Author: Jake Archer
It’s that time of the year again where we sit down with a handful of the Footpatrol team to discuss the all important question, the question on the lips of every sneaker enthusiast at the end of the year and that is of course, shoe of the year…
2022 has been another year where collaborations have been a dominant force but also, we’ve seen anniversaries across a lot of brands and also the resurgence of retros and older silhouettes making a return.
The beautiful thing about sneakers is the diversity and individualism that comes with your favourite silhouettes. It doesn’t have to be the most hype, more eye-catching or most sought after but more so, its what you enjoy. This tends to lean towards that persons style and can often say a lot about them!
In true year book fashion, our team pluck their favourite models and share the what and why in a bit more detail below… Only question is, what was your SOTY 2022?
Closing out the year with a bang, we deliver our next Frequent Players Guest Mix. Originally from Liverpool but now residing in London, we jumped at the chance to head East and meet with Sticky Dub. Having grown up with music loving parents, Sticky Dub has been blessed with a knowledge of music and genres that has helped him piece together some of our favourite mixes.
From the man himself, “Everything is Riddim” and this bode’s true with his Frequent Players mix. A blend of genres has been combined with a deep melodic baseline that makes this smooth mix an easy listen, make sure to check it out below!
Footpatrol: Sticky, it’s an absolute pleasure! How have you been?
Sticky Dub: Easy laa thanks for having me innit, big ups everytime!.. Ive been blessed to be honest. Life has been intensifying as ive been growing and im putting it into the music. Keeping it moving still…
Footpatrol: Glad to have finally got this one over the line, personally, it’s been a long time coming and I owe a huge thanks to our good friend Macca for shining a light on your and your music. For any of our audience who may not be aware of you (shocking!), can you give us a bit of an introduction?
Sticky Dub: yeh Big up to Macca for plugging this one!.. Yeahh well me and Macca are both from Liverpool init, representing the 0151 all day. I was born in Toxteth, ermm im a dancer who makes music. Other than that im a certified herbalist.
Footpatrol: So I guess we’re here to discuss music… Can you remember those early memories of growing up and the types of music you’d hear? Has this influenced you in any way?
Sticky Dub: i was brought up on garage, hiphop/r&b jungle & reggae between my mum and dad. He was a junglist DJ & my mum was a garage raver. My mum was playing lauryn hill and alicia keys at home and my dad was playing burning spear and Peshay in the campervan. My dad introduced me to Vinyl when i was really young with the ‘Can i Kick it’ single from ATCQ. I remember that moment clearly, I was thinking wow WTF is this…
Footpatrol: We feel like your music takes people on a journey through multiple genres that all have that underlying connection to rhythm and dub, am I reading along the right lines?
Sticky Dub: Yeh man riddim is where it’s at, in life that is. Everything is riddim. Music with a wicked riddim changes you perception of time i swear. When you combine that with a deep melodic baseline is alchemy on the dance floor.
Footpatrol: What’s your process when it comes to crafting your music? Are you someone that’s constantly exploring new technologies or do you prefer a more analoq approach?
Sticky Dub: NGL, when i started i was such a purest. I would only touch vinyl or analog shit. Then i changed, i realised that you have to move with the times laa for real. Always maintaining the honor for the past is also key. Balance then I suppose.
Footpatrol: We’ve seen you on a few features (The one with Moon is a personal favourite), what is it about these collaborative processes that you enjoy?
Sticky Dub: Collaboration can be so beautiful but it can also be a drag haha. certain people can just align and me and Moon are one of those pairs. It feels so easy to create with him and that itself is the true pleasure. It shouldn’t be difficult.
Footpatrol: Would be rude for us at Footpatrol to not turn the conversation on to footwear… We can see you’re currently wearing the recent collaboration between P.A.M. and PUMA, are you someone that’s into their footwear?
Sticky Dub: You know what this is my first pair and I’m overly gassed! The style is to raw! Funky and smooth to the touch. I was also surprised at the comfort man and that’s important to me. These pumas are now my most comfortable webs!
