To coincide with the upcoming launch of the Air Huarache ‘Hyperlocal London’, we’ve once again teamed up with Mantra and Brixton night club Phonox for a special takeover that’ll be streamed live across Footpatrol!

The streets of London have been bathed rich with music’s diverse cultures and the Air Huarache has often been a poster shoe for these cultures. So with this next iteration specifically created and inspired by London’s sneaker community, we linked up with Mantra residents Tommy Gold and P-Rallel whilst also inviting Taylah Elaine to provide you with a night that celebrates London’s night scene.

The Nike Huarache silhouette has long been a collectors item throughout the years since its original release in 1991. Designed by Tinker Hatfield, the shoe separated itself from the traditional running and basketball shoes with its newfound booty (inspired by water-skiing) technology and heel strap.

That runner was one of the earliest examples of Nike willfully creating a sneaker that was “stripped to the bare essentials”. That stripping also manifested in the branding used – Tinker and co. scaled back the Swoosh coverage to create something that could better rest on the laurels of its technology.

Since then, many new models have been created with Huarache inspired designs such as the Huarache Light, ACG Mowabb and many more. Furthermore, the Nike Huarache would become massive in pop culture, with actor/comedian Jerry Seinfeld wearing them in his sitcom as well Michael Johnson as the face of them in commercials.

In London, the Nike Huarache was adored heavily in the mid 2000s with various colourways being released. After a hiatus away, the Huarache trend returned and excelled around 2013 with return of the OGs with the “Have You Hugged Your Foot Today” campaign being used for the original Pink & Sport Turquoise respectively. Once Nike had the ball rolling, many different iterations and colourways were released to the consumers and in particular the triple black colourway captured the hearts of many.

In 2021, Nike return with the popular triple black version for its 30th anniversary but with an updated look. Featuring a monochromatic look, this release utilizes its signature neoprene booty combined with a black mesh on the toebox. The standout feature used is the black elephant print overlay – taken from the Air Jordan III. The heel strap is dressed in black with part of it being translucent, the midsole and outsole too are dipped in black. 

Launching in-store and online on Saturday 29th May, priced at £125.

A regular fixture at our Mantra takeover events, we managed to catch up with Tommy Gold during the shoot to learn a little bit more about music and London.

Footpatrol: How important is it for you as a DJ to maintain your own image and sound?

Tommy Gold: Everyone has their own way of mixing & selecting. No matter how accessible DJing is, if you take it seriously, it’ll always be an art. As the art of DJing grows and grows in popularity, it’s more important than ever to cultivate your own personal image/ sound, 

FP: What makes music such a key part of your life and over the years how did you work on developing your craft to get to where you are now?

TG: Music has always been a constant necessity in my life. Once I first tried DJing it was clear to me this was something I was going to do. Developing as a DJ never felt like work, it was just the natural progression of practicing something I love doing. 

FP: London is a city that has built its own sounds, styles, trends and has always been a stand out location just like the Huarache has done over the years since 1991. When you think of London is there a particular trend, sound or anything that’s always resonated with you?

TG: The thing about trends that resonates most with me about London is how they’re always changing and often in a circular movement. Huaraches are a perfect example of that.