Author: Bradley Martinez
With a creative spark running through him since he was a young kid, for our latest Footpatrol Discussions piece, we catch up with graphic design and now artist, Nick Dynan, otherwise known as Me Old China.
First and foremost a Graphic Designer, Nick’s latest venture is a break away from the technological barriers within traditional graphic design. Gone are the screens and Adobe programmes and instead is a much more physical, tactile element to his work. Not waving goodbye for good, Nick brings a typography, graphical element into the world of pottery with these unique, expressive vases.
Take a closer look at Nicks work below whilst he takes us through this latest venture and be sure to check out Me Old China on Instagram here!
Footpatrol: Nick! It’s great to finally meet you and check out your work in person, firstly, how have you been?
Nick Dynan: Yeah all good, thanks. Excited to have you in the studio today and show you some of my work.
FP: Talking to you briefly before our catch up, it sounds like you’ve had a very artistic childhood? from graffiti to your design work to now Me Old China, Can you tell us a bit more about this love for creativity?
ND: Ever since a kid I’ve always been doodling or making stuff out of cereal boxes. My parents always pushed me to do whatever I wanted and I guess that’s always been about creating something. I never really got on with school and failed most of my subjects including Art. But I’d always be up to something outside of school, teaching myself to spray paint in Brighton in the early 2000’s while watching the likes of KGB, RT, RK, BARE, PESE93, ODISY, DAZ etc painting down at Tarner, The Level or Black Rock, that definitely had a big impact on me and wanting to be creative in some sort of form.
FP: Being predominantly sneaker based at Footpatrol, we love tangible objects, things we can get our hands on and really examine the finer details. Me Old China gives us a similar sort of vibe, branching away from a digital screen to make something tactile and timeless, was this always the plan?
ND: I’ve been a graphic designer in London for almost 10 years and as much as I’ve always loved it and still do. I always had a scratch that needed itching in terms of making tangible things that you can pick up and hold. I took photos for a long time but in the end it wasn’t creative enough for me. Photos mostly just ended up on a hard drive and never got looked at. Creating these vases has definitely been the right thing for me to turn to. Knowing people can pick these up and hopefully admire them in their house has definitely started to scratch that itch.
FP: Does your mood dictate the vocabulary you choose to ordain your objects with? is it a release of stress if anything? Or simply aesthetical?
Nick: It’s definitely more of an aesthetics thing. Growing up on the weekend we’d go to the pub for lunch with my parents and there were always interesting characters in there. One couple who always stood out were Pat and Dave who chain smoked and only ever had cash on them. Inevitably they’d end up swearing and then had to put a quid in the swear jar on the bar. That was the idea behind my first series ‘Swear Jars’.
FP: How was the transition into pottery? Was this something you had previously trained in or has that in itself been an experiment?
ND: I haven’t had any training in pottery yet. I’m doing a course at the end of the month, once I’ve done the course I want to start making really big statement vases. I’m sure I’ll find out everything I’m doing is wrong but I’ve done that for most things. Just start doing it and learn on the job. I never went to uni for design, I just used Youtube videos to learn anything I needed to. I’ve done the same with this. It turns out there’s a lot of middle-aged American women making pottery videos that are actually really helpful.
FP: We can see a clear connection between the pottery and your design background with the typography aspect. Do you plan on bringing anymore of your previous backgrounds into upcoming designs, or are you hoping this is a completely new journey for you?
ND: I definitely want to start experimenting with other typefaces, layout styles and patterns. See what comes from that. I’ll always draw inspiration from subcultures I grew up around. What that ends up looking like who knows but that’s the fun part.
FP: What’s the future plans for Me Old China? Do you see this as a full time venture at some point? What’s the chances of seeing comic sans? haha
ND: haha yeah I might have to give that one a miss. Leave it to the professionals. Definitely want to go full time at some point, but not getting ahead of myself is the plan for me. Keep learning and growing. Eventually get some vases stocked in galleries and shops. Liberty if you’re reading this, call me! Just keep enjoying it and create things I actually want to own myself and not what I think people want.
