Aaron Hope 
Japanese streetwear label A Bathing Ape would never be accused of borrowing anyone else’s original designs, right? Ok, so that’s a bit of blatant sarcasm, but to some, BAPE’s reappropriation of classic styles amounts to little more than biting. But Nigo’s brand is not without some self-awareness (it is named A Bathing Ape, after all), so when you consider the Bathing Ape Bapesta ‘Lettered’, it can be seen as more of an homage to last year’s Air Force 1 ‘5 Boroughs Pack’ than an outright rip-off. Pairs in brown, blue, grey and green add tonal chenille Stars to their leather uppers, an accent color outlining the separation and pointing your eye to the heel where a safety-pinned varsity-style ‘B’ finishes off the letterman look. Click through to see more of all three and look for these now at the BAPE e-store and select retailers around the globe.
