Naturalizer x June Ambrose Shoe Collection Release: Styles, Shop Here

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What does June Ambrose, a designer and stylist to the stars who’s worked with long-term clients like Jay-Z, Missy Elliott, and Mary J. Blige, have in common with Naturalizer, a circa-1927 shoe brand that prides itself on offerings created with the unique contours of a woman’s foot in mind? As of Wednesday, a lot more than you think.

The first drop from Naturalizer’s new Style-letics collection with Ambrose (who was appointed as the company’s global ambassador and creative director last summer) is nothing short of avant-garde and expectation-defying. The two marquee styles — Nova-Shaft and Zyra — are made “for the sport of daily life,” according to Naturalizer, but also manage to supplement their inherent functionality with a healthy dose of statement-making appeal. They will be joined by more silhouettes in March.

The Nova-Shaft is a sandal-boot hybrid boasting a detachable shaft that you can connect at will to the corresponding stiletto, courtesy of hook-and-loop closure. The shoe effectively harnesses the snakeskin trend that’s been dominating designer footwear as of late, but you can also shop it in all-black leather for a more versatile final look. Those who find themselves head over heels for the heel component of the Nova-Shaft would be wise to invest in the Nova sans Shaft — called the Nova Dress Sandal, to be exact, and featuring a unique padded detail at the back.

The Zyra, on the other hand, is a Ghillie pump informed by the design codes of sneakers. What this means: You’ll soon be privy to the latter style’s traditional, crisscrossing laces that extend around the ankle for added support, while also benefitting from top-tier cushioning, shock absorption, breathability, and all-day wearability. Naturalizer’s Zyra comes equipped with a treaded outsole for grip on even the slickest of city streets, not to mention a sculpted insole that treats feet right (finally).

Because both Naturalizer and Ambrose understand that neither one size nor one colorway fits all when it comes to shoes, Zyra is available in black, white, wine red, and metallic lime green: interspersing leather with mesh on the upper for an even closer resemblance to your favorite runner.

“Naturalizer has always understood women’s feet  — not just fashion trends,” Ambrose exclusively shared with Footwear News. “Their legacy in fit and comfort gave me the freedom to dream bigger on the style side, knowing the technical foundation was already mastered. When my fashion lens met their expertise in comfort and longevity, that’s when the real magic happened.”

If this feels different from anything Naturalizer has done in the past, there’s a good reason for that. Ambrose, after all, has been referred to as a “style disruptor” throughout most of her decades-long career: whether this meant being the brain behind Missy Elliott’s inflatable costume in “The Rain” or injecting the hip-hop aesthetic with Dandyism by way of Jay-Z’s sharp suiting in “Excuse Me, Miss.”

Ambrose is helping Naturalizer’s most recent innovations feel just as fresh — fusing form and function, as well as sport and high fashion, to ultimately deliver something you’ll be tempted to wear again and again all year long. Considering the athletic inspiration behind the sandals and pumps, it’s only natural that the Naturalizer x June Ambrose campaign spotlights imagery of the Antiguan-born creative in motion: engaging in everything from tennis to basketball while donning footwear that, at first glance, looks like it won’t be able to keep up.

(Spoiler alert: It does. Just you wait.)

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Stacia Datskovska is a Senior Commerce Writer at WWD and FN. Previously, she worked at ELLE DECOR as an assistant digital editor, covering all things luxury, culture, and lifestyle through a design lens. Her bylines over the past five years have appeared in USA Today, Baltimore Sun, Teen Vogue, Boston Globe, Food & Wine, and more. Prior to joining ELLE DECOR, Datskovska learned the ins and outs of e-commerce at Mashable, where she tested products, covered tentpole sales events, and curated gift guide roundups. She graduated from NYU with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and international relations. Datskovska frequently covers must-shop footwear releases made in collaboration with fashion’s biggest names.