Backless Saucony Running Shoes Have No Business Being So Saucy
God bless them — clogs everywhere, in every form, from classic clogs to Frankensteinian snules (a.k.a. the divisive sneaker-mule). With so many mules already out there, it raises the point that, to add yet another to the pile, a brand must make something truly transcendent.
Bless the heritage running company Saucony for being bold enough to try because actually, its ProGrid V2 Mule isn’t just a worthy addition to the mule-iverse — it’s just slick as a shoe, full stop.
Not bad for a brand that began in 1898, the same year the diesel engine was invented by a man appropriately named Rudolf Diesel (no relation to Vin).
Saucony’s mule works because it feels entirely of the moment, tapping into a cultural appetite for both retro sneakers and freaky fusion silhouettes.
Here, Saucony has transformed its established ProGrid V2 retro running-shoe model — “made for everyday,” per a recent product announcement — into an even more casual iteration, chopping the back but keeping the brand’s runner spirit alive.
It’s not the first time the old brand has shown off new tricks. It linked with Daiki Suzuki’s label Engineered Garments to transform its Shadow Original into a dress shoe (and then again, into a wingtip). But whereas that inventiveness came largely from Suzuki’s touch, this is Saucony going saucy all by itself.
It’s believed that Ethiopia has the largest concentration of mules anywhere in the world, with nearly 11 million of these donkeys packed into its borders. But… say you were to add in the open-backed shoe style of the same name?
Well, in that case, the fashion industry would be crowned the one true Mule Kingdom. And Saucony may just be the upstart prince.
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