A little over a year after being named Artistic Director of Vans, SZA is finally showing us what she has in store for the California footwear brand. Unveiled during New York Fashion Week, SZA’s first Vans collection spans apparel and footwear, with several familiar ideas taking some unexpected turns.
The Knu Skool, for example, has been converted into a backless mule; this footwear trend of cutting out the heel has transformed everything from technical hiking sneakers to workboots over the last several years. The exaggerated, padded proportions of the Knu Skool remain up front, only now there’s nothing at the back.
A second Knu Skool taps another persistent trend with a tree camouflage upper. Realtree-style patterns have been everywhere since roughly 2022 and admittedly feel a little overdone at this point, but the rugged pattern works surprisingly well against the chunky, late-’90s aesthetic of the Knu Skool.
The standout from SZA’s first collection is an entirely new Vans hiking shoe, built incredibly low to the ground with thin rubber tooling that calls to mind the minimalist construction of barefoot footwear like Vibram FiveFingers.
The split Tabi toe construction has centuries of history in Japan, but has become an increasingly visible footwear trend over the last several years. Seeing it applied to a technical, hiking-inspired Vans silhouette is something we certainly didn’t have on our bingo card, but it’s clear that Vans is willing and able to really go off the wall (pun intended) with its design. Earlier this year. FDMTL unveiled their own Vans collaboration with the trending Tabi toe to a rather loud response, showing that when applied properly, this ancient style still has a place in sneakers today.
Alongside the footwear is an apparel collection tied to SZA’s casual style; you’ll find more tree camo on flame-detailed hats, dirtied work jackets, layered tops, and more.
A release date for the SZA x Vans has yet to be announced, but stay tuned for updates.
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The post SZA’s First Vans Collection Includes A Tabi-Toe Hiking Shoe
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