MUJI makes minimalist daily essentials. Reebok makes the ultimate daily driver sneaker. MUJI x Reebok couldn’t possibly make any more sense.
As such, the MUJI x Reebok Club C 85 shoe something you probably could’ve pictured exactly without ever seeing a photo.
Yep, MUJI’s Reebok Club C is, of course, extra simple and streamlined. Two minimalist monochrome colorways, lightweight leather upper and zero branding in the shoe’s little window. The sole is a little flatter than the typical Reebok Club C 85 as well, free from the typical Reebok branding.
All pretty subtle stuff that adds up to a miraculously minimalist sneaker. The only truly overt addition is a pull tab on the sneaker’s heel for easy access.
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It’s so simple that you almost wonder if MUJI could’ve produced the sneaker itself.
Of course, it’s based on a timeless Reebok court shoe, so the result likely wouldn’t have been quite so sporty.
MUJI, the Japanese fast-casual all-inclusive lifestyle store, does have a pretty banger shoe selection. Its footwear offering range from the slick sneaker-sandal it released this past summer to the classic flat-soled water-resistant canvas shoes only rarely issued in colors more complex than all-white or black.
To be fair, the ultra-simple Reebok sneaker is a pretty common trope as far as Japanese retailers are concerned.
UNITED ARROWS similarly stripped the branding from Reebok’s Club C last year, for instance, while indie boutique 1LDK opted for a JJJJound-style logo swap, otherwise barely touching the shoe’s design.
Only last month, Ron Herman Japan released a radically simple black suede Reebok.
Compare to the more adventurous in-line Reebok offerings, from NASA collaborations to reborn basketball shoes and you really see a stark separation from what the sportswear brand is turning out and what these stores wanna sell.
Not that I’m complaining, mind you. Either way, it’s good stuff.
Especially that MUJI didn’t merely render a Reebok shoe in a single colorway but added subtle upgrades to humbly upgrade the shoe: That’s the MUJI touch.
Expect the shoes to sell with the quickness when they release on August 26 at MUJI’s website and Japanese stores.