Following on from its sell-out sneaker collabs with New Balance, Casablanca has dropped its own branded pair for the first time
These days sneakers are an intrinsic part of a brand’s presence in the bustling fashion market. Saint Laurent has its Converse-esque canvas lace-ups, Dior’s B23 is a high-end take on an AF1, while Donatella Versace (yep, sneakerhead) dropped the flat-soled Chain Reaction sneakers back in 2018 amidst growing demand for eye-catching shoes among hypebeasts and fashion editors alike. Even Chanel has its own logo-tastic sneaks.
Charaf Tajer, whose luxe brand, Casablanca has been going strong since 2018, is now a key fighter in the menswear arena (a favourite among footballers, popstars and in the GQ office) and he recognises the power of a good sneaker. Since the French-Morrocan designer launched his label he’s been dropping buzzy collaborative sneakers with footwear giant New Balance, each selling out instantly upon their release, leaving shoeless sneakerheads chomping at the bit for more from his label. Until now, however, Tajer hadn’t released a shoe that fell solely under the Casablanca brand.
Today the label, which operates out of London, has unveiled the Atlantis sneakers. The brainchild of Tajer and Casablanca art director Steve Grimes, the footwear is inspired by the lost city, which legend states was engulfed in water. How did Charaf do that? Ripple effect outers and wavy gum soles, obvs.
Wearers of the aforementioned New Balance and Casa collabs will also spot that some of the detailing from those sneakers have made its way onto the ‘blanca kicks: the uppers are perforated for extra breathability and the shoes have a retro-infused, big ‘ol chunky form (think NB’s XC-72 and 327).
Colour-wise the footwear comes in two variations, which sit in keeping with the palettes used by Charaf in his seasonal collections. Both are predominately all-white, one pair has red suede accents and a green sole, while another has blue detailing and a blue sole. Each pair of sneaks carry “Casa Sport” stitching and a Casablanca diamond motif at the back, which has previously been used by the brand on its expensive, big collar knit polo shirts, silky shirting, velour sweatpants and even its recent Globe Trotter collab.
Available from 16 November for £225, hot step it over to Casablanca’s site on drop day to cop a pair.
Source: GQ
