The 13 Greatest Bapesta Collaborations of All Time

At the turn of the millennium, A Bathing Ape introduced a silhouette that would dominate sneaker culture. Released in 2000, the Bapesta boasts a remarkable simplicity in its design and construction. Consisting of a few textile panels, minimal branding and a cupsole, the silhouette lends itself to endless variation, creating a brand new shoe with just a few material or color alterations. And in an era where the concept of collaborations was only just beginning, this made the Bapesta particularly appealing, offering a canvas for brands, musicians, artists and other creatives to tell new stories.

With the resurgence of Millennial aesthetics, the shoes of the early ’00s are undergoing a renaissance of their own, so it was only a matter of time before the Bapesta came back around. The sneaker’s return has introduced younger collectors to a streetwear heavyweight, connecting contemporary trends to those that came before. It has also allowed a new generation of brands and creators to reimagine the Bapesta through their respective lenses—including the GOAT-exclusive Bapesta, released in two colorways for Black Friday 2022.

Here, we look back at some of the best Bapesta collaborations of all time to better understand the style’s cultural significance and to set the stage for what’s to come.