FRONTEER Issue 1 "The Day Starts In Griffith" Lookbook
Inspired by the road less traveled and ’90s retro outdoor styles.
“Life is a journey through self-discovery” says Houston-born footwear designer Jon Tang, who created FRONTEER to show that functionality and purpose can both coexist in footwear without having to compromise on style. Inspired by the great outdoors along with NASA and space — which he’s had an affinity for since youth — FRONTEER is a product created with expertise accumulated from Tang’s past creative tenures. Having honed his skills designing for PUMA, K-Swiss and KITH (he previously worked on the HYPEBEAST x PUMA “The Dim Sum Project”), Tang launched the label in ode to the road less traveled. The first release is dubbed the Super Gratton, outfitted here in two colorways: “Boulder Blue” and “Sandstone.”
The sneaker pays homage to French alpinist Pierre Allain who designed the first ever rock climbing shoe purposely engineered for vigorous wearing, the EB Super Gratton. The color block design across the pigskin upper mirrors that of the iconic classic, while a micro-fiber suede sock cover, and an EVA molded sockliner providing greater comfort and support. A black rubber sole offers apt contrast and a classic feel. Rounding out the design is a bold sunset emblem, which is a reference to the warm Los Angeles sunset, created with nostalgic color palettes deriving from ’80s and ’90s retro outdoor styles. Shot by Los Angeles photographer Ja Tecson, cast your eyes over the brand’s first lookbook fronted by artist and sneaker enthusiast Sophia Chang, and head to the brand’s webpage for more information.
