Trust Junya Watanabe To Neutralize Oakley’s Un-Ordinary Sneakers
Oakley Factory Team isn’t in the business of normal sneakers. This experimental diffusion line between eyewear experts Oakley and Californian streetwear powerhouse Brain Dead consistently delivers warped and twisted footwear. Sometimes, its creations even look like they’ve come from another planet.
The Oakley Factory Team Ibex is yet another of the brand's experiments, covered in a complex web of straps and a hard-bodied exoskeleton. Except, fashion designer Junya Watanabe has managed to neutralize the shoe through the simplest of means.
Serial collaborator Watanabe has linked up with Oakley to make the Ibex a more straightforward sneaker proposition. In simple terms, he’s dressed it all-black and all-white.
Everything about the shoe remains the same. The mix of textured suede with breathable mesh, the Oakley-logoed heel panel that looks like it's stretched from all corners by four cords, and the bulky silhouette with an oversized heel portion all stay unchanged.
However, when offered in a single neutral color, it makes an unconventional design a little more approachable. And more wearable.
We’ve seen this before from Watanabe. When he collaborated with New Balance on sneaker loafers, for instance, he picked an all-black leather look for the now-viral hybrid shoe. And his previous exploits with Oakley have been similarly bereft of color.
That’s not to say all Junya Watanabe collaborations are an exercise in plain colors, of course.
The Japanese designer releases a relentless output of varied co-branded collections each year. In recent weeks, that has yielded products as disparate as Dr. Martens boots transformed into a deconstructed leather jacket and patchworked gymwear in partnership with Reigning Champ.
Those have quickly been followed up by these Oakley sneakers, first previewed as part of Junya Watanabe’s Spring/Summer 2025 collection over a year ago and available to buy since mid-August 2025. You can pick up a pair for £330 from Dover Street Market London though the shoes are yet to land in DSM’s stateside stores.
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