Matt Varga Arthur Kar and his L’Art De L’Automobile have collided with cultural A-listers dozens of times and in various ways; a chest-out outro on Drake’s “Her Loss,” clothing collabs with Travis Scott, event designing with Kanye West. Wherever it’s taken him, Kar’s career has centered around automobiles, extending out into the brand’s partnership with Salomon first minted in 2022. The two partners are back once again, unveiling collaborative takes on the Salomon Speedcross and XT-4.
The history of European racing looms large over this collection. The Porsche GT1 mobil1, a premier motorsport design of the late 90s and Le Mans winner, is the inspiration for both shoes. The sharp geometric pattern that marks the car’s body is reflected on the body of the XT-4, and its tone-on-white colorway is mirrored on the full profile.
Inverting the palette, the Speedcross pays homage to that iconic sports car in more broad fashion, reflecting the same French national color scheme without such specific references. However, that’s not to say the shoe is any less complex; a gradient from deep navy to red works from heel to toe on the mesh foundation, countered by an ombre from royal blue to white on the midfoot overlay.
Both shoes close out with co-branded KAR and L’Art De L’Automobile branding dotted throughout. The insole contains the best special edition touch, each side bearing one half of an illustration of the GT1 when combined.
The Salomon L’Art De L’Automobile collection released on June 14th via the motorsport brand’s website; select sizes remain available at the time of writing. A wider drop via Salomon is set for June 20th- expect a $140 retail for the Speedcross and $230 for the XT-4. You can catch detailed product shots and campaign images just ahead.
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