Once Banned By the NBA, Athletic Propulsion Labs (APL) Connects the World of Speed and Sneakers with McLaren HySpeed
APL will immediately be recognized by most as the brand that created a sneaker that was banned by the NBA. I still have that sneaker with its volt, lime green propulsion pod in the forefoot and carbon fiber print inspired upper. The days of chasing NBA clout for the team at APL are gone, but Ryan and Adam Goldston never stopped working on various campaigns. The most notable recent alignment was the collab which led to the foundation of Takes has become Lululemon’s sneaker launch. Prior to Lulu delivering their own models, they learned the ropes via a collaborative effort with APL. Now the squad at APL has turned their attentions to remaining elevated with a sneaker drop with one of the most celebrated brands in the automotive industry, McLaren.
As brands look to become more relevant to certain demographics, partnerships are taking place with the intent to connect with audiences via cultural aspects of cool. Sneakers are synonymous with luxury and in many instances the culture around kicks is often featured with sneaker conventions. While McLaren is an aspirational brand, it shouldn’t be surprising that car companies would want to be affiliated with sneakers. Puma recently launched BMW, Porsche and Ferrari sneaker collabs under their Motorsport division. Even Jordan Brand has climbed into the NASCAR circuit with cars printed in the classic elephant print and 23 number. McLaren and APL is another level in this blending of cultures.
McLaren Automotive and APL, the high-performance athletic footwear brand, have joined forces to create a new range of luxury footwear that further progresses design, performance, technology, and construction.
Inspired by McLaren’s iconic supercars and hypercars, the first offering from the collaboration is the limited-edition APL | McLaren HySpeed™, a breath-taking new silhouette designed as an all-purpose performance running trainer which marks the luxury supercar maker’s first footwear collaboration.
Born from innovation and rooted in technology, the history of these two iconic companies have followed a similar path that brings them together to form a new future. Whether it be on the court, the road or the track, APL and McLaren have always driven to push performance to new levels.
“It has been a pleasure to collaborate with APL creating the APL | McLaren HySpeed™ shoe. It perfectly embodies both our own McLaren and APL’s DNA and design philosophy. APL has developed new technologies specifically for this shoe – inspired by our ground-breaking work using lightweight materials – which also maximizes the wearer’s comfort and experience.
