New York Pedestrians Weigh In on the New CAMPERLAB Collection

CAMPERLAB‘s Spring/Summer 2022 collection is here, and New Yorkers can’t wait to get their hands on it. The Mallorcan brand’s first fully unisex footwear line features an array of signature silhouettes—lug sole boots, clogs, and brogues—rendered in everything from dyed pink cowhide and cracked leather, to knitted Tencel and neon rubber. The collection is as playful as it is functional, so it makes sense that CAMPERLAB tapped a gaggle of kids to showcase it. To road test the new designs, Interview hit the pavement in Chinatown, Soho, and Little Italy to ask passersby about their favorite childhood fits, the shoes that defined their youth, and what they made of the collection. 

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COURTNEY, 25, PRODUCT MANAGER.

INTERVIEW: Which of these new CAMPERLAB shoes are speaking to you?

COURTNEY: Ooh, the white ones. I have a thing for white shoes with dark soles.

INTERVIEW: What were your favorite shoes as a kid?

COURTNEY: I had this pair of clogs when I was, like, eight. They were pink. They were suede, very 2000s. I ended up fracturing my foot in them, but I insisted on wearing them anyway. Not cute. 

INTERVIEW: Did you ever dress up in your parents’ clothes?

COURTNEY: Yes, 100 percent. My mom had a giant closet filled to the brim. Like, she had a problem. 

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MACKENZIE, 24.

INTERVIEW: CAMPERLAB has a new line of shoes. Which ones are your favorites?

MACKENZIE: The black ones with the yellow bottoms. Hands down.

 INTERVIEW: As a kid, did you ever dress up in your parents’ clothes?

MACKENZIE: Nah, my mom would never let me in my parents’ room. My dad had a lot of OG throwback jerseys and stuff like that, so I was never allowed in there. 

INTERVIEW: What was your style like as a kid?

MACKENZIE: I wore anything that I thought 50 Cent would wear. 

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SUZANNA, 35, CLUB OWNER.

INTERVIEW: Would you wear any of the shoes from the new CAMPERLAB collection?

SUZANNA: I like the black ones, but I definitely have to pick the blue.

INTERVIEW: What were your favorite shoes as a kid? 

SUZANNA: I’m from Slovakia. When I was really small, it was communism, so there weren’t many choices. My mom would sew me things that I saw in magazines—she made me a really cool vinyl jacket when I was 12 that I loved. 

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RACHEL, 25, WRITER.

INTERVIEW: Which of these CAMPERLAB styles is speaking to you? 

RACHEL: Okay, fire. These red ones are crazy. I think I’d wear the red, not gonna lie. 

INTERVIEW: How would you describe your childhood style?

RACHEL: I was like, one of those suburban emo kids—you can’t go all out, because you’re in New Jersey, but you’re still gonna wear tight pants with rips in them, and a lot of leopard print.

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ELLA & THOMAS, 18, STUDENTS.

INTERVIEW: Which of these shoes from the new CAMPERLAB collection would you wear?

ELLA: I like the black and white. 

THOMAS: I must have the red ones. 

INTERVIEW: Did you two ever dress up in your parents’ clothes as kids?

ELLA: I put on my dad’s suits a lot. I thought that was pretty funny. 

INTERVIEW: What was your style like as a kid?

ELLA: We’re both French, so we have really simple style. 

 

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MASHA, 32, INTERIOR DESIGNER.

INTERVIEW: Which of these new CAMPERLAB shoes is your favorite?

MASHA: I really like those black ones, with the cap toe.

INTERVIEW: Did you ever play dress up as a kid?

MASHA: Oh yes. Hell yes. I loved Britney Spears when I was a kid, and I remember making music videos with friends where we would dance to her music. Back in the ‘90s and early 2000s, everyone did that. 

INTERVIEW: What was your style like as a kid?

MASHA: Sometimes it was very girlish, like heels, short skirts and stuff. I loved Avril Lavigne, so I also had a punk stage. I was searching for a style. 

 

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