The famous Boston-based retailer CONCEPTS is ending the year with a new qualitative collaboration. After teaming up with Canada Goose and BAPE earlier this month to bring us a winter-ready outdoor assortment (article available HERE), CONCEPTS is now back with a « Felt the Same » indoor collection of 4 reinterpreted Birkenstock clogs.
CONCEPTS and BIRKENSTOCK have a long-standing relationship. The Birkenstock Clog Boston has been a collaborative staple for CONCEPTS since 2014 precisely. This « Felt the Same » collection pays homage to the 7-year collaboration between the 2 brands and is part of the celebration of 25 years of the CONCEPTS shop. Deon Point, Concepts’ creative director said, « Bringing Birkenstock Boston into our world has allowed us to usher in a new era for Concepts. Now, working with Birkenstock has become something of a vacation tradition. We’ve always felt good about it. »
Launched in 1979, Birkenstock’s famous clog traditionally consisted of felt and natural leather, and seemed more for hippies. In its first reinterpretation, the Boston-based retailer redesigned the famous « clog » to transform it into a streetwear icon.
For this new opus, CONCEPTS declined the MiG clog in 4 eye-catching colorways Orange, Navy Blue, Magenta and Aqua Blue, and dressed the upper with wool felt and gives it a beige napa leather strap. The cushioned footbed is crafted from natural leather and is adorned with the CONCEPTS logo. The whole is based on a comfortable white rubber sole.
To bring a warm « trip home » feel, the design details of this clog promote a stylish yet casual look. Deon Point explained : « Vacation stories have always given us the opportunity to revel in nostalgia and share our softer side. »
To launch this new collection, CONCEPTS worked with fiber artist Andrea Love to create nostalgia in a unique way. The artist said : « I love using fibers to transform familiar scenes into something nostalgic and new at the same time. When you first see the work, it may not be obvious that it is made entirely of fiber, but upon closer inspection, it shows. Wool is such a versatile material that it can be made into many different forms – roasting, fabric, felt and yarn. Whenever a new project comes up, my first thought is ‘what is this going to look like with wool,’ and it’s such a fun challenge to figure out how to make that vision a reality ! ».
To accompany these clogs and complete the indoor outfit, CONCEPTS has put together a matching collection of apparel, highlighting their studied approach to fit and fabrication. We find fleece hoodies and sweatpants with wool felt branding details, as well as collared sweatshirts and beanies with natural leather details. CONCEPTS t-shirts and a trio of co-branded New Era 5950 Boston Red Sox caps complete the collection.
The Concepts x Birkenstock « Felt the Same » Collection is available at Boston shop cncpts.com as of December 21. Prices are set at 145$ per pair of clogs, 50$ per cap and range from 52$ to 150 $for apparel. Don’t sleep !
