Footwear collabs are coming in hot this season, and designers seem particularly interested in messing with the categories we thought we understood. Sneakers are becoming ballet flats, performance shoes are losing their backs, and Birkenstocks are suddenly wearing fringe. From JENNIE x adidas to FKA twigs x On, the latest drops are giving familiar silhouettes some very unexpected new personalities.
Celine/Reebok
Celine is digging into the Reebok archives, and it picked a good one. The French house has teamed up with the sportswear giant to rework the Freestyle Lo, the slim aerobics sneaker first introduced in 1982 and quickly adopted far beyond the gym. For its Celine makeover, the retro silhouette arrives in eight colorways, bringing a little Paris polish to a shoe born from America’s fitness obsession. More than four decades later, the Freestyle is back in fashion’s rotation, though something tells us nobody is wearing these to step class.
A.P.C x Clark’s Originals
A.P.C. and Clarks Originals are betting on shoes that look better after you’ve actually lived in them. The French label has taken on two Clarks signatures, the Desert Boot and the Weaver, giving both a characteristically understated update in textured suede and glossy brown leather, finished with the crepe soles that made them classics in the first place. The Weaver is also approaching its 50th birthday in 2027, while the Desert Boot has been kicking around since the 1940s, picking up fans from jazz musicians and mods to Bob Dylan along the way.
Birkenstock x Etro
Birkenstock has been pulled into fashion’s orbit so many times that seeing a Boston clog on a runway barely raises an eyebrow anymore. Etro, however, has found a way to make it look considerably less sensible. First shown during the house’s Fall 2026 show, the collaboration dresses the Boston and Gizeh in suede and nappa leather, then piles on paisley embroidery, long fringe, Western-inspired buckles and Pegasus hardware. Even the soles get the Etro treatment, with paisley worked into Birkenstock’s signature tread. The timing is especially fitting for the Boston, which turns 50 this year. Apparently, a midlife crisis looks pretty good in fringe.
adidas Originals x JENNIE
For her first collection as co-designer, the BLACKPINK star takes on one of the brand’s most recognizable shoes, transforming the Superstar into something that looks ready for barre class. The Superstar SQ Ballet trades its familiar proportions for a squared shell toe, ribbon detailing and removable laces, with premium leather and a lambskin lining keeping things suitably polished. It is part sneaker, part pointe shoe, and further proof that fashion still isn’t finished turning everything in our closets into a ballet flat. The collection launched globally Sept. 1.
ON x FKA Twigs
FKA twigs has already made training look considerably more interesting with On, and now she would like everyone to lie down. For Fall 2026, the musician and dancer turns her attention to what happens after the workout, introducing the Cloudmonster 3 Mule, On’s first-ever mule and a recovery-focused spin on its chunky performance footwear. The backless slip-on comes with triple-layered CloudTec cushioning and earthy Cacao/Espresso and Loes/Hare colorways, all wrapped up in a campaign creatively directed by twigs herself with a suitably lo-fi ’90s VHS feel. Finally, a performance shoe designed for doing considerably less.
Cecilie Bahnsen x ASICS
Cecilie Bahnsen and ASICS are seven collaborations deep, yet they are still finding new ways to put flowers on a performance sneaker. For Fall 2026, the duo takes on the GEL-KINETIC FR, covering the technical silhouette in floral mesh, flower-shaped eyelets, Velcro straps, and colorful charms. The sneaker arrives in silvery Piedmont Grey with pink accents and a moodier Black Coffee, while still packing enough ASICS technology to function as an actual running shoe. Released in late August before a wider ASICS drop in September, it is further evidence that Bahnsen has basically perfected the art of making a sneaker look like it belongs with a very, very good dress.
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