Brand: SHINZO x Mizuno
Model: Contender
Release Date: The online raffle is July 26 to July 29 and global release is July 30.
Price: $130
Buy: Online raffle via SHINZO and select retailers including Solebox, HANON, Titolo, Footpatrol, AFEW, Overkill, Patta, and Woei
What We’re Saying: SHINZO Paris and Mizuno have come together for a travel-inspired collaboration centered around the Contender. As the Parisian outfit has been teasing the joint project for weeks, the time has finally come for you to have the opportunity to get your hands on the highly-anticipated pair.
As alluded to in the headline, there's much more to the collaboration than you'll notice upon first glance. The upper of the Contender is comprised of two layers: the outer, which is constructed from corduroy as a nod to the fashion capital, its subway, freestones, and architecture; and the inner, made from canvas with a print that references the Japanese cherry blossom season and the colors of Tokyo.
Once you purchase the shoe, you're awarded two options. You can either allow the upper to wear naturally over time, letting the corduroy shed on its own to reveal the canvas underneath, or, you can let your creativity run wild and customize the pair to your liking. SHINZO admits, however, that it takes a bit of skill to properly cut the material, so the retailer created video content as well as a guide that comes with each pair, ultimately informing buyers of the dos and don'ts. You can also get a feel for what is possible with the customization by watching footage (below) from SHINZO's recent workshop that saw friends and family working on their own pairs.
Designed as an invitation to travel — from Paris to Tokyo and beyond — the SHINZO x Mizuno Contender is currently up for grabs via online raffle until July 29 at 6 p.m. A global release is then scheduled for July 30 through select retailers listed above.
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