FP: Putting your designer head on, how would you design a Footpatrol inspired vase?
ND: I think I’d start by looking at the history of FootPatrol, maybe some old trainer adverts, t-shirt designs and in-store trainer launches. Taking typography inspiration from the old Nike adverts using Futura Extra Bold.
FP: I think that’s it from us Nick, massive thanks once again for allowing us to come down and chat, we tend to hand over this last question to you, a chance to offer any inspirational words or shameless plugs! Haha.
ND: If you’re bored of what you’re currently doing and you don’t know where to go next, go watch What If Money Was No Object? – Alan Watts. It definitely helped me realise when I was younger to always do what you actually enjoy and not to chase money. Also, obviously check out Me Old China and buy a vase!
Teaming up with PUMA for the launch of their latest silhouette, the Velophasis, the German brand invited us out to the city of Berlin for a special activation surrounding the shoe.
Build heavily on inspiration from the 2000’s, the Velophasis is a chunky yet streamlined silhouette that shares a lot of DNA from previous models from the PUMA archive. Focus was placed on their COMPLETE line up, a department of brains who came up with game-changing technology such as iCELL, e+CELL and EverRide that became a range of sneakers which pushed the boundaries within the world of running.
To celebrate the launch of this latest silhouette and its arrival on the scene, we snapped up the invites and headed out to the German city.
Working with a sculptural artist Richard Green, we were handed a sledge Hammer and encouraged to take our anger out on a plastered structure in the shape of PUMA shoe box. Inside was our very own pairs of the Velophasis. We then had the opportunity to cast our own plaster model of the silhouette to which we than could customise to create our own one of one version.
Massive thank you to PUMA for having us out in Berlin, make sure to take a closer look at the recap below.
To shop the PUMA Velophasis, CLICK HERE!
Collaboration’s are something we take pride in here at Footpatrol, and over the years we’ve been lucky enough to meet many talented & like-minded individuals within the creative space. Building long-lasting friendships along the way, in 2017 we thought it was only right to celebrate the power of collaboration through the launch of our Communi-T t-shirt series. Our Communi-T project continues to be our cherished efforts to shine a light on the works of our talented friends and family through the form of limited, never to be re-released t-shirts.
Collaborating with the likes of Mr. Phomer, Mark Ward, Hotel Creative, Sneakerwolf, and Yee Poon – just to name a few, we take a trip down memory lane, revisiting all of our exciting Communi-T projects to date.
Mr Phomer
Our first-ever Communi-T series featured the likes of Lisbon-born artist Mr Phomer. Seamlessly applying his graffiti and cartoon-styled graphics to Footpatrol’s ‘Runnin Tings’ motto, the fit took creative inspiration from Phomer’s admiration of city life
Cerulean Crew
London-born duo Cerulean Crew was second in the line of creatives to work with us on the Communi-T project. With their illustration practices deeply burrowed in the world of vehicles, their unforgettable recreation of the Gas Mask logo on this t-shirt shares their love for the sneaker and streetwear industry.
U-Dox Creative
U-Dox CreativeConcluding our first round of Communi-T’s was Luminary London-based creative agency U-Dox. Serving over 15 years of friendship with Footpatrol, their Communi-T paid homage to the pre-internet times of discovering and finding rare shoes in stores, before the power of the digital space.
Mark Ward
For this Communi-T we enlisted the help of one of our good friends Mark Ward. Contributing his illustrative style to Footpatrol branding that dates back to our OG residency in St Annes Court, we thought that we would celebrate his talent through an animated T-shirt design that showcased his witty style.
Face Oka
Series 002 saw our first ever international partner to work on the Communi-T series, Tokyo-born illustrator Face OKA. Working across different medias, Face OKA’s Communi-T showcased an all-new nature-inspired remodelling of the Gasmask logo.
Sneakerwolf
Our Communi-T project with Tokyo-based illustrator Sneakerwolf was about honouring the cultures we know and love, reimagining our iconic Gasmask logo in a Kanji-Graphic style.
