The mind behind the dressy Frankenstein clog? Solebox. It's the brand's latest collaboration with Crocs, based on the Echo II clog.

Solebox's collaborative Crocs shoe keeps the signature sneaker-coded rippled soles, back strap, and iconic cushiness. But the upper has been completely transformed to resemble a traditional penny loafer.

The Echo II now features the standard fine leather construction and sleek hardware, plus removable tassels. It's quite literally business in the front and classic Crocs party in the back (and down below).

It's not surprising to see Crocs dish out a clog hybrid. The brand has also dabbled in trail-worthy ballet styles and Wallabee-flavored shoes. And let's not forget the boat-shoe clogs.

However, it is interesting that a loafer-clog hasn't come sooner, given brands' obsession with dressy remakes of the most iconic shoes and Crocs nailing other major crazes like gorpcore and balletcore.

Well, it's here now, thanks to Solebox.

The Solebox x Crocs Echo II clog is slated to drop on the brand's website and in its stores on September 12.

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Don't get me wrong. The adidas loafer looks good as-is in many colorways and even suede versions. But there's something classic and classy about the black-and-white pairs.

It lands with sleek black leather uppers, black rubber soles, and white accents (the Three Stripes and penny loafer strap). It's not doing a lot, but it's doing just enough in its suit and tie.

The Handball Spezial sneaker is so good at being a loafer. The rest, like the dapper charm, comes naturally.

The newest black-and-white Handball Spezial loafer is now available at some international adidas stores. Hopefully, it hits the US website soon.

School may have just started, but consider your prom plans already sorted. Thank you, adidas.

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If you're in New York for fashion week, you may walk down Centre St in Manhattan and see what looks a lot like a Chanel store. But it isn’t. Inside, there's no Chanel for sale. Technically, there aren't even any clothes inside. The jackets, bags, shoes, and jewelry are all sculptures handmade from waste, scraps, and other discarded materials.

The installation, titled "31 Rue Cambon," was created by Tom Sachs, who first notched success as an artist driven by illustrative DIY design cues and then again as a longtime Nike collaborator, whose recently resurrected NikeCraft imprint powered this project. Built inside his own downtown studio, "31 Rue Cambon" recreates Chanel’s famous Paris flagship with cream awnings, wrought-iron gates, beige carpeting, mirrored walls, and soft-light windows.

Walk inside and all appears normal. Bouclé suits line the racks beside quilted bags, slingback shoes, and costume jewelry. But none of it is as it appears. The jackets are carved from plywood, the bags are built from cardboard, and the jewelry is assembled using diamanté and LEGO.

The 31 jackets on display are each based on a Chanel look worn by a famous face, from Naomi Campbell and Olivia Rodrigo to Marge Simpson. Sachs’ favorite, we learned at an exclusive press preview the day before the opening, is Coco Chanel’s ivory jacket from the 1960s. Its bouclé texture was recreated by carving white paint to reveal the rough yellow layer beneath.

All imperfections are intentional, as is typical of Sachs' practice. Sachs intent is always to emphasize, not hide, the seams, tool marks, exposed edges, and uneven surfaces, laying bare the construction of each object. The handiwork is as much the point as the finished product. Chanel normally hides its labor behind a flawless finish. Sachs puts that labor front and center.

His "relationship" with luxury label — such that it is, as "31 Rue Cambon" is not officially sanctioned by Chanel — goes back nearly 30 years.

In 1998, Sachs created a Chanel-branded guillotine that "pissed off" the house’s famously proactive lawyers. Former creative director Karl Lagerfeld, however, had a different opinion. Upon glimpsing a photo of Sachs' work, Lagerfeld reportedly stated, “I love it.”

And Sachs is the closest thing that Nike has to a fine artist in its roster. Sure, it partners with creatives like Slawn and KAWS but Sachs drives The Swoosh to fresh terrain, like pushing would-be sneaker shoppers to spend time journaling in exchange for rare trinkets.

