A wasp is not the usual starting point for a sneaker. The AFEW x Saucony ProGrid Omni 9 'Tara Hawk' takes its name from the tarantula hawk, one of the most feared wasps in nature, and turns its warning colours and defences into a running shoe. From a distance it looks like a dark, technical Omni 9. Up close, it is one of the most layered pairs the Düsseldorf store has made.
AFEW shot the pair in sand, dry grass and low evening light, and that setting makes sense once you see how the colours move. The Tara Hawk releases on 7 November 2026.
The AFEW x Saucony ProGrid Omni 9 'Tara Hawk' Design
The base is black. Jet Black leather wraps the toe, the lace area and the collar, with darker North Sea tones framing the rest of the upper. That dark frame is what lets the colour work, because everything in between shifts between blue, green, purple and pink depending on the light.
Under a translucent moulded cage sits a custom two-layer mesh in pink, purple, blue and turquoise, so some colours seem to sit underneath others. Iridescent panels around the heel and toe add another layer, and 3D domed holographic patches pick up the light again. The teal Saucony logo and the orange ProGrid unit in the midsole give the eye a fixed point.
Then there is the pony hair. It covers parts of the collar and tongue and breaks up the technical look with something closer to fur. It is a small detail, but it is the one that makes the wasp idea feel physical rather than printed on.
AFEW and Saucony
AFEW has been one of Europe's most consistent collaborators for more than a decade, with pairs for ASICS, Saucony, Diadora, Mizuno and Brooks. The best known are still the ASICS Gel-Lyte III 'Koi' pairs: the Asics x AFEW Gel-Lyte III GL 3 'Red Koi' (2015), released for Düsseldorf's Japan Day, and the Asics x AFEW x Beams Gel-Lyte III GL 3 'Orange Koi' (2018) with BEAMS. Earlier Saucony projects told stories from home, like the Shadow Master 5000 'Goethe', inspired by Düsseldorf's Goethe Museum. The Tara Hawk moves away from the city and into nature.
The ProGrid Omni 9 has become Saucony's favourite collaboration base, with versions from Jae Tips, Footpatrol and Sneaker Politics. Why the brand is having such a strong run is something we covered in Why Saucony Is Everywhere in 2026.
These AFEW collaborations are on KLEKT, and you can find more on our Saucony page:
AFEW x Saucony ProGrid Omni 9 'Tara Hawk' Release
The AFEW x Saucony ProGrid Omni 9 'Tara Hawk' releases on 7 November 2026 in unisex sizing via AFEW in store and online, with an online raffle already open. The style code is S71049-1. Euro pricing and production numbers have not been confirmed yet.
The Tara Hawk will be available on KLEKT. Until then, you can browse the full Saucony range on KLEKT.
Check out all Saucony on KLEKT
Images: AFEW / Saucony
