Footwear is a top category for collaborations and two key current collabs come from very different parts of the market. The first is FitFlop x Keith Haring and the second Manolo Blahnik x Balenciaga‘s previously flagged link-up that has just dropped.
The FitFlop collab marks the 40th anniversary of Haring’s New York Pop Shop and the collection “celebrates a legacy rooted in joy, accessibility and connection, translating his unmistakable visual language into footwear made for everyday movement”.
Launching from 20 May on FitFlop.com, followed by global rollouts across EMEAI, APAC, and the Americas in June, the collection “channels Haring’s energetic linework through the performance-led design approach of FitFlop, balancing expressive artwork with real-world wearability”.
Louise Noble, chief product and brand officer said: “Keith Haring’s work has always been about people, how we move, connect and experience the world together. That belief in movement as a shared human experience is central to FitFlop. This collection isn’t about placing art on product, but about translating Haring’s energy, optimism and accessibility into footwear designed to be lived in, every day.”
So, “each style acts as a moving canvas, with Haring’s instantly recognizable figures positioned to emphasize rhythm and flow across the foot”.
Uppers, straps and heel counters “become points of expression, creating the sense that the artwork moves with the wearer at each step”.
There are five silhouettes: The Dash Trainer, Gen-FF Fisherman Sandal, Gen-FF Webbing Sandal, Gen-FF Two-Bar Slide and IQUSHION flip-Flop. All Gen-FF sandals feature pressure-diffusing Microwobbleboard midsoles, while The Dash Trainer and IQUSHION Flip-Flop incorporate lightweight IQUSHION technology for extra comfort.
Key motifs include Haring’s animated figures “embracing the iconic heart symbol”, dancing in pairs and the infamous barking dog.
The collection is available at FitFlop.com and will be at selected global stockists including NEXT (UK), Sogo Causeway Bay (Hong Kong), Takashimaya Department Store (Singapore) and Trenton (South Africa). Prices range from £40 to £140.
Meanwhile the Manolo Blahnik and Balenciaga collab launched last week and is securely in the ultra-luxury sector. Featured in the Fall 26 collection, Body and Being, it has debuted in select Balenciaga stores worldwide.
The companies said the creative exchange highlights the dual Spanish roots of each House, a mutual admiration for the oeuvre and legacy of Cristóbal Balenciaga, and a modern mastery of craft.
There are three styles — a low-heeled mule and a slingback with either a 105mm or a 50mm heel. ‘Décolleté’ silhouettes “reveal skin, the body, a display linked intrinsically to the human form’s primacy in Pierpaolo Piccioli‘s Balenciaga, combined with Blahnik’s “ceaseless pursuit of refinement”.
The styles draw from archival Manolo Blahnik designs chosen by Piccioli, executed in silk-satin, and lined with leather in Balenciaga’s signature grey. Asymmetrical crystal leaf ornaments are hand-embroidered to drape across a low-cut vamp, fusing jewelery with footwear. This recalls archival 1960s Balenciaga bagues, “underscoring a consistent kinship and aesthetic symbiosis between creators”.
Each style arrives in specially co-branded packaging comprising dustbags, a shoebox, and tissue liner.
Copyright © 2026 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.
Leave a Reply