The "Chanel" store is a perfect example of Sachs' eagerness to take NikeCraft to the extremes of ingenuity, utilizing Nike resources to deliver something so fresh that it practically demands attention. "Boring" shoes one day, the next: a commentary on luxury and consumer culture that doubles as a selfie-friendly pop-up experience. Mass appeal with high-brow intent. That's Tom Sachs.

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It's another Jordan 1 Brooklyn sneaker, actually. The model debuted in 2023, featuring the Jordan 1's unmistakable upper but with super chunked-up, goth-girl-level soles. It comes in High and Low versions.

The newest release, however, features textured leather moccasin-style uppers, making it easily the classiest Jordan 1 Brooklyn yet. It also oozes Clarks Wallabee flavor now.

It's not alone, either. A few other Wallabee-coded sneakers have entered the mix recently, including Nike's own Shox TL and Vans Premium SF Moc.

Yeah, the Wallabee-ificiation of sneakers is getting real.

Anywho, the latest Jordan 1 Brooklyn Low sneaker is part of a "Derby Pack," which includes black and white colorways. The shoes keep their signature thick soles but with a dressy twist.

And somewhere deep down inside the formal-ish chunky model, the Jordan 1 still lives. Right now, it's just doing a really good moccasin impression.

The Jordan 1 Brooklyn Low "Derby Pack" sneakers are now up for grabs on Billy's website for ¥24,750, or around $161.

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We honestly should've seen this coming, especially after Timberland-style Mids and "Utility" releases. Now, it's time for the GORE-TEX and Vibram package.

Yep, Nike has made the Air Force 1 Mid not only waterproof but also given it top-tier traction. It's basically like those low-top Forces from earlier this year, but the Mids provide that genuine boot feel with their higher collar, signature strap, and now, cold-weather-ready tech.

It's set to land in some nice colorways, keeping fans looking good while battling the slippery, chilly days ahead. Specifically, there's this "Summit White" option, which features a clean beige-ish upper with blacked-out Swooshes and thick soles.

With cooler days creeping up, Nike has started ramping up its winterized sneaker offering again. Mostly, it's running back rugged hits like the GORE-TEX Dunk Lows and Air Jordan 1 Element Low in new colorways. And the newest Forces brings a previous season's successful winter formula to the Mid.

Speaking of which, the Vibram-soled Air Force 1 Mid GORE-TEX sneaker is expected to drop sometime this fall on Nike's website, in "Black" and "Summit White."

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The New York label, led by designers Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne, staged their Spring/Summer 2027 presentation during fashion week. It debuted crisply tailored spring pieces with street swagger (classic Public School New York) as well as a Nike Moon Shoe collaboration.

Public School's Nike sneakers keep the signature slimmed-out, Waffle-soled look but add a ripstop Swoosh and an O-ring on the heel tab.

It's unknown whether the shoes are runway-only or will get a wider release in the spring. One thing's for sure: the Public School x Nike Moon Shoes have a ring to them. Literally.

My hopes are for a proper release. It would mean another Moon Shoe summer, between the Public School linkup and more Jacquemus collab colorways. And that's not even counting the other in-line options Nike could be potentially sitting on.

Regardless, we still have Public School's cool Air Max Goadome boots to enjoy. Following a seven-year hiatus, the brand officially returned to fashion in 2026 with a much-anticipated FW26 presentation, which included the ACG boot and dark suede Air Jordan 15s.

Word on the street is: we should be getting the Public School Air Max boots before the year is out. Then, the Moon Shoes for the new year? Fingers crossed.

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The ads for the second A BATHING APE x Van Gogh Museum collaboration feel designed to cause me psychic pain. It isn’t just that the sneakers and toy BE@RBRICK collectibles are covered in unimaginative floral prints pulled from the painter’s Sunflowers and Almond Blossoms; it's that everything is literally arranged in old wooden frames, then set against a simple, matching backdrop. 

