Raf Simons: connoisseur of luxury, streetwear, but also footwear. Whilst his ventures into the sneaker industry have produced some of today’s most iconic shoes (Ozweegos, Response Trail Robots, we could go on), Raf-heads may or may not be familiar with a more elusive footwear offering from the Belgian designer: De Stijl.
Simply translated as ‘The Style’ from Dutch, these are a pair of hiking boots released in 2008, known for their quirky design and exclusivity. Giving a firm nod to Amsterdam’s neoplasticism art movement of 1917, the boots are as retro as they are futuristic, and also go heavy on the colour.
Texture is not to be forgotten: the shoes use a wide variety of materials which include leather, plastic and cork – all of which contribute to its eccentricity. Whilst they were originally sold for US $1800, this price has skyrocketed, due to both its celebrity clientele and its ultra-rare status.
Since 2008, the multicolour boots were spotted on A$AP Rocky in his performance on Letterman, but have seldom been seen since, anywhere in the fashion and streetwear world. That was until 2017, when they appeared for sale on the archival fashion retailer, The Salvages, notably for double their original retail price.
With such a bold design, they have divided opinions online. Whilst some people elevate them to art, others have criticised their “unwearability” or coined them “the ugliest Jordan 8s ever”. However, the most common point of reference for Raf, sneaker and culture fans alike, is their comparison to a pair of super-hyped sneakers in The Simpsons: The Assassins. Appearing as nearly identical, both real and fictitious pairs sport the same colourway, design and style. It seems the Simpsons can predict just about anything…
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See also: IT’S A CARGO RENAISSANCE, YOU COMING?
See also: SLAWN TIL DUSK: THE ARTIST DISRUPTING LONDON’S CREATIVE SCENE
