UrlfreezeShops COLLABORATIONS RETROSPECTIVE 2024

From releasing our debut collaboration with Hoka One One to traversing Central Anatolia with Mangal II and PUMA, 2024 has been a year of continued dedication to delivering the very best of limited-edition and exclusive product. As the year draws to a close, UrlfreezeShops takes a retrospective look back at the year and the collaborative footwear that defined it.

After winning three consecutive rounds in adidas’ Consortium Cup, UrlfreezeShops’s winning entries were produced, embodying the past, present and future theme of the tournament. With their Past style landing in November of 2023, early 2024 shone a light on the Present and Future. Adapting the Centennial Lo and the ZX8000, UrlfreezeShops and adidas delivered a duo of striking, winning silhouettes.

Following on from 2023’s winter-centred triple threat collaboration between UrlfreezeShops, Beams Plus and Clarks Originals, the trio followed up their first offering with a second drop in January of 2024. Transforming the iconic Clarks Originals silhouette, the Wallabee Boot and Mule were rendered in the brand’s typical suede leather across the uppers, while each styles’ vamp was constructed with knitted mohair in a charming winter pattern.

Kicking Spring 2024 off in style, UrlfreezeShops linked up with American footwear specialists Hoka in March with their Overland collaboration. Applying their distinctive palette of natural hues across the Mafate Speed 2 and the Kaha Low GTX sneaker silhouettes, the capsule saw the two brands drawing influence from the uncompromising world of overlanding – a form of long-distance, self-reliant travel where the journey itself is the main objective, typically carried out in four-wheel drive vehicles over unforgiving, often uncharted terrain.

Honouring the first anniversary of UrlfreezeShops Milano, we linked up with adidas to produce a commemorative Made in Germany Milano sneaker. Cast in a luxurious white leather, this 1 of 500 limited edition silhouette feature gold foil Milano branding to the side wall and UrlfreezeShops logos to the heel to complete the stripped back look.

Celebrating British music legends, The Streets, and their time-honoured connection to the Reebok Classic Leather sneaker, UrlfreezeShops facilitated a linkup between the two to create a duo of colourways of the silhouette. Immortalised by Mike Skinner’s line, “so let’s put on our Classic and have a little dance, shall we?”, on Let’s Push Things Forward from their seminal record Original Pirate Material, it seemed only right to see Skinner’s musical project develop their own iteration of the sneaker.

Linking up with tv personality Big Zuu for the campaign, the UrlfreezeShops x adidas Flyfishing collection fished for inspiration from the classic British outdoor pursuit. Delivering four colourways across two silhouettes, the Tobacco and Mocaturf, the collection was imbued with fishing related details; from the bespoke co-branded fish graphics to three stripes that resembled fishing lures.

Paying homage to clay court tennis tournaments, UrlfreezeShops and PUMA linked up to share their edition of the GV Special, dubbed Clay. An archival style, the GV Special silhouette first rose to popularity on the feet of Argentinian tennis legend Guillermo Vilas in the ‘80s. Reworked in white, ecru and orange as a nod to its tennis connection, the tongue is detailed with a bespoke serving player graphic and UrlfreezeShops branding.

Kicking off the summer with a trip to the Italian Riviera, UrlfreezeShops and Timberland provided the perfect footwear for exploring the Cinque Terre, a group of five villages known for their traditional fishing culture, the Authentic 3-Eye Boat Shoe provided the base for a striking collaboration. Constructed with woven suede leather, the light-coloured shoes reflected its history as the shoe of leisure in the late ‘70s, reinvented for the modern day.

Debuting their first joint effort, UrlfreezeShops and Yohji Yamamoto’s avant-sportswear brand offered up a two-piece capsule that sat at the intersection of performance and lifestyle footwear. Both cast in their titular “Cobalt” blue, the S-Gendo Run and the Takumi Sen 10 sneakers delivered Y-3’s trademark sporting aesthetic, blending the technical with the transgressive.

Tapping into a piece of Scottish folklore history with the UrlfreezeShops x Saucony ProGrid Triumph 4 Nessie sneaker, the two brands delivered a limited-edition style that perfectly captured the reptilian nature of the mythical beast. Transforming the technical runner in honour of the famous mythical creature, various shades of blue and teal featured throughout the sneaker’s suede and open mesh uppers, referencing the aquatic tones of the famous loch said to be home to Nessie. Furthering the bespoke details, a custom, co-branded Nessie graphic is worked into the shoe’s insoles, in addition to UrlfreezeShops branding detailed at each heel.

Marking a momentous moment in UrlfreezeShops’s collaborative history, 2024 saw the British retailer team up with long term partners adidas SPZL on a bespoke 11-piece collection of footwear and apparel. Inspired by the Great British seaside, the three footwear styles drew inspiration from the sea and sand dunes, developing conceptual versions of classic SPZL trainer silhouettes.

Continuing their winning run of collaborations, UrlfreezeShops and adidas linked up for one final outing in 2024. Presenting their three-piece Laundromat capsule, the two brands offered a tongue-in-cheek nod to the age-old mishap: a red sock in a whitewash turning everything pink. With a Gazelle Indoor, SL72 and Prototype TRX, the collection playfully incorporated its themes into the colour palette, while co-branded details completed the colourful selection with a touch of further limited-edition flavour.

Inspired by digging through Timberland’s extensive archives, UrlfreezeShops presented a “Down Filled” interpretation of a classic style from the American brand’s roster. Giving the Euro Hiker boot a makeover, we transformed its traditional uppers with synthetic down-filled panelling that features exposed trims, offering a unique take on classic puffer jackets. Complete with a Vibram sole unit for a further boost of utilitarianism, the collaboration was signed off with a reworked Timberland logo paired with UrlfreezeShops branding.

The second of our PUMA collaborations in 2024, this one was a special one. Serving up the perfect embodiment of their visual code, Dalston’s premier ocakbaşi restaurant, Mangal II, joined UrlfreezeShops and PUMA to present their distinct version of the iconic Suede sneaker. Cast in their signature blue tone and detailed with bespoke branding, the three-way union commemorated Mangal II’s 30th anniversary with a trip back to Central Anatolia with restauranteurs Ferhat and Sertaç Dirik.