Pepsi and Gourmet link up to produce a special-edition Gourmet UNO. The limited kicks come with three different lace sets (red, blue, and red/white/blue), playing up the different colors in the design seen throughout the midsoles and tongue. The collaboration is being seeded to a key list of influencers, with possible retail distribution in the near future. Below, the Gourmet Team speaks on why and how this collaboration came to life, with the assistance of Pepsi and Epiphany.
Why do a shoe with Pepsi?
When the opportunity to do a collaborative shoe for Pepsi arose, we were very excited about the project. Epiphany approached us with the idea, they had the relationship and we ran with it. The heritage of Pepsi in the US and where we grew up in the East Coast is very nostalgic. Seeing the Pepsi vending machines as kids and growing up in the end of glass bottles and the introduction of the 3 liter. More importantly, Pepsi is classic American and has evolved but stayed constant all these years. We like to think of our brand Gourmet as very similar.
How did you choose the design elements?
The design process and fabrication for this piece was clean and classic. We utilized our signature model the UNO and applied a 8 oz. cotton canvas with a high density silk screen on the tongue. The light weight fabric was chosen to be worn in the spring or summer. What is better than an ice cold Pepsi on a hot summer day, the shoe complements that. The color chosen are the exact Pantones from a Pepsi can. We blocked the sole in the standard Pepsi navy and played with the white and red on the upper and laces. Overall the shoe is classic with a pop; you can see the connection.
