Maison Margiela revives the “cani-core” trend with its new Future collection

Originally launched in the SS11 collection, the Future trainers are back with their signature sculptural design. A low-top silhouette wrapped in padded panels that wrap around the foot in a continuous flow. The result is a subversive architectural form that blurs the line between footwear and object. At the back, a single white stitch from the Maison highlights its signature.

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Over the last few seasons, the industry has been obsessed with the invisible: neutral tones, clean lines, garments that whisper rather than shout. The famous ‘quiet luxury’ that has taken over both catwalks and wardrobes. But like any trend taken to extremes, it has ended up provoking a backlash. And that’s where these Future trainers from Maison Margiela come in.

Their return is no coincidence, but part of a broader shift in which excess is once again desirable. What’s interesting is that Margiela was already playing with this aesthetic long before it became a trend. These Future trainers were first launched in 2011; however, their reinterpretation connects directly with a contemporary sensibility that reclaims what was once considered too much: too visible, too explicit.

The exaggerated padding, the Velcro straps wrapping around the foot and that almost orthopaedic construction create a silhouette that defies any classic notion of sports footwear. A piece that sits in that ambiguous territory where conceptual design intersects with popular references, where luxury engages with street codes. They function almost as a design object rather than simply as trainers.