JaeTips, the Maximalist Mastermind Making Saucony Cool Again (EXCLUSIVE)
If you’re just discovering the Bronx-based designer JaeTips, founder of streetwear label The Savior and the collaborator spearheading Saucony’s winning streak, then his latest hyper-colorful sneaker might take you by surprise. If JaeTips has been on your radar for a while, its striking blend of colors will feel entirely familiar.
The upcoming JaeTips x Saucony Jazz 9 might be an all-new sneaker, but it recycles ideas the designer’s been toying with for some time now.
“I like to leave little Easter eggs for the folks who’ve been following me for a while. A couple of years back, I designed some hats for HatClub, and one of my biggest inspirations was the Polo Ralph Lauren x NFL collab,” JaeTips tells Highsnobiety. “That colorway from the hat might’ve flown under the radar back then, but now it lives again in a shoe that a lot of people are calling my best work yet.”
“To me, that shows how sometimes a great idea doesn’t miss, it just wasn’t in the right situation yet. Timing and platform really matter. A lot of people have huge ideas, it’s just about knowing when and where to bring them to life.”
Sitting atop a pink sole unit, orange and yellow mesh underlays peak out behind blue, pink, and gray overlays on the new Jazz 9 sneaker. On the heel, there’s an embroidered message that the sneaker is named after: “I Love You But I’m Busy.”
It’s a cacophony clashing of colors and textures, the kind of pure maximalism for which JaeTips’ sneakers have become renowned.
“Depending on who you are, when you see the shoe, you might think of a Disney pinwheel, or maybe a Snow Beach jacket. But for me, it’s all about blending those worlds: Sports, style, and fitted culture,” says the designer.
JaeTips began working with Saucony in 2023, and they hit gold on their first time of trying. Their Grid Azura 2000 sneaker put the duo on the map through its wild combination of fabrics and patterns. From then on, the duo has been unstoppable.
The sneaker collaborations just kept coming — Grid Shadow 2s, ProGrid Omni 9s, and Matrix sneakers all followed — making JaeTips a name synonymous with Saucony. And with every big release, the expectations get higher.
“At this point, I feel like my middle name is Pressure. But it’s something I thrive on, especially when working on a project like the one with Saucony,” says JaeTips. “As they grow and evolve as a brand, and as my own brand shifts too, it feels like gearing up for a new sports season. Every time, it comes with championship-level expectations.”
This heavy stream of sneaker collaborations, running a brand, being a father of two… JaeTips admits it’s a lot to juggle. It’s that balancing act which inspired inspired the name of this sneaker, “I Love You But I’m Busy.”
But, from the outside, it doesn’t seem to be affecting the regularity or the consistency of his releases. Now onto his fifth Saucony collaboration, this latest Jazz 9 sneaker comes with a full campaign — one for the adult-sized sneakers, another for the children's sizes — along with a pop-up store and a matching tracksuit and shirt. It all launches on March 28 before the shoe hits select retailers, including the Highsnobiety Shop.
It's a big, multi-faceted rollout for the colorful sneaker. And this isn't a one-off, all of JaeTips' Saucony collaborations to date have been released in a similar manner.
“It means everything to me that Saucony believes in me. I don’t take that lightly, I take it very seriously and try to be as responsible as possible with every opportunity. I’ve spent countless hours dreaming about designing shoes, running campaigns, and telling stories,” says JaeTips.
“So now, to actually be in that position, to be given a real shot, I give it everything I have. I’m intentional with every decision. Even just being able to pitch ideas, build out concepts, and explain when and how I’d want something to release, that’s special to me.”
