First Look: PUMA 4th of July Pack

PUMA is pulling out all the stops for American Independence Day with the launch of the 4th of July pack, starring the B.O.G. Limitless Hi, Basket Classic and Basket Heart. In tribute to the famous Land of Stars and Stripes, the all-new pack honours the annual holiday that is set to bring millions of Americans together again to commemorate that iconic day back in 1776. Following on more than two centuries years later, the celebration boasts country wide barbecues, family reunions and fireworks. PUMA brings to the table a special edition trio pack featuring those iconic Stars and Stripes in patriotic red, white and blue.

Featuring both progressive and classic silhouettes, the 4th of July pack encompasses both of PUMA Sportstyle’s progressive and classic silhouettes. For that street-inspired look, the B.O.G Limitless Hi comes in all-over white with subtle red and stripe detailing on the left shoe and blue and star details on the right. The B.O.G Limitless launched earlier this year, boasting a fully engineered EvoKNIT execution with an open breathable knit on the vamp and a close upper part to offer more support.

For a classic look, the pack offers two court silhouettes, the OG Basket Classic and the women’s new icon, the Basket Heart. Both Basket iterations have a patriotic look and feel with a red upper on the left shoe featuring white stripes and a blue Formstripe boasting white stars, with a completely reversed look on the right shoe. The Basket Classic silhouette is transformed with a woven jacquard material upper and white round cotton laces, while the Basket Heart features trademark thick laces in a Red and Blue contrasting the upper. Additional details include the ‘07’ positioned on the left heel and ‘04’ on the right heel - a subtle reference to the annual holiday.

The 4th of July Pack will be available from Tuesday, 4 July 2017, at PUMA stores and Spree.co.za.

First Look: Air Jordan 5 Retro ‘Red Suede’

The Air Jordan 5 was initially designed with the World War II mustang fighter jets in mind. The sleek design curves and painted on shark teeth appeared on the model’s midsole, but here it’s all about that all-red suede colorway.

Adding some contrast is the 3M reflective on the tongue, Black accents on the inner lining and Jumpman branding on the heel.

The Air Jordan 5 Retro ‘Red Suede’ will drop on Saturday, 1 July 2017, at selected retailers.

First Look: G-Star RAW Research III by Aitor Throup as Seen at Paris Fashion Week

The G-Star RAW innovation lab, led by Executive Creative Director Aitor Throup, deconstructs denim to its purest form for its third capsule for men and its very first women’s collection.

Endeavoring to redefine the meaning of RAW by deconstructing denim to its purest form, the third collection of Raw Research presents new innovations in denim construction, silhouette, and shape, all underscored by an undyed, unwashed and untreated raw denim. This approach is applied in equal measure across both the men’s and women’s collections, each collection featuring 10 pieces presented in undyed calico denim. In addition, the same collection goes through a process of hand dyeing where the indigo is added to the raw garments, resulting in an organically irregular visual effect. In an effort to challenge the convention of what defines ‘denim‘, the G-Star innovation lab separated, analysed, and utilized the core elements of denim - the raw fabric and the indigo dye - in new and experimental ways.

For the Paris presentation on June 23rd G-Star also celebrated a first: the debut Raw Research women’s collection, and Throup’s first ever collective work of womenswear. The first dedicated women’s styles reflect the overall design philosophy of Raw Research III, and the resulting pieces seamlessly blend minimalism and functionality, without compromising femininity. For both the men’s and women’s collections, the brand’s in-house innovation laboratory follows the same design approach – pushing the boundaries of product design through a process of exploration, curiosity, and experimentation.

The Raw Research III collection was launched at Garage Lübeck in Paris, shown as an artistic and interactive installation featuring models that reflect the collection’s inspiration and highlights its unique designs. All new styles were also presented in 44 different hand-dyed color options as a metaphor for how the brand is pushing the conventions and constraints of denim, and challenge the recipients’ perceptions of what the fabric can be. An exclusive musical arrangement by Woodgrain, under the creative direction of Throup, was composed to go along with the visitor’s journey of the presentation, having a conceptual connection to the product and installation.

Raw Research III will be available in select high-end concept stores around the world, from early December 2017.

First Look: Titolo x New Balance 247 ‘Deep Into The Blue’

New Balance partnered with Swiss sneaker store Titolo on the 247 ‘Deep Into the Blue’ sneakers.

Swiss retailer Titolo imparts their sense of sneaker wisdom across the 247 New Balance with a vibrant colour scheme of blue and pink. The latter makes an appearance to roughly textured terrycloth for the ‘N’ shaped insignia.

As a finishing touch to this collaborative effort, a light beige midsole makes an appearance underfoot complete with a gum coloured outsole for sticky traction and support.

The Titolo x New Balance 247 ‘Deep Into The Blue’ will drop on Saturday, 1 July 2017 at selected retailers.

First Look: Nike Air Max 97 ‘White Snakeskin’

The Nike Air Max 97 ‘White Snakeskin’ comes in an off-White upper constructed out of synthetic python textures on the mudguard. Opting to keep some of its OG features, the shoe still comes with reflective 3M piping on the tongue and side panels.

The tonal look of the shoe extends down to the branding, sole unit, and laces.

The Nike Air Max 97 ‘White Snakeskin’ will drop on Thursday, 29 June 2017.