The Cactus Plant Flea Market 'Grinch' Dunk is Here to Save Us From Collaboration Fatigue
“You’re a mean one…”
Credit belongs to House of Heat for unveiling a fur-covered Cactus Plant Flea Market x Nike Dunk Low inspired by everyone’s favorite holiday cynic, The Grinch. Expected to release this holiday season, the playful partnership is sure to be one of the most hyped of the year.
As collaboration culture continues to thrive, the mark of what makes a buzz-worthy drop elevates in tandem. Storytelling and nostalgia continue to be the driving force, but the same rotation of colors across the same handful of silhouettes just doesn’t hit anymore.
This massive collaboration fatigue sets the stage for the unusual and impractical, something CPFM achieves masterfully. Take the label’s Swarovski-covered Dunk from 2020 or the forthcoming iteration with an exaggerated mossy green midsole. This cross section of camp, whimsicality, nature and sport is the CPFM DNA — a message the consumer knows and expects — and the brand expresses it fully into its sneakers. This is how authentic, resonating and exciting collabs are born.
The days of “reimagining” a sneaker in a couple collegiate shades and throwing a logo hit on it are dwindling. Texture and textile-focused sneakers have the spotlight from the crackled Air Jordan 1 “Lost & Found” to the woven UNION LOS ANGELES x Nike Cortez, lenticular CLOT Dunk High, patchwork Billie Eilish x Air Force 1 Lows and pony hair women’s Air Jordan 1 “Twist 2.0.”
Textures don’t deserve all the credit, to be fair. It’s more so about the desire for the new and unexpected. Only time will tell how brands and creatives continue to reinvent sneaker collaborations, but if faux fur that delicately sweeps the ground is any indicator — we’re on the right track.
