A Bathing Ape is continuing its celebration of 25 years of the Bape Sta sneaker with a wider anniversary release.
Introduced in 2001, the shoe came out of Harajuku’s creative movement and quickly became a cultural touchstone. Over the next two and a half decades, it grew well beyond its subcultural roots to become a canvas for defining moments in fashion, music, and art. That story runs from foundational projects with Daft Punk, Kanye West, and Kaws to collaborations with KidSuper, Marvel Studios, and Stray Kids.
The anniversary has unfolded in chapters throughout the year. In May, Bape revisited four of the silhouette’s most recognizable 2000s colorways in patent leather. Earlier this month, the brand debuted a three-pair exclusive, “Past,” “Present,” and “Future,” shown alongside 25 archive pairs that traced the shoe’s history.
This weekend’s release opens the anniversary to a wider audience with three new iterations of the trio. “Past” is a classic Bape Sta in “Antique Black,” with a crackled upper, a silver star, and a faux-aged midsole. “Present” is a Bape Sta OS in “White” with a silver star, and “Future” is a Bape Sta Shark in glossy “Black,” pairing a silver star with the signature shark face. Alongside the footwear, the collection includes 25th anniversary tees and a pullover hoodie designed to match.
The Bape Sta 25th anniversary collection, which retails between $135 and $355, will be available starting Oct. 17 exclusively at us.bape.com and all Bape stores in North America.
The release comes amid a robust collaboration calendar for Bape this year. In July, Bape and Vans teamed up on two colorways of the Knu Skool. Both iterations feature Bape’s Sta logo and Vans’ Jazz stripe. Shark teeth are then incorporated into the mold of the midsole’s toe, while a metal lace dubrae comes in the shape of Bape’s Ape Head. Vans’ signature checkerboard print can also be made out beneath a translucent outsole.
In June, Bape got together again with KidSuper on the “SuperBape Cup” capsule, which featured a colorway of the classic sneaker made for all 48 teams in the World Cup. June also saw the release of Bape’s collaboration on the Adidas Evo SL sneaker.
