by Richard Ng
Heineken
Yes, you read that right — These sneakers are filled with beer. Heineken has made the impossible possible through their collaboration with celebrity sneaker designer Dominic Cambrione, also known more widely as The Shoe Surgeon. Cambrione, creator of bespoke kicks for the likes of LeBron James and Drake, turned the radical idea into reality by injecting beer into the soles of the sneakers with surgical precision.
On the collaboration, Cambrione says: “Partnering with Heineken for their new beer was a fun challenge. We both share a passion for innovation and pushing boundaries, and created a design to reflect that.”
“I can’t say I’ve ever designed a sneaker that carries actual beer before,” he concludes.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that the Heinekicks is truly a Heineken, inside out. On the exterior, the sneaker features a red, green and silver colourway — a representation of Heineken’s official colours. On the inside of the soles is of course the Heineken brew itself.
The team at Heineken have also generously snuck in a removable bottle opener into the sneaker’s tongue, so pop open a bottle of fresh beer with that instead of attempting to drink the beer from the sneaker’s soles.
Drinking from shoes is an Aussie booze tradition
Photo: Heineken
Funnily enough, shoes and beer aren’t as outlandish a pairing as you’d think. The shoey – or the act of pouring one’s drink, usually beer, into your boot before chugging it – is a well-documented tradition in Australian booze culture. Notable proponents of the shoey include Formula 1’s Daniel Ricciardo, who chugged champagne out of his boot following multiple podium finishes in 2016.
Which brings us to the next important question — how does it feel like walking on beer? According to Heineken, the soles provide the wearer with an unexpectedly smooth and unique sensation when on the go.
Only 32 pairs of Heinekicks will be made, of which seven will be made available for local sneakerheads come Q4 2022. Alternatively, you can get a look at them in the flesh from August 11 at the Limited Edt Vault at 313@Somerset.
