Li-Ning latest foray into footwear for Fall/Winter 2021 crosses the line of wild and chunky for a new lineup of trail-inspired sneakers.

Footwear has taken a wild turn in the last decade. Sportswear brands have freed themselves from the shackles of tradition, opening up a can of worms that has changed the landscape of sneaker design. Thanks in part to collaborations such as Virgil Abloh's tinkering of Nike icons and Fen Chen Wang's Converse. Boundary pushing contributions from the likes of Mr. Bailey and countless in-community customs shouldn't be overlooked, either.

Chinese sportswear giant Li-Ning has been making serious waves since stepping into fashion, seeing its profits skyrocket. Its huge success within the fashion sphere isn't that surprising when you look at how the brand has approached sneakers.

The sneaker industry is a difficult realm to infiltrate given the sheer scale of its contenders, so you need to do something unique to stand out. With an unorthodox design approach and willingness to take risks, Li-Ning made a statement – several of them, with silhouettes like the Ace Rider and Sunchaser.

Fall/Winter 2021 marks a new milestone in exploration for the brand, expanding its apparel offering while simultaneously reviving archival trail-inspired silhouettes.

Described by the brand as 'hyper-modern terrain," the FW21 footwear offering delivers the Titan Boot, X Claw Ace, Yun You, and Super Light Ace. By focusing on archival and archive-inspired silhouettes, Li-Ning is bringing its footwear in line with on-trend sneakers like Salomon's XT6 and showcasing its ability to adapt to the market without taking a step back.

As a fan of Li-Ning's sneakers, I can't wait to see what FW21 has to offer in full.