Dukes Cupboard
To finish series 002 we celebrate the cultural hub that is Soho, we teamed up with our good ole’ friends at Dukes Cupboard, recreating a stylish rendition of the Communi-T with their unique typography style.
Hotel Creative
To kickstart Series 003 we enlisted a long-time friend of Footpatrol and the multi-disciplined agency, Hotel Creative. Hotel Creative’s recreation of the Communi-T stood loud and proud, incorporating their love for neon signs and pink into their designs.
Lament
Next up in Series 003, we teamed up with West Midlands-born, South London-based music producer Lament. Reworking their skeleton branding with the Footpatrol Gas mask logo.
Ghica Popa
In 2020 we showcased the unique illustrative style of Bucharest artist Ghica Popa. Inspired by his love of 80s cars and vehicles, this release saw the Footpatrol Gasmask and Bar logo transformed into a range of vehicles.
Niallycat
Niallycat Leicester-based illustrator Niallycat was next up in our Communi-T series, customising the Gasmask logo into a cartoon cat, with the wordmark on the back taking inspiration from an old Klashnekoff tune.
Ken Carlos
In 2021, we linked up with East London-based tattoo artist Ken Carlos. Applying his fine line, single needle black and grey style on two tees exclusively designed for Footpatrol.
Robi Walters
Next up in the Communi-T series was Soho resident and contemporary artist Robi Walters, who created a design that was based on sacred geometry, and the thousand-petalled lotus featured in his series of works called ‘We Are Stardust’.
Earl Jeffers and Ral Duke
For the last installment of our 005 series, we partnered up with the multitalented duo and friends of Footpatrol, Producer/DJ Earl Jeffers and Producer/ Graphic artist Ral Duke to produce a special ‘Record Store Day’ Communi-T apparel drop.
Yee Poon
To celebrate International Women’s Day here at Footpatrol, we enlisted the help of British-Chinese graphic designer and illustrator Yee Poon. Her creation of the Communi-T utilised an ant print design to signify determination, unity, and loyalty.
Sayurinishikubo
We tapped Tokyo-based illustrator & artist Sayurinishikubo to collaborate on Communi-T Series 006. Sayurinishikubo’s character artwork takes inspiration from the famous Japanese manga basketball series Slam Dunk. Completing the graphic is a saying based on Michael Jordan’s words cementing the correlation between basketball and sneaker culture.
Poligoonz
In 2022 Footpatrol entered the Metaverse. For this special collaboration we teamed up with Poligoonz to create a commemorative-styled Communi-T that when purchased, allowed FP consumers to be automatically entered into a raffle with a chance of winning a utility NFT.
Series 007 Kicks off next week, stay tuned!
The HOKA Huaka returns… Featuring the best of both the Huaka 1 and Huaka 2 silhouettes, this latest iteration is visually a step away from the usual over exaggerated, chunky midsoles that HOKA are known for whilst still keeping their DNA intact.
This modern take is a street ready silhouette that comes equipped with a flat-knit upper with hotmelt overlays that’s made up from 100% recycled polyester through the upper, tongue and laces. Leaving behind those eye-catching chunky midsoles, the Huaka’s approach is a bit more streamlined. Whilst not forgetting that DNA and the OG, this latest version still features an EVA midsole which still gives all the good feels as you’d come to expect whilst also having the durability to match thanks to its high-abrasion rubber outsole.
Take a closer look below and make sure to check out the latest from HOKA here…
Each decade has its unique stand out moments, especially the 2000s. For those who grew up in these years will all remember certain stand out moments. From baggy pants with wallets on chains to handheld consoles like the PSP and N-Gage, these years were ones to remember.
For ’23, PUMA unveiled the Velophasis, a chunky yet streamlined silhouette that is built upon inspiration from such years. Delving into their archive, PUMA looked towards their COMPLETE line up, a range of sneakers that were built on it’s own expertise within the world of running. A department of brains who came up with game-changing technology such as iCELL, e+CELL and EverRide which have continued to grow over the years and used worldwide on the feet of runnings.
