The Contender is an iconic style that comes from the Mizuno 1995 running catalogue. Beige pigskin, brown nubuck, and green oiled leather are skillfully used to create the outdoor-inspired 90’s street look. Classic and tongue-in cheek collide on the upper: a $100 bill print appears on the ripstop toebox, tongue, quarter and collar, while yellow and brown take up room on the soft suede overlays. The insole features the same print as the upper, with a little easter egg: a “01” stamp on the left shoe and a “17” stamp on the right. Sharp-eyed observers will know that this is a nod to 24Karats and Mita’s stops on the Tokyo Metro.
