Ronnie Fieg Breaks Down His Seven Favorite Footwear Collaborations

Ronnie Fieg's name has been ringing out in sneaker culture for years, and thanks to his cook-ups with other sneaker and boot brands that's not going to stop anytime soon. This Friday Ronnie is about to drop his "Salmon Sole" New Balance 1300s that have the streets itching like fiends, so we decided to hook you guys up with a little campout reading material while you wait in line or count down the hours from the comfort of your own home. We had Ronnie break down his seven favorite collaborations and give you a behind-the-scenes look at what inspires and pushes one of the best in the game. Go in.

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Year released: 2009

Ronnie says: "The first Nice Kicks GEL Lyte was part of the Trilogy Project. It was the second drop out of the three which consisted of the Cultureshoq 1.0 and the Highsnobiety 1.0. Working with Matt Halfhill (of Nice Kicks) was easy, he's one of the people I have major respect for in this industry. We decided on all red to represent his site and we worked on a few samples. The truth is, ASICS screwed up and produced off of the wrong sample that we didn't approve. The sample we approved had a mesh toe and had white stripes but after a few discussions we decided the shoe they produced actually looked better, I guess everything happens for a reason."

Year released: 2010

Ronnie says: "Up until this day I have yet to think of a better project. The idea behind the Nexus Project is far more complex (no pun) than most would imagine. The original name for the project was 'The Dream Team Project,' and that the six individuals/bloggers involved would cover all fashions and followings. The objective was to form a team of talented individuals that would come together and create product that would have people buzzing for years. Without getting into details, the result was outstanding, but it was only half of what I wanted to accomplish. Hopefully the other half will come soon."

Year released: 2011

Ronnie says: "I am a true Clarks fan since 1995. The entire Wu-Tang team would come cop Wallabees at the David Z. 8th Street shop when I was 13 years old and it influenced me heavily. The Wallabee obsession quickly turned me into a Desert Boot fan and it became the dress shoe of choice. The one thing that always bothered me about the Desert Boot selection is that they were only offered in a very thin suede and one option for a black leather. The slate blue was a perfect solution to those who wanted a little more out of the iconic style. It gave you the option of wearing the boot with an outfit you would usually rock with a clean pair of sneakers."

Year released: 2011

Ronnie says: "By now you probably read the story about how I'm obsessed with mint leaf and that my grandmother's mint leaf garden in Israel inspired me for the colorway. All of that is true. What you don't know is that my grandmother has three pairs and wears them everyday. That means more than anything else."

Year released: 2011

Ronnie says: "I used to spend 40 hours a week just playing with the GEL Lyte III blank CAD on my computer. I have over 3,000 colorways executed on my hard drive since 2006. One night in 2009 I was on my 5th CAD and the sun was coming up. I remember getting into fights with my ex-girlfriend, she used to hate when I'd wake up at 3 a.m. and start working. That night she wasn't with me, so I stayed up all night trying to come up with new blocking. Once I saw how the shoe looked after colorblocking the toe I knew I'd want that to be my trademark on the GEL Lyte III. The colorway was an old one I had on deck for years, to me it was the material contrast with the premium leather, nubuck, and pigskin that made the shoe special."

Year released: 2012

Ronnie says: "I was flying back from Portland two years ago from an adidas summit and the view from my window was unreal. It was so beautiful it almost seemed fake. I took a few shots with my G11 and I posted them on my blog. The objective was not only to offer the color scheme in the photo but to also portray the plush texture of the clouds and soil. Pigskin and nubuck did the trick. My mother and sister pushed me to make that shoe in women's sizes and they were right. Girls loved them."

Year released: 2012

Ronnie says: "The Mohican is definitely one of my favorite creations. It's one thing to play with colors and materials, creating new uppers is a completely different story. Convincing a classic brand into letting me alter their most iconic style was a mission in itself. Once I got the approval I went through 20-plus revisions of what the fringe collar would look like. Incorporating a brand's DNA into my own fresh take is something I look to achieve in every project. I want to offer my twist but without ever compromising what the brand stands for and without straying away from the aesthetics they represent since the brand's existence. Many believe that the fringe collar is knockoff of recent brands success such as Visvim, but in reality fringed collar leather shoes like Minnetonka Moccasins have been around since I started working in the industry back in 1995. My mother used to wear their boots when I was a child, and the chestnut suede Minnetonka boot was the inspiration behind the Mohican."