The streetwear mainstay and the avant-garde house unite on an all-white BAPE STA landing only at COMME des GARÇONS Osaka on April 29.
Five years after BAPE set up its corner inside COMME des GARÇONS’ Osaka flagship, the partners are marking the date with a crisp salute that needs little explanation. Center stage is a stripped-back BAPE STA—white from outsole to eyelet, its only accent a line of grey COMME des GARÇONS lettering that runs along each quarter. The choice sidesteps loud color in favor of precision, letting the familiar star-shot side panel and chunky cupsole speak for themselves.
Every hallmark of the original STA remains intact: perforated toe box, padded collar, polished lace-keeper. Yet the mood shifts once the grey logo script enters the frame, a quiet handshake between Tokyo street culture and Rei Kawakubo’s avant-garde rigor. Even the sockliner carries twin branding, turning the in-step into a collector’s badge.
The shoe headlines a small anniversary capsule and releases on April 29, available only at COMME des GARÇONS Hankyu Mens in Osaka—the very shop that sparked this partnership in 2020. Quantities stay under wraps, and history suggests the line outside Shinsaibashi will form early.
This project underscores the steady bond linking the two Japanese names. Where past tie-ins leaned on graphic tees and small leather goods, the all-white STA feels almost restrained—a monochrome postcard from Osaka that nods to shared history without a single shout of color. Whether the sneaker ever widens its reach is open, yet its message is clear: five years in, the conversation between BAPE and COMME des GARÇONS still finds fresh ground in a single, well-considered step.
