Author: Bradley Martinez
Within the ASICS archive, its a brand that’s built on movement. With new silhouettes coming to light that are built on the brands heritage within the world of sport, this latest silhouette designed in partnership with AWAKE NY is of a similar vain.
Dubbed the GEL-NYC, this newness from ASICS finds its influences from heritage and modern performance styles that pays homage to these past models. The upper for example, its construction is a love story to the GEL-NIMBUS 3 from the early 2000’s with its MC-PLUS V design and various embellishments that create this overlayed effect. Opting for a more modern and up to date approach when it comes to the tooling, underfoot you’ll find the GEL-CUMULUS 16. A well thought out combination of GEL tech and lightweight foams that maintains the ultimate comfort we’ve come to expect from ASICS.
Take a closer look at this latest offering below and make sure to check out this latest style online here!
During our recent New York adventure for our 20th anniversary celebrations with Stash, we met Thomas Rampino. Working behind the scenes but also, very much at the forefront of our Exhibit A and launch of Stashs’ SUBBLUEMINAL book, Thomas is a man with an eye for details and connecting the dots.
Whilst over on a recent trip to London to curate Stashs’ input to the ‘Beyond The Streets’ at London’s Saatchi Gallery, we caught up with Rampino to discuss him, his work and of course sneakers. Suitcase in tow, Thomas talked us through his five selects for FP Meets.
Footpatrol: Hi Thomas, hope you’re well, and thank you for taking the time to fit us into your busy schedule here in the UK.
Thomas Rampino: Thank you so much for having me! Of course. Much love to the FP crew, everyone I’ve met at and through this company is good people. Just needed to say that.
FP: Firstly, can you tell us a bit about who you are, what you do?
TR: Damn I’m not that good at talking about myself. But I guess I’ll say I’m a kid from New York and I work on projects with companies, stores, artists, and makers, working on product, moments, experiences? I get a lot of pleasure out of connecting things together that make sense. Like building Legos or something. I was into that growing up, and it somehow led me to sneakers and clothes, and seeing product in editions and being sensitive to details and quality – the knack for collecting things just became a part of my being. I direct projects, working closely with people who inspire me.
FP: We recently had you here alongside STASH for the ‘Exhibit A’ exhibition, and believe you’re here for the ‘Beyond The Streets’ exhibit, can you tell us a bit more about your involvement in both of these projects?
TR: Back in November I came to London for Exhibit A, a show born out of the celebration of Footpatrol’s 20th Year Anniversary, highlighting the vastness of Stash’s cultural impact in our world, as graffiti writer, graphic designer, streetwear pioneer, product designer, artist, the list goes on. For those that are unaware, I suggest you do some research. I curated the show on behalf of Stash and Blue Works Studio, working with your lovely team along with Gimme 5 to design and create the experience. We also paired Exhibit A with the launch of SUBBLUEMINAL, the first book on Stash, at Footpatrol leading up to the exhibition. It was really important for these moments to encapsulate the right feeling, and it marks a significant moment in time where the history of Stash’s imprint is ready to be celebrated. I learned a lot about our world through his work and influence. So handling some of the artifacts from the archive, and to be displayed in a city where he’s done so much, was truly an honor. Working with Footpatrol and Gimme 5 was a great experience.
This trip to London was for the Beyond The Streets show at the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea, and I was hand delivering the items I curated for Stash’s contribution to the show expressing Stash’s incredibly significant contributions to hip hop culute and what also became the “streetwear industry”, highlighting the Phillies Blunt tee amongst a couple other designs that greatly influenced the Ura-hara movement coming out of Tokyo in the 90’s. Very honored for me to deliver such a sacred narrative to a show highlighting so many legends in our culture. A lot of people don’t realize that Stash is the one who brought the Phillies Tee into this world. Needless to say, I had a great time during my visit. Anyone in London & reading this should check out the show, it runs until May 9th.
FP: Why do you think it’s important to host exhibits such as the ones mentioned?
TR: It’s become normal for things to move pretty fast in a trend-driven world where everything takes from everything. So much can get blurred or misconstrued, so it’s important to chisel the facts into the stone tablet, even if so many people are getting their news and updates off Instagram. So huge props to you guys for recognizing this, and also to everyone involved with Beyond The Streets for putting on. It’s so important.
FP: We’re aware you also headed up a successful project with Blue In Green Soho and also worked on some very unique bespoke sneakers for it, can you tell us more?
