From heyday hikers to bouldering shoes, Brooklyn-based Fronteer routinely finds design inspiration in places many overlook, creating clean, minimalist sneakers for daily wear, in the city and out. With their newest silhouette—the Aqua Solo, a collaboration with Japanese outdoors fashion label Manastash—the climbing theme continues, this time drawing on deep-water soloing.
“I mixed design cues from aqua socks and climbing shoes,” explains Fronteer Founder and Creative Director Jon Tang. “Manastash liked this a lot as they mix a lot of different vintage outdoor pieces to make new kinds of looks, and we as brands, both like to take a little bit of the old and make something new.” Though the source of inspiration may make you think otherwise, the limited-edition sneaker is meant to be a comfortable hiker for everyday daily use on dry land.
The Aqua Solo is available in two colorways, and features a suede upper, micro-fiber suede sock liner, nylon velcro closure with heel pull tabs, and a sturdy Vibram outsole.