German retailer afew is back with Saucony, and this time the muse is a bug you really don't want to meet. As Sneaker News reported today, the afew x Saucony ProGrid Omni 9 "Tara Hawk" (style S71049-1) releases by raffle on afew's website on November 7 for €185, roughly $215 before shipping.
The tarantula hawk is a wasp with one of the most painful stings on Earth. It's the kind where scientists' official advice is basically "lie down and scream." It gets its name from hunting tarantulas, so afew built the shoe around both. The wasp side covers the upper with see-through, iridescent blue TPU and synthetic overlays that shift like the insect's metallic body, sitting on red, orange and yellow mesh with an orange midfoot plate to match. The tarantula side is black pony hair on the tongue and collar, which is a sentence we never expected to type about a running shoe.
Our take: afew has a long track record of weird, clever storytelling on Saucony and ASICS, and this one leans all the way in. The oil-slick shimmer over warm mesh actually works on the Omni 9's chunky 2000s shape, and the pony hair gives it a texture you'll want to touch, which is more than anyone can say about the actual wasp. It's a European raffle, so expect a small run and a lot of entries.
At ONENESS: the afew pair is raffle-only in Europe, but the ProGrid Omni 9 is on our shelves now. Try the Saucony ProGrid Omni 9 Glowa in Copper Glow, the Saucony Daikanyama ProGrid Omni 9 in Owl / Multi, or browse the full Saucony collection.
Photos and report via Sneaker News.
Sources: Sneaker News (Oct 22, 2026: afew x Saucony ProGrid Omni 9 "Tara Hawk" S71049-1, raffle via afew website November 7, 2026, €185 retail; images).