TR: This was my first project in New York and the first time I’ve ever fully seen a vision through from start to finish at that, so it’s very special to me. It was born out of the desire to wear one of my favorite shoes ever and the best Air Max 95 of all time (yes I’m claiming that), Stash’s collaboration that dropped in ’06. Blue In Green has been importing Japanese garments into Soho for over 15 years, and in recent years has become the best spot if you’re into good denim and Japanese Americana (shoutout to Naoki and the whole team for that). They’ve been carrying work from this incredible artisan Shun Hirose through his company RECOUTURE which is based out of Shibuya, and after seeing his work in person, I decided the nature in how how I wanted to present my first project to the world. I wanted to create a lot of moments highlighting the significance of the original shoe, Stash’s 95, but also repairing and representing them utilizing RECOUTURE’s excellence, also including a calm reference to a the cover of a really important Boon Extra Magazine issue and it’s various themes and relevancy, so we created 2 separate editorials, custom packaging, a special event tee, curated an entire evening to celebrate the project, had Stash paint a mural inside the store, and even had some vintage deadstock gear from the archive available for purchase. We went hard and the philosophy was to create a real moment that was fueled by passion, pay proper homage in a tasteful and culturally significant, way while playing in a current contemporary space, and also proving that not everything that’s cool needs to be a newly manufactured mass produced product. I’m grateful that a lot of people were able to understand and feel the essence of what we all tried to portray overall, and that it was received well. I explain it a bit more on Blue In Green’s website in their journal section for those interested in learning more!
FP: Onto the collection in question, it’s quite a diverse selection, can you tell us a little bit about each pair and just why they have made it into this rotation?
TR: Absolutely, to be honest I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to geek out about kicks, so sorry (not really) if this is a bit lengthy. Starting with the Air Force 1’s… You can just feel the level of integrity and love when holding these cultural artifacts. The cut, material quality, the intentionality of the details; it’s really a product. The quality of and build of earlier AF1’s are just incredible, with the 2001 pairs having some of my favorite detailing and construction quality. Peep the satin lining. Nike’s Air Force 1 is one of my favorite silhouettes of all time. The co.jp program embodies much of what drew me close to sneaker culture. Neither pair needs an introduction. Everyone knows about the linens, but honestly it’s the tip of the iceberg of special pairs from this time. The Atmos pair, in its own right, is a perfect shoe.
Virgil’s Off-White Jordan 1 Chicago is a special shoe no doubt. Way beyond the hype and whatever the market value. I was really fortunate to get a pair before the global release at this event they had in New York to celebrate the launch called “OFF CAMPUS”. It was massive, so much so that I was able to sneak into a press panel and somehow talk my name onto some list to purchase the shoe. I had little money but didn’t even think of selling them even though people were offering me thousands. I got to exchange words with Virgil, he blessed my pair, and I just remember being amazed at how calm, collected, and humble he was while in the midst of shocking the world. His work, with this shoe being the headliner, was so representative of change in many different ways. It was truly a cultural shift, and I am very into cultural shifts. Everything about this project meant something. The entire world eventually bent to it. It was so powerful and reminiscent of the energy of previous generations, that you can so obviously tell V paid such close attention to, honoring and interpreting it in his own way, and on his time. I was so inspired by the energy of this moment, that I decided around that time that I want to contribute to this world that has given me so much to be passionate about. It’s strange to think that that was almost 6 years ago. May he rest in peace, I am devastated that he is no longer here.
The next two shoes are two that come with me everywhere, the Asics Gel-Burs 2 by Kiko Kostadinov and the New Balance CM996 x mita by Shigeyuki Kuni. I remember putting the Asics on when they came out and they just never left my rotation. They looked brand new for years even with heavy wear. I may need to start looking for another pair now, and it’s because I just think they are such a good option for everyday. The proportions, the panels and overlays, the colors, the fit. They are very thoughtful, without being overstated. Genuinely a good product that casually proves Kostadinov’s genius and justifies Asics re-resurgence in the past couple years and they’ve been killing it.
Shortly after I discovered the work of Shigeyuki Kuni, learning about his ascension to footwear designer and creative director of mita sneakers in Japan, I found out about this special project that dropped around the summer of 2019. 6 boutiques in Japan were given the opportunity to outfit the CM996, with less than a thousand pairs of each produced (it could be 996 units each but don’t hold me to it). mita’s contribution was modeled after the famous Shibuya Crossing, and the application of the stripes is fascinating. It’s truly a wearable piece of art. Incredibly thoughtful and beautiful. They somehow are so calming for being a shoe with huge stripes overlaid on top of them. It’s astounding and I get stopped in the streets because of these almost every time I wear them, which is very often. They released during a storm of New Balance collaborations, but you had to be paying attention to catch these. Luckily I have 3 pairs – one that’s already cooked, these slightly used ones you’re looking at here, and a brand new pair for later. I want to meet Shigeyuki Kuni and learn about his philosophy on shoe design. He’s had many fantastic contributions to the landscape in the past, and his work has such a great consistency, I love the new Gel Lyte III’s he did in collaboration with bal.
FP: Tell us about your time spent in Tokyo, and traveling in general, how has it broadened your mind?
Last August I got to visit Tokyo for the launch events surrounding Stash’s collaboration with A Bathing Ape and legendary German camera company Leica. It was my first time in Japan. It was also during a time where travel to the country was limited due to concerns about Covid-19, so we had to get business visas to travel and there weren’t many tourists. Because of this, I think I got to see a very intimate Tokyo. It was almost like I had training wheels because I think it would have been a bit overwhelming had the city been in full operation.
