Why the Maker of Canada's Finest Sportswear Revved up the Rolls-Royce of Footwear (EXCLUSIVE)
Body of Work considers itself to sportswear what Mephisto is to sneakers. That's not really a comparison that the layperson might easily grasp ("What's Body of Work? What's Mephisto") so let's put it more plainly.
Mephisto is the Rolls-Royce of shoes, a purveyor of tremendously sumptuous footwear made patiently and made to last. Its an obsessives-only proposition understood solely by true believers and the elderly, who appreciate well-made and well-considered footwear better than any whippersnapper.
Body of Work, meanwhile, is a young Canadian sportswear imprint that specializes in artisanal athletic leisure wear. Notice I didn't say "athleisure," because that'd be inaccurate. This is soft but hardy clothing made for ease and made with purpose. Think sweatpants cut more like slacks and generous all-season cotton-jersey outerwear as soft as it is sturdy.
"We work closely with family-owned knitting mills and factories to design, knit, dye and cut and sew our products here in Ontario," co-founder Dwayne Vatcher tells me. "We like to focus on the finer details."
The finer details of Body of Work's collaborative Mephisto Match sneaker include fine Italian suede uppers treated to take on a signature Body of Work shade called "Loam Brown." This hue is only recognizable to those in the know, functioning as a calling card in place of more overt branding.
"Brittney [MacKinnon, co-founder] and I are long-time Mephisto enthusiasts," says Vatcher. "As my last pair were nearing the end of their time, we were speaking about what our ideal pair of Mephisto Matches would be and the conversation expectedly centered around materials and palette."
However, Body of Work did affect one quietly huge upgrade. It's not only the first Canadian Mephisto collaborator but the first-ever Mephisto collaborator to swap the French label's tongue branding for its own embossed logo.
It's a timely team-up that comes as both Body of Work and Mephisto catch a wave.
In the past several months, Mephisto has notched collaborations with tastemaking talent like New York vintage store Procell, youth-culture imprint Madhappy, and outdoor-handcraft label 18East, demonstrating a surprising level of clout for a company better known for untrendy handmade walking shoes. (If this all sounds familiar, remember the Birkenstock boom of a few years ago.)
Mephisto is so vital that it even "inspired" fellow elderly fave New Balance to cook up a very familiar-looking walking shoe.
Body of Work, meanwhile, is making its own moves. Both its Mephisto collaboration and a late-May pop-up with cultish NYC store-cafe Colbo open up the five-year-old label to a fresh audience hungry for thoughtful clothing worthy of long-term wear (though it launches at the Colbo even on May 22, the Mephisto sneaker will also be available May 23 on Body of Work's website).
It's the right time and the right place. Though Body of Work has turned out inimitably cool classics for years and previously worked with similarly patient San Antonio Shoemakers for likeminded non-sneaker sneakers, the Mephisto shoe is creating a moment all BoW's own.
"In our efforts to develop world-class, artisanal sportswear," says Vatcher, "We are grateful to have the opportunity to work with and learn from expert craftspeople who share our standard of excellence."
Highsnobiety has affiliate marketing partnerships, which means we may receive a commission from your purchase.
