Did Two Unexpected Brands Accidentally Create the Year’s Best Sneaker Collab?

Sneaker collabs are everywhere, and no brand is off-limits. Dunkin Donuts x Puma. Balenciaga x Crocs. Even Lego wants in. The world’s “most reputable company” just announced a seven-year deal with Nike, which could lead to a shoe, toy or the most likely outcome: a lot of both.

But even now, countless collabs later, an odd-ball pairing still has the power to surprise. The latest example: Reebok’s new partnership with Muji. The sportswear giant teamed up with the Japanese home goods store for an ultraminimalist take on Reebok’s iconic Club C 85.

However, let’s get one thing straight. The shoe isn’t just unexpected. It’s actually kind of perfect, and a clear front runner for the best sneaker collab of the entire year.

MUJI

GP100 WINNER

Muji x Reebok Court Sneakers

• $80 at Muji

Muji Court Sneakers

Ironically, the fist thing that stands out about these shoes is just how nondescript they are.

There are no bright colors. No gimmicks. There’s not even a logo — a trait the shoes share with Muji’s expansive catalog of stationery, kitchenware and furniture. The name Muji, derived from the Japanese phrase Mujirushi Ryōhin, literally means “no brand, quality goods.”

As for the shoes themselves, Muji calls them, quite simply, “Court Sneakers” — an ode to the Club C 85’s past life as a genuine tennis shoe from the 1980s.

Reebok

But just because the shoes are simple doesn’t mean they lack thoughtful details that quietly improve upon the original Club C 85.

For starters, Muji equipped the Court Sneakers with an offset heel loop to make them easier to put on (the original Club C 85 had no loop whatsoever).

Muji

Reebok also lended its DMX cushioning, an underrated technology from the 1990s that utilizes air bubbles to distribute pressure throughout the midsole.

Availability and pricing

Perhaps the best part about the Court Sneakers is that, unlike other collabs, they’re affordable and easy to purchase.

A pair costs all of $80 and you don’t need to jump into an online queue fend off any bots. Pre-sale is open now, with shipments expected to start in “mid-September,” according to Muji.

Muji

Earlier this year, design studio JJJJound teamed up with Reebok for its own take on the Club C 85. It costs $150 and GQ called it “2024’s cleanest sneaker collab yet.”

For my money, however, there’s only winner. And it costs nearly half that.

MUJI

GP100 WINNER

Muji x Reebok Court Sneakers

• $80 at Muji

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