Placing BAPE museum merch in an antique frame doesn't magically give it some gravitas, but it does offer a strong visual metaphor for how uninspired this all feels. And it isn’t even the only crossover causing anguish lately. There’s the latest KAWS × UNIQLO collection, filled with simplistic branded T-shirts and sweatshirts with the overhyped artist’s newest characters, and the confusing Nike x MoMA Air Rift 2 sneaker in a colorway that’s meant to be giving “pop art” but actually just looks like a neon-hued fever dream (set in Miami Beach). 

The logic is sound: big brands lean toward big-name artists because they’re recognizable and easily marketable. The average person is more likely to recognize clothing with KAWS’ mascot-like riff on Mickey Mouse, or a floral print shoe in Van Gogh’s distinctive style, than, say, a hoodie with work from some indie painter. 

But by constantly rehashing the same handful of overplayed artists, it’s created a cycle of mediocrity. Sorry to Louis Vuitton’s Keith Haring-centric 2027 Cruise collection, but slapping his squiggly lines on clothes hasn’t been interesting for years. The pervasiveness of these superstar art collaborations is ironic given that, actually, there’s no shortage of interesting painters and sculptors and videographers out there. Partnering with them doesn’t just boost the artist; it also lends the brand freshness — a quality the BAPE x Van Gogh drop just can’t muster. 

Mass-market brands like UNIQLO or Nike tend to cling to safety, but just because you can doesn’t mean you should. There was once a tangible mania for this kind of product: the 2019 KAWS x UNIQLO collection, marketed as his last, caused stampedes at stores around China and crashed its online shop. That was the golden era for these kinds of major mashups, and these collections likely still sell well enough to warrant more.

It's just hard to square these stale art-fashion crossover collections, made to stock museum gift shop shelves, with the genuinely exciting work other brands are doing. Using marketing muscle to platform smaller artists isn’t just cool; it signals taste. 

Supreme worked with Hungarian artist Rita Ackermann and Korean visual designer Art Dealer for its Fall/Winter 2026 collection; LOEWE's Fall/Winter 2026 collection features a range of crustacean-inspired pieces by German artist Cosima Von Bonin; the new Jil Sander FW26 campaign is more performance art than ad, featuring a grainy art film by Moni Haworth. And that’s to say nothing of the many fashion brands directly supporting cultural institutions or funding art shows, like Bottega Veneta’s sponsorship of the upcoming Peggy Guggenheim exhibition in London.

I understand that being aggrieved by the sight of another Haring or KAWS or, god forbid, Andy Warhol-inspired collection is a self-inflicted wound. But at some point the laws of diminishing returns must finally come for the stale roster of artists big brands just can’t quit, right? …Right??

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Celine Reeboks launched in NYC

I rarely go to in-store parties. They’re crowded, the lighting is bad, the drinks are warm. But Celine’s reception to launch the brand’s Reebok collab at its store in Soho was a strong exception. For starters, creative director Michael Rider was actually there (it’s shockingly rare to see a designer in a store). So was Marc Jacobs and the white man who can’t jump himself, Woody Harrelson. What a G. The shoes are $750. I’d wear the butter yellow.

Lulu vs. On

Tomorrow’s all-American US Open semi-final of Ben Shelton versus Frances Tiafoe pits two relative newcomers to the tennis apparel scene against one another—Tiafoe in Lululemon, Shelton in On. (And it’s maybe Shelton’s last major wearing On before decamping to New Balance, if you believe the rumors.) Anyhow, it’s interesting that there will be no swoops or stripes on the court for such a high-profile sports moment, especially given that both guys are young, relatively cool, and highly marketable. Year after year we see tennis maintaining its stronghold as a sport that moves the culture. So why don’t the big brands invest more to have a stronger presence at tournaments like this? Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s good to have more brands in the mix, but I also want tennis clothes that won’t make me look like a dork.

Much ado about A. Presse

The beloved cult Japanese brand’s collab with Supreme tests the limits of IYKYK fandom. As menswear increasingly steers toward small-scale niche brands, this small-scale niche brand is swerving toward the masses. I like a collaboration that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense on paper, as long as the clothes are good. My hunch is that A. Presse founder Kaz Shogematsu and James Jebbia have quite a few things in common and simply wanted to work together.

