Christian Louboutin joined menswear’s most esteemed tastemakers as a first-time special project of Pitti Immagine Uomo’s 92nd edition. The historic Piazza Santa Maria Novella in Florence served as the setting for a dynamic, day-long Bike Polo tournament staged by the renowned footwear designer to introduce AURELIEN’ SNEAKER, with eight teams representing France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, the UK and the USA going tête-à-tête for the title of champion.
Born in Seattle, WA in 1999, Hardcourt Bike Polo as we know it developed from pick-up games staged by the Western US city’s community of bike messengers. Originally a clandestine form of recreation in their down time, the game traveled through word-of-mouth to the Midwest, New York and later Europe, arriving in London in 2006. Yorgo Tloupas, the captain of Paris team Raclette Party, is affectionately nicknamed the ‘Godfather’ of the sport, as he successively brought the game from New York to London and later Paris nearly 10 years ago, introducing countless players to the game.
Each team of three sported a key AW17 introduction to Louboutin’s beloved men’s collection: the Aurelien sneaker. An evolution of spring’s high-top Loubikick, Aurelien brings the energy of a classic ‘90’s basketball sneaker to a modern, low-top silhouette. With a unique and sophisticated cup sole construction, both Loubikick and Aurelien cradle the foot, with a wider base that balances style and comfort. The outsole seen on both styles are unique in the world of footwear. A perfect mix of Italian craftsmanship and innovative manufacturing technology, Aurelien boasts hand-cut leather pieces, and applied rubber embossed with an ultra-high resolution scan of crocodile skin, for an exotic effect that would fool even the most trained eye. A red-lined neoprene sock inside the shoe cradles the foot for comfort and enables the shoe to be worn without tying the laces for a strong fashion statement.
Monochromatic black and white offer a minimalistic take, while bolder Louboutin Hommes will take to more audacious colourways, including a colour block comprised of bold primary and secondary hues. For the Pitti Uomo tournament, each team will wear a different colour Aurelien, customised in form by Louboutin’s trusted Florentine factories solely for the sport and this occasion.
