buttery leather panels and fastened by a very 90s inspired tubular lacing system. The sole unit below is taken from the GSG9, with a durable rubber outsole that features high levels of shock absorption as well as a strong and robust tread. A unique and intriguing option for sportswear fanatics, the new Y’s sneaker arrived in two colourways: an all-back model and one with white sole and overlays on top of a black knit sock.
Available here
