Skechers’ Collaboration with Jen Stark Is A Blend of Psychedelic Art Worth Owning

In their latest collab, Skechers tap the LA-based artist Jen Stark to bring their classic shoe styles to life

By Kyle Lamar Rice

Kyle Lamar Rice

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August 15, 2023

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Skechers x Jen Stark Collab

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Beneath layers of undulating, vibrant shapes is a source of meditation for artist Jen Stark. “I just zone in on what I’m doing. It’s almost like I go into a hypnotic state,” Stark details. Her latest collab with Skechers is no different, oozing with contrasting tones in a mix of psychedelic colors.

This shows itself in a pretty literal composition of art, the UNO-style sneakers, which retail for $95. Like paint dumped on a canvas, illustrations saturate the shoe in a field of tones, one in black & white, the other in a mirage of color. Their chunky white soles give space and allow Starks artwork to breathe as they engulf every inch of the exterior, finished with a contrasting pair of black laces and a black outsole.


Skechers and Jen Stark Collab for the Release of Their Latest Capsule Collection

Buy Skechers x Jen Stark: HI Rise $95


The Street HI Ryze, also retailing for $95, resembles a sporty utilitarian boot. They’re void of color on the base as the upper half is dipped in illustrations, appearing in perpetual transformation from accessory to art. The eyelets shift in color as stark white laces cut across the print, creating fragment-like snapshots of the overall design. 

It’s easy to see where Stark pulls her influence. Growing up in Miami and later moving to LA, she says her world parallels nature and the geometric compositions that underscore her work. “I would go into my backyard and stare at ferns unfurling, the fractal shapes, and all the luscious colors of plants and flowers,” she explains. “I love the mysteries that lie in the universe and in the plant world, how there’s this underlying mathematical equation in everything around us, from plants to fractals to designs.”

Skechers

Buy Skechers x Jen Stark: UNO $95

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Her work has tension as curved layers stack and shift on the shoes, suspended in motion while seemingly fighting to expand. This explosive energy is prevalent throughout the collab, making these sneakers a work of art worth admiring.

“The kind of art I love is interactive, where you walk up to a wall and there’s a projection on it that changes and pulses,” Stark relays, as if the design is alive and influencing everything around it. “I love having viewers immerse themselves and interact with my art. That’s why I especially love this collaboration. People can wear my art and interact with it on a day-to-day basis.”

Check out the new collab at Skechers.com.

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