The color of the season is… 

Pink. Based entirely on this one Man-tle jacket that I can’t wait to wear. And also the best hat at the US Open this year.

Wild Horse Sam

I had the tremendous pleasure of going to the Venice Film Festival last week where I saw the premier of Wild Horse Nine, the new film by Martin McDonagh starring our cover guy Sam Rockwell. Sam gave an all-time performance — as we knew he would. Co-star John Malkovich looked angelic in Dior. And the film is an absolute, five-star banger. What an honor it is to have this guy’s face on the fall 2026 cover. Go buy the mag now and read the profile here.

This partnership highlights Larry’s passion for wellness, luxury, and vintage athletic gear. Rather than picking a hyped retro, he digs into the archive for an obscure, tech-heavy road shoe, elevating its complex panelling with premium materials and custom detailing. 

A vibrant mix of bold greens, soft creams, and red accents ensure that it’s impossible to miss this pair. After first hitting the internet in February, they understandably captured attention, but ultimately disappointed fans when it appeared that they would be reserved for a Friends & Family release. Now, they’re hitting shelves.

Glossy cream overlays wrap a breathable mesh base, while custom Larry June branding and highlights the tongue and insoles. Signature Adistar cage paneling supports the midfoot, adding structural depth.

The shoe retains its serious performance heritage in the sole unit. Formotion stability technology and adiprene cushioning work together in the heel to deliver smooth transitions, supported by a durable Continental™ rubber outsole. Speckled finishes bring a touch of personality to the time-tested system.

The Larry June Adistar Control 5 has already proven its ability to turn heads after a false start back in February. Now that it’s slated for a wider release, we can be sure it’s not going to fly under the radar looking like that.

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The Ghost Sprint translates hyper-specialized sprint spike ergonomics into something actually wearable and relevant for 2026. Rather than leaning on chunky midsoles or loud neon schemes, this iteration wraps the shoe’s ultra-thin, organic construction in warm, cream-based tones and rich brown accents that stand out against the sporty silhouette.

Soft Warm Vanilla and grounding Earth Strata details offers a subtle, neutral palette to highlight the upper’s sculpted, fluid lines, giving the retro sprinter a versatile edge.

The upper is constructed from moulded suede with a super hairy finish. Against that tactile backdrop, complex paneling mimics the aerodynamic lines of professional sprint spikes. The upper is delivered in a fully tonal colourway with minimalist co-branding on the tongue and heel.

In 2026 style, the sole unit is barely there. The wrap-around rubber outsole lands in a grey-brown neutral finish that extends up the heel and lateral sidewalls for added durability. The tactile tread pattern maintains the sporty roots of the silhouette.

The adidas Originals Ghost Sprint in Warm Vanilla is how to elevate the archive. Track specs have become something wearable and genuinely style-forward here, but the sporty profile of the OG silhouette has been retained. Instead of a faithful revival, this shows how to reshape old ideas to make them relevant again.

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For one evening, our Highsnobiety UDL space traded Berlin for a distinctly Milanese spin on the classic tennis club, created to celebrate ellesse’s Autumn/Winter 2026 collection and bring its latest vision of Italian sports style to life. Complete with plenty of Italian flair, vintage-inspired details and some seriously good aperitivos, the ellesse x Highsnobiety Tennis Club offered a fitting setting for a collection built around the idea that sportswear should work just as well off the court as it does on it.

The AW26 collection is the main story here: rooted in ellesse’s heritage, it brings together clean, simple silhouettes with a tailored touch, drawing on the brand’s longstanding connection to tennis and skiing. Designed for the court, the slopes and, perhaps most importantly, wherever you’re heading afterwards, the collection makes a case for sportswear with a little more personality.

