A Not-So-Simple ‘70s Sneaker, Quietly & Brilliantly Bottega-fied
The Orbit Flash shoe is Bottega Veneta’s take on the flatter, sleeker, softer sneakers dominating the moment. And boy, does it look good.
You’ve seen this move before: flat sole, gum bottom, an oh-so-’70s silhouette. But the Orbit Flash, quietly debuted in mid-summer on Bottega Veneta's website, hits different. This shoe delivers all the retro cues, then elevates them just enough to break away from the flat-foot pack.
Bottega's Orbit Flash reads like a ‘70s gym shoe sent through a futurist filter. It combines meandering suede overlays with silky nylon panels and is stamped with Bottega’s signature weave right on the outsole.
In other words, Bottega Bottega-fied the flat sneaker trend.
We’re deep in the era of the flat sneaker glow-up. Brands aren’t trying to outdo Nike in tech or chunk anymore.
Instead, ‘70s silhouettes that are stripped-down and streamlined are suddenly everywhere. You see it in Vans Super Low Pros, in Dries Van Noten’s somewhat ubiquitous Marathon Sprinters, and even in Tyler’s Converse runners that feel straight out of Stranger Things Season 1.
Why the obsession? Honestly, maybe it's simple: they just look good. Timeless but off-kilter. Familiar but a little bit freaky. And Bottega gets that. Like the brand’s done with the leather jacket, jeans, and of course the handbag, it’s taken a humble staple and woven it into a grail. It previously even did this with flowers.
You probably won’t run in the Orbit Flash, which is priced at a cool $990,. But of all the gum-soled throwbacks making noise right now, this might just sit on top of the podium.
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