Does Raf Simons' New Pharaxus Sneaker Look Familiar to You?
Footwear nostalgia is rife with the designer’s SS23 drop, which also includes the sporty Ultrasceptre sneaker.
Raf Simons and adidas had the sneaker community in a chokehold in the mid-2010s with the duo’s Stan Smith, Ozweego, and Detroit Runner, but did you know the Belgian designer actually has a footwear catalog that dates back much further than this collaborative era?
Styles like the highly-sought-after Spring/Summer 2005 “History of my World” Moto Sneaker, SS08 De Stijl Hiking Boots, and the collaborative Raf Simons x colette x COMME des GARÇONS x Vans Slip-On single-handedly positioned Simons as a designer of great footwear as much as he is a sartorial tastemaker. Now he is back, presenting two new styles informed by creations of the past: the Ultrasceptre and the Pharaxus.
The mesh and leather-made Ultrasceptre comes in “Cream/Green” or “Black/Gray,” and opts for a streamlined silhouette we’ve seldom seen from the designer. It’s technical in nature, featuring rubber elements on the side wall and gummy branding on the tongue alongside glossy rear-quarter components and sporty three-dimensional etching on the eyestay placket for a style indebted to 2000s runners. A clip on the lateral mid-panel harks back to Simon’s (RUNNER) collection, which this duo of styles expands on.
As for the Pharaxus, you might be feeling a sense of nostalgia. That’s because the sneaker is unarguably reminiscent of the Ozweego, particularly in the white and cream colorway. It’s more sculptural and bulkier than the Ultrasceptre, featuring mounds of rubber on the mesh and faux leather upper — just like the Ozweego did. Likewise, there’s also a bound seam running around the perimeter of the shoe, per the Ozweego, and even elements like the sole unit and how the outsole forms the toe tip feel as if they’re a nod to the designer’s popular adidas collaboration.
Both styles are available in multiple colorways on HBX, retailing from $420 USD to $460 USD a pair. Take a closer look at the new SS23 silhouettes above. If you’re interested in more Raf kicks, head over to Grailed.
Elsewhere, Balenciaga’s muddy 3XL Trainer is coming.
