Sneaker Politics and Reebok Team up to Pay Tribute to One of America's Most Storied Red Light Districts
Lace and leather.
![](https://image-cdn.hypb.st/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2016%2F05%2Fsneaker-politics-reebok-storyville-111.jpg?cbr=1&q=90)
Reebok has teamed up with the folks over at Sneaker Politics for a lush rendition of the NPC UK CNL inspired by Storyville. The neighborhood served as New Orleans’s infamous Red Light District from the late 1800s until 1917; the neighborhood itself was established as a 16-block gray zone where prostitution was tolerated, despite being nominally against the law.
As a result, the sneaker takes design cues from the bordellos and brothels of old: the shoe’s quilted maroon leather upper draw from the chaise lounges and couches found in such locales; the insoles feature a red-on-red pattern that mimics a brothel’s floor-to-ceiling velvet walls. The gum outsole was meant to reflect the Big Easy’s dirty streets — a nightmare for sneakerheads — and the glossy black eyelets are a nod to garters and fancy lingerie.
This salacious pair of kicks will retail for $110 USD. The first physical drop is on May 20 at Sneaker Politics’s Lafayette and Baton Rouge locations, naturally; an online drop will follow the next day.