55DSL Collaborates With “Arkitip” and Visual Artist Aaron De La Cruz

Collaborations are at the heart of 55DSL’s DNA, having had a long-standing history of working with the most creative young talent today. From linking up with Tony Hawk in his ’90s skating heyday, to giving film-making collective CANADA a platform to produce their first short film, 55DSL thrives on building creatively fueled partnerships. Recently, they’ve launched their latest unique partnership by teaming up with sandal makers Birkenstock, Los Angeles based art publisher Arkitip and San Francisco-based artist Aaron De La Cruz, for something completely innovative and cutting edge. Birkenstock reflect the roots and quality that 55DSL prides itself in, whilst Arkitip’s support of emerging artists resonates with the brands commitment to helping upcoming talents have a loudspeaker for their art. 55DSL’s creative visionary, Andrea Rosso himself has deep admiration for Birkenstock. “I’ve been wearing Birkenstock for years and have always admired their timeless styling and the high quality craftsmanship that is so evident in each pair. Bringing Arkitip into the fold was a natural choice, as I admire their support of young emerging artists. I look forward to seeing what the final result is!”

It had to be more than a basic partnership – Andrea envisioned an authentic four-way dialogue and creative process. De La Cruz’s style of mixing organic methods with strict geometric shapes and lines perfectly fit the “heritage meets urban aesthetics” vibe the project demanded. The final piece of the puzzle has been figuring out how to ensure each pair of sandals is genuinely infused with De La Cruz’s signature artwork and this was achieved by inviting him to hand paint a large scale mural at the company’s HQ in Breganze, Italy.

Here, we take a look at the creative process.