Collaborations are a dime a dozen these days, especially in the sneaker world. They come and go and are rarely remembered, so when one sticks around longer than a single season, it’s definitely worth noting.
The Generic Man and Comme des Garçons have been at it for eight seasons now, combining the footwear brand’s luxe take on minimal styles with Rei Kawakubo’s singular aesthetic vision. “She has all the say,” says Generic Man founder and creative director Brandon Day, who also has ongoing collaborations with Public School and Mark McNairy. “She does all the designing, and what she comes up with—there’s a reason for it—makes sense for her in the collections. It’s crazy, it always works, and I think that’s why she’s so respected and has the success she’s had.”
This season Kawakubo selected The Champion style from The Generic Man lineup for two black leather styles, each with hand-poured black, gray, green, and white marbled soles, with no two alike.
The Generic Man for Comme des Garçons Shirt Fall 2014 sneakers, $345, available now at End Clothing.
