Back in 2018, designers Nathalie Nguyen and Dominic Lopez shared an image of a virtual sneaker concept on Instagram, dubbed “Happy99.” Following immense interest, the digital “passion project between two long-distance artists and designers” has now become a reality in the apparel and footwear space.
“When we first started ‘H99,’ we originally used the page to showcase our own 3D shoe concepts, so finally being able to make our first shoe is really full circle for us,” said Happy99 Co-Founder, Dominic Lopez.
For Happy99’s latest collaboration, the duo teamed up with Reebok to reimagine the Instapump Fury 95. The “Purple/Midnight/Earth” and “Boulder Grey/Mint” colorways deliver a mix of fabrics and bold color pops that draw from ‘90s video games and anime. Standout design elements include a translucent Pump button and bladder, a Cordura, suede, and synthetic mixed material upper, graphic nylon and ripstop gaiter, custom graphic sockliner, an OG Fury carbon footplate, and diverse branding.
“We love the icon-ism of Fury in general, from its popularity in cult classic moments to its anime collabs and fun cameos,” continued Lopez. “From a design perspective, the silhouette’s sharpness combined with the bubbly facade of the Pump bladder is such a cool juxtaposition. And the option to cover with the gaiter gives it some height and a nice added layer of texture.”
“We’re big fans of doll culture and often make miniature clothes and shoes for dolls to shoot for promo,” added Happy99 Co-Founder, Nathalie Nguyen. “Usually we work with 1/3 and 1/6 scale dolls but for this project we decided to 3D print a life-sized doll (1/1 scale), to shoot it in the wild in our neighborhood -Chinatown, NYC.”
Priced at $250 USD, the Happy99 x Reebok Instapump Fury 95 will be available exclusively from Happy99 December 15, with a wider global release through Reebok and select retailers December 22.
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