That approach goes all the way back to ellesse’s beginnings in Perugia in 1959. Founded by tailor Leonardo Servadio, the brand was built around the idea that what you wore to play sport could be functional without sacrificing style. Expert tailoring, vivid color and a distinctly Italian confidence became signatures across skiing and tennis, establishing an aesthetic that was always as interested in the emotions and culture surrounding sport as it was in performance itself.

Fast-forward to AW26 and that philosophy remains firmly intact. The collection takes familiar sporting codes and gives them a more refined, fashion-conscious edge, with pieces that feel equally at home on the tennis court, around a ski resort or at the bar afterwards. Because really, what is skiing without après? Or tennis without a post-match cocktail?

That spirit was brought to life throughout the ellesse x Highsnobiety Tennis Club. Rather than simply recreating a traditional tennis club, the space interpreted the AW26 collection through the lens of 1980s Milan, borrowing from the bars, sports clubs and nightlife that defined the era. The result still felt unmistakably like a tennis club, but one that seemed much more interested in having a good time than enforcing the dress code.

And, as with any good night out, everyone eventually made their way to the bar. Inspired by the Milanese spots once frequented by the Paninari, each drink was served with its own “Rules of Play”: go for the double, only sweat for what you love, pleasure not points and extra points for personal style. Not exactly tennis advice, but pretty solid rules for an aperitivo.

Elsewhere, DJ Aitsana kept the party moving with disco-leaning sounds, while the aperitivos kept coming. And if you’re the kind of party-goer susceptible to hangovers, ellesse even considered the morning after: some of the first guests through the door picked up espresso tokens to redeem at a local Italian café, a small nod to the sacred pausa caffè and a pretty good reason to keep the Italian mood going past the early hours of the morning.

The collection itself remained front and center throughout the space. AW26 pieces were tucked into changing-room lockers in ellesse’s signature colors, turning the practical details of a tennis club into another opportunity to experience the collection. The styling reinforced the idea at the heart of AW26: that sporting clothes don’t have to stay on the sidelines once the match is over.

There was also a nod to “Do It Like An Italian,” the wider campaign supporting the AW26 story, which has seen Andrew Garfield take on the challenge of learning the finer points of Italian living. Shot by photographer Oliver Hadlee Pearch, the vintage-inspired imagery follows Garfield as he learns how to speak, how to play and, ultimately, how to exude Italian charisma. Here, however, the campaign serves as supporting context for the collection rather than the focus of the evening.

It’s an idea that neatly complements the attitude running through AW26. “Do It Like An Italian” is less about mastering a perfect Italian accent or dramatically improving your serve, and more about embracing the confidence, pleasure and personality that sit at the heart of ellesse’s approach to sport and style. Wear the outfit you actually want to wear. Put a little more personality into how you play. And, when the match is over, make sure you know where the aperitivo is.

That was ultimately what made the evening work. Tennis was everywhere, but nobody was keeping score. The AW26 collection provided the visual language, the cocktails were flowing and the soundtrack made leaving increasingly difficult. For a few hours, Berlin felt just a little more Milanese.

If AW26 is about bringing together sport, tailoring and Italian attitude, the ellesse x Highsnobiety Tennis Club was a pretty convincing demonstration of exactly how that looks—and, more importantly, how it feels.

A flower through a pavement crack. Moss crawling across concrete. Greenery slowly reclaiming the grey. The city can build over nature, but nature rarely accepts the final word.

That tension sits at the heart of Dolomite’s SAXIFRAGA 3.0 | Nature Awakening capsule. Named after an Alpine flower whose roots can push through rock, Saxifraga literally means “stone breaker.” Delicate petals, serious determination. Quite the résumé.

For its latest chapter, Dolomite takes that stubborn mountain spirit downtown. Nature Awakening imagines the urban landscape not as nature’s opposite, but as its next obstacle. Asphalt cracks become flowerbeds. Concrete walls become climbing frames. The metropolitan grey gets a green paint job, whether it asked for one or not.

Naturally, the capsule needed footwear built for both sides of the equation.

