Lacoste’s crocodile logo has been an iconic fashion image for a long time and starting next month, the brand will be paying tribute to its animal mascot and founder Rene Lacoste with nine different crocodile-inspired sneaker releases. The myths and legends surrounding the ferocious reptiles will be translated into a slew of Lacoste sneakers over the next few months. For starters, the Tiller Egypt, Revan NYC and Tennis 91 West Africa will begin dropping one per month beginning in April at select Lacoste retailers. Check out this explanation of Lacoste’s crocodile origins and the concept behind this upcoming pack.
“For over 75 years the LACOSTE brand has been associated with Crocodiles. It began in 1925, when Rene Lacoste, the founder of the brand, made a bet with Pierre Gillou, the French Davis Team Captain, the prize being a crocodile skin suitcase that Rene had spotted in the shops of Boston. To win the bet Rene Lacoste had to win his next Davis Cup match against the Australian player Anderson, during the days that followed the story of the bet was recounted to George Carens a local journalist. Following the match, which Rene Lacoste did not win, Mr Carens wrote “The young Lacoste has not won his Crocodile skin suitcase but he fought like a real crocodile”. The nickname stuck and Rene Lacoste adopted the crocodile as his emblem and soon had a crocodile embroidered onto the outside pocket of his jacket and the legendary brand logo was born.”
“Crocodiles are featured in many myths and legends around the world with diverse stories ranging from Ancient Egypt where the powerful half man, half crocodile Sobek came out of the sea to create the world. To the Albino Crocodile in South Africa which inhabits the sacred Lake Venda. In Melanesia the Kawai people of Papua New Guinea believe that they are descendants of Nuga, a half man, half crocodile creature created long ago from a piece of wood and in New York we explore the reported sightings of sewer crocodiles around the city.”
via Hypebeast.