Image via Complex Original
The Canadian apparel brand wings+horns has been around for a decade now, and have made a name for themselves in streetwise sportswear, offering looks that are as ruggedly sporty as they are stylish. They’ve carved out a corner in that niche of the market, so it caused some eyebrows to rise when they first released photos of their upcoming New Balance collaboration last week. The almost entirely black upper on the MT580 was something of a surprise, and we wanted to get to the bottom of it. We connected with Dave Pires and Craig Atkinson so they could give us the scoop in their own words. Here’s everything you need to know about this project.
The sneakers are a celebration.
This year marks wings+horns’ 10th Anniversary, and it's been releasing a series of collaborative projects to celebrate. From some boots with Danner to pieces with Canada Goose, the brand's going all out to honor this year in an important way. But it’s more than just a marker of time, it’s integral to wings +horns' creative point of view. “A major theme of our anniversary projects is mixing premium materials or utilizing them in a unique way,” say Dave and Craig. “Fabric and material choice is fundamental to our approach at wings+horns, and when we partner with another company that’s always the perspective we want to bring.” That’s why the upper is the single tone of black in no fewer than four materials, each with its own texture.
The 580 was a calibrated choice.
New Balance’s 580 that has seen some celebrated collaborations in the last few years is unique in New Balance’s product line. It’s an old model designed for trails and mountaineering. Very different from the more popular 998s and 574s that were originally for running. But that’s exactly the contrast that wings+horns wanted to strike. “We chose the 580 because we felt it was the best platform for our concept, and simply because it’s a sneaker we want to wear,” say the w+h guys. “Being from the Pacific Northwest, we also wanted the sneaker to be ready for our weather, and we kept that in mind throughout the design process with New Balance.” The 580’s robust design means it will stand up to whatever environment it’s worn in, whether in the streets of Vancouver, or the mountains around the city.
The inspiration was about function.
Wings+horns hails from Vancouver where there’s a lot of chill and a lot of rain. When they were designing the shoes, they knew they’d release during the wet season, so they took that into account during the design process. When we caught up with Dave and Craig it was pouring rain, a perfect example of why they wanted to make a shoe exactly like this. “The project was inspired by stormy days like this, where you want to wear dark colours, be comfortable and stay as dry as possible,” they say. “Our desire to make a water-resilient sneaker manifested in the combination of leathers and suede, as well as the reflective accents and pigskin lining.”
Don't forget the apparel.
Wings+horns is first and foremost an apparel brand, so they worked hard to make sure there was an entire collection dropping with the 580. The concept they brought to the shoe also extended itself into the hoodie and sweatpants that are being released alongside the shoes. “We took two traditional sportswear pieces, and thought about how we could make them more weather-ready,” the guys explain. “The solution in this case was combining a classic fleece with urethane-coated terry.” Like the shoes, these pieces will be at home in the wet outdoors thanks to their unique materials, while still translating to anyone’s street style. That style extends into the fishtail parka releasing in the collection with everything else.
In some ways this is a debut.
This collaboration celebrates wings+horns’ 10th Anniversary, but in many ways it represents a first really big step into a larger arena. The brand has been manufacturing their own apparel for quite some time, even releasing their own sneakers (High Tops and Low Tops), but working with New Balance gives them access to a bigger stage. “New Balance is an iconic American company, and as far as footwear, this is our first partnership with a brand on their level. On the manufacturing side they have tremendous power to make things interesting and make things happen, which gives us the chance to expose a broad audience to our approach,” say the guys from wings+horns. It doesn’t hurt that the price point is a little lower on the New Balance as compared to their house made sneakers, too.
New Balance was a supportive creative partner.
Being an independent brand has its advantages. Wings+horns answers to themselves creatively, and can pursue the ideas and inspirations that they have on their own. Bringing in another brand, especially a brand as big as New Balance, can be a risky move. Corporate approval systems and brand integrity management can get in the way of a creative endeavor. Not so with the wings+horns 580. “In terms of creativity, New Balance offered us a lot of freedom and overall support for our vision. Their ability to foster an idea and make it reality is exceptional,” say the guys. It was not without challenge. They had hoped to keep production in North America, but the USA factories were too overcome with demand to fit the release schedule. No matter. Wings+horns changed tact. “We knew we’d have to focus to produce something that meets our standards for quality. Fortunately we were able to overcome that challenge together, put in the work, and create a final product we’re really proud of.”
Complete release details.
The shoes will release this Saturday, December 13 both in store and on their website at 11 a.m. PST, and retail for $200 CAN (roughly $180 US). Men’s sizes 7 through 13 will be available. If you make it to the brand's store (133 West 5th Ave, Vancouver) that morning, there will be coffee and pastries. The apparel will release at the same time priced as such: Hoodie ($175), Sweatpants ($145), and Fishtail Parka ($560).
