This Ain't Diesel, It's Suicoke x Evisu
Buy: Suicoke's web store
Editor's Notes: Evisu made a comeback in a major way thanks to CEO David Pun, who gave an unprofitable legacy label its second wind when he took over in 2010. Evisu allured a new generation of famous fans and even some streetwear collaborations in recent years and its looking to keep the momentum going with footwear brand Suicoke, coming together for a pair of co-branded slide sandals.
Immortalized in a JAY-Z track ("These is Evisu!") and beloved by the likes of Lil Wayne, Evisu was part of that early wave of Japanese brands adopted by hip-hop culture in the '90s and early 2000s. It lost steam by the time Pun took over but he's masterminded a pretty comprehensive turnaround just in time for a new wave of celebrity adoptees — like Travis Scott, Lil Uzi Vert, and SZA — to discover the brand.
Famously, Evisu first dipped into footwear with PUMA — again pioneering what has become a streetwear trope — but its Suicoke partnership is pretty far removed from those dated designs. Here, one of Suicoke's KAW silhouettes plays host the inimitable "gull" logo — an unmistakable bit of branding that used to be painted atop each pair of Evisu jeans by founder Hidehiko Yamane.
The curvy shape is realized in classic white atop a technical indigo strap on one pair, while the other delivers actual denim (!) emblazoned with contrasting kamon imagery. Co-branded tags are stitched onto the forefoot straps, realized with throwback typefaces and logos that really drive home Evisu's throwback charm — this really is for the Evisu heads. Both styles are, as usual, sat atop Suicoke's ergonomic and antibacterial footbed and bespoke Vibram outsole.