Being in Tokyo for the first time, I was in a foreign land for sure. But somehow, I felt at home and a strong sense of familiarity in contrast with being in a constant state of discovery. I felt very full the entire time I was there. It was a very spiritual experience of just feeling overwhelmingly grateful and excited when turning every corner to see what types of niche and specific shops I would find, the constantly changing landscape of the city, even stuff like graphic design and street signs, obviously food and culinary experiences, mind blowing to my taste buds. Like over-stimulation in the best way. Luckily I had many friends over there, some that I had met for the first time through our work, some that I met while they were visiting New York months or even years before, and just getting connected with friends of friends out there. It was a surreal experience.
Getting to travel around during the past couple of years has definitely taught me a lot. I grew up in the bubble that is the United States and it became apparent to me that I needed to see so much more of the world, so I’m grateful that I’ve been able to start having these types of experiences early enough in my life to where I am not yet stuck in my ways and can willingly expand my mind.
Besides learning about different cultures, the origins of some of my favorite interests, tying historical events with physical places, spending time with some of the incredible humans of our world… funny enough some of the greatest ways I’ve broadened my life through travel is through what I’ve been able to learn about myself and about the principles of life and the universe’s laws. I learned that for every positive, there exists a negative. Like a natural balance, ebb and flow. It’s inevitable, and it’s really about your mindset and how you process things that will ultimately determine what you get out of a situation. The past couple trips have been some of the best moments of my life. In Tokyo I was having back to back best days. And you can’t just have that without having “bad” things. And it’s not like a boulder falling out of the sky and crushing you, it’s not as literal as that. Sometimes it’s time to face things about yourself or challenge yourself. I think those are the ultimate moments of personal growth. And it’s why I encourage anyone to travel. It’s cliche, but the self discovery is real.
FP: What is the mission of co.Rampino?
I have a couple of internal mantras that I won’t list, but they all surround the concepts of being honest and clever and true. I really just want to add value, and contribute things that I genuinely want to see in the world. So I guess the mission is to restore essence and provoke feeling, since as a connoisseur I’m constantly looking to indulge in projects that are properly communicating the values that initially got myself interested in all of this. The mission and identity will show through my work and the approaches I take in expressing my visions. I don’t really have a pitch nor do I plan on coming up with one. I’ll also say it’s a bit weird to name a company after yourself, especially to operate within a world where many people won’t know who I am. But if I am projecting what I want to see in the world, it did not make sense for me to come up with a word or phrase to represent that.
FP: Random one… If you were a sneaker, what would you be?
Haha, okay. I don’t think this is technically a sneaker. But if I had to choose something off the top right now, it would be the Manual Industrial Product 10, Ryo Kashiwazaki of Hender Scheme’s interpretation of the Air Jordan 4. ‘Manual Industrial Product’ is a project that really speaks to me for many reasons. It comprises Hender Scheme’s reworking of the iconic footwear of our modern times. Traditional high quality shoe making techniques, paired with their thoughtful and artful use of vegetable tanned leather, each pair tells a unique story with wear. The product and concept kind of ran perpendicular to how “sneaker culture” was consuming at the time when these really gained popularity – low quality materials, mass production quality, only brand new or pristine condition shoes being valued… so these just blew my mind when I discovered them and they stuck with me, and they embody my approach and thought process when it comes to product related projects. I need to dust my pair off, I have them signed by Ryo Kashiwazaki from when he was in New York debuting the company’s home goods line at this perfect shop by the East Village called Nalata Nalata. I haven’t worn them in a while. Maybe it’s time.
FP: Thank you very much for taking the time to chat to us Thomas, we look forward to seeing you again soon! Is there any words of wisdom or upcoming events we can see you at?
I haven’t given this type of intimate thought to my collection in a long time, I’m thankful for this opportunity to connect with and share really important possessions of mine. Footpatrol is an institution in this world and I’m honored to be able to have a relationship with you all. Hopefully I’ll be back in London and also Tokyo later this year. For now I’m going to stay in New York plotting my next couple moves. My words of wisdom would be to focus on value added and protect your energy. Energy is the real currency.
The iconic Air Jordan 3 “White Cement” shoe first released way back in 1988. Michael Jordan famously wore these in the 1988 NBA Slam Dunk contest. The Air Jordan 3 was the first design by Tinker Hatfield in his three decades of collaboration with the Jordan legacy. From this partnership, Tinker crafted the now-iconic elephant print. To this day, the AJ3 remains one of the most notable sneaker silhouettes worldwide. When Michael Jordan took the court for his third Slam Dunk competition wearing Air Jordan 3s, he gave the world an unforgettable image of flight. With his victory, the Jumpman icon was born. A twist on the original, as was the Air Jordan 1 ‘Lost and Found’ this ‘Reimagined’ iteration throws touches of ‘Yellowing’ to give it the vintage aesthetic.
Take a closer look below and get the entries in!
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The London in-store draw is now CLOSED!
To enter, you’re required to sign up via the above forms, these WON’T be available in-store to sign up on.
In-store winners will be contacted via email informing them of their win. Within this email, winners will be given a set of dates in which they must collect their win from our London store. To collect, you will need to provide the winning email and a valid photographic government ID matching the winners name. NO ONE can collect on the winners behalf. Failure to provide this, or failure to collect within the given dates will mean failure to purchase your win.
