This New P.F. Flyers Collab Is Wrapped in Hand-Woven Denim

When UK-based slow fashion brand Story mfg. linked up with ASICS earlier this year for a plaid-maxxed Gel-Venture 6, it was the perfect kind of collab: a buzzy indie brand with cult appeal teaming up with the cool-kid sneaker brand of the moment on a project that felt aligned with both brands’ identities. Fortunately for anyone who missed out on that sold-out drop, Story mfg. is back with another footwear collab, this time with American heritage brand P.F. Flyers. The result is the Story mfg. x P.F. Flyers All-American, a funky, artisanal take on one of the oldest canvas sneakers in the game.Story mfg. is the brainchild of founders Saeed and Katy Al-Rubeyi, a husband-and-wife team who launched their brand in the arts-loving enclave of Brighton, England, in 2013. The pair has been focused on sustainability since the jump, prioritizing hand-woven natural fabrics, regenerative agriculture, and a zero-waste production model in everything they do. Despite their bohemian, DIY aesthetic, every element of each piece is carefully considered and built to age gracefully over the years.As fans of midcentury menswear will know, P.F. Flyers is an American sneaker brand whose patented cushioned Posture Foundation technology laid the groundwork for modern athletic shoes in 1944. In the 1950s, it became the first shoe brand to sponsor a professional athlete, equipping Celtics legend Bob “The Houdini of the Hardwood” Cousi with their canvas high-tops. Seven decades later—thanks in no small part to The Sandlot’s Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez—the P.F. Flyers All-American high-top is a classic creation on par with Levi’s 501s and Russell Oneida moccasins. P.F. Flyers isn’t known for experimenting with high-tech innovations or otherwise attempting to reinvent the wheel, and aside from a handful of extremely tasteful collabs, their catalog is gloriously succinct and limited to just four core models.For their partnership with P.F. Flyers, Story mfg. has taken the All-American sneaker and given it the same treatment they give all of their wares. “Katy and I used to hunt down vintage P.F. Flyers in markets,” Saeed tells GQ. “We’d talk about how good the All-American shape would look in our handwoven fabrics, with the same waffle sole and the same silhouette that’s barely moved since the ‘50s.”Available in two distinctive models, Indigo Handloom and Wobbly Waffle, the sneakers combine Story mfg.’s signature hand-woven cloth with the unmistakable look of P.F. Flyers’ original basketball shoe. Indigo Handloom features an upper made from naturally dyed denim that’s artisanally hand-woven in Thailand, and—like your favorite pair of indigo selvedge jeans—promises to develop a unique patina over time. Wobbly Waffle leans more British, with a handwoven cotton upper in textured indigo and brown gingham. Needless to say, thanks to the handmade origins of these fabrics, the Story mfg. x P.F. Flyers All-American is highly limited, but if you miss out on this one, we’ve got a feeling this won’t be the last joint outing from these brands. “We’d been lectured enough times that handloom cloth doesn’t belong in a factory-made shoe,” Sayeed says. “It was possible, and [P.F. Flyers] made it work.”The Story mfg. x P.F. Flyers All-American retails for $130 at pfflyers.com and storymfg.com.