MM6 Maison Margiela and Salomon’s latest collaboration melds performance-wear and fashion

Recent years have seen the Salomon sneaker – originally designed by the French outdoor brand for trail running and hiking expeditions – become perhaps fashion’s most ubiquitous footwear, its appeal emerging from a futuristic, utilitarian design with an underlying weirdness (the Salomon was often named as part of the ‘ugly sneaker’ trend of the mid-2010s). Cementing its appeal, a slew of collaborations have followed – among them Comme des Garçons, Palace and American designer Sandy Liang. 

Mutual appreciation: MM6 Maison Margiela x Salomon A/W 2023

MM6 Maison Margiela first collaborated with Salomon as part of its A/W 2022 show, seeing versions of the latter’s ‘Cross’ and ‘Low’ models reimagined with a rip-stop overlay that fastens with a drawstring around the ankle (to prove its appeal, Rihanna chose the style for her appearance at the Superbowl in February 2023). ‘Building on mutual appreciation for transitional design, Salomon’s most iconic pieces have been reimagined through MM6 Maison Margiela’s distinct lens,’ said MM6 at the time. 

S/S 2023 built on the collaboration further, with the introduction of the ‘Adv Skin 5’ running vest and a thigh-high pair of Salomon’s signature sneakers, though A/W 2023 – arriving in drops this September, October and November – is the collaboration’s widest offering yet, spanning sneakers, vests, boots, backpacks and socks. First to arrive in September is perhaps the collection’s boldest offering, the ‘Crosswader’ sneaker, which sees Salmon’s signature utility soles melded with skin-tight knee-high socks for an unconventional take on a boot that feels typically Margiela. Also arriving this month is the ‘Adv Skin 15’, a fitted technical vest with toggle fastening.

Other drops will include the utilitarian black ‘XT-15’ backpack, which fastens across the chest with two zip pockets on the straps, the ‘Cross Mid’ sneakers with ripstop overlay that evoke those in the original A/W 2022 collection, and the slick grey ‘Ultra Socks’, among others. True to both brand’s distinct aesthetics, each style is an amalgam of Salomon’s performance-focused approach – long beloved by intrepid outdoor adventurers around the world – with the subversive, off-kilter approach which has defined MM6 Maison Margiela since its founding in 1997.

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