Levi’s Jeans? For Rock Climbing? Satisfy Says So
Satisfy’s founder, Brice Partouche, has always been open about his gripes with the way modern sportswear looks. It’s the reason why the skater and drummer founded Satisfy, to make running clothes befitting his countercultural sartorial tastes (eg. a love for battered, moth-bitten vintage shirts).
Now, together with Levi’s, the designer is crafting rock climbing gear that, in keeping with his wardrobe, doesn’t look like what’s on offer from the typical hi-tech climbing brand.
In fact, Satisfy and Levi’s Re-Possessed Climb Jeans look exactly like Levi’s 501 jeans. And that’s because they are Levi’s 501s — cleverly reworked by Partouche, of course.
Crafted from a limited run of 200 handpicked vintage 501 jeans from the Levi’s archive, exclusively made in the USA during the ‘80s and ‘90s, each piece is re-engineered with climbing-specific features.
An adjustable belt system is added to the trousers while the back left pocket features a chalk brush divider for easy access.
Dyneema, the company behind what’s considered the world's strongest fiber, is introduced through knee panels for abrasion resistance and on a gusseted crotch made from Justice Dyneema offering a 4-way stretch.
“It was a significant challenge to introduce a new functionality to the iconic 150-year-old product, the 501,” says Partouche in a statement. “This project was especially close to my heart, as my career began 25 years ago as a second-generation jeans maker.”
Alongside a climbing T-shirt crafted from Japanese cotton Cordura fabric, the one-of-a-kind, limited-edition 501 jeans will be released on December 12 via both brand’s websites.
Just as climbers used to in the '70s, you can now scale a cliff face wearing Levi's 501s. However, your Satisfy pair will be a whole lot more technologically advanced.