Enter the 54 Low, Dolomite’s outdoor icon recast for the concrete jungle. Its hairy suede upper brings the texture, while a sharply contrasting polyurethane band gives the silhouette a graphic jolt. This is not hiking footwear trying to disguise itself as a minimalist city sneaker. It knows where it came from, and it looks better for it.

Underfoot, a Vibram® sole borrows its texture from rough asphalt, grounding the shoe firmly in gorpcore territory. Mountain DNA up top, city grit underneath. It is rugged enough to suggest adventure, even if today’s expedition only stretches from the subway to the nearest natural wine bar.

That is the appeal of SAXIFRAGA 3.0. It does not force a choice between technical and stylish, outdoors and urban, practical and expressive. It simply lets them grow into one another.

Dolomite has taken a flower famous for breaking thorough barriers and turned it into a sneaker built to own the pavement.

Nature always finds a way. Now it has the footwear to match.

Check out the full collection here.

A contender for 2026's sweater of the year, Eckhaus Latta's J.Crew Rollneck is as good an entrant into the fray as any. It veritably exploded across the internet back in February, instantly vanishing upon multiple releases.

Good collaborations are good surprises. Eckhaus Latta's J.Crew team-up was that. But good collaborations must also be, y'know, good. And Eckhaus Latta's J.Crew Rollneck sweater was also that. It was kinda crazy, actually, as far as rollneck sweaters are concerned. It's just that good. Chunky knit, latte hues, abstract accents. The quintessential easy-cool transitional toss-on layer. Simple perfection.

So perfect that Eckhaus Latta and J.Crew are running it back — and then some.

For J.Crew, Eckhaus Latta has created an entire capsule of classic clothes gone Eckhaus, just like the Rollneck. In fact, it even includes new Rollnecks! (What a crazy word to say this many times) Plus, a cohesive collection of wardrobe staples done up the Eckhaus way which, according to cofounders Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta, felt quite natural. We spoke with them and Olympia Gayot, Creative Director of Women’s and Kids at J.Crew, about how the second dose of Eckhaus x J.Crew came to be.

What was your reaction to the response elicited by Eckhaus Latta's Rollneck sweater?

Gayot: We were thrilled by the response. The entire Rollneck Remix project was conceived as a creative experiment, so seeing customers embrace it with such immediacy was incredibly affirming.

The Eckhaus Latta Rollneck sold out almost as soon as it launched and was the first style to disappear at our subsequent pop-up. It proved that people were responding not only to the product, but to the creative exchange between our brands. It also gave us the confidence to explore what that conversation could become on a much larger scale.

And why do you think the Eckhaus Latta resonated so hard with consumers?

Gayot: Mike and Zoe understood what makes the Rollneck iconic, but they did not treat it too preciously. Their interpretation retained the familiarity and emotional resonance of the original while introducing an entirely new proportion and point of view. It felt surprising, but still incredibly wearable.

I also think customers sensed that the collaboration was authentic. It was not Eckhaus Latta simply placing its signature on a J.Crew sweater. They genuinely reconsidered the piece through their own design language.

Which feels true for this entire capsule, which is inspired by vintage J.Crew catalogs...?

We wanted to preserve the experimentation, individuality, and unpretentious New York energy. that make Eckhaus Latta so distinctive At the same time, the collection needed to begin with something recognizably J.Crew: our icons, quality, wearability and emotional familiarity. The catalogs became a major source of inspiration, revealing an era of the brand that already possessed a little downtown tension.

Okay, for Mike and Zoe, talk to us about how it felt to work on the J.Crew Rollneck.

Eckhaus Latta: The Rollneck was a funny starting point for us, because when we were asked to do it we were like “this garment feels so Eckhaus Latta.” There is an implied unfinished quality to an actual rollneck that we relate to and have explored in our work for years. The hand and ease have an everydayness that we strive to have in our garments,  so it was a bizarrely natural process reinterpreting J.Crew’s iconic version.

How did that attitude inform your take on the J.Crew wardrobe?

