This season, MARNI transforms the VEJA sneakers into a personal canvas. Or, the margins of a college lined notebook. The one that’s most conducive to daydream-fueled doodles.
VEJA is known for many good things.
You may know them as the Megan Markle sneakers. You may know them for their meticulous commitment to sustainability, right down to the very material they use (all Fair Trade). You might know them for their signature ‘V’ logo, rising from the trademark midsole like fingers raised for victory. But you don’t know the brand for its bright, bold colors and designs that, perhaps, lean a little more toward “Wear Right Now” than “Wear Forever.” This is where MARNI comes in.
MARNI, despite having changed hands in 2016 from the vision of founder Consuelo Castiglioni to the creative direction of Francesco Risso today, insists on eccentricity. It is a mark on the presence of colors, patterns and designs just a little offbeat.
Together, the first version of the collab looks almost exactly like someone gone happy marker on fresh out of the box VEJAs, with brush cut colors just a touch outside of any discernable lines on the sneaker brand signature V-10 and fresh drop V-15 Boots.
VEJA sneakers, with No More straight laces:
The VEJA x MARNI V-15s come in black, blue, mustard yellow and salmon pink that reflect on scribbled laces with the same palette. However, a pair of plain white shoelaces are also included, just in case you don’t feel particularly matching. You can always doodle your own doodles and doodle your own doodles on said white laces as well; you never know when inspiration will strike.
Alternatively, V-10 low-tops subscribe to a thematic palette of bright reds and pinks and dark browns.
Don’t let the colors distract you, though, because as with all VEJA sneakers, this collaboration pair continues to be sustainably crafted with leathers sourced from Uruguayan farms and tanned in Brazil in a Leather Working Group Gold-certified tannery, with soles made of 31% Amazon rubber, 22% rice waste and 12% recycled rubber. And, like all hand-rendered masterpieces – yes, the sneakers are all hand-assembled – there are slight variations that really highlight the originality of the design. (Here it means that the right shoe of the pairs is a little different from the left.)
Because goody-two sneakers can also have a little fun.
Images courtesy of Marni, Veja and photographer Patrick Welde