10 Ways to Ruin a Sneaker Collaboration

Image via Complex Original

A collaboration isn't about totally changing a design, it's about adding to a previous design and coming up with something new. When the collaborator doesn't know when to stop, it can become troublesome. Changing too much of the original design will ruin the brand's intent, and will make the sneaker unnoticeable (or worse, an object of ridicule) to the consumer.

There are collaborations that are huge hits. They become gain cult status within the sneaker game. Then, the same color scheme is placed upon other sneakers and products. It seems like a great idea at first, but it's hard to capture lightning in a bottle twice. These second and third collaborations end up becoming watered-down versions of the original collaboration and don't have the same resonance.

Just because the Internet would lose its mind over an A$AP Mob x New Balance 1500 doesn't mean that it should happen. It would cause a lot of hype, but it wouldn't best suit both brands. Some collaborations are no-brainers, but maybe if the collaboration is too obvious, it shouldn't be done either. There needs to be a balance of keeping people guessing, but also a final product that's able to innovate through nodding to the sneaker's past while bringing it into the future.

To be fair, some of the best collaborations are the ones that no one ever saw coming, but if each brand doesn't understand what makes them both great, then collaboration is destined for failure. A collaboration is able to flourish when both entities understand why everyone is hyped on their respective brands, and they are able to capitalize on the niche markets they've both carved.

Details such as special packaging, dust bags, and tie-in accessories can bring a collaboration to the next plateau, but these shouldn't be the sole focus of a sneaker collaboration. If there's more focus put into what's going to come with the sneakers than the sneakers themselves, then no one is going to remember the kicks in a few years. They'll just own some weird shit they won't be able to explain to people where it came from.

For a collaboration to be successful, it takes both brands fully committing to the project. If either brand holds back, it will be noticeable, and consumers will wish that the collaboration had taken the design process further. The sneaker brand should fully trust the store or clothing brand that it's collaborating with to do their product justice, and put complete faith in their vision. The same goes for the clothing brand or boutique who's designing the sneaker. If the brand explains why something won't work design wise, it's best to listen and figure out how everyone can work towards the same goal, an amazing sneaker.

The goal of a collaboration should be to improve on the sneaker's original design, but what if this doesn't happen? The collaboration doesn't need to be 100 percent better than the O.G., but it should supply something that takes the original style in a new and exciting direction. If a sneaker collaboration provokes the feeling of "ehhh," then it has failed. Every time someone designs a sneaker, they should think, "How am I going to make this as awesome as possible?"

Collaborations are awesome because they give the consumer a new take on a silhouette that the brand hasn't previously explored. Except when every other shop has collaborated on the same sneaker. Certain sneakers become the cool thing for shops or brands to work on, but there reaches a point when it's done to death and everyone needs to move on. Nothing new is being discussed, and it would better for all parties involved to branch out and try something new. Who knows, it might become the new hot thing.

It brings special meaning to a collaboration when it's only available at the store that designed it. When the sneaker gets released at boutiques across the world, or is even available at chain stores, it's just shopping the collaboration's perceived "cool." Sneakerheads travel long distances just so they can grab a limited release, and it builds a connection and experience that can't be recreated by just copping the kicks off any website.

It sucks when collaborations are made just because, and there's no real meaning behind why the two brands worked together. Money has to be made, and sneakers have to be sold, but making everyone go crazy for a collaboration isn't the way to do it. Consumers can read through when an inspiration is bullshit, and when the sneakers were released to fill out an already full Fall/Winter 2013 collection. These releases can kill the meaning behind the sneaker, and make people wonder about the motives behind the collab.