Vans Works With Korean Media Brand Kakao & Artist Hyunye for New Sneaker Collection

Directly following the unveiling of the “Off the Waffles” collaboration with Sweet Chick, Vans is introducing a new collaborative collection alongside Korean online media outfit Kakao and Korean artist Hyunye.

Specifically, Vans and Kakao’s joint offering finds Hyunye re-imagining the Kakao Friends characters for a series of vibrant designs featured on this collection’s sneakers; Slip-On, Era and Old Skool (both low- and hi-top renditions) silhouettes were reworked to create this collaboration, while orange, purple and two tones of purple serve as its colorways.

For the inspiration behind her designs for the Vans x Kakao Friends x Hyunye collection, Hyunye “imagined a world where the Kakao Friends characters would go ‘Off The
Wall.’” Every single one of the hand-drawn Kakao Friends characters that adorn the exteriors of this range’s sneakers were designed and illustrated in a way that expresses their “hidden personalities;” according to Hyunye, the figures that serve as the stars of her new footwear collaboration are ”being freed from the pressure and mainstream style which is perfect and pretty,” because she “wanted to suggest another expressive style.”

You can take a look at Vans, Kakao and Hyuny’s collaborative Kakao Friends footwear collection above; the line’s Slip-On, Era and Old Skool models are scheduled to see release on May 3. The Vans x Kakao Friends x Hyunye Collection will be available for purchase at the Vans website, select Vans retailer and the Kakao Friends website. For more information, head on over the aforementioned collaboration’s official website.

For more, check out Vans and Ralph Steadman’s new collaborative collection in its entirety.