Say hello to Dior’s newest sneaker, the B57
A real slam dunk, inspired by eighties basketball trainers.
THE SNEAKERVERSE is an ever-evolving realm that’s home to some of the weirdest, wackiest and most innovative designs in fashion. Yet, the eighties basketball blueprint persists as the beau idéal.
Prime examples include the Air Jordan 1, 2, 3 and 4, the Nike Dunk, the Nike Terminator, the Reebok Pump (the latest kick to receive the MSCHF treatment) and the Adidas Forum. These are seminal, world-renowned models that are just as marketable today as they were upon launch.
Dior – the luxury brand that actually knows a thing or two about pleasing the sports brand-focused sneaker community (see: the Dior x Air Jordan 1) – is now gearing up to drop its very own imagining of an eighties basketball sneaker.
It’s called the B57, and we reckon this rookie will become the MVP of your rotation in no time at all.
Look familiar? Well, that isn’t solely down to its retro stimulus, but also its borrowed components.
The court-ready sole is adopted from the B27, a “house essential” which launched in 2020. And the CD initials motif that punctuates the calfskin leather sidewalls hails from 2021’s B30.
B27 + B30 = B57, a silhouette that sees the past inform the present.
The throwback design comes at a time when Kim Jones (men’s artistic director of Dior) is feeling particularly nostalgic.
His SS24 collection – which debuted in June as part of Paris Men’s Fashion Week – observes his fifth anniversary at the French fashion house. Fittingly, it combines some of the best concepts from his tenure with maximalist moments (flashy accessories; pops of neon; animal print footwear) that bespeak a bright, bold future.
The B57 has been formulated by Jones and Co. to complement the collection. And when it drops later this month, it will be initially available in six colourways that are split into two distinct sets.
One trio champions Dior’s house colours (grey, white, navy, black), while the other places retro hues upon beige-y foundations to create the illusion of a vintage trainer formed during the very decade that serves as its muse.
The Dior B57 trainer will be available for $1,895 on dior.com from Tuesday 10 October 2023, and in Dior boutiques from Thursday 19 October 2023.
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