Cole Haan, the iconic American performance lifestyle brand and retailer, is proud to introduce a collection of shoes featuring some of Keith Haring’s most iconic works of art. The Cole Haan x Keith Haring Collection features a selection of four shoes, all of which fuse the Cole Haan legacy of craftsmanship with Keith Haring’s visionary spirit and lasting activism.
“Keith Haring was an incredible trailblazer who used his work and creativity as a platform for social activism through his powerful, convention-breaking art,” said David Maddocks, Cole Haan Brand President. “Keith Haring’s legacy of working for what he believed in is not only intrinsic to our mission here at Cole Haan but has also empowered generations of his fans to follow suit in their own endeavors. We are honored to help further his mission of using art to enact positive change through this collaboration.”
Keith Haring is one of the most renowned young artists of the 1980s. He began to draw in white chalk over the black paper used to cover vacant advertising panels in NYC subways after becoming inspired by the graffiti artists whose marks covered the city’s subway cars. Not only was Haring able to reach a large and diverse audience with his subway drawings but it eventually became, in his words, a “laboratory” for working out his ideas. Keith Haring produced an array of murals, sculptures, and paintings to benefit various children’s and AIDS organizations, creating a lasting legacy of giving. The Cole Haan x Keith Haring special-edition collection featuring best-selling OriginalGrand and GrandPro Rally styles is inspired by a similar notion: that exceptional craft, elevated design, and effortless style are meant for everyone everywhere. Some might call this collaboration a perfect fit.
“We really love the designs that Cole Haan developed for this footwear collection,” says Gil Vazquez, Executive Director of the Keith Haring Studio. “The artworks really pop on the iconic shoe styles in a way that makes them instant classics, and a great vehicle to help spread Keith’s empowering, positive message.”
Cole Haan x Keith Haring takes the renowned pop artist’s eclectic, iconic, busy, and bold work from the street to your feet and features some of Haring’s most memorable icons, including the snake and the radiant baby. The collection features the second drop in the brand’s “Ten Years of Defying Convention” series celebrating the ØriginalGrand wingtip, and it ranges from $100–$180. The collection was designed for both men and women and is available now at ColeHaan.com, as well as in US retail locations and select International Cole Haan stores starting today, June 21, 2022.