Ezra Babineaux is a creative lead at Sneaker Politics, where he helps shape the brand’s storytelling-driven approach to sneaker collaborations. Working across projects like the Saucony “Sportman’s Paradise” and Reebok “Wishing Ritual”, he focuses on transforming cultural references, especially rooted in Louisiana and the South, into design narratives.
How did you start a career in design, and how did that turn into a dream job creating collaborations and designs at Sneaker Politics?
Being creative has always been part of my life since as long as I can remember. My family still has artwork I made in kindergarten. Haha I got introduced to the shop around ’08/’09 and would always wanna pull-up, mostly to window shop but the guys always showed love. S/O to the OGs! When I started college I needed to get a job and I reached out to DC and he gave me a shot. I loved working in the store and I’m thankful my journey started there but I knew I wanted to do more to help expand the brand on a global scale and 10 years later here we are. Its crazy fr man
Where did the initial idea for the “Sportsman’s Paradise” concept come from, and how did the theme first come up internally at Sneaker Politics?
Louisiana and the south as a whole hasn’t gotten the recognition its deserves in my opinion when it comes to streetwear culture. Back in the day a lot of the exclusives were impossible to get out here. So when creating I like to put the South on a pedestal and show what makes us unique when the time presents itself. In this situation that’s the bayou, its a beautiful unique space that we cherish and wanted to share with the world.
Louisiana’s outdoor culture is central to the concept. What elements of that culture were most important for you and the team to represent in the design?
Color and texture. There’s so much different lifeforms that call the bayou home and we wanted to make sure to give that same feeling off with this project for the locals as well as people who may not have been able to experience it yet.
When you were designing this collaboration, was there a specific memory, place, or feeling that you want people to experience when they see or wear the sneaker?
The “Ah-ha” moment when I decided to use the Teal mesh that represents the fishingnets, in that moment I knew we had something. Overall what I wanted to accomplish with this project is encapsulating the feeling of the sensory overload of the bayous. When you first arrive its very overwhelming but once you spend time there you get to experience the harmony of everything coexisting
Were there any challenges during the sampling process or design phase that required adjustments before the final version was approved?
As with most project everything doesn’t always go smoothly, so yes we had a few bumps in the road. The one that stands out is on the final sample round we made a few changes that required more time so the release got pushed back. It was initially slated to release Sept. ’24 but got moved to Jan. ’25 which was a blessing in disguise as we were able to add details like our 20th year anniversary branding. It also was able to kick off the run we’ve been on this year so I’m beyond thankful
There are a lot of subtle storytelling details in the shoe. Which specific element or detail do you think people might overlook but actually carries a lot of meaning?
At first glance it just seems the like majority of the shoe is Teal but if you look its actually a double layered mesh that features a satin blue base layer that shimmers in the light just like water does. Its real subtle but I think the color harmony between the two is a great anchor.
Why was this specific Saucony silhouette chosen as the base for the “Sportsman’s Paradise” project? Did the silhouette influence the story you wanted to tell?
It aligned perfectly as Saucony reached out right around the time the idea came to mind, I thought it was perfect as technical runners have been the wave the last few years but I wanted to take a different approach, adding more lifestyle materials with this execution while still keeping the integrity of the silhouette
What was a design detail that surprised you once the shoe came together? Was there something you didn’t expect to work as well as it did?
The baby pink hits on the tongue and heel. It was a niche last minute detail we added but I can’t tell you how many times people have told me that was their favorite detail of the shoe.
Was there any part of the design that was difficult to execute or required multiple sample rounds to get right?
The window unit on the lateral heel, traditionally it’s translucent. That’s one aspect that took a few rounds but we eventually landed on the opaque matte Blue heel to offer something different. We were slightly spoiled on this project as we made 2 completely different samples from the beginning and chose between them and it was a clear path once we did that. The sourcing of all the different materials I believe is what was the most extensive part of the process.
How did it feel seeing the reaction from the community once the sneaker and story were revealed?
Truly humbling; doing what Im able to do each day is a dream I never take for granted. So the love we received each day all the way back to the initial teaser photos is greatly appreciated. The release is still fresh, but to see people wear them on a consistent basis is my favorite part.
Now that the project is out in the world, is there anything about the design or the storytelling that you appreciate even more in hindsight?
I think its still the process, the long nights and early mornings your pour your all into your craft is tough in the moment. But once you made it to the destination its always worth it. In this case seeing the reaction and appreciation people have for this project is something that’s truly priceless and I’m appreciative of it all #politicsasusual
What was the first idea or image that came up in your head that sparked the Reebok “Wishing Ritual” concept?
We’ve been working on a dual layered application design for a few years now, but it never felt right in the past. Glad it didn’t because once we received the second sample of the Ritual we knew this was the time to utilize it.
Was the water-activated upper already part of the initial thought process or concept or how did that come about?
Interesting story about that it was initially designed as an abrasion style top coat which basically means when the shoe rubs against another surface the top coat would wear away. When we sent the design off based on the way I mocked up the technique the Reebok team interpreted it as water so one of our initial samples came back with this technique and we ran with it.
Fun fact: If you frequented NOLA it has some of the best weather year round but it can pour down raining any second and go right back to beautiful weather so that’s another reason how the water aspect is related to the design.
Were there any ideas that you had to remove that you wish made it into the final product?
The F&F color-way. When the graveyard was open to the public the site would get flooded with the X motif and they would eventually have to put a fresh coat of paint onto the tomb. This is where the concept of our dual layered application made this moment perfect to use. Nonetheless one of these instances they painted it Pink which is why the few F&F pairs that do exist are the pink color.
How many samples were made before the water-reveal effect felt right? And why did Politics opt in for the Workout Plus?
Three. The initial round had multiple execution styles that we chose from and after that it was pretty much locking in the final details like branding etc. The Workout series has been a staple in Louisiana for longer than Ive been alive so those models always lend well for us to use as a canvas.
What does “making a wish” mean to you personally in the context of this design?
Belief. Everyones path in life is different but one thing that’s cohesive is you have to believe you can do something if you’re gonna commit it.
From “Sportsman’s Paradise” to “Wishing Ritual”: Ezra Babineaux Talks Politics Collaborations
