Mathieu Hagelaars, founder of Studio Hagel, is known for his sought after one-off footwear designs, ranging from custom Takashi Murakami sneakers to a Balenciaga Speed Trainers made from an IKEA bag. “I said I was the worst sneaker collector possible. So with those big releases everyone was after, I would just make my own – DIY, MacGyver-style,” says Hagelaars. “But it’s actually through these spoofs that I was able to explore new directions in sneaker design. These prototypes are about innovation: a way to come up with fresh silhouettes, styles, details, etcetera.”
Now, SH fans can rejoice because the design studio has collaborated with Danish brand Ecco to bring 18 new footwear designs to life, all available for purchase.
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The experimental collection features a custom leather library specifically designed for this collaboration, which includes Neo, a leather bonded with Dyneema. And in true Studio Hagel fashion, there are plenty of additional tactile elements, especially noticeable in the bungee cord lacing and the various outsole designs. But the reasoning for these elements isn’t what you’d expect.
“Right now techwear is a major trend in streetwear. We look like we’re ready to climb a mountain, but we’re living in the city. Clearly we don’t need all that functionality. So what happens when you put functionality in a different context, and start having fun with the language of function? What if we translated this thought into sneaker design?” — Mathieu Hagelaars
The collection explores adding unfunctional functional design elements, including nonfunctional covers, un-pullable pull-tags and bottomless pockets. Even the simpler styles in the range feature plenty of said details:
This one is a full shoe inside of a sandal!
View the full collection here.
Source: core77