Matt Varga One of the longest running disputes in footwear came to an end with Nike v. BAPE reaching legal conclusion last week. Though the agreement will force the Japanese imprint to suspend multiple models and amend the design of the BAPE STA and SK8 STA, their newest product announcement shows that they’re not backing down in taking inspiration from the Beaverton giant. Their latest formulation, the BAPE CLUTCH STA, is now emerging in two monochromatic “Faux Croc” colorways.
First released in Q4 2023, the CLUTCH STA wears some pretty obvious inspiration from both the Swoosh and Jumpman. Be it the midsole indentation, perforated collar, outsole star design or lace stay panel, there’s pieces of this shoe that seem directly taken from the Air Jordan 3, Air Jordan 4 and Nike Air Tech Challenge II, among others.
How the design language rhymes aside, this edition switches up from past colorways in its hardware, opting for faux croc leather that takes up the entirety of the upper. While the white pair goes fully monochrome, the black edition stops just short, including a classic white midsole to break up its otherwise all-midnight profile.
Both the white and black pairs of the BAPE CLUTCH STA will release online and in-person on May 11th. If past releases inform this drop, expect a retail price between $275 and $300.
Shifting back to Nike news, we got in-hand images of this October’s Air Jordan 1 Black Toe Reimagined.