A mark within many peoples calendars, London Fashion Week arrives to the streets of London once again. Spread across five days, LFW is a coming together of not only some of the biggest names within the world of fashion but also, it’s one of the best when it comes to showcasing new and up coming talent who’s names are about to become staples.
With that said, we wanted to take this week to showcase a sneaker that’s gained a lot of love from within the world of fashion. An archival silhouette that’s burst back on to the scene in recent months, the Nike Vomero 5. Whilst oozing in the highest levels of comfort, the Vomero 5 offers a detailed and intricate aesthetic that manages to combine the most technical and retro aesthetics.
To celebrate this, we teamed up with 6 individuals who’s style caught our eye to see just how each of them would style the ‘Black’ and ‘Sesame’ colour way.
Huge thanks to Christina, Jesse, Taffy, Fitria, Dominika & Tasha for taking part and make sure to check out the latest from the Vomero 5 offering online and in-store. Check out more via Nike Stories over on the launches app HERE.
Hitting home soil in the UK and delivering a masterclass in contemporary art excellence, The Beyond the Streets exhibition is one of the most comprehensive art and graffiti exhibition ever showcased. Retiring from its LA and NYC destinations to offer something coveted to our London audience, the exhibition that is powered by adidas examines the humanistic drives and needs for self-expression.
Taking place from 17th February – 9th May, this London-based adaption spans across three floors of the Saatchi gallery, offering a new landscape for some of the most exceptional works in art history. From an extensive range of train writing, treasured murals to large-scale installations, this exhibition celebrates some of the most influential figures to have ever graced the contemporary street scene to date.
During the course of this exhibition, adidas will be building on the foundation of Rogan Gastman’s creation by driving excitement around the narrative of youth culture. Teaming up with lead media partner ‘The Face’, the coupling will build a cohesive editorial and event programming approach to consolidate adidas’ brand positioning within culture.
Hosting a series of events, workshops, and conversations with a range of artists and industry tastemakers to deliver knowledge and insight into the narrative of their creative artwork. Individuals will be also given an opportunity to work with some of the brand’s favourite stylist collaborators and contributors to The Face magazine over the year to pull together items that have stood the test of time.
With an abundance of creative events scheduled over three months, this exhibition is one that is certainly not to be slept on! Take a look at our visit to the Beyond The Streets exhibition below and make sure you head over to Saatchi Gallery to find out more about how you can attend!
Birthed out of the love of sandwiches and fashion, Paperboy Cafe opened its doors in 2014 and was founded by James Dridi, who envisioned a space that not only doted on his love for food but fuelled his own ambition for creating a brand that allowed him to generate his own spin on contemporary fashion. More than just a swanky spot to eat, Paperboy Cafe bridges the connections between modern gastronomy within the streetwear scene in Paris, as well as amassing a cult-like following in the process.
Paperboy cafe has opened up its creative enterprise to an elusive span of brands over the years including Reebok, BEAMS, New Balance, and Needles, not to mention our own coveted collection in 2019. Being our first inception with the brand that had created an all-new bespoke offering to our consumers.
This March, we unveil our second collaboration with our Parisian friends from the Northern quarter of the Le Marais district. Like-minded in nature and aligning in taste, we present to you, our latest slew of apparel that stylistically merges the two completely different fields together for an exclusive 3 piece apparel collection that lends that extra bit of spectacle to your wardrobe.
This latest capsule makes use of the iconic branding from both brands fusing the Footpatrol Gasmask and Paperboy’s mascot character resulting in a unique set of graphics for the collection.
Celebrating this special launch, Paperboy has created a bespoke lunch menu offering that will available in the cafe for a limited time only. In London, Footpatrol will be also hosting a pre-launch event at TT Liquor in Shoreditch on Thursday 2nd March 2023.
The Paperboy x Footpatrol collection is now available to shop in-store and online here!
To us, Flo Dill needs no introductions. At Footpatrol, we’re avid listeners of the amazing NTS radio station and Flo Dill’s Breakfast Show is a big part of office life.
Having been a part of NTS since 2017 with her ‘World In Flo Motion’ show, Flo has now taken on the mammoth task of hosting the breakfast show, Monday to Wednesday, 9AM till 11AM. Taking listeners on a journey of genres, Flo kick starts a lot of peoples days with her fun and engaging show that brings all the good feels for your day.
When we sat down with Flo, she describe this latest mix as “Spring-appropriate sweet soul and reggae to make dinner to.” so with that said, hit the play button below and get cooking!
Footpatrol: Firstly, huge thank you for joining us at Footpatrol. Been a massive fan of World in Flo Motion and your NTS Breakfast show for what seems like an eternity now! Let’s kick things off, how have you been?
Flo Dill: Ah thank you very much – I’m pleased to hear you’re enjoying!
I’ve been good: I’ve had a really good start to the year, actually. I’ve managed to shift some other work I was previously doing at NTS to focus more on the show, and get cracking on some other creative projects I was hoping to do this year. It’s really nice to be able to have a little bit more headspace.
FP: Talking of the NTS Breakfast Show, can you run us through how you set yourself up for the morning slot? Three times a week, 9am till 11am, from an outside point of view, it seems a daunting challenge to constantly find new music to keep things fresh, or is that something you enjoy?
