Clae is a brand that has a lot of heart.
The Los Angeles-based brand teamed with boutique hotel Mama Shelter on a new sneaker stamped with an affectionate message on the tongue — “Mama (Hearts) You.”
The shoes launched Thursday and retail for $130; they’re available at Mama Shelter hotel’s Paris and Los Angeles locations, Mamashelter.com and Clae.com.
The sleek kicks are designed on Clae’s Bradley model silhouette and incorporate a waxed full-grain leather upper that will eventually acquire a sheen.
Clae’s general manager (EMEA) Jerome Thuillier told Footwear News that despite their the brands’ different industries — hospitality and footwear — they have common goals.
“Both brand philosophies are close, sharing the same humanist concept to give honest design and elegant experiences to our audiences,” Thuillier said.
Clae celebrated it’s 15th anniversary with several collaborations throughout the year, including a line with Ronnie Fieg that sold out “within minutes,” Thuillier said. The label also teamed up with American Rag, Feature and Publish Brand.
“The partnerships have grown organically and instinctively over the years with people like Ronnie, who understood early on what our goal is,” he said. “The collaborations also introduced new models, such as the Bradley with Ronnie, and the Bradley Mid with Publish. We think the sole is aesthetically superior to the typical Italian soles and that the uppers’ dimensions, materials, fit and comfort are amazing.”
Thuillier added that collaborations have given Clae a unique platform for storytelling.
“We have always aimed to provide the much-needed quality and value aspects of the brand, focusing more on the product first,” he explained. “We continue to retain our independent spirit and garner the attention of our existing customer base with the hope that we can draw the attention of the collaborator’s customer base as well via our designs, quality and the dedication to bringing footwear that supports our vision of creating footwear that evolves and endures.”
Clae’s next collaboration will be with the European sneaker fair Sneakerness on a Bradley model shoe featuring an exclusive material, available at Kith in New York City, Colette in Paris, and at the Sneakerness Paris event on Sept. 10.