Awake NY founder and designer Angelo Baque is no stranger to collaborations. For years, he worked as the brand director at Supreme, the label that pushed "the collab" into the mainstream fashion lexicon. Since leaving the beloved streetwear brand a few years back, Baque has been busy running Awake NY, known for its low-key yet eye-catching T-shirts and hoodies—and yes, collaborations. This week, Awake NY and Timberland are teaming up on a limited-edition version of a vintage hiker boot.
When it comes to Timberland boots, the most obvious choice is the brand’s iconic six-inch boot. (Everyone from Supreme and Off-White to Stüssy and Opening Ceremony has given their take on the style.) However, Baque and Awake NY opted for a lesser-known but still covetable style: the Sport Trekker. The outdoorsy-looking boot made its debut in 1995, and Awake NY is the first brand to bring it back for a present-day collaboration. This isn’t the same boot from the 1990s, though—it has been revamped with a premium snake-textured leather and fuzzy statement-fleece accents. If that weren't enough flash, shiny gold eyelets and utilitarian laces round out the high-end-meets-hiking look.
If you followed Baque at Supreme, you know that the designer understands the best collaborations are the ones that color outside the box. (Let’s just say it’s not too often you see a pair of hiking boots decked out in snakeskin and fleece.) Sure, slapping some sought-after logos on a shoe is one way to do it, but revamping an old-school silhouette with unexpected fabrics is a much more interesting way to approach things. If you’re looking for boots with some streetwear pizzazz to get you through winter, these might be the pair for you.
$149, available via Awake NY.
