If the McLaren fits, wear it

by Bill Buys   IF you already have a McLaren , you might also want to invest in a pair of the just-announced ‘breathtaking APL sports shoes,...

by Bill Buys

 

IF you already have a McLaren, you might also want to invest in a pair of the just-announced ‘breathtaking APL sports shoes, complete with Load ‘n Launch technology.’ McLaren already has links with Pirelli, Richard Mille, Dell, Gulf and Dutch paint group AkzoNobel, and a few more, and the shoes, said to be inspired by McLaren’s hypercars, ‘represent the pinnacle of luxury and performance.’ The first offering is the limited-edition APL/McLaren HySpeed, ‘a breathtaking new silhouette designed as an all-purpose performance running trainer.  The Hyspeed must be quite a shoe, since it employs APL’s patented Load ‘N Launch technology, designed to ‘instantly increase vertical leap.’ What? This one-of-a-kind footwear collaboration has resulted in an entirely new silhouette being developed. The missive from the makers says: the APL/McLaren HySpeed, an all-purpose performance running trainer in five bespoke ‘colourways’, directly influenced by McLaren’s supercars. It features a three-piece segmented midsole with APL FutureFoam pods in the front and rear that are connected by a lightweight carbon fibre plate topped by a nitrogen-infused midsole compound engineered for supreme responsiveness and energy-rich compression. Additionally, the shoe has a microfibre heel with extended wings and an internal advanced fitment system with three-piece cushion heel padding and APL’s signature Souffle Sockliner. As well, the tread pattern inspired by performance tyres (Pirelli, we presume) designed for speed and grip. “Like stepping into a McLaren, it is all about optimising performance, agility and speed.” The heel padding is modelled after McLaren's ultra-lightweight McLaren Senna seats that are designed to hold you in place but are unbelievably comfortable. The collaboration comes in White/McLaren Orange, White/Black/Ombre, Rose Dust/Creme, Energy/Metallic Silver, and McLaren Orange. They’re available for men and women and retail for US $450 ($650 in Australian currency). You get more than just those ‘vertical leap’ shoes: they come in a specially designed drawer-style box with the outer sleeve in a combination of gloss McLaren Orange, metallic orange foil and black foil logos.  Open the drawer you are presented with a black inner box and transparent smoked black shoe cover that displays the technical blueprint drawing of the shoe tooling. Pull the drawer out all the way and inside you’ll find a line drawing of the McLaren F1 road car. Impressive . . . but I was already sold the moment I read about the Souffle Sockliner. You can buy yours online at athleticpropulsionlabs.com, or from ‘select retailers’ globally.

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