minimalist
Jean Nouvel adds footwear design to his stacked resume
French starchitect Jean Nouvel has added another notch to his design belt with Pure, a capsule collection of sneakers in collaboration with Italian label Ruco Line. Available in black, white, yellow and fuschia, each minimalist shoe ($430) is lined in calf leather with a 50-mm rubber outsole. The only detail on its surface is a printed stamp with its style and color code, product name and production date. As Nouvel explains, “The aim was to get a form that could wrap the foot completely.”
On Tap
Columbia aims to outpace its outdoor competitors with a waterproof minimalist collection.
“Less is more” might be the most influential philosophy in footwear at the moment, and it certainly is at Columbia, says Mark Nenow, vice president of footwear. Inspired by the minimalist movement racing through the athletic world, the company is releasing 25 new lightweight styles for Spring ’12, including a trail running shoe, the Ravenous Lite, weighing in at just over six ounces.
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