AFEW knows how to do a collaboration — just check out the Diadora V7000 “Highly Addictive” or its ASICS GEL-LYTE III “Koi” if you need reminding — but can it make its own shoe? Well, as it turns out, yes. This is AFEW Goods’ very own sneaker — dubbed Yamasura — and it’s not just a sneaker that presents a foolproof design, but one that’s completely transparent about how it was made, too.Served up in the inaugural “Soil” colorway, the Yamasura is the result of years of research and development into making a shoe that honors and represents the reputation that AFEW has built for itself over the years. It’s very much a ground-up project; “When we started developing the shoe, we decided pretty quickly, that we did not want to use an already existing generic sole but create the design from scratch instead,” notes AFEW.With this in mind, we find influences taken from the side vents on a Ferrari Testarossa passed over into the sole unit’s design, and sustainable efforts being made as a result of the piece being produced by ForEver, a company that makes Bloom Algae EVA midsoles.Aside from this, we find an upper that gives off an ’80s/’90s runner vibe that was pieced together by a small factory in Portugal using vegan suede, nubuck and mesh. White mesh hits up the toe box and vamp, while nubuck and suede come together all over the upper for a paneled look that’s intersected with flashes of yellow or debossed elements such as the name of the shoe on the lateral-side rear-quarter heel clip.Continuing the sustainable theme is the shoe box and packaging, which is made entirely from recycled paper and features the sketched pattern of the Yamasura.AFEW’s raffle for the AFEW Goods Yamasura “Soil” is open now and the shoe is dropping on July 31 for the price of €209.95 EUR (approx. $250 USD). All the information you need to score a pair can be found on AFEW’s website.In other news, Balenciaga’s new Runner sneaker is here.
Blog
Detailed Look at Vandy the Pink and HBX’s “Ice Cream” Collection
Vandy the Pink has made his HBX debut with a three-piece “Ice Cream” collection consisting of a sweet take on his famed “Burger Shoes” plus a new rug and plush toy. Lighthearted, whimsical and inherently fun, Vandy’s products draw in equal parts from the glitz, glamor and colors of fast food commercials plus the boundary-pushing nature of ’00s streetwear. “Streetwear style was much more challenging [in the ’00s],” he told HYPEBEAST during a recent interview. “Lots of different textures, cuts and unique pieces. A lot of brands are doing the same thing these days and I’m looking to bring that unique, fresh feeling back.”Leading things off are the shoes, which offer up a Neapolitan ice cream-inspired mix of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry tones with a few tweaks. Toeboxes and quarter panels are made from white leather, with pink suede gracing mudguards, eyestays, tongues and heels. The midfoot logo features a yellow-and-brown color scheme inspired by a chocolate-dipped Pocky stick, and brown flecks inspired by burger buns are embroidered around the collar. Vandy logos appear on the tongue tag and heel tab alike, while the look is completed by white midsoles and custom yellow outsoles. There’s also a rug, a plush toy and a shoe-accompanying keychain that make use of Vandy’s latest cartoon creation: an ice cream cone humanized with feet and eyes. This full-color character joins his other creations, namely his familar “Vandy Burger” and box of fries.The Vandy the Pink x HBX “Ice Cream” collection is available on the HBX webstore now.For more from Vandy the Pink check out his installment of Sole Mates, in which he discussed his love of the Reebok Beatnik.
The Reebok Instapump Fury Goes Denim On Denim
A denim on denim outfit is often referred to as a “Canadian tuxedo,” and Reebok has brought a duo of full denim ‘fits to its famed Instapump Fury. Though the nickname may indicate the North, both of these shoes are Japan exclusives — and dressed with details inspired by hard-wearing selvedge denim.”Night Navy” is the first colorway to the plate, and it’s done up in a rich navy blue tone. There’s also a “Core Black” pair inspired by black denim. Though the shades may be different, each pair’s overall construction and means of embellishment are quite similar. Uppers are built of rich denim, with the midfoot’s Pump bladder taking on a matte tone and leather used for the toe cap. Both of these pieces feature gold contrast stitching for a nod to the seams of denim jeans. If you look at the heel tabs, you’ll see that they also lean fully into the shoe’s selvedge inspiration: they’re trimmed with white and secured by red threads, nodding to the self-edged construction of premium denim. Branding is handled by tonal Reebok hits on each shoe’s throat and heel plus monochromatic Pump stamps on each shoe’s fit system. Midsoles are kept tonal as well, split into two pieces by a stiff carbon fiber plate and loaded with DMX cushioning in the heel for comfort. Chalk-colored outsoles complete the look.This duo of dashing denim takes on the Reebok Instapump Fury is available now via retailers like atmos. Each pair’s MSRP is set at ¥19,800 JPY (approximately $179 USD), inclusive of tax.For more from the world of footwear, take a look at the Reebok Beatnik “Quilted Canvas” pack, inspired by vintage parkas.