Eckhaus Latte: It was rather simple to maintain each brand’s identity. J.Crew has a world of foundational garments that are distinct archetypes. Working from such a clear point of reference and considering how to make it “Eckhaus Latta” while never getting too far away from the origin allows for there to be a tension in the clothes that is harmonious. 

There was a constant dialogue between us and the J.Crew design team when it came to approaching each piece - how to dissect, how to push-and-pull. It was essential to us that what we created did not deviate too far from the source material and would speak to the J.Crew customer in the same manner it would to that of the Eckhaus Latta customer and ideally reveal something new to them about both brands they did not expect.

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Onitsuka Tiger's most iconic sneaker, the Mexico 66 "Kill Bill", has graduated into a full-on heel. Ok, well, maybe not full-on in the traditional sense. See, even though the Onitsuka Tiger is a big cat, this shoe is still just a little kitten within the world of heels.

That's of course because of the shoe's shortened heel height and relative newness to the footwear scene.

This lifted take on Onitsuka's hero sneaker is the brand's first foray into heels, and it leans fully into the genre with the Mexico 66 Sereza heel that's highkey more heel than sneaker. More business than casual. More date night than night in. You get the point.

Typically, sneaker-heel hybrids take in equal parts athletic aura and lifted sophistication to reach a blended equilibrium of sorts.

If an imbalance does present, though, its usually the sneaker traits taking over, as seen with the Isabel Marant Bekett or Spanx's surprisingly stylish "Sneex" sneaker heel. Those shoes are sneakers first and heels second.

Onitsuka Tiger's Mexico 66 Sereza is the opposite as it leans all the way into the heel persona with a pointed toe, sling-back design and, of course, that small little heel. Sure, it's an Onitsuka Tiger, but visually it's much more heel than anything else. The only tangible sneaker imprint comes from the black lace-up detailing at the toe, which is honestly more fashion than function.

Available in September, this mixed-up shoe could pass for a traditional kitten heel with an Onitsuka Tiger paint job rather than a true fusion sneaker, which is what makes it such a nice addition to the delightful lineup of odd little sneaker heels coming out right now.

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This silhouette switches up the usual order of affairs. Signature basketball shoes are playable, court-ready sneakers. Anthony Edwards doesn’t do much by the book, though, and it makes his signature line that much more interesting.

The adidas Anthony Edwards 3 Mule Bliss Blue reimagines basketball DNA into an backless slip-on, taking the aggressive, sculpted mold of the AE line and adapting it into a lounge-ready mule.

Coated in a striking Bliss Blue color, the two-tone slide relies on its alien-like geometry and flowing lines to turn heads. A single molded foam shell forms the body, featuring the line's signature waving cutouts along the midfoot to maximize airflow. 

Open heel construction allows for easy step-in access, while subtle Ant-Man logo detailing finishes the clean, futuristic top cover. Underneath, the cushioned foam footbed cradles the foot, sitting atop an integrated rubber outsole with a modified herringbone tread pattern.

The adidas AE 3 Mule in Bliss Blue proves Anthony Edwards’ signature line isn't limited to game time. This is a concept that feels so simple, but so few have really explored in their signature lines.

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Niche Has Never Felt So Mass

“Slow news week” usually means there’s a disappointing dearth of events worth reporting on. But in Shopper-world,  a slow news week offers the chance to compose a state-of-shopping dispatch of various scooplets on our current fragmented climate of consumption. Walk with me now.

Let’s start with COS’ viral Rodeo-purse lookalike. A spitting image of the Balenciaga original, the slouchy “Trullo Flap Bag” recently invaded every last one of my feeds. Hopelessly sold out on the brand's own webstore, the dupe is all over resale sites, selling at markups of up to 100%. Priced at €249 (roughly $300), I see it going on Vinted for double that. While that's only about a tenth of what Balenciaga's would set you back by, it's still no small cost for a polyester-lined high street accessory, pretty as it may be. Whether the bag was engineered to cause a craze or simply an instance of “right dupe, right time,” its apparent scarcity has now made it, ironically, a premium product. 

