KAILAS Is the Sneaker Gem We Found at PFW
In the world of sneakers, it can be hard to know where to place your attention. Every week there’s a new, hyped drop from one of the big names that dominates headlines and newsfeeds. It might seem, to the untrained eye, that there’s no room for any brands besides the current household names to find their footing. However, on June 28th in Paris’ 4th Arrondissement, a pop-up was underway that was enough to convince even the most cynical sneakerhead that underground sneaker designs are alive and kicking. The brand at the heart of it all? KAILAS FUGA.
KAILAS FUGA Brand Director Nina Sun invited us down to the pop-up alongside everyone from editors to influencers such as Mai Lee Santos, Anja Sarea, Axel Cavecchi, MV Tiangue, and more. For those discovering the brand for the first time, the pop-up acted as an announcement: KAILAS FUGA has arrived in Europe. With basement installations whose stark set design matched the vibe of the new silhouette (more on that shortly), refreshments with which to combat the searing heatwave, and some of Paris’ top talents sporting the brand’s designs, it was a real entrance.
Hailing from Guangzhou, KAILAS has been crafting high-end technical gear and footwear for trail running and climbing since 2003. Under the four central pillars of passion, courage, explore, and achieve, the label has earned the title of China’s most innovative and technical outdoor company. That doesn’t happen to a brand that’s simply designing IG-ready Gorpcore pieces, it’s the sign of a brand that’s really in the field—passionate about trail, and founded with the intention of helping athletes achieve their dreams.
As the official equipment supplier of the Chinese National Climbing Team and the official sponsor of TorX in Italy—renowned for its ultra-trail running—as well as a proud sponsor of numerous trail-running athletes around the world, there’s no overstating how authentic KAILAS FUGA is. This accolade sits alongside an extensive list of awards and initiatives to promote mountaineering and climbing. All of that is to say that while many brands focus on the trending visuals of technical gear, KAILAS FUGA has been quietly perfecting the real thing and deserves your attention.
The KAILAS FUGA trail series began in 2016, building on the mother brand KAILAS, which was founded in 2003. With over 20 years of experience in the field, it’s no wonder that the industrial, utilitarian silhouettes caught our eye at Paris Fashion Week. But there was more to it than pure technical acumen. The new drop—two new stark colorways of the immaculately crafted DU Black Solitude silhouette—finds inspiration in the darkness but also the light that pierces through the darkest hour, dismissing fear and doubt; It brings an element of conceptual contemporaneity to the brand’s footwear lineup.
The DU Black Solitude series is based on the original KAILAS FUGA DU line, which was made for professional athletes with breakthrough downhill and uphill technology, providing unmatched POWER GRIP to conquer steep slopes and challenging terrain. POWER GRIP is another key feature of the shoe, offering the stability trail runners need to perform at their best.
With a squared toe, the shoe has a distinctively futuristic feel. High-performance ripstop uppers not only promise lightweight breathability but also take on new aesthetic character in sleek tonal white and black versions. Featuring a BOA Fit System, the pair is easy to fasten and unfasten with minimal effort and maximum precision while reinforced areas and a highly engineered sole unit offer protection on all terrains in the most extreme conditions.
Combine a long and successful run proving itself in the wild with a new, clear focus on cutting-edge aesthetics, and you’ve got the recipe for one of the best finds of Paris Fashion Week 2025. KAILAS FUGA has what so many of its competitors can only dream of: real, serious, in-the-field experience. After all, no matter how good it looks, what good is a trail-running silhouette that can’t actually tackle the elements?
Be sure to check out the full collection here and prepare to shop the DU Black Solitude when it drops here.
