'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAf/2gAIAQEAAAAAk4v/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB/9oACAECEAAAAD//xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAC/9oACAEDEAAAAB//xAAeEAACAgICAwAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMEAAUSIRFx0f/aAAgBAQABPwCnoBJVRbqmNHcurRkFwOB69HrIdBC8SM13wxUEjgfmf//EABcRAAMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACEQH/2gAIAQIBAT8AdpsP/8QAFREBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL/2gAIAQMBAT8Al//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Brain Dead and Oakley are collaborating to relaunch the "Oakley Factory team" innovation lab for their new project. The project will take on Oakley's 2000s footwear archives and give their fans a collaboration with three new footwear releases.
Two of the footwear silhouettes from the collection will be available for purchase on the official e-commerce site, wearebraindead.com. on April 19, 2022. Meanwhile, the third one will officially drop on May 3, 2022.
More about the upcoming Brain Dead x Oakley footwear collaboration
After recent collaborations with the likes of Converse and Reebok, the Los Angeles creative collective, Brain Dead is now linking up with Oakley for its next sneaker collection.
The new project is an amalgamation of Brain Dead's design with Oakley's rich history. In a press release made by the Oakley Factory team, the collaboration reads:
The new project will “take Oakley’s rich history of innovation and experimentation and step further by integrating the DNA of archived products into new models via Brain Dead’s design and marketing matrix.”
The debut project for the powerful duo will be releasing three new colorways of the 2000s Oakley Flesh silhouette, but with a new twist. The silhouette was first released in early 2000s, but the reimagined version is in the form of slip-on uppers.
The new styles will retain their original outsole for lightweight cushioning. With that being said, the most prominent change will be the upper featuring oval gels for a futuristic look.
The addition of oval gel appliques in the upper gives a forward-facing aesthetic. Meanwhile, the original rubber midsole has been adjusted in the design with a replacement from the phylon layer. This modification gives it an easier-to-wear construction and a lighter weight.
The uppers are constructed in brushed calf leather material, while the sockliners are designed with padded material in a form-fitting neopreme. Branding is done with the addition of metal Oakley logo features upon the sneakers' toeboxes. Finishing off the design, the shoe boasts a finger-like modular outsole.
In a press release made by Oakley, Brian Takumi, Oakley's VP, Productive Creative Catalyst, comments upon the upcoming silhouette:
“The result is a fresh interpretation of Flesh with a neo-futuristic aesthetic that borders rebellion.”
In the aforementioned press release, Kyle Ng, Brain Dead's Founder, also added his comments regarding the design of the upcoming shoe silhouette,
“Brain Dead has always been one to push the boundaries of the avant-garde via experimentation. We look to take the founders of Oakley’s original concepts and ideas and bring them forward into our new world. Some of Oakley’s earliest designs, such as the Flesh, seemed so futuristic at the time that it is only now that they have begun to feel like contemporary objects.”
The project "Oakley Factory Team" D1 collection will feature "Ice" and "Lime/ Blue" colorways which will be dropping on April 19, 2022. Meanwhile, the D2 collection will drop on May 3, 2022,the "Sand/BlueBlue" colorway.
The D1 collection can be purchased for $165 USD, while the D2 collection can be availed for $155 USD on the official e-commerce site of the Brain Dead and a few selected retailers such as Bodega, HBX, and Dover Street Market.
