Maison Margiela and Reebok are teaming up again in 2022 for another release of collaborative kicks, reinventing the Reebok Classic Leather (CL) with a high fashion twist. In their latest footwear partnership, the brand is launching a low-top version of the 2021 Classic Leather Tabi High Trainer.
Branded as the Classic Leather Tabi Décortiqué Low, the new CL’s are a deconstructed take on the base pattern of the original Reebok shoe, with the French technique of décortiqué (meaning ‘shelled,’ like removing seafood from its shell) employed in the production process. Originally developed by creative director, John Galliano, it removes the architectural framework of a garment or accessory to reveal their inner construction. For the Tabi Décortiqué Low, this means large, see-through panels break through the familiar leather uppers of the shoe thus creating a contemporary, avant-garde aesthetic recognisable as the Maison Margiela brand.
Alongside this, Maison Margiela’s signature bianchetto technique is also utilised as part of the sneaker design, as the fourth iteration of the collaboration comes with a white-painted, black base made to gradually chip off with wear. The hallmarks of a Reebok CL are still intact with the sockliner, toebox and sole unit left relatively untouched yet with the obligatory inclusion of the Margiela signature split toe.
The Maison Margiela and Reebok collaborations first began in 2020 with the introduction of the Tabi Instapump Fury kicks, which walked the runway in the now iconic citron colourway. The shoes following fused the heritage of Reebok with signature design elements of Maison Margiela, harking back to the hallmarks of the designer himself and the brand’s pieces.
The Classic Leather Tabi Décortiqué Low comes in black, white and red colourways and will be available to shop via Maison Margiela, Reebok and select shoe stores from January 28 2022.
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