Salehe Bembury unveils the very first footwear collaboration of his brand SPUNGE : a bold version of the iconic VANS Authentic. The former Versace designer brings his signature touch to the Californian brand’s flagship sneaker.
Since leaving the Italian high fashion house at the end of December 2020, Salehe Bembury has already led some great collaborative projects. Most notably, he partnered with New Balance to rework the 2002R silhouette and create the not for sale Test Run Project 3.0 « Finders Keepers » pair. Made in a limited edition of 50 pairs, this shoe was hidden in the streets of some American cities by Salehe Bembury under the principle of « Who finds, keeps ». The 2020 footwear designer of the year has also teamed up with Chinese sportswear brand Anta, to bring us an innovative and technical model, available in low and high versions (articles available on this site).
According to the teasers he posts on social networks, a collab with Crocs seems to be in progress and a new colorway « Water » of the NB 2002R should be released soon.
For this first SPUNGE collaboration, Salehe Bembury decided to revisit the very first Vans silhouette, which can be seen as a nod or a symbol of a starting point. The Authentic was released in California on March 16, 1966, the day the VANS brand was launched.
The classic silhouette is dressed up with Salehe Bembury’s signature touch : a fingerprint pattern. It’s found all over the canvas upper in a bright yellow and blue combination. To ensure the look, the lining, laces and foot wrap on the upper midsole appear in matching blue. The Salehe Bembury touch also stands out on the insole, it’s designed using cork. A white midsole and a traditional rubber outsole add the final touch to the design. The pair will come in a special box featuring the co-branding.
The SPUNGE x Vans Authentic is expected to be released soon on beaspunge.com. Details of the release have not yet been communicated. We can expect little surprises given the creativity of Salehe Bembury… To not miss anything, stay tuned !
