Check out the video above for my unboxing, talking about the collaboration, and an on-feet look of the “black sand” colourway of the Lapstone & Hammer X Saucony Courageous Moc. Please read below for more details and information regarding this interesting collaboration and my detailed review on it.

The Concept and Story

Something that draws me into sneakers is the storytelling component whether it by own personal story that I tell with the sneakers or the story and history the sneaker itself tells. This capsule and collaboration tells and celebrates the story of when Saucony first started operating. Their company was manufacturing on the banks of Saucony river which was 75 miles away from where Lapstone & Hammer was founded. Both brands have Pennsilvaniya roots, Saucony (Kutztown), and Lapstone & Hammer (Philadelphia). The name Saucony is derived from the Native American Lenape word “saconk”, which translates to “where two rivers run together”, and this is what the collaboration focuses on and uses as the title. The “two rivers” collaboration between Saucony and Lapstone & Hammer celebrates the history and pays tribute to the Native American Culture by introducing a new silhouette, the courageous Moc. For more information about the capsule including the other colourway and the clothing that was included you can visit their blog here.

The Aesthetic and Design

Personally, this is one of my favorite designed sneakers I have in my collection. I really do love the way that there are so many different materials and details incorporated in one sneaker but still works. The whipstitched toe is my favourite detail and it is the first Saucony shoe to be hand-stitched in decades.  The different suedes, the cork material on top of the midsole, the tan leather heel tab, wax laces, the shark tooth gum outsole, and the sherpa-lined tongue are all details found in this one sneaker that you usually don’t see combined in any other sneakers. I also really liked the purple accents found throughout the shoe from the lace toggles to the sock liner. It’s really well designed and I personally like this pair because I love the contrast of colours and the way it pops.

Price and Place of Purchase

Like I said in the video these had multiple releases. The first was through an online raffle system and then Lapstone and Hammer dropped the sneaker online a week prior to the collaboration hitting different boutiques for $150 USD. However, I purchased my pair from Livestock a couple days after the initial release because my size was one of the first sizes to sell out. There a few small sizes left. But you can visit some established reseller sites such as GOAT, to see how much a pair in your size is going for.

Size and Comfort

As you saw in the video I tested these out by going on a short walk outside and enjoying the beautiful weather. I will be honest, when it comes to new pair of sneakers, especially low cuts, I don’t usually unlace it before I put them on. For this you must, because it was extremely difficult to put on and take off. Obviously, I would also suggest you do that because the wax laces don’t go through the lace lock as smooth as regular laces.

However, once I actually wore them, they were nice and snug, but not to the point where it hurt or my foot needed more space. Therefore, I highly recommend sticking with your true to size and then lacing them up as needed from there.

Overall

Cop or drop? Cop

Comfort? Go true to size for the optimal fit. I wouldn’t recommend trying anything else, just adjust the lacing. 

Aesthetic? I love it. This shoe is so unique and intricate with all the details and elements that coincide and complement one another. This sneaker doesn’t require a hyped influencer or bold colours to grab someone’s attention. 

Price? Retail: Affordable. Although it did sell out quickly, I am not too sure about how the resale on these will be. I would recommend just monitoring this for the next couple of weeks to see if there has been any fluctuation in prices. 

Packaging? Incredible. From the marble box with both brands logo featured with the accompanying sheet of paper/tissue paper to the additional laces and lace lock, they really did their thing. 

Let me know what you think and if you plan on buying a pair later on or if they do another release, will you purchase then or will you be passing on these? Please make sure you follow the blog via email to be notified of new content and feel free to share this post if you liked it!