From a Harajuku back street

A Bathing Ape, known to everyone as BAPE, was founded in 1993 by the designer Nigo in Ura-Harajuku, the maze of back streets behind Tokyo's busiest fashion district. Its name comes from a Japanese expression about an ape bathing in lukewarm water, a wry comment on a comfortable, overindulged generation, and its ape-head logo nodded to Nigo's love of the film Planet of the Apes. Tiny stores, limited stock and wild graphics made it one of the founding names of global streetwear. In the 2000s, hip-hop artists on both coasts wore it everywhere, and its loud camo and shark hoodies became symbols of the era.

A BAPE-inspired rug brings that look onto the floor of a sneaker room or a bedroom. Ours are printed into short velvet, so bold camo and sharp graphics come out crisp, and they go in the washing machine. To be clear from the start: these are independent designs inspired by the style, not BAPE products, and they don't use the brand's logos.

Camo, turned up loud

Camouflage is the heart of the BAPE look, but never in quiet army greens alone: the brand made camo pink, blue, purple, yellow and red, and even hid little shapes inside the pattern for fans to spot. A camo rug in that spirit is the boldest streetwear rug you can buy. Classic green camo feels like a nod to the original; pink camo is playful and loud; blue and purple camo feel cooler and more modern. Under a gaming chair or in front of a sneaker wall, a camo rug instantly says streetwear.

Camo colors

Camo	The mood	Pairs with
Green	Classic, original, a little military	Black furniture, white walls, olive accents
Pink	Loud, playful, 2000s	White and black, grey, pastel lights
Blue	Cool, clean, modern	White sneakers, chrome, navy
Purple	Bold, a little rare	Black, gold, RGB lighting
Multicolor	Pure hype	A plain room that lets the rug shout

If the room already has plenty of color, a single-color camo in green or blue keeps the look calm; multicolor works best when the walls and furniture stay plain.

The shark

In 2004, BAPE released a full-zip hoodie with a shark's face printed across the hood, its zipper running through rows of teeth. It became one of the most copied designs in streetwear. A shark-inspired rug, a gaping mouth of white teeth on camo, with fierce eyes above it, is a funny, aggressive design that suits a teen's room or a sneaker room, and it's a great conversation starter.

Stars and sneakers

BAPE's sneakers, decorated with a bold star shooting across the side, became cult objects in the 2000s. A star-and-sneaker design, bold stars in bright colors on white or black, or a sneaker silhouette in camo, is a cleaner, more graphic option for a room that already has a lot going on. For more sneaker designs, see our sneaker rugs.

Harajuku style

BAPE grew out of the Harajuku scene of the 1990s, where young Tokyo designers mixed American hip-hop, skate culture, toys, cartoons and Japanese pop into something new. That playful, collector's spirit is part of the look: rooms full of figures, posters, sneakers and colorful graphics. A rug that leans into it, bright camo with cartoonish stars, suits a room where every shelf is a display.

The sneaker room

A sneaker room is where a camo rug shines: shelves of boxes or glass display cases, good lighting and a rug in the middle that ties it together. Choose a 4×6 or 5×7 ft rug for the center of the room, in a camo that picks up the colors of your collection. For more ideas, see our hypebeast and streetwear rugs.

Teen bedrooms

For many teenagers, streetwear is identity, and a camo rug is one of the easiest ways to give a bedroom that look: grey or white walls, black furniture, a few framed posters, sneakers on display and a rug that stands out. For a bedroom, choose Premium, 7 mm plush velvet on a bamboo and cotton back, about 700 g/m², softer and warmer underfoot, in 4×6 ft at the foot of the bed or 2.6×3.9 ft beside it. Our bedroom rugs page has more layouts.

The 2000s, on repeat

For many people, the BAPE look is the sound and style of the mid-2000s: Pharrell Williams, Kanye West and Lil Wayne in camo hoodies and star-print sneakers, music videos shot in neon, and the first wave of online sneaker forums where collectors traded photos of rare releases. That era is having a revival, and a camo rug is a direct line back to it. It suits a room with a record player, a few framed album covers and a shelf of throwback sneakers.

Displaying a collection

A rug can make a collection look curated rather than cluttered. In a sneaker room, keep the walls plain, light the shelves well and put the boldest rug in the middle of the floor, where it frames the display without competing with it. If your collection is mostly neutral, a loud pink or multicolor camo brings energy; if it's already colorful, classic green or a single-color camo keeps the room calm. A round rug in front of a display case is a nice touch.

