Wait, Nat Geo's Planet-Friendly Dad Shoes Actually Go Hard
It turns out that outdoorsy heritage company National Geographic makes astonishingly good dad shoes.
The National Geographic Contour Zero sneakers apparently debuted in April as part of National Geographic Tawain's merch offerings.
The Y2K-style shoes recently appeared on social media, reminding folks that the planet-loving brand is actually good at fashion (hiking shoes, too).
The National Geographic Contour Zero sneaker stands out with its early 2000s runner design, featuring a breathable mesh foundation and shiny metallic and buttery overlays. National Geographic even delivers the sneakers in solid colorways, like blue, ivory, silver, and beige.
True to the dad shoe personality, the Contour Zero sneakers round off with a chunky shape (yes, a robust, cushy sole included).
With National Geographic ostensibly being Earth's biggest fan, the Contour Zero shoe is naturally inspired by the planet we call home.
The sneaker even consists of planet-friendly materials (70% of the shoe is recycled).
National Geographic isn't the only one with a secret talent for making nice running-style shoes. Recently, UGG and Under Armour presented their chunky sneaker efforts, which were also surprisingly good.
While brands like New Balance and ASICS are known for their dad shoes, National Geographic's entry into this category is a delightfully beefy surprise.
Or maybe they aren't all that surprising.
While National Geographic is best known in the West as an outdoorsy magazine, it licenses its trademarks and branding internationally through National Geographic Partners, LLC. Hence why Nat Geo Korea is a bonafide streetwear brand with its own impressively stylish sneaker offerings, for instance.
Nat Geo's American imprint attempted to get in on the action a few years ago with the Nat Geo Lifestyle collection, a line of trek-friendly and street-leaning apparel accented by footwear collabs with the likes of Reebok and Cariuma. Nothing nearly as stylish as the stuff available across Asia, though, and Nat Geo Lifestyle appears to have quietly winded down as a result of dwindling demand.
Pssttt... those solid AF sneakers are still available on Nat Geo Taiwan's website, by the way, for NT$4,580 or about $140. Not bad for some truly obscure dad shoe excellence.
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