Awake NY and Merrell are set to test the limits of the power streetwear has in collaborations.
Merrell’s Jungle Moc, one of the dorkiest shoes you’ll ever see and one that may scream “dad” so strongly it’s beyond saving, is getting a streetwear spin under Awake NY’s stead. There’s hardly anything cool about the suede slip-on with an octopus-like tread that climbs up the midsole, and we have to wonder if any brand in the world could possibly make it hot.
Awake NY’s contribution to the shoe is minimal, rendering it a tonal cream color scheme with sparse red accents. In place of Merrell’s, the streetwear brand’s logo is debossed near the elastic tongue — and that’s all she wrote, folks. The not-quite sneaker, not-quite moccasin is here to tempt those who think they can get a fit off in it, and I’m not sure there’s anyone up to the task.
Merrell does have a much cooler Moc —
While it’s easy to poke fun at the Jungle Moc most commonly seen worn with a pair of jeans with an unfortunate stack, Merrell’s newer Hydro Moc is one of the coolest shoes around as sandals and clogs have become more fashionable.
The more contemporary Moc is essentially a juiced-up pair of Crocs, with more aggressive lines that put it somewhere between the foam clogs that have made a remarkable comeback and Kanye West’s highly coveted Yeezy Foam Runner. It would have been a more obvious choice for Awake NY to collaborate on, but we have to admire the confidence needed to take on the Jungle Moc instead, regardless of how it’s panned out.
If you’ve got a level of confidence to match, Awake NY’s 1TRL Jungle Moc will go on sale this Friday, June 18, through their own website as well as Dover Street Market. I’d say there should be no rush, but who knows, stranger things than a shoe as swagless as this selling out.
