After a quick peek back in June, the Oakley Factory Team Ibex is here. And, like most things from the big O, it's a pretty wild affair.
When you think of Oakley, you probably think of its sunglasses and sci-fi shades. But over the last couple of years, fairly wavy sneakers have lit a fire under the label. Brad Pitt likes 'em, Emily Ratajkowski, too, and GQ's Murray Clark even named the Edge Boot his favourite trainer of 2023, calling it “chunky without verging on fucking ridiculous.”
But while Oakley's current shoe range brings back vintage models from the '90s, the Ibex is actually an all-new silhouette. Revealed in ‘Camelia Glaze’ and the ‘Eclipse’ colour combos, the former features a manic orange, maroon, and olive palette, while the latter opts for a more understated grey and navy.
The base is crafted from a very tightly-knit mesh – that helps keep everything dry and breezy. The front of the sneaker is covered in the same kinda taping that you might find on a classic trail shoe, while the back is dripped out in short-haired suede. Down south, the beefy midsole is infused with O-Grip tech for added traction, and the insole is lined with Ortholite for extra cushioning. But the Ibex's best bit may well be the insane exoskeleton that wraps around the entire trainer. Made from a smooth, matte rubber, this has been designed to lock everything in place.
It's a big drop, not only in a physical sense, but also in a figurative one. Because even though it hasn't even released yet, legendary Japanese designer Junya Watanabe has already announced that he's working on two pairs for his upcoming S/S '25 collection, including an all-black one and one that's entirely in white. Expect more collabs to be announced very soon.
The Oakley Factory Team Ibex is set to launch on December 17 as part of Oakley's autumn/winter 2024 range. It'll drop alongside an Edge Boot and Flesh Sandal, and will be available at Oakley and select stockists around the globe.
