In a fashion world increasingly obsessed with pristine, unblemished sneakers, Song for the Mute and Adidas are here to throw a wrench in the squeaky-clean machine. The latest collaboration features a delightfully "dirty" take on the martial arts-focussed Taekwondo Mei model, proving that sometimes, you just gotta get your hands (and feet) a little messy.
Forget your perfectly box-fresh kicks; these new collaborative sneakers arrive with deliberately dirty suede uppers, complete with faded Three-Stripes, leaning into the skinnier silhouette that's become popular with the best Adidas trainers. It’s like they’ve already lived a life of adventure, perhaps a particularly enthusiastic game of tag in a muddy puddle, or maybe they just really enjoyed that last music festival. Whatever the backstory, they’re embracing the scuff.
But let’s be clear, this isn’t just a fleeting trend for Song for the Mute. This is their bread and butter. The Australian label is renowned for deconstructing high fashion and celebrating the glorious imperfections of their pieces. So, if your sneakers look like they’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards, they’re probably just doing it right.
First unveiled at Paris Fashion Week in January, these Taekwondo Mei sneakers are sticking to the brand's signature "muted" palette, arriving in beige, olive green, and black.
The latest drop is anticipated to hit adidas’ website sometime in Autumn, alongside an Adizero PR collaboration. And it seems Song for the Mute’s dance card is rather full; after this Autumn's distressed delights, their SS26 season promises adidas Tokyo shoes and - brace yourselves - preppy Sambas. We can only imagine what delightful deconstruction they’ll apply to those.
Say goodbye to pristine chunky dad shoes and hello to battered streamlined sneakers for the next few years, as these are just another drop in this constantly growing trend.
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