Joe Freshgoods Teases Upcoming Vans Collaboration

Joe Freshgoods, master of collaboration, is back at it again. Maybe not with the white Vans…but Vans nonetheless. 

Thus far, we’ve become accustomed to seeing Chicago artist Joe Freshgoods collaborate with New Balance on a myriad of silhouettes, each with its own story and incredible detail. 

JFG’s brand ‘Don’t Be Mad’, an apparel label that has created a range of sellout pieces including an ‘I Wanna F*ck Rihanna’ beanie in 2012 as well as the more recent ‘Thank you Obama’ collection in 2017, first collaborated with New Balance in 2020 for the release of a highly converted 992 that took inspiration from a bleeding heart in conjunction with Kawhi Leonard‘s signature shoe, the OMN1S; each releasing as part of his ‘No Emotions Are Emotions’ pack. 

While Leonard’s signature shoe has seemed to go under the radar, for the most part, the release of the DBM x New Balance 992 saw Freshgoods’ name hit several sneaker of the year lists and can arguably be cited as one of the key factors that have assisted NB in its huge takeover along with the likes of Salehe Bembury and WTAPS that kickstarted the trajectory.

Since the release, Freshgoods has been a mainstay for the Boston Based footwear brand, with follow-up projects ensuring to tell stories and include a vast amount of detail beyond a simple sneaker. As has been proven in the footwear he produces, the artist is well versed in telling a narrative. This attention to detail and smart design is just as prevalent in his marketing. 

Following the release of his second project, the 990V3, JFG posted a cryptic image on social media of two shoeboxes with the caption ‘3 #’ as well as posting a variety of purposefully open-ended tweets suggesting that a new project was on the way, only to eventually release small details of the sneaker that would eventually become the 9060 ‘Inside Voices’. 

However, this isn’t the first time that Freshgoods has taken this approach to reveal his sneakers. Posts dating as far back as July 2017 include images of Don’t Be Mad’s first footwear collaboration, this time with Converse, with an equally as vague caption. 

Ultimately, who's to blame him? In a world in which we see slue of sneaker leaks every day giving us a first look at upcoming pairs, Freshgoods has been able to keep his work from being previewed outside of the small details that he releases himself, and it works perfectly. 

Yesterday, Joe Freshgoods took to his Instagram story to upload to small photo dump of various images from outfits to his surroundings, as well as images of his previous sneakers including the most recent ‘Conversations Among Us’ NB 550s and 9060s. However, at the end of the story, we got a fresh set of teasers that hint at what the artist is up to next.

The first image showcases a pink Vans shoebox with ‘Everything Happens For A Reason’ on the side along with the Vans logo and ‘Joe Freshgoods' underneath. This is then followed up by a picture of a small card with the same branding, that says “Bitch I’m Back” signed by the serial collaborator (AKA ‘Him’). 

At the time of writing this, little is known regarding the upcoming collaboration between Vans and Joe Freshgoods. We have seen him collaborate with Converse and New Balance in the past, but never Vans. Since the California skatewear brand cut ties with Tyler The Creator upon his move to Converse in 2017, seemingly leaving space for a regular collaborator, could we be seeing JFG stepping into this role and revitalising Vans’ status within the wider sneaker market? 

For the latest information regarding the upcoming Joe Freshgoods x Vans collaboration, make sure to follow Kick Game. 

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