Inspired by the ongoing gorpcore trend and building on the iconic Road STA sneaker, BAPE is introducing an updated silhouette that is a distinct departure from past popular styles.

Dubbed the BAPE Road STA Express, the shoe features a brand new sole unit that is made up of a softer EVA midsole topped off with a Vibram outsole. Two colorways are dropping for SS2022 but both pairs appear in curiously-muted tones and bring to mind another running shoe brand.

The first pair of BAPE Road STA Express comes in different shades of grey. Featuring an all-over grey mesh upper, the shoe is overlaid with shaggy suede in a darker grey hue on the mudguard, lace unit and heel. BAPE’s signature Shooting Star motif appears in white on the side. There is also a tongue pull tab, also in grey, that extends down the toe box.

The second pair dons a beige look, with hits of brown and black on the BAPE Shooting Star and around the heel. With this new washed-out look, BAPE is branching out into new territory and counting on the allure of classic dad sneakers.

In other sneaker-related news, check out this new CDG Play x Converse collab.