I Love Ugly branches into the world of footwear

Best known for their simple aesthetic and penchant for luxe fabrications and masculine detailing, fans of I Love Ugly will be stoked to note the cult NZ menswear label are launching their first-ever footwear collection.

In collaboration with Onitsuka Tiger, I Love Ugly’s inaugural sneaker collection draws its inspiration from the geological characteristics of their New Zealand roots, think visually astounding rock formations, speckled green landscapes, glacial valleys and volcanic thermal vistas.

As if to determine the terrains these sneakers will traverse, the design detailing of the two newly minted silhouettes reflect the aesthetic of both the North and South Island.

The collaboration marks Onitsuka Tiger’s first-ever collab with an Australasian label, with the final product taking almost two years to bring to life.

Available in a darker and lighter canvas fabric, the two Colorado 85 Mt Samsara sneaker styles adopt a deconstructed silhouette, and reflect stitching accents specific to the island by which they were inspired.

The darker canvas Colorado 85 Mt Samsara pays homage to the South Island, constructed from black full grain tumbled leather to reflect the weathered rock southern landmarks. Dense native greenery is remise in the green speckled stitching accents.

The lighter canvas Colorado 85 Mt Samsara style aligns itself with the North Island – grey accents and red cross-stitching is metaphoric for the central plateau’s active volcanic thermal areas and rocky outcrops.  

The I Love Ugly x Onitsuka Tiger North-South Pack will exclusively launch at 7pm NZT on Thursday March 16 online, via ILU’s website, and will launch in-store at 10am on Friday March 17.

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