Studio Hagel Experiments With Stepney Workers Club's Dellow and Varden

East London’s Stepney Workers Club and the Amsterdam-based footwear design company Studio Hagel have come together on a four-piece collaboration, introducing two takes on the Dellow and Varden in “Black” and “Ecru.”

Studio Hagel pushes its mantra of being “driven by experiment” to the max with this collaboration, which takes SWC’s often unassuming and casual sneakers to new, somewhat avant-garde heights. SWC has made a name for itself for being affordable and perfect for pairing with all kinds of looks — its silhouettes are unoffensive, they simply function as clean shoes all year round, and do the job of bringing minimalism yet a hint of fun to your feet.

This collaborative effort is no different, only now there’s a sense that a newfound edge has been applied. The low-top Dellow appears in “Black” or “Ecru,” with both featuring a new understanding of what goes into the process of vulcanized footwear. It comes under a program dubbed “EXP1,” marking a series of experimental releases to come from SWC.

So, for the Dellow, you’ll find sidewall rubber foxing taking center stage on the pair. “Black” or “Ecru” suede makes up the upper, while rubber foxing overlays the sole unit and puckers into a thick joint at the rear. More foxing tape has been applied to the shoe’s upper in black and tan on the “Black” pair, or in cream tones on the “Ecru” look, overlaying the leather gold-letter-stamped heel tab, while more leather can be found on the medial side.

This is pretty much the same recipe for the Varden, seeing foxing tape manipulated and applied to the shoe’s midsole and upper in a deconstructed, avant-garde fashion that lends itself to the collaboration’s statement: “This product isn’t finished. There’s never a final design.” Rounding out all four pairs is the tongue tag selection, which ranges from blue to red and from SWC branding to Studio Hagel’s logo and moniker.

Take a look at the Studio Hagel x Stepney Workers Club Dellow and Varden in “Black” and “Ecru” above. Drop one will consist of the black pairs and will land on June 5, while drop two — “Ecru” — will follow on June 19. Head over to SWC’s website and Instagram account for more information.

In other news, here are this week’s biggest footwear drops.