Archinect - News

New Balance honors Frank Lloyd Wright's Broadacre City concept in latest sneaker collab

2023-04-12T13:26:00-04:00

A new collaboration between New Balance and fashion designer Ronnie Fieg is paying homage Frank Lloyd Wright’s utopian concept for the ‘Broadacre City’ that first appeared in his seminal title The Disappearing City in 1932.

The KITH founder worked with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation to design a pair of New Balance 998s (aka the “silhouette”) on the occasion of the sneaker’s 35th anniversary.

Ronnie Fieg x Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation x New Balance 998 “Broadacre City” capsule. Image courtesy Ronnie Fieg via Instagram

The suede designs come in two colorways, both meant to represent the agrarian landscape and buildings seen in the concept’s physical models that were displayed in the entryway of the Hacienda de la Chandler at Taliesin West after 1935.

Ronnie Fieg x Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation x New Balance 998 “Broadacre City” capsule. Image courtesy Ronnie Fieg via Instagram

“Broadacre City isn’t a city at all but a reimagining of how we could organize ourselves outside of dense...

Nike’s intriguing experiments in architectural ideas, projects, and jobs

2022-04-21T11:42:00-04:00

What do the Centre Pompidou and the Bauhaus have in common? Beyond their seismic impact on the architectural discourse of the 20th and 21st centuries, both in fact served as inspiration for versions of Nike Air Max sneakers.

In 2019, the global sports retailer debuted the Air Max 270 React, whose bold colors paid homage to the influential Bauhaus movement. One year previous, a special Air Max edition with colored tubes along the seams and fabric lines was released as a tribute to the Centre Pompidou. The tribute was not without reason, given that the original Air Max 1 was itself inspired by the designer’s visit to the Pompidou, most notably the shoe’s signature Air bubble element.

Related on Archinect: Would you wear these Bauhaus-inspired Nike shoes?

The Bauhaus and Pompidou versions of the Air Max are part of Nike’s long-standing use of architectural principles and elements to showcase and evolve its brand. Several Nike-commissioned projects have been featured on Archinect in the...

Reebok and Eames Office reunite with upcoming sneaker collection

2021-10-06T16:23:00-04:00

Following up from their exclusive friends and family shoe collaboration, Reebok and Eames Office have reunited to create an entire sneaker collection that pays homage to the work and legacy of Charles and Ray Eames.

In the works since 2019, the Reebok x Eames Club C collection is the first-ever footwear partnership with and authorized by the Eames Office. The line sees one of Reebok’s most popular silhouettes, the Club C, embellished in designs informed by the Eames’ work and paintings. And, unlike the friends and family shoe, these will be available to purchase.

The first release of the collection will be the “Monotone Pack”, which comes in black and white colorways. The shoes feature heritage accents such as original size tongue tags, squared-off window boxes, classic logos, and a restored internal arch bandage for enhanced fit and comfort. Grey soles, woven EAMES tags, and a colorful triangle print in the insole provide subtle accents to the sneakers.

A second release, dubbed the...

Eames Office and Reebok collaborate to create shoe inspired by Eames House

2021-09-17T14:53:00-04:00

Eames Office has teamed up with Reebok to create a shoe celebrating the work of Charles and Ray Eames.

Made exclusively for Eames Office employees, the Reebok x Eames Club C (Friends and Family) sneaker is inspired by the iconic Eames House, also known as Case Study House No. 8. The shoe was recently revealed by Reebok senior global product marketing manager Leo Gamboa via Instagram.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Leo Gamboa (@leoneski)

The shoe mimics the color palette of the Eames House, with the multi-color Eames logo and tan and cream colorway and tongue. The insoles also feature Charles and Ray’s signatures. The shoes are packaged in a box decorated by the house’s façade in color.

Reebok and Eames Office initially teased the collaboration in March, citing a partnership “rooted in heritage that aims to bring together the worlds of fine art, interior architecture and streetwear.”

Adidas Originals and LEGO team up with new launch

2020-09-16T12:09:00-04:00

Earlier this month, LEGO and Adidas Originals launched a teaser of their recent collaboration on the upcoming ZX 8000 sneaker. For all of those architects and designers out there with reminiscent (or recent) memories of playful fun with the beloved LEGO, this unveiling is sure to intrigue. Check out the teaser below:

Nike's new 'Space Hippie' is made from factory floor scraps

2020-02-06T11:54:00-05:00

Due to drop this spring, Nike's Space Hippie is an exploratory footwear collection created from the company's "space junk." It takes scrap material from Nike factories and alchemizes it into expressive footwear. "It is about figuring out how to make the most with the least material, the least energy and the least carbon," said John Hoke, Nike Chief Design Officer in a statement.

Every aspect of the design of the collection was decided with its environmental impact in mind. That includes material selection, packaging, and even how the shoes are made. Looking to make a more "circular" product, the Nike team dove deep to explore how they might turn trash into something beautiful. "We must think about the entire process: how we design it, how we make it, how we use it, how we reuse it and how we cut out waste at every step. These are the fundamentals of a circular mindset that...

Live In Your Sneakers? Mobile Housing's Next Step

2013-08-23T15:26:00-04:00

A new project, “Walking Shelter,” explores what on-the-go housing might just look like. Here, a portable dwelling is packed right into a pair of sneakers. Essentially a tent without a pole (that’s the clever part), the mobile home can be deployed anywhere you’d like it to pop up. Rather than relying on the old pole standard, the shelter’s frame is provided by the person(s) occupying it, explains Amelia Borg, one-eighth of Sibling, the Australian architectural collective behind the project.