Step up your sneaker game with these new kicks

SKECHERS X HELLO KITTY

Find the purrfect balance of cute and sporty with the US sports and lifestyle brand’s Hello Kitty Collection of footwear and apparel for women and kids, featuring pop culture’s favourite feline.

Hello Kitty appears on two of Skechers’ iconic sneaker silhouettes – the OG chunky sneaker Energy ($159) and the classic lace-up sneaker V’lites ($89) - and slides featuring the iconic Kitty face ($49). 

As for the apparel ($39 to $89), expect cute designs featuring Hello Kitty’s signature character look as well as reimagined T-shirt and pullover designs for sporty fun and casual cool. 

The Skechers X Hello Kitty Collection is now available online exclusively on Lazada (http://lazada.skechers.com.sg/) and will be on the Skechers Singapore Official Store on Shopee from Oct 5. It will also retail at selected Skechers stores, including Jurong Point, Jewel Changi Airport, Bugis Junction, Great World and Suntec City from Oct 1.

SUPERGA

For over a century, the Italian sneaker specialist’s classic 2750 has been handmade with cotton, natural rubber and aluminum - the essence and strength of Superga’s resistant and sustainable design. 

Its new Organic Collection is made with total longevity and recyclability in mind, and designed to be worn on an everyday basis.

The upper composition of the sneakers is a unique blend of 60 per cent organic cotton and 40 per cent natural hemp, while the eyelets and shoe laces are entirely made of organic cotton.

The insoles are composed of a layer of natural cork - light, durable, impermeable and hypoallergenic - while the rubber sole is natural and manually extracted from the rubber tree forests of Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand. 

Superga’s Organic Collection ($129.90) launches on Oct 16 at all Superga retail stores and www.superga.com.sg.

VERSACE

First seen on the Fall-Winter 2020 runway, the new Trigreca sneaker draws inspiration from the Italian luxury fashion house’s Greca pattern, a symbol which was first used in Versace’s Fall-Winter 1988 Collection. 

It adorns three points of the shoe - the dimensional sole, midsole and decorative upper toe stripe - and the design’s cork Greca Cushioning System adds support and comfort, as well as providing chunky elevation. 

To celebrate Versace’s HQ location, Milan’s geographical coordinates are printed along the upper, and there’s also a hidden 3D Medusa located in the sole.

The Trigreca sneaker ($1,300, in black, white, green, blue and red) is now available on Versace.com and at selected Versace boutiques. 

ASICS X VIVIENNE WESTWOOD

The Japanese sports footwear and British fashion brands have teamed up again on a limited-edition Gel-Kayanotm 26 series.

Available in black and white, the minimal collection debuted at the Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood Fall/Winter 2020 catwalk show in Paris this season.

The new model is inspired by the original sack shoes first shown in the Westwood & (Malcolm) McLaren Autumn/Winter 1982-83 Nostalgia of Mud collection featuring the Buffalo Girls. 

For this latest collab, the design had been given a futuristic and utilitarian evolution, using a semi-transparent mesh cover which simultaneously conceals and reveals the shoes underneath.

The Asics x Vivienne Westwood Gel-Kayanotm 26 ($399) is now available at Asics.com and the Vivienne Westwood Anglomania store at Scotts Square.

Look out too for Asics' new Gel-Miqrum , which brings together form and function in one pair of eye-catching sneakers that sport bold colour-blocking details and a throwback design. 

It is also one of the four models that is part of the “Engineered for Everyday” campaign fronted by Asics regional ambassadors, K-pop group Kard. 

The Gel-Miqrum ($139) is now available in three different colourways - Glacier Grey/Shocking Orange, Piedmont Grey/Black and Black/White for men, and Vibrant Yellow/Sunrise Red, White/Pure Silver and Black/Hot Pink for women - from Asics stores at Plaza Singapura, Suntec City, nex, VivoCity, Westgate, Paragon and Velocity, as well as Asics.com, Limited Edt stores (Women’s Vault 313@somerset, Queensway and Peninsula) and selected JD Sports stores.

ONITSUKA TIGER

Easily stealing the spotlight is the Japanese shoe brand’s well-loved P-Trainer style that has been given a facelift.

Reworking the silhouette to feature a bold design with monochromatic iridescent hues, along with a simplified upper and striking holographic effect to the sole finish, this model includes a Flytefoam Propel midsole and OrthoLite inner sole that promises better cushioning and resilience.

The P-Trainer PRZM ($249) is now available at Onitsuka Tiger Ngee Ann City, Jewel Changi Airport and online.

COACH

The cool, gritty soul of ‘80s downtown New York City is united with the US fashion house’s heritage legacy in the CitySole sneakers, which return this season taking inspiration from the retro silhouette of mid-cut court shoes. 

The CitySole Mid Top incorporates Coach’s signature benefits of the original CitySole, making it comfortable, flexible and lightweight without sacrificing flair and style.

Honey-gum soles are embedded with shock-absorbing cushioned pods and flat-flat soles which makes them suitable for traversing through the urban terrain of everyday life while offering your ankles that additional support with its mid-top height. 

Coach’s CitySole Mid Top sneakers (from $425) will be launched in-store in October.

PUMA

The German sports brand enters the universe of Mr Doodle aka English artist Sam Cox to explore a capsule collection featuring unisex footwear, apparel and accessories in mostly black and white pieces, with some hints of orange, purple and lavender. 

By embracing the hand-drawn doodle style, these scribbles are often described as “Graffiti Spaghetti”, where the characters and patterns look like they are exploding out of canvas.

The Sky LX Low, RS-2K, Cali Wedge, Leadcat 20 and Mile Rider are given a playful look, so expect colourful overlays and doodle graphics to create unique statement pieces with an all-over print of sport-inspired doodles.

The Puma X Mr Doodle collection ($99 to $199) is now available at Puma.com, select Puma stores and Limited Edt.

TIMBERLAND

The latest addition to the long line of influential footwear designs by the US outdoor lifestyle brand, the Madbury Mid Hiker is a sneaker boot that takes stylistic cues from the iconic Timberland 6” Boot with a distinct mid-top silhouette. 

Sporting a dynamic, aggressive geometric design, it imbues the shoes with a streamlined aesthetic that easily traverses city streets and country trails. 

It is made with eco-friendly materials, including an upper made from ReBOTLTM fabric and premium leather sourced from a Leather Work Group (LWG) Silver-rated tannery.

The Madbury Mid Hiker ($179) is now available at Timberland stores and timberland.com.sg.

NEW BALANCE

Taking cues from US actor Jaden Smith’s favourite models from the US sports footwear brand, the sporty X-Racer and classic 1700, the vegan-friendly NB for Jaden Smith Vision Racer in Wavy White merges classic New Balance design with Smith’s unique, bold and fashion-forward aesthetic.

Aside from the reflective details on the tongue webbing, the N logo, a rubberised tip for added durability to support Smith’s high-intensity lifestyle of performing and skateboarding, as well as an exaggerated, iced outsole with the ((VISION)) print, the sneaker features an all-white mesh upper contrasted with off-white faux suede and navy blue accents, complete with a bold yellow ((VISION)) piping all-around for visibility at night.

The NB for Jaden Smith Vision Racer ($209) is exclusively available at New Balance Paragon, newbalance.com.sg and footlocker.sg.