Fila‘s winning streak continues with news its Disruptor II sneaker silhouette has been awarded Footwear News shoe of the year award. Footwear News credited the Disruptor II for being on trend, having appeal globally and with both sexes and compelling collaborations.
The win is meaningful because it breaks the streak of shoes driven in part by celebrity association with Nike and Virgil Abloh in 2017, Rihanna and Puma in 2016 and Kanye West and Adidas in 2015.
Fila’s Disruptor shoe shoe was first launched in the mid-’90s and has been a part of Fila’s catalog ever since. The shoe’s rise in part reflects the embrace of a combination of chunky shoes and ’90s-era athletic brands. Fila has capitalized on the tailwinds with a series of smart collaborations including a wildly popular effort with Fendi.
Footwear News also announced Reebok and Pyer Moss as the recipient of its best collaboration award. Pyer Moss designer Kerby Jean-Raymond worked off of a Reebok DMX model and created the DMXRNFX, a shoe that was first launched in white in March 2018, followed by a black silhouette in June.
Additionally, Tabitha Simmons was awarded designer of the year while Chloe Gosselin and Mike Amiri were awarded the Vivian Infantino Emerging Talent Award.