In case you haven't heard yet, Canadian shoe design company and retailer,
Ransom, has recently created a line of shoes in collaboration with the one of the original pioneers of sneakers, Adidas. From my research it would appear that this collaboration is in it's second season, starting in F/W '09 and has just released their S/S '10 package. Based on what I have seen thus far and what I am showing you here it goes without saying that this collaboration is going to become the next big thing in sneaker footwear. As you can see, they have put out everything from casual sneakers to winter boots to boat shoes and who knows what F/W '10 will bring next! All I know is that I am excited!
What I like about them is the fact that they have a simple styling but are somewhat unique in their color combinations/accenting and the material pairing. The very top shoe (blue w/ white laces) is some sort of canvas/hemp material that feels rough like straw on the outside but with a normal leather/faux leather lining. Obviously they are not the first to do things like hemp outers but what I have seen in the past from other brands trying to be all different was just not that great looking where as these on the other hand have stuck to what is simple and what sells but with little irregularities that sets them apart.
While these boot styles resemble styles that have been done by the likes of Timberland and Mountain Gear you can see that they have added little details that make them different like the teal colored laces in the black boots or in the case of the upper left ones that look exactly like a cross between a Sorel and a Timberland but Adidas/Ransom used a navy leather (it's hard to see) that makes it look very cool and different. In a day and age where pretty much everything has been done before, it's the little details that will set you apart from the rest and this collaboration has seem to do just that, capitalized on styles that are popular and sell well while at the same time giving them something different than the predecessors. I only look forward to their expansion and the new styles that they come out with!
Website/Blog:
http://ransomholdingco.com/--Here you can read their blog, shop for their shoes and find out the nearest retailer, under stockists.
