Prada's New Sneaker is So Flat That It's Already Collapsed
Prada is so beyond the flat sneaker trend that its sneakers have straight-up collapsed.
Seriously, Prada's new suede and nylon sneaker is literally called the "Collapse," and it's not hard to tell why. The incredibly thin sneaker has a sleek upper, demarcated with nylon at the midfoot and suede at the heel and toe cap.
Its elasticized heel caves in, giving the sneaker a collapsed appearance reminiscent of an old-school pair of ballet flats.
It has the same slender build as some of Prada's other low-profile sneaker offerings, but the Collapse is certainly the most concave of any of Prada's slim-soled offerings, shiny adidas collabs included.
Flat footwear has been the moment for a while now — check the stats. The adidas Samba led the charge and equally sleek sneakers like the SL72 and the Gazelle quickly fell in line. But recently, shoes, especially high-end ones, have hit an all-time low.
First, you have Balenciaga's puzzling "Zero" shoe, which is all sole and little else. There's also been renewed interest in the toe-hugging Vibram shoe, which is more like a second skin than a sneaker. And who could forget Miu Miu's elderly New Balance 530 which squashed the sole into a pancake. If that's not "less is more" personified, tell me what is.
Perhaps we can trace this slim shift back to those sunken-in Balenciaga ballet slippers from a few years back. Those pre-dirtied flats were slim, stained, and way ahead of the sinking footwear curve.
I'll give it to you straight: If the shoe isn't caving in on itself or on the brink of structural implosion — it doesn't stand a chance in this era of flat footwear.
Thankfully, this is slight work for Prada's Collapse sneaker, whose flat profile belies a giant price tag: The Prada Collapse is available on in six colorways Prada’s website for $975 apiece
