How GORPcore Continued to Take Over the Sneakersphere in 2022

Collaborative Synergy

and wander x Salomon Odyssey and XT-6

For this match made in GORPcore heaven, and wander joined Salomon to take on the Odyssey and XT-6 once again. As before, they boast all the tech necessary for trekking sidewalks, but even for those most concerned with getting raindrop-covered toe caps to sparkle on IG, it’s regular link-ups like this that keep GORP releases on foot for so long.

Kiko Kostadinov x ASICS US-2 GEL-SONOMA 15-50 MT

Another limited release from a pair of collaborative GORPcore stalwarts, the GEL-SONOMA 15-50 MT features legit trail tech. Let’s be honest though, the model ignores its call for adventure – it’s a designer shoe made for the GORPheads. In true Kiko x ASICS style, the panoramic palettes strike just the right balance of IYKYK and practical austerity.

Brain Dead x Oakley Factory Team Flesh

Oakley have been getting a fair bit of love across GORP moodboards recently, so on-the-pulse Brain Dead capitalised on the Y2K love – resurrecting Oakley’s Factory Team in the process. While Oakley Factory’s penchant for utilitarian construction maximises on GORPcore, Brain Dead add organic, alien-like elements to the Flesh sandal that channel their partner’s early 00s reputation, allowing them to dig deeper into the zeitgeist with some experimental, turn-of-the-millennium flare. Two trendy birds, one stone.

Archival Glory

Salomon ACS Pro Advanced

Like many trends, GORPcore’s popularity presents a golden opportunity to fish out archival favourites. Salomon, the unofficial figurehead of GORP in the sneakersphere, have gone far beyond proving their command of this trend by reviving, from scratch, a silhouette that’s been dormant since the early 00s. First reappearing with updated tech in 2021, the ACS Pro Advanced has continued to prosper throughout 2022 with a range of crisp new colourways.

Nike ACG Air Mada

Although it got a rework as the Air Mada 2k10 over a decade ago, Nike ACG nailed their 2022 retro with near one-to-one accuracy. This year’s edition is lightweight, Air-injected and still using Nike ReGrind outsoles like the 94 OG. More importantly, 2022’s reissue of the Sergio Lozano-designed silhouette was again bolstered by a solid rollout of effortlessly matched, outdoorsy colourways.

New Balance Rainier

Far be it from any brand to miss out on the GORP movement when their archive holds a boot designed by a mountaineer and named after a big ol’ mountain. Developed in the early 80s, the Rainier was retroed in 2016 with GORE-TEX onboard. Following New Balance’s co-sign with Teddy Santis, a ‘Glazed Ginger’ iteration surfaced in 2022, and while the supple red leather may not speak to all, there are ,more takes on the heritage boot to come before the year’s out.

Peak Performance

Nike ACG Zoom Gaiadome GORE-TEX

When it first appeared at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics as the Zoom Gaiadome FlyEase, Nike claimed it was a model strictly for athletes. Carefully crafted marketing tease? Regardless, with GORE-TEX to keep you dry in all conditions (just no more showers, please) and large lugs tuned for mountain slopes, the ACG Zoom Gaiadome GORE-TEX is a fine example of Nike’s continuing innovation in outdoor tech.

norda 001 Trail Runner

With graphene lining and an upper crafted from Dyneema®, a lightweight and seriously durable woven fibre (like 15x stronger-than-steel durable), the norda 001 is a technical marvel made for the harshest conditions. In fact, it brings such innovative substance to the GORPcore movement that it’s difficult to imagine it losing traction once the trend’s dead and buried.

The Trickle-Up Effect

Dior SS23

It wouldn’t be a truly influential trend if it didn’t clamber up social classes before landing in the hands of a French luxury fashion label, would it? At 2022’s Paris Fashion Week, Dior sent their men’s SS23 collection trodding down the runway, with a chunky-soled, intricately layered trail sneaker taking centre stage. Time will tell if Dior’s take on GORPcore will still resonate when it releases in 2023.