Reebok releases Eames trainers informed by fibreglass chairs

Sportswear brand Reebok and design studio Eames Office have released a trio of trainers that evoke the patina and colouring of the moulded-plastic chairs pioneered by Charles and Ray Eames.

Named the Reebok x Eames Classic Leather Fiberglass Pack, the collection of trainers was directly informed by the distinctive fibreglass chairs the design duo created in the 1950s.

The trainers are available in three colours – Pink, Sea Foam Green and Parchment – with uppers made from patterned leather. This was designed to replicate the chairs' distinctive texture and patina, created by the visible strands of raw fibreglass.

Parchment was one of the Fiberglass Chair's three original colours when it was first put into production in 1950. The Sea Foam Green colour was released soon after, with the pink following later.

"It is important to note though that, whilst endearingly irregular, these textural effects were not superficial aesthetic choices," said Eames Demetrios, director of Eames Office.

"Charles and Ray believed that good design was a process of endless problem solving, not a grand decorative flourish."

The Eameses developed the first Fiberglass Chair after recognising the material's potential for creating mass-produced seating, following years of developing moulded-plywood chairs.

The pair unveiled the design at the 1950 MoMA International Competition for Low Cost Furniture Design.

"Charles and Ray had spent almost a decade pushing plywood to its limit in a relentless quest to produce furniture with organic compound curves that better supported the human form," said Reebok.

"The emergence of fibreglass-reinforced polyester plastic during world war two was the material breakthrough that enabled their vision of a shell-like one-piece seat to become a reality," the brand continued.

"This process would go on to define their designs and create much-loved furniture pieces that are still manufactured and purchased around the world today."

The Reebok x Eames Classic Leather Fiberglass Pack marks the latest product release as part of an ongoing collaboration between Reebok and Eames Office, which aims to celebrate the legacy of the 20th-century design duo.

Previously, they collaborated to release trainers that reinterpret two artworks produced by Ray Eames and a collection informed by the duo's furniture and toys including the Eames Elephant.

All of the shoes in the collection are packaged in boxes that represent the Eames house – also known as Case Study House No. 8 in Los Angeles.

Charles and Ray Eames are two of the 20th century's most influential designers. Their work was recently showcased in an exhibition to mark the 80th anniversary of the Eames Office.

The photography is courtesy of Reebok.

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