Paris Fashion Week appears to be the gift that keeps on giving when it comes to crossovers with football this year, and this time we get an iconic football boot throwback in the form of a T90 II-inspired trainer from Swedish fashion house, Acne Studios.
It feels like football culture is really en vogue at Paris Fashion Week this year, with Wales Bonner including the unreleased Adidas Jamaica home and away shirts in their collection, before Mexican streetwear label Liberal Youth Ministry unveiled a collaboration with Chivas Guadalajara as part of their display. And now Swedish fashion house Acne Studios are getting in on the act, although this time its footwear that’s in focus.
As part of its FW23 collection, Stockholm-based Acne Studios unveiled a full menswear collection that looked to explore “the so-called rules of masculinity.” As part of the collection there was a very recognisable silhouette on the feet of several of the models, and it was that of Nike's iconic 2002 Air Zoom Total 90 II boot.
Worn by the likes of Luis Figo, Paul Scholes, Roberto Carlos, Freddie Ljungberg and Francesco Totti in the 2002 World Cup, and later by a young Wayne Rooney, the Nike Air Zoom Total 90 II took on an instantly iconic status thanks to its immediately recognisable design on the feet of some of the world’s best. And it’s that instantly recognisable design, with off-centre lacing and tongue that is recreated here by Acne Studios. The main switch up comes in the fact that it is mounted on a monstrously mutated outsole, equipping it for life off the pitch, and bringing to mind what adidas did with the Predator offspring, the Sobakov, or even what Parisian label BOTTER did with the Predator at PFW last year.
Call it copying, call it homage, whatever it is it’s clear where its influence has come from. Acne Studios have dabbled in the football world before, and we’re OK with football’s influence continuing to spill on to catwalks across the world.
Look out for the T90-inspired sneaker in Acne Studios upcoming collection. If Nike don't step in that is.
