Aro x Hed Mayner: Seeing Joaneta Through a New Lens
For Summer 2027, Aro and Paris-based designer Hed Mayner come together to reinterpret the Joaneta, one of Aro’s most recognizable silhouettes. First unveiled at Paris Fashion Week, the collaboration has since been featured in Vogue Runway, Vogue France, WWD, Footwear News, Flaunt, and Whitewall. Together, the two brands bring a fresh perspective to the iconic style, exploring how subtle changes in texture and finish can shift the character of a familiar silhouette.
“What first attracted me to the Aro shoes was their softness, how flat they are and the feeling of walking almost barefoot.”
Mayner’s approach was to work with the surface, introducing flocking to give the Joaneta a new tactile quality, alongside a precise finish that sits somewhere between matte and shine.
“I wanted to add flocking to give the surface a slightly harder texture, more flat and precise with something between a matte and shiny finish.”
The result is a Joaneta that feels familiar yet unexpected. Its slim silhouette, retro-inspired character, and flexible construction remain at the core, while the new texture gives it a more refined and poetic expression.
The collaboration brings together two distinct but complementary worlds: Aro’s Barcelona roots and Hed Mayner’s contemporary Parisian aesthetic. The Joaneta has always carried a sense of urban ease, shaped by Aro’s Barcelona identity, retro-sport references, and understated approach to everyday footwear. Mayner brings a different perspective to that foundation, introducing a more refined Parisian sensibility through texture, finish, and a sharper attention to detail.
The result feels like a natural meeting point between the relaxed energy of Barcelona and the considered aesthetic of Paris. The integrity of the Joaneta remains intact, while subtle changes give the silhouette a new character. Familiar, but with a new layer of sophistication.
The Joaneta, through a new lens.
Want to see the collaboration up close? Read more here:
