YAKU's "Creature Shoes": when Afrofuturism enters the world of sneakers

In a world where sneakers dominate the fashion scene, it's hard to stand out. However, this is the challenge taken up by emerging designer YAKU, who is preparing to shake up the world of sneakers with his new creation, the “Creature Shoes”. This bold innovation is brought to us by APOC Store , a platform that highlights emerging talents such as SCRY™ Lab, EGNARTS, Hariskrishnan and, now, YAKU.

Yaku Stapleton, creator of the eponymous brand, is inspired by the Afrofuturist movement to design clothing that is both expressive and introspective. By mixing its own identity with elements of escapism, YAKU manages to create unique pieces that touch as much on black culture as on online role-playing games like Runescape.

The “Creature Shoes” are YAKU’s latest creation, still at the concept stage for the moment. The designer starts with a second-hand sneaker and reworks its base before applying scraps of patterned paper and pieces of cotton jersey dyed neon green. The result is a shoe wrapped in a second skin, where the folds of raw fabric give birth to monstrous shapes overflowing with imagination.

These bold sneakers perfectly reflect the Afrofuturist and fantastical universe of YAKU, while maintaining a familiar touch. Indeed, we can distinguish a “Swoosh” logo and the word “AIR” in the middle of the puffy shapes that cover the shoe.

Yaku Stapleton uses Afrofuturism as a way to explore his black identity and encourage others to question theirs through his creations. Fascinated by the mixture of these themes with character design, fantasy and online role-playing games, YAKU promises to make an impression with its “Creature Shoes”.

This innovation could well shake up the world of sneakers and offer sneaker lovers a unique experience. Stay tuned for further news from YAKU and his "Creature Shoes", as it is very likely that we will hear from him again very soon.