Range?
- Feb 15, 2024
- 3 min read
I think I am doing a wee Virgil Abloh series here and enjoying every minute of writing it! So, you will know that my last few posts were about Virgil Abloh and his designs but today I want to talk about some of the more underrated shoes that he has designed in collaboration with other companies (I am also going to include a design that I think is as ugly as sin!). Most of these shoes are variations on classic pairs so I want to present both the original and Off-White variations to see any trends in them. I also want to understand what makes the Off-White pairs cost so much. The range of his work in footwear design is massive so let's talk about it today.
Let's look at his re-design of the classic High Top Converse All-Star:
This is a really interesting variation on a classic, simple shoe. Off-White takes the design to a whole different market and changes what I believe a Converse shoe is all about.
Converse, to me, are cheap and basic everyday shoes, but the Off-White Converse, turn this idea upside down. An iced-out gum sole with a clear plastic upper, bright colours and bold writing. These design features turn this everyday shoe into a statement piece, something to show off to the people around you. I believe that this was smart of Converse when choosing to do this collaboration. They wanted to change the image of what the All-Star stood for and I believe Virgil Abloh did this expertly.
The next shoe on this hit list is the Off-White x Nike Air Force 1 Mid:
Believe it or not but I was pretty close to buying the Off-White version of these shoes and I have no idea why. Well, in fairness they are one of the cheapest Off-White X Nike shoes on the market at around £150 but looking at them now I can fully understand why they are so cheap. The Air Force 1 Mid is an ugly shoe in its own right and that must be true when even the great Virgil Abhol can't save it.
It's the spikes. The spikes are just ugly and they don't suit the shoe at all. This is one of the very few examples of Virgil Abloh taking a boring shoe and trying to make it super extra but it not working. They released a whole range of Off-White Air Force 1 Mids and every one is uglier than the last. They also all re-sell for less than the retail price:
There is a fine line between a statement piece and an ugly shoe. Unfortunately, Virgil made quite a lot of ugly Air Force 1 Mid variations.
The last Off-White variation I want to talk about is Virgil Abloh's re-design of the Nike X Off-White Zoom Fly:
I think this is a really interesting shoe for Virgil Abloh to decide to re-design. All of the shoes I have shown so far are for a lifestyle context, going into town with pals, walking to the shops or going to the cinema. That's the kind of place where those shoes belong. But these are running shoes. What Virgil has tried to do with these is change the context. I could easily see someone wearing these shoes going out for dinner, they are that beautiful. They were so popular that they were released in loads of different colours, much like the Air Force 1s. However, this time every colour variation looks amazing, not ugly:
This is the most underrated Nike X Off-White shoe in my opinion. It tows that like of being a streetwear shoe and a statement piece perfectly and is a really interesting way to look at a running shoe. Taking it as something that isn't just for a practical application (running) but looking at it like a canvas. A piece of art that people want to buy. I honestly believe that Off-White's designs are on the level of fine artists.
Well, I think that will be the last post I make on Virgil Abloh and his designs. Honestly, just learning about the man and what made his work so loved has been an absolute honour and I want to take what I have learnt from him into my designs.
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