The Beatnik has enjoyed magnificent success for the past few years. In many ways it helped to kickstart the cozy shoe revolution which was supercharged in 2020 as we spent more time at home. The story of this mule actually pre-dates this all by about 30 years though. The Beatnik was first released as part of Reebok's push into the burgeoning hiking trend of the early 90s – debuting in the Japanese market. Since then the Beatnik has become a favourite of influential creatives and cool people of the internet thanks to the utilitarian looks and comfort.
This version comes from an ongoing partnership between Reebok and the estate of iconic design duo Charles and Ray Eames. Known for their ubiquitous and often-imitated creations, the Eames and Reebok have explored many iconic patterns and textures from the catalogue. This textile print is the "Crosspatch" pattern which was designed by Ray Eames for a fabric design competition held by The Museum of Modern Art in 1947.