To weave or not to weave? From the looks of it, brands are going with the former when it comes to their footwear, laying the groundwork for a simmering footwear craze.
Just a couple of week ago, Union’s forthcoming Air Jordan 1 collaboration surfaced, revealing the timeless sneaker with a Footscape-influenced upper.
Ronnie Fieg later followed up with his reveal of KITH’s next Birkenstock collaboration, a joint-effort London finished with — you guessed it — woven detailing.
At this point, my mind starts to think about the other brands who’ve decided to get into their weaving bag, like children of the discordance with its loop-stitched UGG collaboration and sacai with its rumored Nike Waffle team-up.
Just last year, Supreme issued 3-Eye Timberland lug shoes and Clark Wallabees featuring interlaced leather uppers. At the same time, Nike decided it was time for the ACG Watercat to receive an KEEN-level update, ultimately turning the shoe into a basket for feet.
I say all this to say: ladies and gentlemen, we have a trend on our hands.
And the recent wave of woven shoes arrives right in time for summer, might I add, with labels promising breathable footwear more tha suitable for the warmer seasons.
To be clear, woven shoes aren’t exactly new. There are probably loads of sandals and other summer-ready footwear crafted with intertwined fabrics propped up on display at your local department store or Targét (yes, Targét) as we speak.
A little history fact for you: During the early days of civilization, the first pairs of shoes were made by weaving reeds, grass, and other natural elements together in order to cover the foot.
Meanwhile, names like Clarks, Visvim, and Sebago are vets in the woven shoe game, having literally weaved the design concept in their respective footwear selections for years now.
Though woven shoes have been around for years, it appears the concept is now pacing to have a big moment in the footwear sphere this year, with help from a few sought-after names.
In other words, get ready — footwear’s a-weave-ning is here.
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