On a sun-soaked Saturday in September, amidst the hecticness of fashion week, SOREL brought the arctic chill to the streets of New York in celebration of its coolest drop yet: the Callsign Horizon. The new silhouette—part sneaker, part winter boot—packs a rugged-Canadian-punch in a sleek, stylish, and performance-driven package.
What better way to break the news than with a marketing stunt that doubled as an icebreaker, or in this instance, an ice melter. To announce the arrival of the sneaker, SOREL took to the streets, orchestrating a series of elaborate ice sculptures. Except these 7 ft glacial creations weren’t just composed of frozen H20, inside was the entire line of Callsign Horizon sneakers in all five colorways, taking the brand’s philosophy “Born From The Arctic,” to new, literal heights.
Conceived in a snowstorm in 1962, SOREL was built to brave Canada’s harshest winters, but has since found new meaning in tackling arguably the harshest of terrains: the treacherous cityscape. Hence, the Callsign Horizon, a robust sneaker sculpted from the legacy of the Caribou, the brand’s flagship winter boot that became the go-to for snow and extreme cold. But SOREL has evolved from solely winter staples to year-round statements, and the Callsign Horizon is a testament to this.
Rooted in adventure and pioneering design, from taking the first steps on the North Pole to launching the first-ever snowboarding boots, SOREL has proven its tried and tested. For its latest test, the beloved footwear brand turned the temperature down to freezing to trial the Callsign Horizon’s durability, with hopes the shoe would emerge from the ice encasing unscathed and frostbite-free. And as expected, it did just that.
For eight hours across five locations; Williamsburg, Gramercy, West Village, Meatpacking, and Dimes Square, the city and its passersby witnessed SOREL defrost its latest design, as the icy monument thawed away under the relentless and unforgiving end-of-Summer sun, a sight striking enough to make even the busiest of New Yorkers stop.
City-goers halted and stared, their curiosity piqued by the sub-zero relic in front of them as though a frozen artifact had been unearthed. The ice gently shimmered, its crystal-clear surface glistening as droplets formed and slid down like beads of sweat. Some onlookers ran their fingers on the perspiring ice out of disbelief, others leaned in for selfies or snapped group shots, but all asked the same question “What shoe is that?” Now, talk about an ice breaker.
As the New York minutes ticked on, it quickly became apparent the Callsign Horizon had found itself on thin ice, so thin that by midday the durable rubber sole of the black jet silhouette had broken through the ice of the West Village arctic tableau. More than a conversation piece or the ultimate cold-weather test, SOREL’s ice sculptures were an eye-catching urban monument that managed to make even the busiest New Yorkers stop in their tracks, all while paying homage to the brand’s six decades of arctic-inspired, Canadian heritage.
Despite being a freeze-frame of ice, the collection was designed for moving, from woodsy strolls to urban errands; nothing is out of the question. Melting the line between the great outdoors and city living, the Callsign Horizon boasts patented GORE-TEX Waterproof construction, robust TREK EVO Vibram rubber soles, and a lightweight molded LIVELYFOAM mid-sole, proving that arctic heritage can indeed be reborn for the city. Offered in five distinct colorways: black jet, sea salt chalk, canyon gold, arctic whisper, and Caribou buff, the Horizon has no problems being dressed up or down to suit any occasion.
What began as a frost-kissed spectacle had liquified into a memorable moment that oversaw SOREL take its Arctic DNA and hand-sculpt it to suit the demands of the concrete tundra. With melting ice, the brand crystallized its message; the Callsign Horizon collection wasn’t just a venture onto unknown terrain, but rather, a thawing of old perceptions, and the first step toward a cooler future for city footwear.
Discover the Callsign Horizon silhouettes here.
