Sneaker Politics and Reebok Team up to Pay Tribute to One of America's Most Storied Red Light Districts
Lace and leather.
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.
