Issey Miyake’s second collaboration with Spanish shoemaker Camper began not with the feet but with the hands: befitting the two labels’ foundation in experimentation and play, existing shoes were torn apart and then pieced back together into intriguing new forms.
‘It was through the process of piecing our findings together – as if building them like wooden blocks – that we developed the design of Karst Finch,’ Satoshi Kondo, head of Issey Miyake’s womenswear line, tells Wallpaper*. The shoe takes its name from the Karst, an original Camper shoe – a reference to the rocky geological phenomenon – while the ‘Finch’ refers to its inspiration point, the colourful plumage of the common garden bird.
Introducing Camper x Issey Miyake Karst Finch sneakers
‘During the development stage, we looked at photo books of finches and other small birds and were drawn to the richness and subtlety of their plumage and beaks,’ Kondo continues, noting that they inspired the shoe’s colour palette.
Indeed, the Karst Finch, which has a Mary Jane silhouette and playful, bubble sole, comes in a range of bold hues, including pink, yellow, green and blue, while each pair comes with two pairs of socks, in matching or contrasting tones (the effect is something like a sock-sneaker, though they can be worn without). Issey Miyake and Camper say they hope it will encourage the wearer to ‘mix, match and personalise the look’.
‘We see Camper as a company that values both craftsmanship and technology during the creation process and we feel that this attitude towards design and making resonates with [ours],’ Kondo explains of the wider collaboration, which began with a co-designed shoe for the Japanese brand’s A/W 2025 collection (a slouchy shoe and boot made from a singular piece of leather, a nod to Issey Miyake’s ‘A Piece of Cloth’ concept). The Karst Finch, meanwhile, appeared in the brand’s S/S 2026 runway show this past October.
‘We also appreciate how Camper is proactive in promoting culture by engaging with local communities through its product,’ Kondo continues. ‘We create what people wear with the same spirit – whether it’s clothing or footwear – as both companies think about design beyond the context of fashion and engage actively in collaborating with other creative disciplines.’
Camper x Issey Miyake Karst Finch sneakers are available globally from 15 April 2026.
