The trend of fluffy sneakers From the Nike SB Dunk Grateful Dead to the latest New Balance by Salehe Bembury

Alongside acclaimed collaborations with luxury brands, the umpteenth reiteration of classic silhouettes re-proposed in a new version and in general a certain flattening on a creative level, in the last two years a trend has made its way into the sneaker world that seems bound to grow further in the upcoming months. The search for new materials and the use of unexpected textures has meant that sneakers with a "hairy", furry or shaggy upper, have reached out a prominent role in the contemporary sneaker game, as @samutaro explained well on Instagram. 

The latest sneaker to join this creative current, in a certain way reinterpreting and elevating it, is the New Balance 2002R designed by Salehe Bembury, a sneaker inspired by the shapes and colours of the Antelope Canyon, reproduced to the smallest details in the silhouette, a suede upper complete with a dirty effect on the midsole, to simulate the red clay of the canyon. Thanks to such specific details, especially in terms of texture, the sneaker is already an example of the best releases of the year. 

The choice of this type of material is certainly connected to the seasonality of the shoe - "furry" or fleece-like textures are perfect for autumn-winter - but it is also connected to the ultimate goal with which a sneaker is designed. On the one hand, a material like this allows you to experiment, to let the creativity free, to create exaggerated silhouettes, real colourful and fun patchworks; on the other hand, it allows to obtain a more 'high', more sophisticated and luxury effect for shoes with a linear design.