Footpatrol: And I think that’s it! Thanks so much for joining us at Footpatrol, we’re intrigued to hear your mix. Is there anything upcoming you’d like to share with our audience… the floor is yours!
Sticky Dub: Thank to you all! Big shout to Jake and Niel! Im releasing a brand new Broken Beat single new years day! Check my Bandcamp or Instagram for that one. Also, an EP coming through of me and EVM128 early 2023 and this one is going to be mad… Peace
This year has seen a heavy focus from adidas and their iconic NMD range. Back in 2015, the fan fare that surrounded that original silhouette is something we’ll all remember. For 2022, adidas decided to continue this craze and reimagine the silhouette with the introduction of the NMD S1. With a similar shape and design details throughout the NMD S1 continues that taste for a lightweight, comfortable sock like lifestyle sneaker.
To celebrate the latest offering, we caught up with none other than Theodor Black. Having already emerged as one of the most exciting names within the UK’s underground rap scene, Theodor has also been making waves within the world of fashion.
Footpatrol: It’s been a long time coming but we have finally pinned you down! Theodore, how are you?
Theodor Black: I’m doing well, besides the cold weather everything’s been pretty blessed.
FP: I want to give a bit of a background story for the Footpatrol fans. Where did music all begin for you?
TB: I started making music when I was 15 or 16. I started of both writing and producing, I was writing more than I was producing. At some point I decided it’s the only thing I want to do. So here we are years later.
FP: So was it always the game plan to work in music, or were there other pots of gold at the end of the rainbow you wanted to chase?
TB: I wanted to actually be a football player lowkey (haha) I suppose that’s every kids dream at some point in time, I also wanted to be a pro skater but too many injuries in that field.
FP: You released your first EP in 2018, Black Boy Blues and this year you released your most recent project, PARADISE FM. Would you say your sound has developed since then, if so how?
TB: Definitely! I been exploring different sounds and cadences and just taking in and digesting new stuff constantly. That in turn helped me grow my sound to where it is now.
FP: One thing we love at FP is your visuals. From album artworks, to styling, all the way down to your music videos. Do you take control of all that whilst working on the music or do you have a trusty crew to support?
TB: I usually have control over that, with Paradise FM however it was more of a collaborative effort and working with new people, I really enjoyed working with Seb Tabe on the TOP DOWN video that was a lot of fun. But mostly I tend to steer and direct my own visual narrative.
FP: Is there a clear vision with each new piece of music you make in terms of visuals or do you tend to make those decisions after?
TB: I’m quite a free flowing person, so things just occur when they occur, especially ideas, I tend to like to think outside of the box, as of recent I’m trying to completely get rid of the box as it’s starting to get boring.
FP: We see you have been extremely business not just on the releases front, but also on the performance side of life. The Nokia Mansion gig being one of the most recent. How do you prepare for a performance, do you have your pre game routine?
TB: I just pull up to be honest, usually have my homies with me, one two zoot and I’m ready to go.
FP: What’s next for 2023. New music we hope?
TB: I’ve got a bunch of single releases coming up next year, with videos most conceptualised by me, I e been working with my cousin Sesay a bunch as well, he’s an up and coming director and a film fanatic so he’s good to have around when coming up with ideas, he Co-directed the video for Blu Tack with me.
FP: Mr. Theodor Black! It’s been a pleasure, thank you again for being a part of this campaign and sitting with us. Before we let you go, we like to leave our last question for our interviewees to sign off with a message of positivity. Is there anything you would like to share?
TB: Be patient and keep pushing, and don’t be afraid to take a break. Being a creative in todays climate is challenging but just keep pushing because it’ll all be worth it in the end
Outdoor ready, check! GORETEX protected, check!
The team over at Hoka are well known and well versed when it comes to the outdoors. Whether its road runner, trail running or hiking, they’ve always got a solution and are always on the hunt for ways to push performance.
Now available at Footpatrol, the Kaha 2 provides a great weight-to-cushion ratio for the ultimate performance when it comes to hiking. Utilising a multitude of technology built within it from HUBBLE® heel with SwallowTail™ geometry, the Kaha 2 will know its way around any terrain that’s thrown at it. In the UK and across the world, I think its fair to say the UK love to talk about the weather but that’s not issue with this thanks to its GORE-TEX upper.
