Matt Varga While most sneakerheads will most easily identify the Bape STA and the Sk8 STA in the Bathing Ape footwear archives, the brand is consistently innovating on their own work as the seasons push on. The Flip STA is one of their most recent innovations, a chunky take on the Road STA that marks a knowing embrace of skate culture. As we work through the debut looks for the model, it’s chalking off some suede-heavy, earthy editions with the Flip STA in brown and ivory.
Though the visible cushioning from the Road STA in the heel remains for the Flip STA, the work of OSIRIS and other 2000s brands (as well as the current luxury models they inspired) loom large for this pair, with sized up overlays, wavy curvilinear panelling and an ultra-chunky tongue. Venturing into these two tonal hues for the shoe’s second-ever collection certainly marks a divergence from that design language, yet it’s an appealing one all the same, In particular, the all-brown look succeeds with some throwback mixed media, pinning shaggy suede on the base layer with rich tumbled leather gracing the BAPE logo.
Both the Bape Flip STA in brown and ivory are set to release via global BAPE channels on February 15th. Concrete pricing hasn’t come about, but previous pairs hovered around $335. Check out official campaign images below.
