Packer’s Upcoming Reebok Answer 4 Colab Seems to Look to Prada for Inspo

Between being responsible for Packer Shoes’ brand direction and product buys, Victor Kan finds the time to tease the long-running company’s upcoming collaborations on Instagram. The next joint effort continues a solid relationship between Packer and Reebok, this time on the revived Answer 4, which has been enjoying an extended 20th anniversary this year. For astute followers of early-2000s street style, the reference point for this navy and grey colourway seems clear. This Reebok Answer 4 wears its Prada America’s Cup inspiration on its shroud.

The Prada America’s Cup (née Prada Sneaker) was introduced as a performance sailing sneaker back in 1997, but quickly found traction on street corners for the high rollers as much as it did on the high seas. Its bold two-tone silver mesh with navy leather (high gloss patent for some releases) became a signature colourway, leaving room for the bright red Prada-emblazoned tongue strip. It’s so signature that Supreme referenced the America’s Cup for their Nike Air Max 98 colab in 2016. Now, Packer are drawing on the same source material for their Reebok remix.

The Answer 4 essentially co-exists with the America’s Cup in the same sneaker universe, so the mesh and leather elements perfectly transfer from Prada to Reebok – especially that massive contrast toe panel. Breathability is upped with plenty of silver mesh up top, even on the zippered lace shroud. And while this colourway so far could be loosely likened to a Georgetown edition (which is entirely plausible in the Allen Iverson canon), the red zipper tab is all that’s needed to all but confirm it’s inspired by some Prada iconography.

The Packer x Reebok Answer 4 collaboration is due to release some time in FW21, so it’ll be a little while yet before these reach the public.