Everything was fine a week ago? Not a week, maybe more like this last year. Is it just me or has the collaboration lost some of its zest and shine? It looks like the recent collabs have not been nearly as good as the ones we have seen in the past.
There have been many iconic collaborations over the years that have been lauded, hyped, and influential in sneaker culture. This obviously happened for numerous reasons, particularly unique touches on classic silhouettes, premium materials, vibrant attire and packaging that supports it, and obviously limited stock. But, are we seeing the end of the impact of this collaboration? Is there a drop in quality?
I do not think there’s been a drop in quality, but I’d say there is a bigger quantity now. There appears to be more collaboration as time goes on. Boutiques have noticed their competitors’ success during release and have followed suit. Now when I say quality I mean the material used in the shoe, which all the time appears to be the inexplicable complaint of the sneaker “hypnotist”. I believe there’s been an absence of creativity in plenty of the recent collaborations. Collaborations should provide something you do not normally get from brands. This begs the question, because of the talent and creativity of the collaboration, are brands starting to do more for shoes? This is a powerful possibility, but there are still many themes and opportunities to be tried and perfected.
The “that guy” of collaboration over the past few years, Ronnie Fieg, has become a major player and staple on the collaboration side of the sneaker game. Fieg has released tons of wonderful sneakers from a wide range of eye-catching brands, resold at exorbitant prices, and adjusted the climate between brands as well. With that said, his latest release hasn’t delivered the punch his loafers have had in the past. 2014 didn’t see the iconic release from Fieg. “OG Kithstrike”, “Metallic Gold”, “KFE”, “Achromatic Pack”, “Brooklyn Bridge”, “Central Park”, “Pony M-110”, “Buscemi 110M”, “Atlantic”, “Pacific”; where ALL is cool at best. None of them are really “must have” shoes. I’m not saying they’re weak, but clearly far from necessary.
This is not just the case with Fieg, there have been plenty of recent collaborations over the last year, and the start of this year does not quite hold the prestige of its predecessor. So it is over? Is that era over? It can’t be answered at this time. Time will only tell with this one, but we’ll keep you posted with our thoughts and views on it. But, I personally look forward to the days when Concepts, Extra Butter, Bodega, Kith, Ubiq deliver the BEST releases of the weekend.
- Fieg’s “Sakura’s”, Feature Las Vegas’s Saucony collabs, and Bodegas get wet collabs are all AMAZING….so there’s hope kids.