FD: It really varies! Some weeks I’ve got a million things to play, or say, and I’m really in the zone – other weeks it’s a bit trickier. I try and constantly keep my ears out for music that would work for the show, and set aside hours every day to find new things to play, whether that’s new releases or stuff that is just new to me. But you have to just take each show as it comes, I’m finding. At the end of the day, as long as you’re playing some decent tunes and getting people in a positive mood or hearing something new, you’re doing ok!
In terms of a morning routine – that totally depends too. Sometimes I’m running so late and I do the show unshowered and on an empty stomach, other days I’m up hours ahead of time and cooking an elaborate breakfast!
FP: Do you find it’s completely different setting up for a radio show than playing a live set?
FD: Yes, I think so. For radio at 9am, I’m generally trying to keep it relaxed tonally and a mixed bag genre wise. I think a breakfast show on a diverse station should try and showcase a little bit of everything that the station has to offer, as well as an outlet for my own taste: it’s a bit like a primer for the rest of the specialist shows that come later in the day. Whereas if I’m DJing out, the process for selecting and sequencing tunes is totally different. If I’m playing out, usually you’re trying to make people dance, or at least not sit down – whereas radio is more about music discovery, and perhaps a bit less functional. I can play a much wider range of music on the radio than I would in a club I think.
FP: Where did your love of music begin? Do you have a stand out memory growing up? I always remember getting it from my dad. Growing up, he was always in Blues bands so always went to gigs to watch him play. I’ll always remember when my mum got angry at him for bringing home a second Hammond Organ and Leslie amp…
FD: ah that’s wicked! I would have loved that I think. I was always really into music from a young age: I would sing in bands and stuff at primary school, and getting an iPod was a massive deal for me. Music was always on in my house: my mum loves Motown and disco, and my dad loves guitar music and bands – Talking Heads, Ry Cooder etc. Then as a teenager growing up in London I would go out a lot, which is where I got into DJing, and dance music.
FP: One thing at Frequent Players is we try not to be bound by one genre which is something we love about your shows and many others on NTS for that matter. It must be a great environment to bounce off fellow hosts and learn new artists, genres?
FD: It’s been totally formative for me. More so than any of my teenage or childhood experiences, I think. When I first came to NTS I was 21, and was volunteering at the station during university in London. I was an avid house and disco fan – it was what I played out, and what I was primarily listening to: but when I came to NTS, I got a proper music education about all the stuff that surrounded the dance music that I was listening to. I was introduced to and then properly immersed in genres like industrial music, post punk, bossa nova, soul music – it was really an amazing place to come into as a music enthusiast. I never left, and I have learnt more about music from the staff and hosts here than anywhere else. It’s an unbelievable resource for music discovery; I can’t really think of another station that comes close to it in terms of breadth and output – and the people behind the scenes and who put together the shows are total music nerds that really taught me everything I know about non commercial music.
FP: Apologies, slightly side tracked as I recently rewatched Bob and Pauls fishing show… Any progress on getting Bob on as a guest? Goal of 2023?
FD: that is never going to happen. I have been in touch with his agent who is lovely but politely declined. I will keep knocking at the door because it’s good to dream big, but – never gonna happen!
FP: Tape Deck, CD’s or Vinyls, what came first for you? Mine was a tape version of Jamiroquai, Deeper Underground! Can’t forget it haha.
FD: I love Jamiroquai. Feel like I shouldn’t put that in writing but I do! For me I had a tape player of course as a kid – I was born in 1993 – and then I was an avid mix CD maker, but all my good stuff really came during the digital era when I could download things onto my beloved iPod. Vinyl was something that came much later in life for me: now it’s my only form of physical music ownership.
FP: When we talk about latest pick ups at Footpatrol, we’re normally referring to sneakers but let’s talk records, have you picked up anything recently?
FD: Last thing I bought was a 12” of Trevor Walters – There’s no Way, a reggae single. I only buy stuff on Discogs now, and it’s usually after I find it online. I do most of my music research for the show online, then I’ll buy it on vinyl if it’s really good or if I just can’t find it anywhere. I used to be in record shops every week, but now I think because I do so much of the show digitally I’m in them less. I miss them a lot – I need to make time to go properly.
FP: Talking of records, classic quickfire Q, you can only listen to 5 tracks for the rest of your life, what’s made the cut?
FD: I just can’t do this. I am really prone to hyperbole so have proclaimed about 500 songs to be my desert island discs – but I could never actually choose. I’d just pick three – Hold my Hand by Hootie and the Blowfish because it reminds me so much of my dad, Ain’t No Mountain High Enough for my mum, and This is the Day by The The for my sister. But really, if I could only listen to 5 songs for the rest of my life, I would certainly choose silence.
FP: I think that’s it from us! Thanks again for joining us, we’re looking forward to checking out your mix. Is there anything upcoming you’d like to share with our audience? This is that time to drop any plugs haha.
FD: Thank you for having me. Hmm.. I will be in Australia in April, which is really exciting, DJing at Inner Varnika festival and in Melbourne. I am hoping to launch this other audio project this year, but I will not say too much on that yet – and then I suppose just the show! Which is Monday-Wednesday, 9-11am, NTS.live. Thanks!
