_J.L-A.L_ Takes on ROA's Katharina for Its Latest Niche Sneaker Collaboration

Jean-Luc Ambridge's progressive London-based Instagram page-turned-label _J.L-A.L_ is making big strides in the tech-leaning footwear world. It first delivered its tech-heavy aesthetic in footwear with a sneaker made in collaboration with HOKA, and now it doubles down with another collab, this time working with ROA.Taking on the ROA Katharina, _J.L-A.L_ applies technical anti-abrasion nylon to the pair for its base in a petrol-navy blue hue. From here, lashings of hardwearing rubber are added, kitting out the sneaker with a ROA-branded toe box and bumper that extends to element-resistant sidewalls and lower-mid panels.A coated nylon sporting 3M treatment runs between the two sections, leading the eye to the rear of the shoe where _J.L-A.L_ accents the sneaker with grey nubuck and a webbing pull tab, itself contrasting the black silky nylon tongue sheath. Speckled black and white rope laces drawn from ROA's hiking world weave along the tongue and hook into two metal eyelets at the top, while a heavy-duty Vibram sole unit rounds out the pair.Much like its HOKA collaboration, the _J.L-A.L_ x ROA Katharina is sans-_J.L-A.L_-branded, meaning the colorway is the signature identifier for those familiar with Ambridge's brand.Take a look at the sneaker above, and pick it up from a multitude of global retailers as well as on _J.L-A.L_'s website from 1 p.m. BST/8 a.m. ET today.In case you missed it, take an exclusive first look at the Y-3 Stan Smith. Click here to view full gallery at Hypebeast