Takashi Murakami makes loud and vibrant art that tends to assault the senses at a mere glance. It can often run the gamut from cute to grotesque and stark to complex, but it is always undeniably bold and fresh. Now, he’s bringing that forward-thinking eye to the sneaker game with his collaboration with Japanese accessory brand, PORTER.
The new asymmetrical sneaker utilizes PORTER designed pouches, tags, straps, and D-rings and comes in a colorway of olive green and orange that recalls PORTER’s trademark colors. The sneaker also contains Murakami’s iconic flowers, as well as branding from both PORTER and Murakami’s production company Kaikai Kiki.
Murakami, in a post on Instagram previewing the shoe, explained, “In the last few years, I have thought about the reality of the distance between sneaker culture and myself. I felt like it was a game that I would be able to play once I understood the rules; and so I began my sneaker journey, taking action and studying everything I could.”
We have to give respect to Murakami for not blindly jumping into the sneaker game simply to cash-in! And it’s no surprise that Murakami’s first stab at a shoe is bold and unconventional — now we just have to figure out what we’re going to keep in those tiny pockets! We seem to be seeing a growing trend of the art-world dabbling in the shoe business and it truly is an exciting time to be alive if you’re a sneaker-head as shoe silhouettes become increasingly out-there.
No release date has been announced for the shoes yet, but expect them to debut shortly as they pretty much look finished. Unless they want to add MORE pockets. Check out Takashi Murakami’s Instagram for a closer look at the futuristic sneaker.