Reebok and Maison Margiela Are Back With a New Collab
Stephen Garner
News Editor
Reebok and Maison Margiela have yet another collab up their sleeves.
Launching on Jan. 28, the duo will drop the Classic Leather Tabi Décortiqué Low, a low-top version of the Classic Leather Tabi High trainer introduced in June 2021.
The latest collaboration between the French fashion house and the American sportswear brand reinterprets Reebok’s Classic Leather runner, originally released in fall 1983, through Margiela’s technique of décortiqué. Developed by Margiela creative director John Galliano, décortiqué is the technical term used by the brand to describe the deconstruction of a garment or accessory to its core structure.
According to Margiela, the Classic Leather Tabi Décortiqué Low, which will retail for $595, is designed from Reebok’s original base and pattern of the Classic Leather, and features the split-toe derived from Maison Margiela’s signature Tabi shoe from 1988. Employing the technique of décortiqué, leather panels are cut away to reveal the fabric lining of the trainer – effectively creating a cage-like form.
The low-top trainer is available in tonal black, white, and red leather. It also comes in Margiela’s signature ‘bianchetto’ technique: a hand-executed, white-painted black leather base which purposely chips with wear. This style will retail for $650.
The duo’s first collab debuted on the runway in Paris during Couture Week in January 2020 featuring the form of split-toe Instapump Fury sneakers that featured a heel. In September 2020, the Maison Margiela x Reebok Tabi Instapump Fury was released. It was the first time Reebok released a heeled version of the Instapump Fury silhouette.
Since then, Reebok and Margiela have worked together to produce sneakers that are instant fan-favorites. In March of last year, the duo released the $300 classic Club C style, which applied Margiela’s 1996 tromp l’oeil technique to the iconic Reebok sneaker. And, last April, the futuristic Tabi Instapump Fury made its return with a glazed calf leather low-top derby featuring Reebok’s trademark Pump Technology and a chunky sole, as well as Margiela’s spit-toe design.
