Your dreams of being as stylish as Lando Calrissian and Padmé Amidala can finally come true thanks to a stunning collaboration between Star Wars and the luxury performance footwear designers at Athletic Propulsion Labs (APL). You’ll feel like Naboo royalty yourself the moment you slip on these crystal-studded running shoes, created exclusively to celebrate May the 4th.
Designed for both form and function, these slip-on athletic shoes are instantly eye-catching. APL has combined its lightweight running shoe TechLoom Bliss with delightful, refined touches of the galaxy far, far away. Swarovski crystals flash and sparkle on the elastic strap like stars twinkling outside the Millennium Falcon’s cockpit windows. Familiar symbols for the rebellion and the Empire gracefully adorn the sides of the shoes.
But there’s more to discover about this incredible collaboration. StarWars.com recently chatted with Adam Goldston, who founded APL with his identical twin brother Ryan in 2009, to find out what makes the collection special for fans and runners alike.
StarWars.com: How long have you been Star Wars fans?
Adam Goldston: We've been Star Wars fans ever since we were little kids and our older cousin Josh introduced us to Star Wars when we were visiting him in Chicago. In addition to us being Star Wars fans, our graphic designer David Soriano is a lifelong fan. His family only had one TV for a long time and that they would watch Star Wars over and over as a family on the weekends; that was a big bonding moment for them.
StarWars.com: What specifically from the galaxy far, far away inspired the designs for this collaboration?
Adam Goldston: The Rebel Alliance and the light side of the Force, as well as the desert sands of Tatooine, influenced our design for the TechLoom Bliss Rebellion shoes. The Galactic Empire and the dark side of the Force, along with the Death Star’s black textures, influenced our design for the TechLoom Bliss Empire shoes.
StarWars.com: The Rebel and Imperial symbols are subtle. Are there other hidden details for us to find?
Adam Goldston: The insoles of both shoes have a special collaboration logo we developed, as well as a specially designed shoebox that is inspired by the iconic Star Wars opening credits. We wanted the shoes to show that they were inspired by the world of Star Wars and have the exterior details in a tonal contrast so that you may only recognize the details if you're a Star Wars fan.
StarWars.com: Are these shoes for serious runners as much as they are for fans who seriously love Star Wars?
Adam Goldston: All of our shoes can be used for running, including these. They have a special Swarovski strap and are limited edition, so they are both visually appealing and fully functional.
StarWars.com: What are you most excited about with the launch of this collaboration?
Adam Goldston: We are really excited to be launching the shoes on May the 4th. It's a date that is so important to the Star Wars culture, and we created two shoes that we feel are incredibly unique, so to be in a position to launch the APL x Star Wars Bliss on such an important day is huge to us.
Treat yourself to some of the finest footwear in our galaxy on May 4, 2019! You’ll only find these exclusive, limited-edition shoes on APL’s official website.
Kelly Knox is a Seattle-based freelance writer who loves creating Star Wars crafts with her daughter. Follow her on Twitter at @kelly_knox.
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