Take a closer look below, could the Kaha 2 High be just the footwear to get your through this winter? Shop online here.
If you’ve been following our 20th anniversary celebrations, you would’ve come across our recent collaboration with New Era. To delve deeper into the story telling and the creativity that went on behind the scenes to make this project a reality, we caught up with British Jamaican artist, Kingsley Hayward.
Known for his intricate artwork and tattooing skills, the artist and Footpatrol came together for the signature FP calligraphy logo that takes centre stage on the front of the strap back. We sat down with Kingsley to learn more about his life, his passions and how artwork whilst we took another look at the New Era!
Footpatrol: Hey Kingsley, First up and maybe most importantly, how are you? Could you start off with sharing a bit more about yourself to our audience?
Kingsley Hayward: Was up, my names Kingsley Hayward and I’m a British Jamaican artist from the South East of Kent. My main passions in life are tattooing, video games and mixed martial arts.
FP: Was becoming a tattoo artist always something you wanted to achieve, or was tattooing more of an organic gateway that allowed you to create your art?
KH: I did my first tattoo at the age of 15, but didn’t see it as a career at the time. It was just something that I wanted to try, as I loved drawing and graffiti. Over the next two years I worked a bunch of jobs I hated, and tattooing was growing on me more and more everyday until it was the only thing I cared about! It just took over and I couldn’t get enough.
FP: Your work is heavily letter based. Where did your interest in letter forms come from?
KH: From my early graffiti days it was all about who could write their name the sickest, so I’ve always had a big interest in letter forms and flows. Over time the interest turned into an obsession.
FP: Inspiration always plays a big part when it comes to creativity, where do you look to find yours?
KH: Most of my inspiration comes from my everyday environment. We live in a world surrounded by words and letters, so everywhere I look there’s something to be inspired by. Whether that be advertisements, shop signs, logos, graveyards, the list goes on and on.
FP: How did the opportunity to tattoo at Lowrider come about?
KH: In 2013 Jose Lopez and the Lowrider team were coming to London for some private tattoo sessions. I knew I had to meet the team and collect a piece no matter what! Meeting the team and watching the process motivated me to push harder as an artist. I explained how much the Lowrider crew had inspired me over the years, and when my work was good enough I’d come to LA and ask Jose for a job. When he mentioned he was going to open a Lowrider Tattoo studio in London, I knew it was fate.
FP: How else do you like to be creative outside of tattooing?
KH: Outside of tattooing and art, being creative in the kitchen is definitely somethin’ I really enjoy, you can’t beat that homemade cooking, you know?
FP: Any last bits you want to share with us?
KH: What else can I say man, being able to live my life off of the art I create is all I ever wanted. I’m mad happy with this project and can’t wait to see what the future holds.
A huge thanks to Kingsley for taking the time to sit down with us at Footpatrol, the delicacy of the FP is one of our favourite features. Make sure to check out the Footpatrol x New Era in-store and online here!
Built on years of heritage and innovation, Nike’s ACG line needs no introductions. Continuing this trend with the upcoming winter seasons, they’ve crafted the ACG Gaiadome Boot. With a wealth of winter beating design touches throughout, the Gaiadome opts for a GORETEX upper to protect you from the elements whilst underfoot sits Nike’s Air Zoom that offers a tech approach to a traditional boot.
As well as GORETEX, a close knitted mesh is the material of choice for this bootie construction, wrapping its way around the upper and offering ventilation to those targeted heat zones. The Gore-Tex membrane is also extremely moisture wicking, keeping those feet warm, on and off the icy tarmac, while dual toned hiking laces loops up the fit, delivering sturdiness to each stride. ACG branding posits some brand legacy on the lateral ankle, whilst that Air Zoom cushioning graces the midsole with supreme levels of cushioning.
Take a closer look below and make sure to shop the latest from ACG here!
