10 Best Running Shoe Collaborations of 2018
10 Best Running Shoe Collaborations of 2018
At Runner’s World, we like to think of running shoes as tools: Break ’em in, get ’em dirty, and embrace the wearing process as proof of your labor. In 2018, however, we’ve seen the running world and the sneaker and high-fashion worlds collide, and the intersection of performance and aesthetics has given us some notably stylish trainers. It’s a conflicting concept, initially, to spend money on a running shoe that’s gorgeous in the way that makes you not want to run in it. If your running shoes are just a tool, this lust list probably isn’t for you. But if you love shoes, then these performance-minded designs mean you can take the comfort of your running shoes to places and events where you wouldn’t wear your ratty trainers. Start with these 2018 collaborations between shoe companies and designer brands to find your new favorite casual shoe-until you crack and start running in them, anyway.
Up There x Saucony Grid 8000
Price: $140
Released: 2/23
The Australian menswear brand Up There teamed up with Saucony to put a posh spin on the classic Grid silhouette. The upper is stitched in the traditional Japanese Sashiko style-the method is renown for its durability-and a leather upper with metal-tipped shoe laces make this particular Grid 8000 extra tough.
End. x Asics GEL-Lyte III “Wasabi”
Price: $149
Released: 3/8
These wasabi-themed shoes are courtesy of Asics and global menswear brand END. The base shoe, an Asics GEL-Lyte III, is a retro runner, and the END. collaboration draped the nubuck upper in wasabi-green and added END. Japanese character patches. The shoes come in a bento box and include a wasabi bowl and chopsticks.
The Broken Arm x Salomon XT-4
Price: $185
Released: 5/22
The Broken Arm is a Parisian boutique with a history of Salomon collaborations, but this multicolored XT-4 is among the most provocative. Despite its high-fashion aesthetics, the shoe is trail-capable, with a Salomon Contragrip outsole that supplies extra traction and a Quicklace system for a lock-down fit.
Supreme x Nike Zoom Streak Spectrum Plus
Price: $160
Released: 6/14
Released in the early 2000s, the Nike Zoom Streak Spectrum Plus isn’t quite old enough to be a retro, but it’s obscure enough to rock the Supreme box logo without costing a fortune. The lightweight trainer sports a flame job and Nike Zoom Air accents; it’s going for around $170 on Stockx right now.
Undercover x Nike React Element 87
Price: $180
Released: 9/13
The React Element 87 is among Nike’s hottest new silhouettes: Its React foam midsole is supple yet springy, and the shoe’s pressure maps (those holes drilled into the midsole) are designed to minimize fatigue after a long day of walking. Undercover is a Japanese fashion label; its logos adorn the shoe’s translucent upper.
Satisfy x Salomon Sonic RA Max
Price: $270
Released: 9/24
The Sonic RA Max is Salomon’s first maximalist shoe, but it wasn’t long before Parisian running brand Satisfy reinvented it with stripped-down styling. There’s a seamless collar, Ortholite memory foam padding, and nonslip rubberized shoe laces to validate these clean white trainers
EG x Hoka One One Tor Ultra Low
Price: $200
Released: 10/23
The Engineered Garments rendition of Hoka One One’s Tor Ultra Low trail shoe proves that big and bulky shoes can be beautiful. There’s a breathable eVent upper and a Vibram outsole on the rugged maximalist shoes; whether you get them dirty is up to you.
24 Kilates x Mizuno Wave Rider 1
Price: $182
Released: 10/27
Barcelona designer brand 24 Kilates is behind this snakeskin-themed Mizuno Wave Rider 1 silhouette. The tongue features a coiled-up King Cobra snake, and suede accents and reflective details blend into the exotic design.
NikeLab The 10: Zoom Fly
Price: $169
Released: 11/28
NikeLab’s The 10 project reimagined 10 prominent Nike silhouettes over the past year. Off-White’s Virgil Abloh designed this Nike Zoom Fly, so it has all the sought-after Off-White details, including a deconstructed upper and quotation marks around the shoe’s features.
District Vision Mountain Racer
Price: $230
Released: 12/13
District Vision is a New York-based eyewear and apparel brand, but it’s teamed up with Salomon’s athlete-focused S/Lab to create the Mountain Racer. It’s a stylish and utilitarian trail shoe that cradles your foot in a TPU-caged polyester upper. A Contragrip outsole ensures grip in the wet and a Kevlar toe cap protects against foot injuries.
We review the year’s most inspired intersections of running and fashion.