Undercover’s Jun Takahashi is one of the most thrilling designers you should all watch out for. That is if he hasn’t already impressed you with his collaborations with Nike for the past decade. This year’s Undercover collab, pulled from last year, enters 2019 with a more vibrant coat of paint.
Takahashi has retouched the Nike Undercover Daybreak kicks with a touch of modern but still uniquely carrying his signature quirks. You get what appears to be a revised approach to Nike’s 1979 Tailwind sneakers. Key to the modernity is a tiny addition — a speckled, plastic heel piece that gives it ample futurism.
The rest of the sneaker retains its signature traditional nylon upper with suede overlays. Undercover branding slithers along the lateral midsole and tongue tag. Nike and Takahashi always manage to steal the spotlight wherever they hitch up and do something together. Don’t consider this one an exception.
The kicks are part of the Swoosh brand and Takahashi’s Spring/Summer 2019 Paris runway show, and they’ll finally hit stores this summer. Nike will offer them in three colorways, as well. Personally, we enjoy Takahashi’s riff on the utilitarian stereotype, deconstructing it so as to surface the rambunctious over the tried and tested. That explains the traditional styling that slowly evolves into an aggressive heel element. Truly, it will not to everyone’s liking. But it’s an attempt with sheer conviction, and what better to demand from art than that?
The Nike Undercover Daybreak kicks start selling all over the globe June 7.
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