It's classic trend mechanics in action — a mass-appeal brand pulling from the playbook of a more niche player. (Lately, we're even seeing a lot of these brands branching off into more IYKYK-esque "spin-offs," such as Lefties, which is Zara's comp for Uniqlo's youthfully faddy sibling GU.) There’s clearly a contradiction between fashion's big brands and the modern customer's much-articulated desire for the hyper-specific, “kind of chic,” or “tasteful” (yet not too played-out). These consumers want the cool, accessible thing that isn’t so accessible that everyone else already has it, much to many a global corporation's chagrin.  

As a result, the brands that are winning favor right now are the ones that still seem “limited run” or “indie" at heart. Take, as an example, contemporary menswear's most revered names: the Auralees, Sssteins, and Mfpens of the scene who have been in business for a decade plus now, but are being talked about today with giddy awe and reverence. 

Of course, hotness and commercial viability don't always beget one another though. In women's, Victoria Beckham shared that her company is profitable for the first time in 15 years since launching. Even Phoebe Philo's eponymous label is yet to break even (or disclose as much) — it’s  a young venture still, sure, but for someone with a vise-tight hold over the fashion industry and such a roster of in-crowd folks to outfit, you'd think the popular former Celine designer would have cashed in by now. 

Still, factor in Dior-alum Kris Van Assche's namesake rising from the ashes as a deadstock small batch production, or Emily Dawn Long's unique grip on guys’ closets, and you've got yourself a bunch of would've-been-terrible startup pitches that make an argument for how scale is sus, and that to be (perceived as) big, known, and everywhere is… kind of not chic, actually. It's symptomatic of the same cultural shift that made offlineness aspirational, high follower counts embarrassing, and “sober-curiousity” a meme-ified expression people use to say they've cut back on but not totally eliminated alcohol from their diet.

As we slowly leave behind this era of objectively stylish — if boring and sometimes tastesloppy — clothes, in which an untrained eye might confuse Massimo Dutti for The Row, we're (re-)entering an epoch that favors true copy-resistant personality. You can already see it on recent runways, in freshly-crowned LVMH prize winner Julie Kegels, and in the rumblings of this incoming Fashion Month: statement details that determine whether one wears a garment versus truly owning it in every sense. The discernment will be revealed in the specifics: the jewelry, the belts, the composition of items old and new, cheap and expensive; in the model's ring stacks and the maker's tiny design idiosyncrasies that fast fashion players have a harder time imitating. And what happens then, when consumers who've spent years studying what to buy are suddenly required to learn how to dress? TikTok-taught minimalism gave them guardrails. Personality-maxxing, however, requires judgement.

Open Tabs

• ICYMI, Alpha Industries’ signature bomber comes in a supple brown leather iteration (and it's on sale!).

• I've been testing this rainproof Peak Performance shell. So far I can say I'm a fan.

• And in other outerwear news, Barbour x Paul Smith introduced round three of their collab. Its highlight wax jacket comes right on time to ring in fall.

• If you're not quite there yet, worry not, Save Khaki United's American-made corduroy harringtons are great to throw over on these last nights of summer, ahead of Pumpkin Spiced Latte season.  

• Who let the clogs out?! SOREL did, and these are actually perfectly suited to withstand the cooler days ahead. 

• Meanwhile, even the most passionate of open-toe apologists will soon have to let the dogs back in, so to speak. Prepare by picking up Los Angeles Apparel's multi-pack of colorful cotton socks.

• Either shade of the above would work with what may just be my favorite sneaker-loafer-hybrid yet, courtesy of KEEN. 

• The highly teased On x POST ARCHIVE FACTION running shoe team-up finally dropped, after rightfully converting my colleague from foe to fan.

• Question for the chat: How do we feel about gray denim? I'm genuinely curious, because these silver AG jeans have got me feeling some type of way.

• Everyone had strong opinions on J. Crew's tiny rollneck. Maybe better to stick to the silhouettes we know, eh? Or, at least that's what I'm doing, in opting for its navy-washed 1988 sweater.