Taste the fashion with Lay’s-inspired limited-edition sneakers by ARKS

In the pop-culture directory of design-inspired collaborations between food and fashion, chips hold a special place. Replete with several references, from Pringles to Ruffles, this zone seems have flourished with the sneaker cult — let’s jog our memory to The Ruffles Ridge Tops, Pringles X Crocs and the recent END. and Adidas’s The BW Army Chip Shop. The trend has a taker from India too.

 Ranbir Kapoor poses with Lay’s Magic Masala and the pair of shoe inspired by it
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Special arrangement

Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor’s brand, ARKS, has teamed up with Pepsico’s Lay’s for a limited-edition sneaker collection. Available in four shades inspired by the corresponding flavours of Lay’s — Magic Masala, Spanish Tomato Tango, West Indies Hot & Sweet Chilli and American Style Cream & Onion — this drop features blue, red, orange and neon green on the shoe’s sole and lace.

ARKS sneakers inspired by Lay’s American Style Cream & Onion feature neon green on the shoe’s sole and lace
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Special arrangement

Abhinav Verma, co-founder and CEO of ARKS, shares, “So, the brand’s first drop of sneakers was in black and white. It came in two variants, mid top and low top, and was launched along with the brand on February 14 this year. We wanted to add a pop of colour to these sneakers and the iconic shades of Lay’s seem to be the perfect fit.”

ARKS sneakers inspired by Lay’s Spanish Tomato Tango have the colour red on the shoe’s sole and lace
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Special arrangement

Interestingly, Ranbir is one of the brand ambassadors of Lay’s in India. The collaboration, according to Abhinav, was a natural progression of the actor’s already-existing affinity with the brand. He says, “Ranbir suggested the team to collaborate on this idea. And that’s how it started curating the edit about two-and-a-half months ago; early June.”

ARKS sneakers inspired by Lay’s West Indies Hot & Sweet Chilli come with a dash of orange on the shoe’s sole and lace
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Special arrangement

The pairs, limited to 3,000 (750 for each of the shades), are made with OrthoLite insole built at 0.13 density with 25 Asker C softness, informs Abhinav. This combination makes the insole lightweight while offering step-in comfort and delivers balance of cushioning and breathability — perfect for lifestyle sneakers designed to be worn all day, he adds. “The outer shell of the shoe is made with 100% mill leather. We’ve also got matching laces and the shoe comes with two options of laces, a white one and a coloured one, because sneakerheads like to play around with sneakers.”

ARKS sneakers inspired by Lay’s Magic Masala come with a pop of blue on the shoe’s sole and lace
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Special arrangement

The collection is manufactured and packed by Purti International, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, and marketed and distributed by Mara Lifestyle Private Limited, Mumbai. To make most of its products, states Abhinav, ARKS opts for contract manufacturing. “So, the there are different factories for different components and it’s all coming together at an assembly line,” he informs.

Ranbir Kapoor poses with Lay’s Spanish Tomato Tango and the pair of shoe inspired by it
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Special arrangement

This is not the first time Lay’s is collaborating with a fashion brand. The US-based company had earlier paired with Spanish label Balenciaga for a handbag which debuted at the Paris Fashion Week in 2022. The brand has been cashing in on cultural currency and even though it does not have any financial stake in its collaboration with ARKS, the creative alliance does push the dialogue on how snacking trends interact with fashion. As Saumya Rathor, marketing director, Lay’s, PepsiCo India, quotes one of her team members: “It is about chips, but it’s also about cool drips.”

A pair of sneakers from ARKS x Lay’s limited-edition capsule is priced at ₹6,999 and is available on arks.club