Pyer Moss Introduces a Powerful Experiment 4 ‘Innocence Project’ Sneaker Iteration

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Pyer Moss is using its latest Reebok collaboration to create change.

The brand’s founder Kerby Jean-Raymond announced a new iteration of his Reebok by Pyer Moss Experiment 4 trail sneakers; the “Innocence Project” colorway features an all-black interpretation of the lifted style with red and white paneling across the uppers. The shoes launch on July 3 exclusively at PyerMoss.com with a price tag yet to be released but previous versions sold for $250.

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Jean-Raymond also revealed that a portion of the proceeds from the sneaker’s sales will benefit the Innocence Project, hence the name of the colorway. The Innocence Project works to exonerate individuals who have been wrongly convicted of crimes through the use of DNA testing as well as works to create reform and change in the criminal justice system as a whole.

The silhouette of the Experiment 4 serves as the ideal base for this push for justice; its design includes three layers, which symbolize a person’s ascent to success through adversity.

The mudguard represents the fight of those who are told they can’t rise above boundaries, illustrated through rubberized leather and protective thermoplastic polyurethane. The second layer wraps the heel, toe and sides with knit material topped off by gems and molded containment; the region is meant to subtly evoke excess, glamour and the expression of success. Finally, the softer fabrics in the tongue and lining, the parts of a shoe that are invisible to all but the wearer, represent emotion.

The sneakers first dropped in October 2019 with a second drop in December, all including a series of colorways of the Reebok collaboration.

In the post on social media, Jean-Raymond also tagged a new account titled Your Friends In New York; described as a “New Fashion Concept Launching, err, Late 2020,” the organization’s website explains that it is a business relief fund providing temporary relief in the face of the pandemic to creative-based businesses owned and operated by minorities and women.

Reebok by Pyer Moss was named FN’s Collaboration of the Year at the 2018 FN Achievement Awards before Jean-Raymond accepted the award for Person of the Year at the 2019 FNAAs.

“There’s more of a spirit of repair instead of picking at people,” said Jean-Raymond told FN at the 2018 show. “Even though I deal with a lot of unscrupulous people who don’t have their heart in the right place, I keep doing it because I know it’s right and I know this work is going to outlive me.”

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