For I Love Ugly's inaugural sneaker collection they teamed up with one of the world's oldest sport heritage companies, Onitsuka Tiger. The aim of the new collection was to draw on Onitsuka Tiger's rich heritage as a leading international sportswear performance brand and align this with the rich geological characteristics of New Zealand. The team at I Love Ugly said it was of the upmost importance that they showcased the country's beauty from the North to the South Island from marketing to fabrication to the final design.
The lighter canvas Colorado 85 Mt Samsara sneaker bats for the North Island team, inspired by active volcanic thermal areas. The North Island is also comprised of island sanctuaries immersed through riddled landscapes and rugged West Coast beaches. Grey accents and red cross-stitched visually reference the fiery nature of the North.
The darker canvas Colorado 85 Mt Samsara sneaker pays homage to some of the visually astounding rock formations of the South Island and features a deconstructed silhouette made from black full grain tumbled leather, and green speckle and stitching accents which were inspired by dense native greenery.
The I Love Ugly x Onitsuka Tiger North-South Pack will launch exclusively online at 7pm today via www.iloveugly.com and will also be available in I Love Ugly Flagship stores from Friday 17th. The kiwi brand has also partnered with US retailer UBIQ for a two week release period. Further to this, the public release will be introduced on April 1st via ASICS channels, and available through Onitsuka Tiger flagship stores.
