A hot trend in merchandising appears to be team-ups between sneaker companies and big names in baking. Recently, Cronut creator Dominique Ansel partnered with sneaker brand Koio for croissant-inspired sneakers. The limited-edition pair of the Koio Avalanche sneakers was inspired by the core ingredients in a classic French croissant: flour, sugar, eggs, and butter.
Another major baked good provider is getting in on the trend. Café du Monde, world famous for its beignets, will soon have its own themed shoe. French Quarter sneaker company Sneaker Politics has partnered with the New Orleans café and running shoe brand Saucony for Café du Monde-inspired sneakers.
The Politics x Saucony x Cafe Du Monde Shadow 5000 ($120) goes on sale on Saturday, June 22. Coming in men’s sizes 4-14, the sneaker features a combo of brown and tan upper panels (resembling fried dough) and a green outsole (representing Café du Monde’s iconic green and white awnings). It also features green and white striping on the insole, and the official Café du Monde logo on the tongue.
The sneakers come in a box that looks like Café du Monde’s take-home beignet mix, and the set is being paired with a beignet mix and cans of Café du Monde-branded ground coffee and chicory. There will only be a few hundred pairs available to the public nationwide.
Collaborations like this are a way for brands to reach younger consumers. Blaine McGowan, a product designer at Sneaker Politics, hopes to get a pair of the sneakers to celebrity and social media influencer Kim Kardashian, who is a big fan of Café du Monde’s beignets. An Instagram post from Kardashian about the sneakers would make their popularity explode.