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Aug 23, 2023

PFW Men's proves longevity of luxury sportswear, from Wales Bonner x Adidas to Botter x Reebok

Paris Fashion Week Men’s might have ended on June 25, but we are still thinking about all of the wonderful brand collaborations of the Spring 2024 season. Junya Watanabe’s collection set the tone with

Paris Fashion Week Men’s might have ended on June 25, but we are still thinking about all of the wonderful brand collaborations of the Spring 2024 season. Junya Watanabe’s collection set the tone with its streetwear-luxury fusion, featuring Palace, Stüssy, Carhartt WIP, New Balance, Levi’s, Brooks Brothers, C.P Company, Gregory, Lousy Livin, MXDVS, Bates, Alpha Industries, Baracuta, Oakley Factory, Patta, Reigning Champ, Maison Kitsune, and Mackintosh.

Another standout was London’s colorful brand Charles Jeffrey Loverboy, which presented a collection starring wildly artistic sculptural pieces by English fine china company Wedgwood. Adding to that, Mschf and Crocs showcased some plus-sized boots, Cecilie Bahnsen and Kiko Kostadinov joined Asics once more on sneakers, and Bianca Saunders vibrantly collided with Farah.

This week, we are diving into three of our Paris Fashion Week Men’s favorite collabs: Wales Bonner x Adidas, Auralee x New Balance, and Botter x Reebok. Each proves the power that long-term partnerships hold within the footwear category, injecting cultural capital into established sportswear brands to uphold their reputation within the fashion industry.

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New offerings from Wales Bonner x Adidas. Photo: Wales Bonner

Date: Spring 2024

Product: Ready-to-wear and footwear

Social context: Wales Bonner has 257,000 followers on Instagram, and one post from the show has 2,490 likes. Adidas Originals’ official account also posted about the show, with the carousel of images receiving 29,900 likes.

Verdict: Thanks to the success of this ongoing collaborative relationship, Adidas has become synonymous with Grace Wales Bonner’s eponymous brand.

First previewed at London Fashion Week in January 2020, the Core Black Sambas are now selling at a 289% price premium on StockX — making it a holy grail collab. Each drop seems to only get better, with the latest Wales Bonner x Adidas Samba Silver being one of the It-girl shoes of the moment.

This brand marriage works wonders as Wales Bonner offers luxury streetwear credibility to Adidas, while the sportswear giant provides the label with wider exposure.

Japan-based brand Auralee gives New Balance a sleek makeover, resulting in new silhouettes with an elevated, rounded sole. Photo: Auralee x New Balance

Date: Spring 2024

Product: Two sneaker silhouettes

Social context: On Instagram, Auralee has 370,000 followers and garnered 7,699 likes on the post about its Spring 2024 New Balance sneakers. New Balance is yet to post about the release to its 7 million followers.

Verdict: Along with Aimé Leon Dore and many others, Tokyo label Auralee has established a long-term creative partnership with New Balance.

One negative is that some consumers are comparing the designs to Yeezy due to the muted color palettes and unusual textures and silhouettes.

The immaculate Japanese brand embodies the trending preppy aesthetic well. Read more on that “Cleanfit” aesthetic here.

Reebok and Botter join forces on 3D-printed Murex Shell slides and Bo Kèts sneakers. Photo: Botter x Reebok

Date: Spring 2024

Product: Runners and slides

Social context: Botter has 152,000 Instagram followers, and the official post about the Reebok collaboration has 3,523 likes. Over on Reebok’s account with 4.3 million followers, there are 5,358 likes on the collab post.

Verdict: The reaction on Reebok’s Instagram proves that high-fashion design doesn’t always resonate with mainstream sportswear consumers.

In contrast, Botter’s social accounts show 100% positive feedback. This suggests that designers benefit more, in some instances, than sportswear brands when releasing high-fashion pieces.

Debuted in February, the 3D-printed shoes are more of an innovative design project for Reebok, placing it on the fashion scene.

Collabs and Drops

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