WORDS BY STEPHEN YU
Not content with slapping cute hearts on your Converse, taking the laces from your Vapormax’s, turning Dunks see-through, and dying the Air Max 180 pink, the geniuses at Comme have done it again.
Partnering up with Nike once again (name a more iconic duo…), the Japanese design house has chosen the Air Mowabb as the canvas for this partnership.
Designed by Nike legend Tinker Hatfield (the guy behind your favorite pair of Jordan’s), the Mowabb made the leap from sketch to full-fledged footwear icon in 1991, as part of the Swoosh’s ACG - All Conditions Gear - outdoors focused line. As the less athletic and more hiking enthused younger brother to the iconic Air Huarache running shoe, the Mowabb shares the same design elements like the super comfortable and sweat soaking neoprene booty (now ankle length and complete with ACG branding), and lightweight plastic heel counter for added support. Where the Mowabb differs is with it’s beefed up midsole, perfect for attacking your favorite trails, or more likely, helping you attack the stairs at DSM.
Rei Kawukobo and her team know when to leave a classic alone. For this collab, they simply added extended panelling to the lacestay, ankle collar and toebox to give an unfinished, uncut hem look and added some necessary ‘chunk’ to the silhouette. Constructed from a butter-soft suede, the shoe will crease and wear to take on a lovely worn-in look. The final details are two types of toe-box perforations.