Comme des Garçons relaunch a collaborative sneaker with Nike — the Terminator High.
A brand like Comme des Garçons is no stranger to the unorthodox. In many ways, it is a representative of the alternative, thought-provoking and more disruptive side to fashion, its labyrinthine nature a mirror of the radical spirit of Rei Kawakubo — founder and designer of the Japanese label. So it’s always interesting when brand collaborations include them in the picture, even if it’s in a rather simple re-interpretation of an archival shoe silhouette, like in their version of Nike’s Terminator High.
First introduced in 1985 as a special edition sneaker for the Georgetown Hoyas men’s program, the Terminator High was the sportswear giant’s first signature shoe for a college basketball team. How this combination of the Nike Dunk and Air Jordan 1 came about is a tale of special connections — Georgetown Hoya’s head coach, John Thompson, was on Nike’s board of directors and was currently coaching one of the most popular teams in the sport when the brand rolled out its plan to strengthen its relationship with college athletes (and the programs, and coaches, that supported them), at the start of the 1985 season. So naturally, his players were spoiled. And now, sneakerheads get a special version of this model with a CDG stamp on it.
Simple and reminiscent of the original launch, the Comme des Garçons Homme Plus updates the iconic silhouette to feature black, navy and red colour block panels with a matching Swoosh and “CDG” and “NIKE”, hot on the heel. The Terminator High is made of premium leather with a perforated toe box for breathability, a padded collar and tongue, and features a pronounced pull tab and unique lacing system.
The campaign is where the alternative side of this collaboration comes to the fore. Creative directors Ronnie Cooke Newhouse and Karl Bolander of House + Holme introduce the new Nike x Comme des Garçons Terminator High campaign together with an adorable family of elephants, all on their journey to a nearby watering hole. This collaboration comes after Nike re-released the Terminator High late last year.
The sneakers are exclusively available at Comme des Garçons voco Orchard, Dover Street Market Singapore and on the DSMS E-Shop. Once you’re done with this story, click here to catch up with our April 2023 issue.
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