For Stranger Things Day 2024, Clarks heads back to Hawkins, Indiana to drop the latest installment of its collaboration with the cult Netflix show. In a nostalgia-fuelled follow-up to July’s extensive collection, the new offering sees a comeback of the brand’s 1987 Hardware Hype shoe.
Initially launched around the same time as the show’s setting, the silhouette had once featured a smart-meets-sporty look with a keyboard-patterned sole, leather upper, and embroidered pulse wave, encapsulating the retro-futuristic style of the era. For the revival version, Clarks leans closer towards the sporty side, reworking its key features into sneaker form.
At the base, the gridded sole comes crafted from durable rubber while on the upper, the black leather is swapped out for perforated suede panels to make the shoe breathable. The most recognizable change can be found in the fastening, where the yellow laces turn into a red and white Velcro strap detailing the pulse wave on the outer edge. From the shoes to the packaging, the green Hardware shoebox is also reimagined with a striking sketch of Stranger Things heroine Eleven on the inside lid.
Continuing to tie the drop together with the show’s iconography, the brand delivers a new take on the original ‘80s ad for the accompanying campaign. In the visuals, a young gamer is seen charged with Eleven’s superpowers upon stepping into the sneakers and embarking on a retro video game. Elements of the campaign are also woven into the new lookbook where the Hardware sneakers are placed on a desk alongside a retro TV, games console, and other childhood paraphernalia.
To amplify the ‘80s fever of the release, Clarks has teamed up with Raleigh to giveaway an exclusive one of one, “Upside-down” Chopper. Hardcore Stranger Things fans can enter a special competition from November 18 on Clarks’ website and one winner will be gifted the supernatural bike ahead of season five.
The Stranger Things x Clarks Hardware is now available to shop online with prices starting at £44 GBP (approx. $57 USD)
