“Here’s an array of shoes—you pick what you want to use.” Those were the words that let former footy player and now fashion designer Lewi Brown know the dream was real. He’d been invited to Asics’ design room in Australia to pick out the shoe, and begin the design process for his first collaborative sneaker. 

He’s speaking to us, over the telephone, fresh out of another meeting with sportswear giant Asics on the eve of the launch of his first collaborative sneaker with his Sydney-based streetwear brand Earls Collection. “It’s obviously a dream come true,” he says, “doing a shoe collab is one of the pinnacle things in the fashion lane, to be able to execute your own shoe.” 

Earls Collection holds a rare position in Australia. It joins a small group of brands and retailers including UpThere in Melbourne, and Above The Clouds in Sydney that have been given the chance to work on a sneaker with Asics, and other sportswear brands to design a collaborative sneaker. And fewer still have managed to do so in under five years. This collaboration on one of Asics’ most popular models, the GT-2160, represents a massive shift in the way sportswear companies are beginning to look at fashion here in Australia. 

“It’s a full circle kind of moment,” Brown says. During his previous career as a professional rugby league player, Brown was an Asics-sponsored athlete. He wore the boots right through his professional career. Asics were the lifestyle shoes he bought for his late-grandfather, who acted as his father figure after the death of his father, right through this life. And the opportunity now to design his own shoe, is not lost on him. “To be able to [collaborate] with a brand that’s been part of my life and part of my journey, made it even more special,” he says. 

Earls Collection x Asics. Image credit: Supplied

The story behind how the collaboration came together is indicative of a wider trend in the Antipodes. Australia—and by extension New Zealand—are now well and truly on the map globally as a place for sportswear brands to look for new collaborations. Our stories are being told, in Brown’s case, his sneaker taps into his own Maori heritage, and these stories are being received on shelves in retailers all over the world, something that would not have been possible a few years ago.

“It’s super humbling to be considered,” Brown says, of the experience in working with Asics, “[for them] to see the potential in us, and believe in us that we can execute it and give us the keys to the car.” Brown is overjoyed with the opportunity for his sneaker to now fill the shelves of stores like Kith and Dover Street Market—retailers who have become tastemakers for well over a decade and over two decades respectively. 

For years, Australian retailers have fought tooth and nail to bring their vision to the streets. But, the opportunities for Australian brands and retailers to design their own sneakers were few and far between. Stores abroad, like Packer in the US, and Afew in Germany, or Footpatrol in the UK, were all delivering important, and hype-worthy sneakers that were reaching worldwide acclaim in their time. Back then, many Australian sneakerheads were left frustrated not only at the inability to purchase them, but also that the small boutiques they were so proud of, weren’t able to replicate the success. 

Gradually though, the opportunities have come. 

A still from the promotional video launching the New Balance x UpThere 2002R. Image credit: Supplied

Melbourne-based retailer UpThere has been around since 2010, founded with a direct focus on bringing the best range of sneakers to the trendy Melbourne market and beyond. “We might be a long way from the ‘action’ but we can certainly hold our own,” says Brendan Mitchell, one of the co-founders of UpThere. “We have been lucky to work on several projects and they all mean different things,” Mitchell says, who recalls his favourite collaboration with New Balance. “It was our first project with a major sportswear brand and something we’d be working towards for a decade.” 

That collaboration, titled ‘Backyard Legends’ took the classic Aussie backyard pastime of the barbeque as its inspiration for a design of New Balance’s popular 2002R sneaker. It sold out immediately and now sells for more than $600 on resale sites.

For Mitchell, and UpThere, “patience and consistency” were the keys to unlocking opportunities with brands like New Balance and Asics. “I think over that time we really developed our business, market positioning, brand partners and client base. We are very true to our goals, and very loyal to our brands and style.”

On the cutting table with Asics and Above the Clouds. Image credit: Supplied

Dimitri Calligeros has watched the Sydney fashion scene grow like few others. His store, Above the Clouds, has grown in size exponentially since its opening and collaborations have followed growth of the store itself. Smaller releases turned to bigger ones very quickly, just as the small store space became a massive retail hub in Sydney’s Surry Hills. 

For Above The Clouds, it’s been Asics again that has opened the door for collaboration. In the most recent case, ‘design’ was the very inspiration for the shoe. “It’s always been a pleasure,” Calligeros shares about their partnership. “Their trust in us has been amazing, and their willingness to test new materials and push the envelope in respect of manufacturing and design has only strengthened our relationship.” 

Four years ago, the relationship between the retailer and sportswear brand took its first step. The first collaborative sneaker between Above the Clouds and Asics came to life on the Gel-1090. But, as Calligeros shares, “our latest work on the GT-2160 is probably our favourite. Aside from it being our most ambitious in terms of materiality, design and manufacturing, it is also a great representation of Above The Clouds, and our evolution as a multi-brand retailer.” It was a massive success, selling out rapidly, spotted most recently on the feet of Will Ferrell. Later this year, the sneaker will be released in three additional colorways. 

Image credit: Supplied

So what’s changed? What Australian brands and retailers are bringing to the table, is better than it’s ever been. “Brands and consumers are genuinely looking for more unique, curated collaborations which aren’t dictated so much by trends or influencers,” Calligeros says, “There’s a need for innovation and something unexpected, meaning brands (big and small) are collaborating with each other more and more to push the boundaries and keep creating.” 

The response from the public has been understandably avid. These new collaborations have not just ‘fit in’ with the zeitgeist around sneakers, but helped drive them forward. These are sneakers with compelling narratives, wearable colourways, and are being lapped up around the world.  

“You know, it's hard in this game to figure out what a measuring stick is, and how well you're doing,” Brown says as we wrap up our conversation, “but I guess when places like Kith, Bodega, Ssense, and Dover Street Market are buying your shoe, you must be doing something right.” 

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