McLaren Automotive has furthered its collaboration with Californian footwear brand APL (Athletic Propulsion Labs) with three fresh takes on the APL McLaren HySpeed sneakers. The partnership, which started in August 2022, has now been expanded with three new colourways, Magenta/Pristine, Pristine/Tan/Midnight and a classic Black/White mix.
APL was set up in Los Angeles by Adam and Ryan Goldston in 2009. Blending high-tech materials, technologies and contemporary design has kept its performance footwear at the forefront of the luxe fitness boom.
APL’s teaming up with McLaren is intended to draw explicit parallels between technology and performance – both companies have been pioneers in their field, with McLaren one of the earliest adopters of carbon-fibre construction and APL developing ultra-light mid- and outsoles as well as integrated compression springs to give runners and athletes a dynamic boost.
APL McLaren HySpeed sneakers and their automotive design cues
The three new HySpeed colourways are directly inspired by McLaren’s own design team, from the vibrant magenta intended to signify the cars’ ‘dynamic performance and driving characteristics’, while the Pristine/Tan/Midnight mix takes ‘inspiration from McLaren interiors and the French Riviera’.
McLaren has always been pretty discriminating about its co-creators. Recently, the sports car maker has had a magnificent one-off collaboration with Hermès, as well as an ongoing partnership with Richard Mille. Other named partners include Bowers & Wilkins, which supplies audio systems for McLaren supercars, and luggage maker Tumi. The company’s current line-up includes the new McLaren Artura and McLaren GT, with production of the excellent 720S ending just last month.
‘Both McLaren and APL are leaders in their fields and are committed to pushing the boundaries of design and technology for enhanced performance, which makes this collaboration such a perfect fit,’ says McLaren Automotive’s chief sales and marketing officer George Biggs.
In a piece of unlikely cultural cross-pollination, the California-based Goldston twins claim they were ‘inspired by the “Wizards of Woking”‘, and that the new sneakers are an ‘homage that [brings] unique mixtures of texture and colour to the HySpeed range’.
2023 APL McLaren HySpeed, £545 / $450 / €619,95
athleticpropulsionlabs.com, cars.mclaren.com
Also available at APL’s flagship store at The Grove in Los Angeles.
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