What makes Common Projects so special? After all, season-on-season they're arguably one of the most understated footwear collections available. With strict colourways, basic construction and minimal branding, it takes a trained eye to recognise them as a brand, but its simple to see they're a great piece of footwear. Despite their simplicity, they are managing to turn heads all over the world (including the likes of Becks and Kanye West), precisely by being so perfectly subtle in a world where the product and its production have taken a back seat to their logo.
I've spoken extensively about my attraction to raw denim because they're a blank canvas and over time it holds a visual story, a material that gets better with every day they're worn and every activity you do in them. I feel the same way about Common Projects sneakers.
The brand is a partnership between Prathan Poopat and Flavio Girolami. The collaboration sees the two men working together on a day-to-day basis via the internet and meeting either in New York or Italy (where the shoes are produced) when working on their latest collection. They fact they're handstitched to the sole of the shoe rather than being vulcanized like most sneakers on the mainstream market as well as only using the finest leathers and suedes shows an integrity and appreciation of artisan culture. In my experience, Common Projects last longer (and get better through the process) than sneakers produced in perhaps Vietnam or China, for example. This adds to the appeal of the brand, with both sneaker heads and people looking for a refined casual shoe both flocking and paying the steeper price tag for a design that is certainly not breaking boudaries, but offering a luxury product with subtle, elegant appeal.
The new season line will be hitting our store this week, and they're sure to be a great hit, so keep your eyes peeled for the web drop.
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