Quiet as kept, the collaborative relationship between Brain Dead and Oakley has become one of industry’s sturdiest in the past couple of years. The two imprints share space under the “Oakley Factory Team” banner, an imprint that formalized the LA brand’s influence back in 2022. Their fourth season together is rounding out with the addition of SS24 Drop III, featuring new takes on the Flesh, Chop Saw Mule, Flesh Sandal and Paguro Slide.
The early 2000’s Flesh model is first up, only fair given that Oakley Factor Team’s introductory project was its reintroduction. The all-encompassing midnight palette it wears here leaves its gorpcore construction to stand alone, unimpeded by additional flashy accents. Next, the Flesh Sandal leaves its inventor model’s construction largely intact, but adds a strap closure on the tongue. It takes on a vibrant “Lava” colorway, setting up two opposite Flesh styles in this pack.
The other half of the collection begins with the Paguro slide, a 2023 entrant to the Oakley family. Clad in “Charizard red,” it’s not hard to see how the Factory Team arrived at the title. The slip-on shoe centers around a steamy gradient from soft orange at the heel to fire red at the forefoot. The Chop Saw Mule enters the mix after with a mix of lemon-tinted leather atop a greyscale sole unit. The jagged hardware underfoot, abstractly shaped overlays and highlighter shades up top made these arguably the most eye-catching offering included here.
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