Dan Bailey, aka Mr. Bailey, is a UK-based independent designer who has been fortunate enough to design for the likes of Takashi Murikami on a sneaker inspired by a Pharrell Williams x Murikami statue from 2009. While not being tied to any brand specifically, his major footwear collab in the past was with adidas, creating an Ammonite Superstar that takes multiple marine organisms into its design aesthetic. It seems Bailey has a muse as he has just teased an early prototype of an upcoming project with The Three Stripes that also takes inspiration from the sea, the Mr. Bailey x adidas Originals OZLUCENT.
As stated in a promo video for this project, Bailey says “Nature is our greatest luxury. It’s easy to forget that we ourselves are natural organisms and products of nature and we constantly need to reconnect and see how we can look to nature its design systems, and build upon them with our current technologies.” His statement could not be more true as the OZLUCENT, from packaging to its silhouette, carries with it an organic design. Housed in a “box” made from sugar cane and cellulose internally and a mushroom-derived outer shell, the sneakers within scream natural with its rubber exoskeleton getting a curvy design and cutouts bearing resemblance to what one would find on the bottom of the ocean floor. Various struts jet out around the collar and heel, housing an internal neoprene bootie that keeps the monochromatic black look seen throughout. On the midsole, more organic shapes are embossed into the mold, paired with a rubber outsole that completes the prototype.
Though this is an early prototype of what is to come from the Mr. Bailey x adidas Originals OZLUCENT, we’re sure to get even more info in the coming days and weeks. The pair is expected to release in 2022 through adidas, Mr. Bailey, and select retailers online and in-store. As of now, sizing and its retail price point are TBA. Keep it locked to our Twitter and the Sole Retriever mobile app for more updates regarding this avant-garde footwear offering and more in the sneaker and streetwear space.
Mr. Bailey x adidas Originals OZLUCENT
Images via Mr. Bailey
Sneakerhead from South Florida who turned his passion into a career. Concerts, music, trying new restaurants, and catching the latest movies are some of the things I enjoy when not writing for Sole Retriever. Email: nick@soleretriever.com
