Shopping Cart
Follow Us:   Facebook   Instagram   LinkedIn  

Blog

Melissa and Rombaut Deliver Eco-Conscious Jelly Sandals and Shoes

Rombaut and Melissa’s collaborative footwear came from a shared vision of eco-conscious craft. The resulting products utilize materials that are easy on the Earth without sacrificing each brands’ retro-cool aesthetics.On hand for this seasonal joint effort are two genderless footwear styles: Melissa’s jelly-style Possession sandal and a new “melting” iteration of Rombaut’s celebrity-approved Boccaccio sneaker. Realized in monochrome shades alongside transparent brown, green and even purple editions, the shoes are almost entirely comprised of upcycled components like PVC recycled from factory waste and bio-based renewable carbon content.Both Melissa and Rombaut have dipped into collaborative experiments before — the former linked with COMME des GARÇONS HOMME Plus and the latter with IDEA — but this joint effort is the duo’s most production-conscious to date.”I wanted to bring attention to [temperatures rising around the globe] by having our signature sneaker style — the Boccaccio — literally melting,” explained Rombaut founder Mats Rombaut in a statement.”Our brand is vegan and takes sustainability seriously, our collaborations need to have meaning and set a good example on how to make things better,” continued Rombaut. “It took a long time for me to do a collaboration with Rombaut because it’s hard to find big brands that have similar values. My favorite thing about Melissa is that you can return old/worn out shoes to their stores and they can recycle them into new shoes!””Rombaut is one of the most exciting brands in fashion right now and has a young, socially engaged community that embodies the freshness and creativity that Melissa stands for,” Raquel Scherer, Melissa’s global brand manager, enthused. Shop the collaborative footwear for $98 USD (sandal) and $169 USD (sneakers) on Rombaut’s website, Melissa’s site, stores and select stockists like LN-CC. 100 limited edition pairs are only available on Rombaut’s website and Paris flagship.For more remixed summer styles, peruse Toogood’s transformed collaborative Birkenstocks.

Click here to view full gallery at HYPEBEAST

Toogood’s Birkenstock Collaboration Includes Luxe Sandals, Apparel and Even a Bed

British label Toogood — founded by sisters Faye Toogood (famed artist and industrial designer) and Erica Toogood (costume designer, patternmaker) — has applied its understated design ethos to everything from home goods to furniture to an apparel line that began as an artisanal affair in 2011 and continues today as more a line of more conventional high-end wearables. It’s a good match to Birkenstock, no stranger to joint efforts, though this partnership with Toogood is an especially weighty affair, rich with bespoke garments, shoes and even a custom-made bed.Experimenting with handmade shapes, Toogood’s team utilized the art of sculpture to inform its design process, yielding three distinct sandal shapes — the Forager, Mudlark and Beackcomber — in puffy leather, soft suede, textural felt and rugged canvas. Two adjustable straps and the usual Birkenstock outsole appear throughout, making for recognizable shapes transformed by special textiles. Muted charcoal and black tones are interrupted by sunny yellow and pale white styles, which complement the hues displayed by the function-driven apparel line.A natural extension of Toogood’s in-house garment designs, the collaborative clothing includes revisions of Toogood’s own Explorer coat and wide shirting, accompanied by a few new quilted layering pieces and pullover smocks ideal for lazy summer days. The co-designed bed, meanwhile, is a hybrid of both companies’ cues, mixing the cork used for Birkenstock’s classic footbed (also used as a base here) with a mattress and slatted frame that draw from the German label’s comfortable, healthful spirit and Toogood’s industrial bent.”Birkenstock and Toogood is a combination of genuine craftmanship and uncompromising quality,” said Oliver Reichert, Birkenstock CEO, in a statement. “The unique take and talent of Faye Toogood creates a whole new version of our iconic designs. We look forward to seeing what is the next level of functional design.””To collaborate with such an iconic brand as Birkenstock has been an incredibly rewarding experience and one that marks an important moment in Toogood’s growth,” continued Faye Toogood. “For me, Birkenstock represents comfort and timeless, recognizable, sculptural form — all qualities I admire and strive for. Talking with Mr. Reichert, I found we shared so many values from high quality materials to manufacture.”The collaborative apparel and shoes are available on Toogood’s website while the footwear and bed — by request — are shoppable on Birkenstock’s premium 1774 web store. More stockists will receive the goods later this month.Most recently, Birkenstock remixed its signature Arizona with 50/50 colorways and revamped the Arosa sandal for UNITED ARROWS.

Click here to view full gallery at HYPEBEAST

Free Worldwide shipping

On all orders.

Easy 7 days refund

Refunds in 7 days after receipt of product.

Fast Support

Email response within 1 business day.

100% Secure Checkout

PayPal / MasterCard / Visa