The Cortez is a silhouette that’s steep within the history books of Nike. Whether it’s the legacy it made within the world of sport or its amount of appearances as the must have accessory within TV or pop culture, the Cortez is a sleek runner with a simplistic approach.
After multiple collaborations from some of Nike’s most sought after partners, from sacai and Union LA, its return is only looking stronger for ’23. Now with a series of inline colour ways coming to light, we celebrate this launch by catching up with visual artist and writer, Benjamin Murphy.
Much like the Cortez, Benjamin uses a medium that’s renowned within it’s own world, charcoal. Using this medium, Murphy explores themes of polarise, time, memory and contrast in its rawest state on canvas.
Take a closer look at our visit to his studio in London below and make sure to check out the latest from Nike and the Cortez online here!
Footpatrol: hey Ben, hope you’re well, and thank you for taking the time to fit us into your schedule! Could you start by telling us a bit about yourself and the works that you do?
Benjamin Murphy: I’m an artist and writer from Yorkshire, now living between London and Helsinki.
FP: We understand you recently relocated to Finland, has this changed the dynamic of your workflow? For better or worse?
BM: It’s maybe too early to tell, or too late – I’ve been living between the two places for a few years now. Overall as a country its definitely colder and darker, so it could be argued that this has made its way into my work.
FP: Based on your earliest art pieces, what has been the evolutionary catalyst for you and your style?
BM: The biggest evolutionary catalyst is discomfort I think. The key element in any creative act is is the pursuit of evolution. When things stop evolving its a perfect sign that something drastic needs to happen, even if that drastic step feels like it could set you back a bit, or take you on some diversion that you aren’t sure will succeed, ultimately the interesting work is found from a place of discovery, and by getting yourself lost. This isn’t possible from a place of comfort.
FP: Can you elaborate on your creative process’?
BM: Expanding on the point above, it’s important to allow for failures to happen, or to actively encourage them to happen as a way of getting them out of the way. For this reason I introduce a lot of chaos to the process by working with a medium that I cant erase or paint out (the canvas is unprimed so any mark is there for good), and by doing things like leaving the works on the floor to pick up charcoal dust organically and in a way that is totally out of my control. Obviously this means that a lot of the work doesn’t work, and a lot of it gets destroyed with never having been seen. It’s a necessary part of the process though, so I celebrate the failures as they prove that the quality control is high and that things aren’t becoming formulaic, or safe.
FP: How do you think your work effectively communicates with the viewer? Is there a deeper conversation to be had? Or is it aesthetically driven?
BM: I think that the “meaning” of a work of art has much more to do with the viewer than it does with the artist to be honest. Everyone who looks at it will read it differently, and my interpretation of what something means is no more valid than anyone else’s. For that reason I try to make things fairly instinctually, and leave the theorising over meaning to others. It means what you want it to mean, and I don’t want to divert or contradict that by telling you what I think it means because who am I to say.
Oscar Wilde once said that the person who understands a painting least of all is the person who made it and I agree, often I don’t even try.
FP: is there ever any trial and error? Or do you know exactly what you want?
BM: I never know how something will turn out when I start it no. Whenever I try to work in that way it’s a disaster. There is trial-and-error in the sense that some of the things I make are good and some are not.
FP: talk to me about flowers… how and why does botany feature so prominently in your work?
BM: I wanted to introduce some chaos into the work, and relinquish some control over the aesthetic qualities, as my work before this was so precise and clean. Plants are a good way to explore representation within a work without having to stay too safe. Things can be distorted past recognition without becoming surreal, which is a good place to be when you want as much freedom as possible without moving into abstraction. Someone pointed out to me yesterday that I tend to paint houseplants rather than those out in nature, and that it’s about “The wild, confined” which I thought was nice, and much more apt and poetic than I could have ever put it myself.
FP: If YOU were a plant, what would you be?
BM: a medium-sized Galia melon.
FP: As we’re also here to celebrate the Nike Cortez, a shoe that in the past 50 years has been a perfect candidate for outrage, resilience, and style within culture. With these words in mind, what legacy do you want for your work?
BM: Legacy is not for me to decide, and as long as my work is talked about then I’m happy. Loved or hated is fine, but the worst thing is when something arouses no response at all. Id much rather be polarising than universally liked.
FP: thank you for taking the time to have us Ben, it’s been great fun! And if there are any words of wisdom you wish to bestow on the community feel free to do so.
BM: Wisdom is something I’m probably yet to achieve, but maybe one day.
This year saw Jordan Brand dig into their archive to once again revive a famed silhouette that signalled the beginning of Jordan and Nikes relationship. First worn on the courts way back in ’84, the Air Ship was the brain child of Bruce Kilgore, the man who had previously designed the Air Force 1.
Following the Air Force 1’s simplistic and straight forward design concept, the Air Ship was the first shoe worn by MJ on the court and began the story that led on to the iconic Air Jordan 1. After a re-release in 2020 with the ‘New Beginnings’ pack, Jordan return once again to where the story began with a series of simple colour options.
