The Bapesta. Babe’s flagship model. A shoe that’s enjoyed a resurgence lately, thanks to clean in-line models like the one above as well as collaborations with the likes of Kith. It’s a unique sneaker in that it looks exactly like another established shoe (Air Force 1), but has a style, persona, and history all its own.
So today we’re asking: where’s the Bapesta’s place in the sneaker game? Let’s delve into it and find right out.
We mentioned above that the Bapesta has enjoyed a recent surge in popularity, mainly owing to clean releases, and a renewed desire for Bape in general, as most of the kids who were too young to afford it in the early 2000’s and couldn’t afford it when it first hit stateside are now old enough to buy it. Although it looks exactly like an Air Force I, there’s not a lot of crossover. You won’t see most of the people who wear Forces wearing Bapestas, and that’s because it’s two different target audiences.
There’s a long, rich history of colorful, loud, uniquely-packaged Bapestas, from a Kanye West Dropout Bear pair to collaborations with Marvel Comics. The packaging, loud colors, and general craziness of the shoe is not to be overlooked. So who’s it for?
The Bapesta is for the Japanese culture-loving, flashy clothing wearing, often-hypebeasting (come on, we’re all guilty) individual, and that’s why it’s so unique. It’s a sneaker that exists almost outside of the general sneaker community (at least as far as any Nike/Jordan heads go), but has a die-hard, devoted cult of fans and followers.
That’s what makes it unique: it’s a cult classic with plenty of mainstream appeal that has never fully crossed over. There’s nothing quite like that in the sneaker game … and we’d wager that that’s exactly what makes the Bapesta so special.
What do you think of the Bapesta? Do you have any in your collection? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter, check our Facebook page for daily updates, and, as always, be sure to follow us on Instagram for all the fire sneaker pictures you can handle.
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