Diet Starts Monday Resumes Fitness Plans With Saucony Collaboration
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Diet Starts Monday and Saucony have teamed to produce their first sneaker collaboration, debuting exclusively at Cncpts in Boston on May 14, followed by the Diet Starts Monday website on May 16 and Saucony.com on May 20.
The streetwear brand reinterpreted the footwear brand’s Endorphin Pro performance sneaker with yellow wolverine suede and reflective details throughout. Brand cofounder Davin Gentry said he was working on another silhouette for Saucony in February 2020 when he stumbled on many renditions of the Endorphin Pro at the Saucony headquarters.
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“I swiped a promo pair of the Endorphin Pros and wore them pretty much daily throughout quarantine — it became my first choice for the gym and eventually I found myself pairing the shoe with my everyday fits,” Gentry said.
“I wanted to elevate the original design without affecting any of the functionality and recovery comfort,” he added. “We had to perforate the upper with suede being less breathable, and embroidered the DSM featuring Saucony’s signature S over the medial panels, which looked and felt more premium. We also added reflective elements that people will find eventually, along with other micro-details that just make the shoe that much more special. We stand firm on believing that every detail doesn’t have to be super obvious and noticeable at first glance. That’s always remained consistent with us.”
Gentry said he had planned to merge Diet Starts Monday into performance wear, but COVID-19 halted plans.
“I feel like there’s a slight void when it comes to streetwear and performance collaborations with most of the emphasis being on lifestyle products,” he said. “I wanted the gear I workout in to reflect my style and also be transitional. We just want to create amazing products for all aspects of daily life. You should be able to go to the gym, the grocery store, a business meeting, and even the club in one pair of shoes.”
Prior to this collaboration, Diet Starts Monday collaborated with DC Shoes in 2019. Later this year, the brand will release three sneaker collaborations with Under Armour and Golden State Warrior basketball player Stephen Curry, and in 2023 will launch a second collaboration with Puma.
In 2018, the brand closed its Washington, D.C., store in order to “plant seeds everywhere” and not be tied to one locale. The planned growth involved collaborations, as well as pop-ups in 2019 at retailers including Patron of the New and Fred Segal. In 2018, Diet Starts Monday held retail experiences at Alchemist in Miami and Lapstone & Hammer in Philadelphia, among others.
As for the Saucony project, Gentry said they decided to release in Boston in honor of Saucony’s headquarters and Boston’s “historic ties to marathon runners.”
Looking ahead, Gentry revealed the brand has an upcoming collaboration with fitness center and brand Inaka Power.
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