BAPE

BAPE: A Japanese brand from Ura-Harajuku

What kind of brand is BAPE?

A Bathing Ape, or BAPE for short, is a Japanese streetwear brand founded in 1993 in Ura-Harajuku, Tokyo, by Nigo, whose real name is Tomoaki Nagao. According to Wikipedia, the name references the 1968 film “Planet of the Apes” and the phrase “A Bathing Ape in Lukewarm Water,” an ironic comment on the comfortable lives of young Japanese people.

What is A Bathing Ape known for?

Above all, camouflage. BAPE says its first pattern, 1st Camo, was created in 1996 in yellow and green, with an Ape Head incorporated into the design, launching a series of more than 100 camo variations from the brand. Another icon is the Shark Full Zip Hoodie, a zip-up hoodie introduced in 2004. Hypebeast draws attention to its face-covering hood and toothy shark mouth. You can also find the brand’s T-shirts and hoodies in separate collections: BAPE T-shirts and BAPE hoodies.

BAPE T-shirts, Shark hoodies, and shoes in the collection

T-shirts: most are styles with the College logo (ABC Camo College, 1st Camo College, Color Camo College, City Camo College, Snake College, Wild Leopard Pattern College) and a large Big Ape Head in 1st Camo, ABC Camo, Color Camo, Graffiti Check, and ABC Camo Rebuild versions. There are also By Bathing Ape T-shirts in ABC Camo, Color Camo, Multi Camo, City Camo, and Space Camo patterns; Block Check Busy Works and A Bathing Ape Check plaids; Bicolor NYC Logo; Comic Art Ape Head; and ABC Camo Milo on Bape featuring the character Baby Milo.

Zip-up hoodies and a jacket: Shark Full Zip Hoodie in ABC Camo (pink, green, blue) and Color Camo (purple, navy, red), ABC Camo 2ND APE Full Zip Hoodie, and a black Color Camo Shark from a collaboration with Tokyo brand BlackEyePatch. Also, a Color Camo Denim jacket in Light Indigo.

Collaborations: The Van Gogh Museum collection went on sale in late May 2025. BAPE describes the Oil Painting Camo in the colors of “Sunflowers” and “Almond Blossom,” which covers the left side of the Shark hoodies in Yellow and Sax, with a Van Gogh painting on the right. The collection also includes T-shirts and College logo crewnecks. The collaboration with The Rolling Stones began in 2012, for the band’s 50th anniversary, and in March 2025 BAPE reissued these designs, including the Camo Tongue graphic, a camouflage-filled tongue logo. The pink trucker cap comes from a collaboration with Stussy: according to Hypebae, in 2022 the brands reworked BAPE’s signature camouflage trucker cap, with the Stussy logo embroidered on the front and a BAPE patch on the back.

Shoes: adidas Forum 84 Low Blue Camo and Green Camo from 2023, released for BAPE’s 30th anniversary, with camouflage leather and gold tongue tags, Superstar Vintage with embossed ABC Solid Camo and a gold ape head on the side, F50 Elite FG cleats with ABC Camo and a shark on the inner side, and Crocs Classic Clog clogs in ABC Camo in green, pink, and blue. According to Complex, this is BAPE’s first collaboration with Crocs, and each pair came with Jibbitz charms featuring brand motifs. The brand’s shoes also have a separate collection Bape Shoes, and you can find other Forum versions in the adidas Forum.

BAPE Fit and Sizing

BAPE T-shirts and hoodies vary in cut and measurements depending on the style, so check the size chart on the specific product page before ordering.

For shoes, you can follow adidas’s recommendations. The brand says all Forum versions fit true to size, although the shoes are wider than Stan Smiths, and the leather upper may stretch over time. According to adidas, the Superstar also fits true to size, and if you’re between sizes, the brand recommends choosing the larger size. For F50 Elite FG cleats, adidas recommends your usual size. If you’re unsure which size of Crocs clogs or Shark hoodie to choose, contact us.

Why Buy BAPE from Saturaise

All BAPE T-shirts, hoodies, and shoes at Saturaise are authentic and covered by our authenticity guarantee. The collection brings together brand classics, including College and Big Ape Head T-shirts and camouflage Shark hoodies, with collaborations with the Van Gogh Museum, The Rolling Stones, BlackEyePatch, Stussy, adidas, and Crocs.