Has K-Swiss's Newest 'Ghostbusters' Design Made Them the King of Collabs?

As an homage to the 35th anniversary of Ghostbusters, K-Swiss has teamed up with Foot Locker to unveil a limited edition shoe inspired by the villains from the movie. Known as the Villains Duo, the two shoes honor the most memorable monsters from the 1984 film: Slimer and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.

The Slimer design transformed the K-Swiss Classic 2000 with a PVC upper, even though PE is the most common plastic. The plastic upper pays homage to the slime this ghost produces, offering a translucent appearance in an ectoplasm green color.

The upper also features the Ghostbusters logo right on the tongue which will always be visible above the metal D-ring lace system. K-Swiss also took the tongue idea quite literally, making the inside of the shoe's tongue pink to look like Slimer's signature quality.



Best of all? The insole of the shoe features a stylized rendition of Slimer, who looks ready to "eat your sole." If you're not impressed with this attention to design, you can also enjoy the glow-in-the-dark rubber soles which mimic the Slimer's ectoplasmic glow.

The Stay Puft Marshmallow design is showcased on the Si-18 International. Thanks to its puffier, almost cloud-like appearance, this was the perfect option for a marshmallow-inspired villain. The predominantly white upper is accented by red and blue's meant to mirror the villain's design. But the truly special part of this design is the Stay Puft-approved quilted toe, an undeniably important aspect of the collaboration.


The shoe also features the Stay Puft logo on the tongue and a Ghostbusters strip on the back. If you're not in love yet, you'll adore the "GB-84" embroidered on the side, a subtle nod to the film's release.
Both shoes come in a box modeled after the ghost traps used by the busters in the film.
If you want to grab these limited edition shoes, they dropped at Foot Locker on June 8 and hit online shelves on June 13.
Known for its collaborations with popular films, this isn't the first time K-Swiss has teamed up with a cult classic. Just one month ago, K-Swiss also released its limited edition collab with the popular '90s hit Clueless.

Retailing for only $80, even celebrities like Taylor Swift have been spotted rocking the plaid designs and signature "Ugh! As if!" on the outer soles of the sneaker. Check out the below video of Dan Aykroyd unboxing the K-Swiss X Ghostbusters sneakers below:


But these aren't K-Swiss' only collabs of the year. Along with their popular movie-inspired footwear, the brand has even unveiled ice cream-inspired sneakers.
If you're looking for something sweeter, why not try K-Swiss collab with Coolhaus ice cream? In honor of the co-founder and CEO's 10th anniversary working for Coolhaus, Natasha Case was more than happy to gush about her positive experience working with K-Swiss on a subtle, but exciting design.

"It was a very very strong partnership from the get-go. I felt like they really wanted to hear my thoughts and understand the story and embed themselves in the brand as much as possible," noted Case in a recent interview.

But when it came to the shoe's design, the women-owned company didn't want to get too heavy-handed. Even though 90% of Americans regularly indulge in a frozen treat, that doesn't mean they want to wear it on their feet every day.

"We came across, not only the sprinkle but the semi-opaque sole, which also feels kind of frosted and cold, so it was a way to alluding to the texture and making the connection without it being too obvious or dumbed-down," Case concludes.

With only 5% of women CEOs heading Fortune 500 companies, it was vital for Coolhaus to move carefully throughout this collaboration. But Case had nothing but good things to say regarding her experience with K-Swiss and the final design for the ice cream-inspired kicks.
Has K-Swiss become the king of collaborations? It's too soon to say. But if the first half of 2019 is any indication for the rest of the year, we've got some sick sneakers to look forward to in the coming months.

Category: Classic 2000, Dan Aykroyd, Footwear Collaboration, K-Swiss X Ghostbusters, Men's Shoes, Men's Sneakers, Shoeography, SI-18 International Heritage, Slimer, Stay Puft, Women's Shoes, Women's Sneakers