Now into their third instalment of the NOVABLAST series, the NOVABLAST 3 takes inspiration from geometric origami for both the upper and midsole. Improvements have been made throughout. Improved comfort has been met with a new lighter construction, this latest version weighs in a massive 30kg lighter than the previous model.
Staying true to the original, the midsole is constructed from ASICS’ FF BLAST PLUS for a more responsive feel underfoot whilst the newly designed heel cup allows for more support.
Shop the NOVABLAST 3 online at Footpatrol here…
Prince of Falls is a true visionary within his conscious music landscape. Amassing over 25 million streams on Spotify and is now growing his namesake, taking on his latest venture into his own. Releasing his first single ‘DarkTomb’ in 2017, through to his artistically pieced together LP, ‘Diary of a Lonely Knight’ (2021). Prince of Falls has accumulated a following that spans further than the British coastline, with music that captivates the senses.
To document this pivotal milestone in his music career, we follow Sam, the man behind ‘Prince of Falls’ on his debut London show. From rehearsals to the closing curtains, we wanted to find out what it’s really like to have our feet burrowed into the shoes of a prince.
[Wednesday 23rd November 2022 4:00 pm Soundcheck – 3 Hours before show time]
Upon meeting Sam for the first time. It was clear to see that the idea of a debut show in London, wasn’t something that phased him. This wasn’t just any regular soundcheck either, it was show day! No pressure, no worries, if anything he seemed to be more invested in how he can praise his fans for showing support. “You guys have been amazing, thank you very much, I mean if you’re clapping of course”, a proclamation at the peak of exhilaration after being asked what his final words to the crowd would be.
Anticipated weeks of rehearsal juggling, soundchecks, stage checks – the lot of it. All mantled down to this moment. Situated in the greazy backdrop of The Grace, North London. The periphery is fazed, vibes are blazing and all that remains is the countdown to the final few hours before Prince of Falls debuts his weeks of hard graft on stage.
“I am feeling pretty chilled for my first show. I should be a little more nervous but I feel like I have been practicing for a while. I am just worried about my body language being too closed off but I just got to see what the vibe is at the end of the day.”
“Today is a big milestone. It will forever be embedded in me because it’s a rare moment.”
A rare moment that dated back to the depths of Woolwich, music class to be precise. A ‘filler’ class that is usually inundated with supply teachers, pressing ‘DJ’ on the keyboard and spending Friday afternoons learning the Ukele. But for Sam, it opened many doors to his musical ambition. Amalgamating his own logic beats in his free periods, this otherwise doss of a lesson would cement the groundwork for what would come next.
“It was my music teacher, I wasn’t meant to have him. He was meant to be my media teacher but they didn’t have enough music teachers and he just told us to jump on Logic and play around for the lesson. At the time I thought: ‘Woah I am really enjoying this!’ We weren’t recording, I was just mixing different songs and putting them together.
From this point on, Sam would become aware of his own singing capabilities, all thanks to a trusted friend that believed in his sauce from day one.
“One time I was singing 2 Chainz ‘It’s your Birthday and a friend heard me. We skipped class, went to the park and I was singing it really loud and my friend said: ‘You should start recording!’ From there I took it as a little hobby and I lied to my Dad to buy the equipment for me, saying that I need it for school.” – A white lie, that led to a dream, and then became reality after the rollercoaster ride that is life.
“He gave me the money and I bought everything I needed and afterwards I started recording. I then went to uni, dropped out and stayed in my room but I wasn’t really recording like that. I only really took it seriously when I came back to London. I just started recording and three years ago, I started putting my music out on Soundcloud.”
After a short interlude of laughter, we digressed to the more serious topic of inspiration and the true meaning behind his ambiguous stage name.
“I mean the Weeknd was my major inspiration, early days trilogy I was kind of into the cold kind of slow winter vibe, ‘Take Care’ was part of that.”
“I felt the mood and I wanted to absorb the vibe surrounding it.”
“The Weeknd was top dog. He’s where I got my name from. He has a song called ‘King of the Falls’ and I didn’t want to disrespect him and call myself King of the Falls, but I thought this was such a beautiful name and I always work better during the fall season, and my first show is also around fall – crazy.”