It’s here where the Velophasis was born. Back to the present day, the upper is an overlay of materials consisting of chunky meshes, semi translucent plastics and soft foam like details all finished in eye-catching metallic details.
These two latest colourways will be launching online on Saturday 11th February (Available online rom 08:00AM GMT), priced at £120.
Jordan Brand return with another ’85’ iteration on the iconic Air Jordan 1 OG High silhouette. The 85 releases are the brands take on reimagining the AJ1 in its original shape. First released in 2020 with the a black/red rendition, it has seen a ‘Neutral Grey’ release in 2021 which is an ode to one of the many colour ways launched in 1985. Now making its way back for the first time is the ‘Georgetown’ colour.
This release opts for a classic colour combination which in recent years has seen it become one of the most sought after colour blocks on the market. Much like the now much loved Dunk Low ‘Panda’, this ’85 takes on a classic Black and White make up for what could be the cleanest iteration yet.
Take a closer look below and make sure to get your entires in!
PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ THE BELOW!
The London in-store draw is now CLOSED!
ONLINE draw will now be over on the Footpatrol app, CLICK HERE to download!
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.
To sign up to the Online draw, you will need to download the Footpatrol Launches app and complete a pre-authorisation payment of the retail price of the product plus shipping costs. This will be held until draw completion. Those successful will have their draw win posted out to the address entered during sign up. Those unsuccessful will see a return of their funds, this can take up to 5 working days from when the winners have been drawn. The draw is limited to one entry per household! Multiple entries will be cancelled!
The Jordan IV is arguably the most popular silhouette with various collaborations and iterations the latest WMNS colourway see the traditional colour blocking with a twist. A soft ‘Seafoam’ replaces the Fire Red where as the rest of the shoe remains traditional with a predominantly white upper finished with black accents.
Take a closer look at the WMNS Air Jordan IV ‘Seafoam’ below and make sure to get your entries in!
PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ THE BELOW!
The London in-store draw is now CLOSED!
All online draws are now housed over on the Footpatrol Launches App, CLICK HERE to download!
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.
To sign up to the Online draw, you will need to download the Footpatrol Launches app and complete a pre-authorisation payment of the retail price of the product plus shipping costs. This will be held until draw completion. Those successful will have their win posted out to the address entered during sign up. Those unsuccessful will see a return of their funds, this can take up to 5 working days from when the winners have been drawn. The draw is limited to one entry per household! Multiple entries will be cancelled!
It’s no surprise that one of the most desirable model from within the Jordan line up continues to see more and more iterations come to live and 2023 is no different!
After many famed in-line colour ways and collaborations, this next take opts for a different approach however. Bringing a DIY approach to this fan favourite silhouette, the upper is a cut and sew of rich suedes and super soft leathers that bring an even more tactical feel to the upper.
Take a closer look at the Air Jordan IV ‘Photon Dust’ below and make sure to get your entries in!
PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ THE BELOW!
The London in-store draw is now CLOSED!
All online draws are now housed over on the Footpatrol Launches App, CLICK HERE to download!
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.
To sign up to the Online draw, you will need to download the Footpatrol Launches app and complete a pre-authorisation payment of the retail price of the product plus shipping costs. This will be held until draw completion. Those successful will have their win posted out to the address entered during sign up. Those unsuccessful will see a return of their funds, this can take up to 5 working days from when the winners have been drawn. The draw is limited to one entry per household! Multiple entries will be cancelled!
When you think of Dubstep, the first thing that probably comes to mind is your favourite song being ruined by a crazy drop, with sounds only aliens could understand. What if we told you that there is an actual skill, craft and community within this genre that has been lost over time.
The roots of Dubstep stem from Londons very own Croydon, with the likes of Mala, Skream, Benga and Coki, to name a few, pioneering the sound. An amalgamation of Grime and Garage with a sprinkle of Jungle and Dub. This wicked combination, birthed Dubstep.