Moving away from the court, we celebrate the story of Michael Jordan and his success off the court with his business and community ventures. With that in mind, we look to our local community and pick out individuals who are doing eye-catching things within their community to celebrate them. First up, Curtis, otherwise known as ‘The Local Honeyman’.
Take a closer look at our visit to his studio in London below and make sure to check out the Jordan Air Ship online here!
Footpatrol: Hey Curtis, thanks so much for joining us at Footpatrol. First of all, how have you been?
Curtis: I have beeeen amazing thanks! Excited for the new honey bee season to kick in, it’s always an entertaining time of year for us beekeepers. Flowers starting to bloom, bee’s getting their buzz on outside the hives and Local Honey Man honey starting to flow, what more could you want!
FP: It’s great to see such passion from someone when it comes to their work. Can you share a bit more information with our audience on how you got to becoming a Beekeeper?
Curtis: Looking back on it now it was an interesting journey that started a while ago. My Uncle ignited my fascination for honey bees when I was 15 years old, he would take me down to his Hives on a nature reserve most Sundays. It really blew my mind and was world’s away from my life growing up in Hackney. My passion for bee keeping continued to grow throughout different chapters of my life, eventually blooming into the existence of Local Honey Man and the rest is Bee-story…hehe
FP: We saw that you were originally within the world of Investment banking, this seems a world away from that previous career choice, did you notice any health benefits from this switch up whether its health or mentally?
Curtis: Yes, massive mental health benefits, when I was working all the hours God sends in banking, stress was on 10; I use to look forward to going down to the apiaries for some stress relief. Now its my every and any day. Beekeeping really helped with my mental health and being able to relax my mind daily. Anyone can learn to become a Beekeeper and improve their mental health just like me.
I’m actually so blessed now to have an amazing team around me that can look after Local Honey Man’s Day to day activities, allowing me time to create my own day and enjoy the sweet successes of running a business. Needleless to say the physical health benefits of consuming our raw honey are phenomenal, clearly documented on our website, in our education or blog section, check it out.
FP: Not only to meet yourself but I guess one of the main reasons we’re catching up with you today is because of what’s on your feet… The Jordan Air Ship. Built on Jordan’s successes both on and off court, we’re celebrating those doing great things within their local communities. So on that note, why is your local community so important to you?
Curtis: My local community was one of the reasons I wanted to run a local business, enabling me hire people locally and provide a great product that can benefit people and the environment. I have recently initiated a new charity in the area called Bee-Prolific, which will be helping local youngsters to gain an understanding of beekeeping, the retail of honey and generally how to utilise business and customer service skills.
FP: Thought the hits of yellow made this the perfect colour way for you as well, don’t you agree?
Curtis: Yes reminds me of a field of sunflowers blooming in the spring, which the bees simply love (the honey isn’t bad either)
FP: I think we all take our furry little buzzing friends for granted, can you explain the process for honey extraction and just how important to our eco-system bees actually are?
Curtis: I’ll try and honey coat this answer as it could easily be a very lengthy one. Bees are beyond important to our eco-system they are nothing short of vital. As for the Honey extraction it can be an intense sticky time of year! We get through it with timely logistics so the honey doesn’t set in the comb, dedicated steady hands and a little help from the machinery in our honey processing rooms. And of course never forgetting to leave plenty of honey for the bees to see them through the winter season.
FP: Come on then… what makes a good honey?
Curtis: buying it from Local Honey Man…lol…seriously though, making sure your honey comes direct from a beekeeper and its not heat treated to stay liquid and runny, that’s not honey’s natural state once it drops below the heated environment of a Hive, around a cosy 32 degrees. We try to keep it as close to its natural form as possible, sweet thick and full of health benefits, a spoon a day keeps the doctor away!
FP: What are your current top 3, go to honeys at the moment?
Curtis: I use ginger infused honey to give me a morning boost, cup of water and spoon of honey in the morning, gets me started for the day. Borage honey in my coffee, Golden honey will be my best friend for the next 7 months as I suffer badly with hay fever. A multi-floral honey like our British Golden honey will remove all my hay fever symptoms. No more itchy eyes, running nose and sore throats thanks to Local Honey Man honey
FP: What’s next for Local Honey Man?
Curtis: Take over the world, one honey jar at a time! Watch this space…
FP: Thank you for taking the time to have us down, and just want to open the floor for any words of encouragement to those looking to break into the honey industry or even just any words on how we can preserve and help in the preservation of our hard working, buzzy friends.
Curtis: Keep planting flowers so our little furry friend’s have more options and food sources to forage from, we can all play a role, no matter how small…if we all did a little bit, it would make a big difference!
Championing an all-new feel to contemporary music, Sainté is a Leicester-born music artist that continues to push boundaries in the UK’s evolving cultural soundscape. With his deeply rehearsed, States-inspired sound, he has continued to allocate an all-new positioning for the Hip Hop genre in the UK.
Just before his live performance at the La Machine du Moulin Rouge, we had a chance to catch up with a pumped up Sainté in our Paris store while hosting his Meet & Greet to find out a little more about his music masterwork and fashion influences, as well as delving deep into his shared passion for sneakers.
Footpatrol: For the few people that may be unfamiliar with who you are and what you do, could you tell us a bit about yourself?
