Editor's Pick, Style

Dior goes from track to rack with B44 Blade sneakers

 
Dior goes from track to rack with B44 Blade sneakers

What do you get when a seven-time F1 World Champion collaborates with a French luxury fashion house? A capsule collection that will be spinning off the racks faster than tyres on the track. Besides being Dior’s new ambassador, Lewis Hamilton was also appointed the brand’s guest designer to work alongside Kim Jones. Not too surprising, seeing how both Hamilton and Jones had already known each other prior.

A point of interest within the collection comes in the form of footwear. One being the B44 Blade, a speedier-looking counterpart released alongside the Snow Sneaker, another pair of shoes that takes inspiration from the snowboarding boots.

The B44 Blade comes in four gradient colourways: green, orange, purple, and blue, with features that go beyond traditional shoemaking, such as the NFC chip under the sole of the right foot that provides a certification of authenticity.

While the silhouette draws similarities from the running shoes of today, it also employs the chunkiness that harkens back to the early 2000s. Large or small, it is hard to deny that the B44 Blade looks mighty athletic. And in some ways, copping a pair of these might very well give you a glimpse of what it is like to walk in Hamilton’s shoes.

Tack on the support socks, the signature charm hanging off the eyelet, and the technical fabric that makes this as performance-driven as it is fashionable, and everything else is gravy.

Once you are done with this story, click here to catch up with our October 2024 issue.