Claima revealed its “Claim A Seat” product- and film-based effort in May, and announced plans to release a range of collaborations over the following months. The next product to drop is with Saucony, a reimagined version of an archival shoe created by the brand’s first Black designer.
Arriving today from Claima, the podcast turned creative content agency, is a new-look Saucony 3D Grid Hurricane, a running shoe that debuted in 1997 and was designed by John Acevedo.
“I came across the 3D Grid Hurricane on some random page on Instagram years ago. [Sneaker industry veteran] Jason Faustino had just joined Saucony and I half jokingly sent him a photo saying he should bring these back,” Claima co-founder Bimma Williams told FN. “I have no idea what happened from there or if he actually listened. Also, I didn’t know at the time it was designed by John Acavado. I was just drawn to the design. The shape was completely different from any Saucony I encountered in the past.”
Williams continued, “Plus, I was drawn to the name Hurricane. Growing up in Louisiana, we’ve dealt with many storms, from Andrew to Katrina and more. After the Hurricane passes, we always pick up the pieces. So it all just spoke to me on a personal level.”
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This collaboration, Williams explained, represents perseverance and hope.
“Black and brown creatives can claim a seat at any table of their choosing. It doesn’t matter where they’re from, what school they went to, who they know. They deserve to do what they love. They deserve to believe in themselves. They deserve to be seen. So this collab is for all of us. It’s a symbol of encouragement. To keep going, even when it feels hard,” Williams said.
This iteration of the retro running silhouette is dressed predominantly in cream and purple, hues that are synonymous with Claima.
“The purple and cream are the distinct colors that represent the Claima brand. Purple, for us, has always been a signifier of equity. Historically, the colors red or blue have been leveraged to pull us all apart, whether it’s political like Republicans and Democrats or gangs like Bloods and Crips. We wanted to symbolize bringing us together, to the table. Purple represents that to us,” Williams explained.
To create the shoe, Williams tapped John Humphrey as co-designer. Humphrey is co-owner of New Orleans-based boutique Foster, as well as the apparel brand Beignet Boys
“John is a dear friend from Louisiana. We connected over sneakers in 2007, when we camped out for sneakers together. I was in his wedding and he has even given me insight on Saucony colorways when I worked at the brand,” Williams said. “Back in Louisiana, we always felt left out. No one was checking for us down there. As he started his own brand, the Beignet Boys, and his journey to co-own a sneaker shop named Foster, I have witnessed his struggles first hand. I knew when this opportunity came to the table, I wanted to work with no one other than him because it’s been a dream of ours.”
The sneakers are available starting Sept. 30 via Claimastories.com and retail for $150. A broader release is scheduled for Oct. 14, with the shoe arriving at select U.S. retailers, including Feature, Foster and Kicking It.
In May, Claima announced that there would be several “Claim A Seat” product collaborations, all with a charitable component. The first collaboration partner was stainless steel drinkware company MiiR, which yielded a new-look iteration of the 360 Traveler mug. Claima followed by delivering a hat with headwear company ’47.
As with all of the “Claim A Seat” collaborations, $5 from every product sold will benefit All Hands Raised, a nonprofit dedicated to transforming the educational system through advancing equity for every child.
Aside from the sneaker, Claima and Saucony teamed up on a short film that emphasizes the importance of celebrating and uplifting creatives of color. The latest video is titled “I Can,” and features Williams sitting atop a purple Volkswagen — which Claima took on the road in July 2021 to record episodes with leaders in multiple industries — discussing his once seemingly unrealistic dream of designing a sneaker.
“It’s a very proud moment for Saucony to watch a revered alum not only grow his own brand platform with Claima, but have the impact on the world Bimma is having as a person. It’a full circle moment for myself, as I was a collaboration partner working with Bimma when he was at Saucony. It’s a lot of fun, and an honor to switch seats in the process,” said Faustino, senior brand manager at Saucony. “In celebrating our 125th anniversary, I’ve realized Saucony has a richer history than I was aware of. This partnership has allowed Bimma to shed light on important products and people from our past in a way that connects and inspires today’s BIPOC creatives making their own space in this industry.”
