Oakley and Brain Dead Team Up to Revive a Collection of Cult Footwear Faves

Gorpcore may be all the rage right now, but before outdoor brands took to the slick city streets, they were actually designed purely to perform. One brand with an extensive history of techy projects is Oakley, whose history in performance sports and outdoor wear can be easily traced back to 1975. Born in California, Oakley is primarily known for snowboarding and skiwear, sunglasses and apparel, but what you might not realise is that they dabble in footwear too.

The early 2000s saw Oakley birth a couple of particularly futuristic-looking footwear silhouettes, which quickly became cult classics. Managing to engineer the perfect combination of form and function, Oakley’s Flesh and Chop Saw silhouettes were both eye-catching designs that didn’t compromise the brand’s primary focus of functionality. Now, for 2022, the label is set to join forces with Brain Dead to revive the silhouettes, and they look just as good in this day and age as they did in the Y2K era.

Featuring the same sock-like suede and aeroprene uppers as the original, as well as a comfy chunky sole unit, the Oakley x Brain Dead Flesh sees the model slot seamlessly into the new sneaker scene. The same also goes for the Chop Saw: its unrivalled support and grippy sole make it the perfect off-road option for when you feel like leaving the big smoke for some fresh air.

Both pairs are set to drop on November 15th at Oakley, with a Brain Dead release to follow on the 17th.

Up next, Carhartt WIP takes to the hills for its Fall/Winter 2022 campaign.