The MSCHF Big Red Boots, Big Black Boots, those custom Chrome Hearts ones, and a Crocs collaboration seen on TOMMYCASH dressed as a mime at Paris Fashion Week, are everywhere, and thanks to BAPE the divisive, comical design isn’t going anywhere.
Per A BATHING APE traditions, the Japanese streetwear label has stuck to its core aesthetic by decking the (what we call) Big Camo Boots in, you guessed it, camouflage. And ironically, the collaborative pairs are unmissable thanks to Barbie pink camo, Ken blue camo, and a traditional camouflaged mask too. Naturally, all feature the BAPE logo in the camo, too.
BAPE presented the MSCHF collaboration during the A BATHING APE® SPRING/SUMMER 2024 RUNWAY SHOW by R, coming as part of Rakuten Fashion Week TOKYO and the brand’s 30th anniversary.
The Big Camo Boots were worn alongside a wide-fitting collection of jorts (this season’s biggest trend, if you ask any streetwear head), and oversized tops that ranged from graphic-covered ones, to sporty jersey types and pieces that combined flame graphic branding with diamanté speckled paint.
BAPE’s silhouettes were distinctively indebted to the early 2000s and Y2K streetwear roots, a time in which BAPE was at the top of the cultural food chain. It was the leader in out-there designs, favoured by Pharrell, Kanye West, JAY-Z, NIGO, and Jamie Foxx to name a few. As evidenced by those who attended the runway show (or in the cases of Coi Leray, Lil Baby and Lola Brooke, performed), BAPE is now having a comeback moment.
It’s likely encouraged by the bigger-is-better branding resurgence we’ve seen from the likes of Ed Hardy, Diesel, and Juicy Couture – themselves brands back from the dead.
As for the BAPE x MSCHF collaboration, it’s likely that the collaboration will soon come off the runway and onto a raffle-only website near you soon. Expect pandemonium, chaos, and off-the-chart levels of hype.
