CLOT x adidas Gazelle 'Blue Bird'
No one can deny Edison Chen’s ability to make bold choices - from cutting ties with Nike and moving over to adidas, to re-imagining the Superstar in a sartorial light, CLOT’s co-founder is undeniably a visionary in the world of fashion and design.
Much like the aforementioned CLOT x adidas Superstar, in June we began getting glimpses of another heritage silhouette getting radically modified in Chen’s distinctive design language. This new version of the Gazelle was then revealed in a new colourway at Copenhagen Fashion Week, and is now landing on our shelves.
The CLOT x adidas Gazelle 'Blue Bird' is inspired by espadrilles and the skilled local cobblers of Europe. Really taking on the sandal-like style of the espadrille, this sneaker comes with not only design changes but technical modifications which allows you to flatten the heel of the shoe to create a slip-on mule.
The design itself swaps out the traditional Gazelle base with a neutral-toned knitted fabric and matching leather overlays. With its simple underlay, the sneaker is taken to the next level with exposed stitching in varying shades of blue, above the midsole, tongue edges and the heel.
Truly stealing the show, the iconic three stripes gets swapped out from its regular material to a beaded textile, accurately embodying the cobble-stoned summer streets. Subtle branding can only be found embroidered on the usual Gazelle panel, but does well without the more traditional placements on the tongue and heel. The look is complete with an espadrille outsole and tan and blue laces.
With fashion seeing a huge shift from the typical way we view sneakers to incorporating different shoe styles into streetwear wardrobes, CLOT’s approach to their partnership with adidas is setting the tone for a new generation of “sneakers.”
