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.
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.
“Broadacre City isn’t a city at all but a reimagining of how we could organize ourselves outside of dense urban environments; opting to live at a smaller scale among farms and forests, connecting with the land and with each other,” Fieg said to nicekicks.com recently. “Broadacre was Wright’s way to address inequality, to distribute and use resources fairly, and to be gentler on the Earth. These kind of forward-thinking ideas are what we need in today’s society more than ever.”
The shoes will be available for purchase following their release on April 14th at KITH’s Tokyo flagship. The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation will host its own release party for the capsule the next day, April 15th, live from Taliesin West. The shoes will finally be available for purchase online and at various KITH retailers after April 17th.
20 Comments
Big industry, big market, and immense competition will grab any jingle.
No Le Corbusier Swatch yet, though?
Maybe an Aalto bucket hat from Marimekko?
“Broadacre was Wright’s way to address inequality, to distribute and use resources fairly, and to be gentler on the Earth. These kind of forward-thinking ideas are what we need in today’s society more than ever.”
Any guesses on the price? I'll start with $179.
retail is 220
.
I’d rock those.
The odd thing about Broadacre City, the idea was an emphasis on a bartering system, the exchange of services and goods where there is no monetary means of payment. The proposal came out of the Great Depression with the importance of cities connecting with nature and promote sustainability which Frank Lloyd Wright has always stride in his organic architecture and living concepts till his death in 1959.
I think this venture goes against FLW beliefs unless he was designing it.
In other news, I read that the Eric Lloyd Wright has passed away on March 13th at 93. He is the grandson of Fran Lloyd Wright and the son of Frank Lloyd Wright Jr. who is also an architect and a steward in preserving FLW buildings and legacy.
Here is the link: https://savewright.org/in-memo...
RIP Mr. Eric Lloyd Wright
these slap.
Considering Wright's idealistic inspiration for this project in light of the real-life founder of New Balance's rabid-right partisanship puts a terrible taste in the mouth.
This piece is old, but you get the idea: https://tinyl.io/8KpT
Oooooof.
Not bad. But if you prefer something more Zaha...
Or if you prefer a bit of tradition in your styling...
...
They're like buildings for your feet!
Good arch support.
A bit of context:
In addition to FLW's economic ideas noted by Quasimotor above, his vision embraced technologies (radio, telephone, personal flight, automobiles) that made propinquity far less necessary. It was a kind of make-your-own-city argument, where things and interactions were available/accessible in almost any combination, thanks to innovations in mobility and communications.
Of course, some of this has come about... except that all those vast expanses are filled in with urban and suburban fabric. And there is no 'county architect' (Wright's idea) who essentially runs government.
The merits and problems of the plan completely aside, Wright's image is attractive in itself, down to earth but uplifting, warm, engaged, reserved yet distinctive. There's a point in that. I just like looking at it. The shoes, it has to be conceded, are nicely designed as well.
The shoes would go well with the Men's Imperial Carvings Sock, based on the wall carvings in the Imperial Hotel. From the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation Store:
https://shop.franklloydwright.org/
The foundation itself looks kind of new agey.
This week I'm headed to Unity Temple in Chicago to see Ike Reilly perform an acoustic set with his son Shane. The acoustics in Unity Temple are supposed to be excellent. it would be fun to wear these shoes to that event but I would never buy them as I think this kind of gimmicky branding partnership to get people to consume more is gross.
Maybe something more casual then, Donna?
Have fun. That sounds like an architectural blast! =O]
Snow's out, toes out.
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.