grounds’ SS27 “An Invitation” Transforms Footwear into Otherworldly Sculptures

Mikio Sakabe’s Japanese footwear label, grounds, unveiled its Spring/Summer 2027 collection, provocatively titled “An Invitation,” within the hallowed and atmospheric setting of the Église Américaine de Paris. This collection confronts the contemporary world, characterized by an overwhelming influx of information, with a dose of radical surrealism. grounds, known for its avant-garde approach to footwear, aims to transcend the ordinary by transforming shoes into speculative artifacts. These creations are envisioned as objects that seamlessly bridge the gap between ancient ritualistic items, the intricate mechanics of futuristic robotics, and the monumental forms of alien architecture. The choice of the American Church in Paris as the venue further amplified this sense of otherworldly tension, presenting the footwear not merely as accessories, but as a form of sacred armor, meticulously crafted for navigating an unwritten and unknown future. The collection’s overarching theme, “An Invitation,” poses a profound philosophical question: what attire would one choose to meet the unknown, to engage with a realm beyond our current comprehension, thereby rejecting the predictable patterns of everyday life.

At the forefront of this conceptual exploration is POTTER, a newly introduced line that dramatically exaggerates the conventional high heel, pushing it into far more sculptural and artistic territory. Drawing inspiration from the enduring visual language of ancient Japanese dogū figures – enigmatic clay figurines from the Jōmon period known for their distinctive, often exaggerated features – the POTTER silhouette sharpens the toe while simultaneously expanding the volume beneath the foot into a substantial, sculptural mega-sole. This innovative one-piece hollow sole is ingeniously designed to curve around open cavities at both the front and rear, bestowing upon the shoe a smooth, almost glass-like appearance that evokes the impression of being "blown" rather than conventionally molded. Standing at an impressive height of approximately 10 cm, the POTTER line demonstrates a remarkable duality, oscillating between refined elegance and deliberate distortion across its various iterations. These include distinct styles such as Little Star, All In One, Slash, Trotte, and Rino. Each of these variations interprets the same bulbous, foundational sole structure in unique ways, offering diverse upper constructions that range from sharply pointed, reminiscent of classic court shoes, to more complex strapped designs, sporty lace-up arrangements, and extended, sock-like forms that hug the ankle.

The collection ventures into even more extreme and experimental designs with LONPIE, which represents an amplified evolution of the LOOPIE structure that was initially introduced by grounds for the Spring/Summer 2026 season. LONPIE features an enlarged mega-sole heel and artfully fuses the silhouette of traditional Japanese koppori footwear – characterized by their elevated wooden soles – with contemporary design sensibilities. This particular design occupies a fascinating interstitial space, existing somewhere between the dramatic aesthetic of gothic platform dressing and the formidable, armored feet one might associate with advanced robotic or extraterrestrial entities. Complementing these standout pieces, the collection further expands its surreal footwear language through the inclusion of MOOPIE, LOOPIE, SKYSCRAPER, and BAT styles. These additional designs contribute significantly to the collection's overall narrative, reinforcing the concept of footwear as objects of speculative design that transcend mere functional utility to become powerful statements of identity and profound engagement with the mysteries of the unknown.