In the wide world of indie footwear designers, you see a lotta folks remixing familiar shapes into their own shoes. At risk of inciting a lawsuit, though, I daresay that Mihara Yasuhiro and Limi Feu are edging awfully close to issuing a pointy Air Force 1.
Maison Mihara Yasuhiro, the label overseen by its eponymous founder, has been warping familiar sneakers for quite some time, though, so maybe Yasuhiro knows how exactly to just barely slide past copyrights.
Limi Feu, meanwhile, is new to this realm. She's the daughter of Yohji (Feu is the designer's adopted name) and rarely ventures into footwear further than the occasional Converse collaboration.
Yasuhiro and Feu aren't exactly at odds in terms of design language — both designers toy with mismatched, piecemeal garments in relaxed silhouettes — but definitely come from different backgrounds.
While Feu only entered her father's realm later in life — Feu launched her brand lain 2001 when she was in her late twenties — Yasuhiro has been designing clothing since he was a teen.
His punkish streetwear mash-ups found early support in PUMA, with whom he began collaborated on footwear designs in 2000.
Yasuhiro's own footwear designs remained fairly under the radar until the mid-2010s or so, when his "OG Sole" sneakers — homages to popular shoes fitted atop a bespoke warped sole unit — began gaining popularity in Asia.
Co-signed by everyone from indie brand GOOPiMADE to venerable British workwear designer Nigel Cabourn, Mihara Yasuhiro's OG Sole shoes quickly found a following across the globe.
Despite the similarities between Yasuhiro's designs and some famously litigious sneaker giants, no lawsuit yet!
Mihara Yasuhiro's Limi Feu collab, launching soon on Yohji Yamamoto's web store for ¥55,000 (about $400), is doubly special for Feu, who celebrated her label's 20th anniversary last year.
Certainly, the Limi Feu x Maison Mihara Yasuhiro shoes aren't dropping just for that moment, but it makes for a nice bow on top of everything.
Available in all-white, black, and — dare I say — "Bred" colorways, Feu's Yasuhiro collaboration is clearly meant to channel Nike's inimitable Air Force one, what with that ankle strap, upper structure, and midsole shape (plus that "MMY" branding) but it's extra pointy and a bit skinnier, just distinct enough to keep the lawyers at bay.
Note that Feu's Yasuhiro collab also includes a pair of chunky black leather boots, which feels a bit closer to the Yamamoto comfort zone.
This drop follows a series of major moments for her father's company, from artisanal denim collabs to baseball partnerships to a new sub-label and even bespoke clothing for The Weeknd.