Gaming setups

Camo works naturally in a gaming setup, especially with RGB lighting. Under a desk chair, choose Standard: 5 mm crushed velvet on a non-slip faux leather back, about 500 g/m², in 3.3×5 or 4×6 ft, which stays put and lets wheels roll freely. See our gaming rugs for more setup ideas.

Collaborations and culture

BAPE's long run of collaborations, with musicians, artists, cartoon characters, sportswear brands and toy makers, helped turn streetwear into global culture. Nigo himself went on to work with major artists and, in 2021, became artistic director of a Paris fashion house. If you love that crossover between street and luxury, see our Supreme-inspired, Off-White-inspired and Stüssy-inspired pages, and our KAWS-inspired rugs for the art-toy side of streetwear.

Kids' rooms

Camo is a favorite for kids' rooms too, especially in green or blue, and it hides everyday marks better than a plain rug. On a hard floor, choose Standard so the rug stays put when kids run across it, and remember that every rug goes in the washing machine.

Color and contrast

Camo is busy, so the rest of the room should be calm. Choose solid walls, simple furniture in black, white or grey, and one or two accent colors pulled from the rug. A pink camo rug looks best with white and black; a green camo rug with black and olive; a blue camo with white and chrome. Let the rug do the shouting.

Hallways and entryways

A narrow camo rug inside the front door or along a hallway carries the look through the whole home. Our standard sizes are rectangular, but a custom size lets you order a long, narrow rug up to 10 ft long. Choose Standard there for its grip on hard floors.

Round and custom

A round camo rug, from 2.6 to 5.9 ft (80 to 180 cm) across, is a fun choice under a desk chair or in a reading corner. If you'd like camo in your own colors, matched to your favorite sneakers, our custom rugs can print it in any size up to 5′11″ × 10′. Please only send artwork you're allowed to use, which rules out brand logos you don't own; your own name, your crew's name or your own artwork are all fine. Custom rugs are made just for you and can't be returned.

Standard or Premium

Standard is best under desk chairs, in hallways and on hard floors, because its non-slip back stays put. Premium is softer and warmer, best in bedrooms and lounges. Both are printed the same way, so camo stays crisp and colors stay bold, and both go in the washing machine.

Sizes, shipping and returns

Rectangles come in 2×3, 2.6×3.9, 3.3×5, 4×6 and 5×7 ft. Round rugs come from 2.6 to 5.9 ft (80 to 180 cm) across. Custom sizes go up to 5′11″ × 10′. Every rug is printed to order in 1–3 business days and ships from Turkey; US delivery usually takes 2–5 business days after that. Unused rugs can be returned within 30 days on US orders; custom rugs can't be returned.

Gifts

A BAPE-inspired rug is a great gift for a sneakerhead, a teenager redoing their room or a friend who still has their first camo hoodie. If you aren't sure of their taste, classic green camo is the safest; pink camo is the most fun.

Care

Machine wash on a gentle, cold cycle and let it air dry flat. Vacuum on a low setting between washes, and blot spills with cold water right away. The design is printed into the fibers, so the camo stays loud, wash after wash.

A note on the brand

Living with loud camo

Camo is busy by nature, so the room around it should be calm. Plain walls in white, warm gray or black, a solid-color sofa or bed cover and simple wood or metal furniture let a green, purple or pink camo rug take the lead without the space feeling cluttered.

If you want a second pattern, keep it small and graphic: a checkerboard pillow, a striped throw or a single framed poster. Avoid putting camo next to florals or other camouflage in different colors, which fights for attention. Pick one or two accent colors from the camo itself, the deep green of the darkest blots or the pink in a pink camo, and repeat them in a lamp, a cushion or the laces on a display pair.

For a sneaker shelf, the rug works like a gallery floor: the brighter the shoes, the more neutral the camo can be. A gray or blue camo lets colorful pairs stand out, while a pink or multicolor camo turns the rug itself into the room's statement piece.

Padrift is an independent studio. A Bathing Ape and BAPE are named only to describe the style our designs are inspired by. We are not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by A Bathing Ape, Nowhere Co. or their owners, and these rugs are not genuine BAPE products.