To celebrate Barbie’s 65th anniversary, Keds has collaborated with Mattel on a capsule collection inspired by the iconic doll.
The highly anticipated partnership marries two American brands into four footwear silhouettes. Each style meshes Keds’ signature silhouettes with colorways and detailing inspired by Barbie’s most iconic looks throughout the years. The collaboration features four platform silhouettes that include the footwear brand’s newest style, the Keds Point. Every set brings height to a look with a platform sole that is about 1 inch tall.
The star piece of the collection is the Keds Point Striped Canvas sneaker, which is dressed in a canvas upper that mimicked the pattern of the swimsuit Barbie debuted in 1959. Ked’s design director Lindsay Kotlarchyk shared the first design was created to pay homage to both of the brand’s heritage.
“The bold black and white of the chevron pattern lent itself well to our newest silhouette — The Keds Point — a modern iteration of one of our archive shoes from the same era as the original Barbie,” Kotlarchyk explained. The set was completed by a lace-up closure. Another pair of lace-up sneakers was added to the collection, this one differentiating itself with an iridescent gold upper.
The third piece of the collection is Keds Triple Up. Inspired by the Barbiecore trend, the low-top set is dressed in bright pink metallic leather with pink laces that match the branding against the heel tab and tongue. A removable golden “B” lace keeper completes the first three pieces.
Lastly, the Keds Mary Jane takes on a neon pink canvas upper that features a contrasting look coming from the white toe cap, platform sole and Barbie signature on the side panel. The vibrant set was completed by a golden “B” charm against the velcro strap.
Each piece from the Barbie x Keds collection will retail for $90. The collaboration will be released on May 9 online and in select retailers.