Sainté: I’m just Sainté, I also go by the name of YS. I am a creative individual from a small town trying to inspire other people to chase their dreams. That’s all really.
FP: Last couple of weeks, we regularly saw you in Paris, especially during Fashion Week. In all your appearances your style is always meticulous. What is your relationship to fashion?
Sainté: I mean I just love dressing nice, if you dress nice you feel nice, if you dress good you feel good! I used to play basketball, so fashion and style have always been a thing that goes hand in hand with the sport and it’s the same way with music. Fashion and music are connected easily so I love playing with them.
FP: Ok so you got into fashion with basketball and then music?
Sainté: Yeah, I feel like it was through basketball when I was younger, but I always kinda knew that I liked it. I couldn’t always buy the clothes I wanted, but I could always look at something and be like “this is nice, I want this one day!” Then it got to a point where I started working hard enough to buy the clothes that I liked.
FP: That’s cool. Since you mentioned fashion and music are tightly linked, how does fashion influence your relationship with music? How do they intersect for you?
Sainté: To be honest, fashion helps a lot with my music. I tend to write about things I’m doing, things I like, and things I want to manifest. I tend to be buying a lot of the clothes I like and they’re always something to talk about. Obviously, I get excited about it. I wouldn’t say it’s to ‘flex’ but to be able to style it out, show people and talk about it.
FP: During your back-and-forth trips between London and Paris, what differences did you notice in sneaker culture between the UK and France? For example, the TN here in Paris vs. the 95s being iconic in London.
Sainté: You know, that’s one thing I have realised! I feel like I used to be more of a TN guy, but recently with trends in the UK I’ve started to see a lot of 95s that I like. I feel like there are a lot of shoes that are special here. The sneaker game is very lit in Paris. People are a lot more open to wearing different stuff. Whereas in the UK, people still wear different stuff, but it’s a lot of trends and people wear what other people are wearing. Here, it’s similar but there’s more variety, especially in shoes.
FP: Regarding the evolution of streetwear, sneakers, etc., how do you see it in the foreseeable future?
Sainté: I feel like it’s going to keep getting crazier and crazier. There are a lot of new designs and silhouettes that are coming out. It’s hard to pinpoint who, when, or how but I’m just excited to see what collabs or new designs will be coming out. There’s a lot of creative directors that are being placed at different brands and I can’t wait to see what they will do to spice it up.
FP: Are there any recent trends that you like more than others?
Sainté: At the moment I’m a bit out of it and I haven’t had time to keep an eye on trends being on tour and travelling. But there isn’t really a trend that I like more than another. It’s more about which one catches my eye, then I’m like “okay, I respect it”.
FP: Moving on to sneakers, what is your relationship with Footpatrol and what does it represent for you?
Sainté: To me, Footpatrol is very important. I love shoes and FP has a lot of crazy kicks, so I feel like we’ve got a lot to build together. I woke up this morning like “Yooo, we’re going to Footpatrol let’s go!” and I was very excited. I had to make sure I was wearing CLEAN shoes, you know? I hope my relationship with Footpatrol goes a very long way, we’ve got a lot of shoes to talk about!
FP: Do you have a favourite pair of sneakers or brand at the moment?
Sainté: I couldn’t give you a model, to be honest. I mean, I’m wearing Jordan 6s right now and I wear a lot of Jordans. Recently, I’ve been wearing my Off-White Dunks quite a lot as well. But I couldn’t pick a single pair, there’s too many.
FP: Which type of sneakers/shoes would you choose for a concert and why?
Sainté: Depends on the mood. Tonight, I might wear the 6s or maybe the Margiela Replicas.
FP: Which shoe is your favourite and maybe the most iconic for you? Maybe one from your childhood?
Sainté: Iconic shoe? Honestly, I’ve been wearing a lot of my Air Force 1s or, like, Jordan 1s. I used to wear 11s a lot as well, but then I got put off because everyone started wearing them. But yeah, Air Forces or Jordan 1s are always a go-to!
FP: One day, would you wish to have your own signature shoe? If so, what would it be?
Sainté: That’s too much information haha, but I would like a signature shoe. I’m going to make sure that happens. It’s in talks, but who with? I’ll keep that a secret right now. Can’t say.
FP: Are there any future releases you are waiting for?
Sainté: I’ve seen the CDG (Comme des Garçons) New Balance. Did you see those? I think those come out in December. I’m excited for them. I like the leather and the little details. When I saw those, I thought “they’re nice, I need them”. That’s the one shoe that got me really excited.
FP: Sainté, it was a pleasure to have you! Is there anything you would like to share with the Footpatrol friends and family? That could be anything from getting people excited about something, a message of positivity, whatever you like.
Sainté: I’d probably say, in this game one thing I’ve realised is that you’ve just got to be patient. Consistency and patience are super important. You could be good, but just because you’re good doesn’t mean that everything is going to come to you straight away. You could not be good, but if you’re patient that doesn’t mean that you’re not going to get better, and then things will come to you. The key to this equation is consistency and patience. But at the same time, maintain your drive and humility. Anything from that point is never too big, you just have to wait and see because God’s got your back!
Thank you for having me. Peace!