Digging deeper, it was only right that we also found out his top three tunes. With ‘Secrets’, ‘Nightmare’ and ‘Faceless (Freestyle) being the three reigning projects that Sam listens to from his own discography stating : “They’re just a vibe for me.”
[6:30 pm – An hour before showtime]
Retiring from a successful soundcheck with the clock moving into the penultimate hour before the show. We stepped outside and caught a draft from the chilly London landscape, with the burning question of ‘Why did you decide to perform live after all these years?’ on the tip of our tongues, it was safe to say it all boiled down to personal timing.
“I was always waiting for a reason, I just didn’t want to conform, it wasn’t really something in my mind but I felt like I was ready and it actually happened so I am just surprised, beautiful world!”
Before the dust settled on our casual chat, witnessed by the noise of the bustling city, we had time to talk about one more important thing… shoes. “One time at Bradley’s I noticed he had so many shoes! I’ve never seen a person with so many shoes. I saw rare Bapestas which he can’t wear because they are messed up, deadstock pieces, anything that you can think of, he’s got it!”
Sharing his own tumultuous relationship with shoes in front of a judging crowd of sneakerheads also seemed like a pressing task in itself, Sam recalls: “Yeah, I wouldn’t say I am into trainers because I don’t take care of my trainers, I feel like people that are into trainers look after trainers.”
“Are they in a box?” we asked with giggly undertones inscribed in our voices.
“Only for the first two months and then after it goes past a certain point it’s just like …”
Draped in Namesake from head to toe, a French brand plucked from its true Japanese and Spanish origins were the last defining touches before Sam’s on stage debut. Dripped out and wearing a fresh pair of Joe Fresh Good 993s straight out the box. ‘No pressure’ were the last resigning words that rolled off his lips before he became Prince of Falls for the night.
[7:30 pm – Showtime]
Crowds started to arrive in their masses, the intimate gig spot darkened, and all that was left was ‘Prince of Falls’ to make his debut appearance.
Ideologies quickly surfaced to reality as he pitched himself in front of his swarm of doting fans meant it was the time everyone was waiting for. Consoling the crowd with his opening words of affirmation: “We’re just going to start man – let’s go!”
Kicking off his opening sequence with his adopted enthusiasm on stage, backed up by the yearning fans. Harmonising the background with deep rhythmic beats, reeling it up every time the crowd went off, with ‘Southside Bleeds’ causing a ruckus.
After an hour and a half of what became such a memorable performance, Prince of Falls concluded the show with instant gratification and appreciation for those who witnessed this special moment in his career. Noting back, to his previous thoughts shared during the sound check.
He told us while greeting his fans with warm smiles, a post-performance exhilaration expected from a first timer. “I feel really great, I did not expect it to go that smooth, I know I was talking a lot of trash but I just went with the vibe and everyone was feeling it – I loved it!”
To no surprise, Sam was on cloud nine and there was only one way to celebrate this pinnacle moment – an after-party fit for a prince!
We look forward to seeing what comes next in ‘Prince of Falls’ music career and on behalf of Footpatrol, we wish you the best of luck on your upcoming EP!
To celebrate the relaunch of the Nike Vomero 5, we took this technical, yet low-key masterpiece over to meet Maddie and Jack at Concept Object.
Carving out their own masterpieces, the duo at Concept Object have built a name for themselves by reclaiming and reimagining old speakers. Using a simplistic aesthetic much like the Vomero 5, Maddie and Jack bring these vintage speakers back to life with a new lease of life.
We sat down with them both to learn more about this venture and where this fascination came from.
Shop the Nike Vomero 5 in-store and online here!
Footpatrol: Hello both! It’s nice to finally meet you both, how have you been?
Concept Object: Busy! Lot’s of pop ups and Christmas parties have been chasing our sustainable sound but it’s keeping us warm and we are always ready for the next challenge.
Footpatrol: Firstly, thanks for joining us for our latest Footpatrol Discussions feature. It’s nice to finally stop admiring your work from a far and get an up close and personal look at the stunning speakers you’ve been creating.
