Chicago (USA), Apr 28 (EFE).- The architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright and sports shoes. It is the latest bet from New Balance inspired by the work of the American master. The colors of ‘Broadacre City’, the sustainable city drawn by Wright in 1935 come to life. Collaborations between brands, a gold mine in the market. The first batch was sold in less than 48 hours.
The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, which preserves the legacy of the American architect, launched a collaboration with ‘NB’ and the firm ‘Kith’, who made special sneakers on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the 998 model. The red of the bricks, the olive green and the cream tones of Wright’s sketches gave life to sneakers that, already sold out on the official website, are resold for more than $350 on platforms such as ‘StockX’.
Sports brands such as Nike or Adidas also have collaborations with luxury fashion firms or with big names from worlds apparently unrelated to sport. The result of these synergies captures elite clients and promoters. Carlos Alcaraz, the reigning US Open champion, is a big fan of the Nike shoe in collaboration with rapper Travis Scott.
RED, GREEN AND WHITE, THE COLORS OF THE SKETCHES
The latest marketing idea was launched by New Balance, a firm that opted for Wright’s visionary architecture and, specifically, for the socio-political project of ‘Broadacre City’.
And to turn Wright’s plans and sketches into sneakers, the American brand worked in the colors used by the architect.
A series of overlapping panels, made of classic mesh and pigskin, nod to the houses and green areas of agricultural plots that Wright envisioned for his utopian city, in which he dreamed of overturning social inequality and building an environment of harmony between man and nature to get out of the overcrowded concept of the classic American city.
PARTS OUT OF STOCK IN LESS THAN 48 HOURS
The new sneakers went on sale on April 17 in a limited edition at the specialized store Kith and were launched on April 24 at New Balance, which sold out all the pieces in less than 48 hours.
The sale price was $220, excluding taxes, but those who want to buy the ‘Kith x New Balance MADE in USA 998’ now need to go to resale platforms like StockX.
The shoes are resold for figures around $360 and auctions start at $265.
THE BROADACRE CITY PROJECT
Wright had a controversial relationship with the most iconic building in the United States, the skyscraper, and that conflict led him to work on the project for an alternative city that would end in the utopian Broadacre City.
It was a project that sought to take advantage of technological progress to create a new environment that would allow man to live in harmony with nature.
Broadacre City was not only an architectural project but also a sociopolitical one, which opposed inequality and which provided for the disappearance of private property and the distribution of goods.
It was also a project that was committed to eco-sustainability. Each house in Broadacre City had to have a corresponding green area and agricultural plot.
This aspect was one of the main ones in which New Balance was inspired to make its new sneakers.
Andrea Montolivo
(c) EFE Agency
2023-04-28 07:22:43
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