To continue sharing more of Dubsteps past, we spoke with Shiverz. A DJ that has been tantalising the dubstep scene with his technical ability on the decks and part invention of the adrenaline-fuelled chopping style. Gaining the nickname ‘Da Butcher’, Shiverz is one of a kind DJ within the Dubstep scene. Speaking with the forefather of dubstep he talked us through his life, artistry, and anything in between.
As an exclusive offering to our Frequent Player’s listeners, Shiverz hits the decks – delivering knowledge, expertise, and taking it back to the original sounds of Dubstep for you.
Footpatrol: Shiverz, pleasure to have you! How have you been?
Shiverz: I’m good thank you, you?
Footpatol: Glad to meet you in person, for any of our audience who may not know who you are, can you tell us a bit about yourself ?
Shiverz: I go by the name ‘Shiverz dabutcher’ it all started with garage and grime then moved on to dubstep. I have a certain style of mixing the kids call it chopping, I call it chopped n shelled.
Footpatrol: What are your earliest memories of music and what got you into DJing?
Shiverz: My Mum was a DJ she would always play music in the house and this is what got me into DJing was just seeing other people do it and at the time I was a mc so I thought let’s give it a try. I have been a DJ for 23 years.
Footpatrol: We know you are co founder of dubstep collective ‘monsters’, where did this idea come from?
Shiverz: In a friends bedroom we was just brainstorming and ‘Monsters’ come up, we thought it wasn’t going to work because of Monsters inc! But it did and we’re here to stay.
Footpatrol: What got you into dubstep and what are the differences in style of music depending on the country you’re playing in?
Shiverz: I was a grime kid and still am but it was Skream that gave me my 1st dose of dubstep by inviting me down to he’s birthday party at ‘Plastic People’ and from that night Iv been into dubstep. The styles are so different from each other you have
Dubstep – UK
Dubstep – deeper stuff – UK
Dubstep – riddim – EU/USA/AUS
Dubstep – brostep – USA/AUS
Footpatrol: What are the challenges faced when touring ?
Shiverz: Making sure I’m on time for your flights and making sure I have everything you need.
Footpatrol: What has been your favorite place you’ve played?
Shiverz: There’s too many to choose from lol – BUT if I had to pick one, it would be Rampage Belgium, the biggest Dubstep, Drum and Bass event in Europe.
Footpatrol: How can you relate sneaker culture and the music scene?
Shiverz: Well as you know, people love to step out in their best outfit looking drippy and the footwear has to be on point with the outfit too, so depending on the sneakers you can always create some sort of vibe!
FP Thanks for joining us at Footpatrol , super excited to hear your mix. Is there anything upcoming you would like to share with our audiences. . . ?
I have a few shows coming up, my birthday shellings In Belgium, headlining the 2nd day at northern invasion in Canada and got a little tour planned in April.
Once again thank you for having me!
When it comes to sneaker collaborations, one that is always on the lips of sneaker enthusiasts is the Nike Tom Sachs. Built on the foundations of usability and innovation, Tom Sachs has always explored, explored some more and then a little bit more to make sure the final product always lives up to whatever is thrown at it. This comes from everything he has learnt and built his artwork around.
Now, for their latest efforts, they’ve come up with the ‘General Purpose’, a sneaker that’s been made to be worn day in, day out. Delving into Nike’s archive, Tom Sachs looks back at what works, wore it, amended what could be improved and then delivered the goods.
Now into its third colour way, the ‘General Purpose’ arrives in an all brown get up that features a mixture of mesh and suedes across its upper for breathability and comfort, whilst below is Nike’s trusted waffle outsole for traction, durability and wearability.
PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ THE BELOW!
The London in-store draw is now CLOSED!
All online draws are now housed over on the Footpatrol Launches App, CLICK HERE to download!
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.
To sign up to the Online draw, you will need to download the Footpatrol Launches app and complete a pre-authorisation payment of the retail price of the product plus shipping costs. This will be held until draw completion. Those successful will have their win posted out to the address entered during sign up. Those unsuccessful will see a return of their funds, this can take up to 5 working days from when the winners have been drawn. The draw is limited to one entry per household! Multiple entries will be cancelled!