Can you introduce yourselves and tell us how the journey of Concept Object began?
CO: We both design shops and events and over lock down had plywood left over from canceled projects, we also have a love for refurbishing and recycling, building up a collection vintage audio we took the plywood and our stash of speakers and started working on our first Concept Object with the help of extraordinary crafts people as part of our community and we haven’t really looked back.
Footpatrol: It’s great to see these old, reclaimed speakers being given a new lease of life with an updated look and feel. Do the certain speakers define the shapes when it comes to designing or do you have a set design ethos?
CO: We like strong and simple shapes and yes you are right volumetrically they have to be a certain size to fit a certain speaker, we love large JBL drivers that are accessible as cinemas tend to replace them and we save them from going to the scrap heap.
Footpatrol: So, let’s talk about sound… What is it about the sound these speakers produce that captured your attention?
CO: Big is big, big sound, big vibe. There’s a certain rhythmic and ritual sound that comes from a Concept Object. It’s environmentally altering and emotionally triggering.
Footpatrol: With you making speakers, do you both have a background within music or is it the carefully designed objects and sound they create that you’re fascinated by?
CO: We have a background in space design and our ambition has always been to create spaces that foster a sense of belonging and wonder and yes sound is an integral part of that.
Footpatrol: Do you have an early memory of music and speakers around the house that started this love affair? I know for me, growing up with a dad thats played in Blues bands all my life I’ve been surrounded by music. I remember him starting up his Leslie amps and them shaking the entire house!
CO: Wow we would love a Leslie amp! Having played in bands I can understand the connection that can be cultivated through playing and it’s something that I have sort after into adulthood. I think technically musicians refer to it as ‘feel’ when two people are jamming but it sounds like there are more. The rolling stones described it as the third man coming to visit and it is why Jack White’s record company is called Third Man Records. That feel never really leaves you.
Footpatrol: As you know, we at Footpatrol may be considered slightly obsessed with sneakers and we noticed in a previous interview that your dream client would be Tom Sachs. A man well known now within the world of sneakers, what is it about him that makes him your dream client?
CO: He is foremost an artist and his work across the board has been an inspiration, exploring the rituals and routine, culture and creativity through his artistic speaker sculptures is very Concept Object, as well as taking inspiration from the beauty of Asian culture and class.
Footpatrol: We recently did a discussions piece with the artist Charley Peters and we spotted she had been painting one of your speakers in the background. How do you find working on a multi collaborative project?
CO: You can’t do anything on your own, we take any and every opportunity to collaborate and Charley is extraordinarily talented. Her speakers brought Concept Object into new dimensions.
Footpatrol: Do you have any exciting projects upcoming that you’d like to make our audience aware of?
CO: We are working with sustainable plastics, Are you Mad, to make a range of horns as well as some sound sculptures for some very VIP locations that will be dropping next year.
Footpatrol: Thanks again for joining us, it’s been great to chat and we can’t wait to see more from you both.
For the launch of the Nike Air Force 1 ‘Chilli’, it only made sense to take the silhouette to revisit its natural habitat with the help of ‘Kold Sauce‘.
Originally born in the states, Kold Sauce is based and brewed within our very own city of London. Thousands of chillies and hundreds of trials later, Kold Sauce have succeeded in their mission of providing a sauce with the same reds, no frills (but provides a taste with all the frills), American hot pepper that those state side know and love. The only difference is the juxtaposition of its name. Dubbed Kold Sauce, the idea was to throw you off the sent in the hope of you splashing it across every meal with no hesitation and in the Footpatrol office, it sure has had that effect.
Now, in 2022 and with its 40th anniversary nearly coming to an end, Nike also celebrate the chilli with its very own Air Force 1. A slightly yellow hue reminiscent of chilli seeds works its way across the upper and midsole with its eye-catching red hairy suede takes dominance much like the strong flavours.
Take a closer look at our catch up with Kold Sauce below and make sure to check out the Air Force 1 Chilli in-store and online here at Footpatrol.
