Author: Bradley Martinez
For Jordan’s ‘Black Future Season’, Footpatrol, Jordan and Gauchoworld have teamed up to tell the stories of four Black individuals from the world of music, fashion, art and food. Our penultimate feature is Emmanuelle Loca, who’s traversed through London’s creative industry, unapologetically pursuing her interests. We caught up with Manu to discuss her creative journey that’s taken her to a multitude of places: Martinique, Ghana and everywhere in between.
Meet Emmanuelle Loca, or Manu as she usually goes by, who’s navigating the creative industry as she sees fit. A multi-hyphenate director — creative, art, film, movement — her journey is one of exploration, self discovery and building connections, leading her to be a valuable contributor to increasing the profile of women within movement direction in fashion.
Falling into the industry through a behind-the-camera stint that surprisingly began before her modelling days she’s known for, Manu began assisting her best friend’s mother, an art director. Due to her lifelong interest in cinema and art direction in general, she felt at home on sets, and whilst she was still trying to figure out what aspects of the job she loved, she knew this was the space she belonged in. Till this day, it’s formed a unique role that is all-encompassing of her interests. “I’ve never liked being in a box. If I like something, I’ll try it and see where it leads me,” says Manu.
Constant trial, that Manu sometimes admits sometimes ends in error (but more importantly learning), led her to a shoot that made her consider another angle to her creative pursuits — the one she is currently flourishing in. “I’m very big on being inspired by my homies. There’s not one friend I have that doesn’t inspire me,” says Manu. After being invited down to offer her expertise on a shoot, she met movement director Yagamoto. They worked together closely, agreeing they should work together again in the near future. And so they did, collaborating on many shoots, creating opportunities for her to be seen as a capable solo movement director, too.
When working with the likes of the established Yagamoto, she’s aware she’s overlooked as a woman working behind the scenes of the fashion industry — it’s still a battle she occasionally has to fight. Rather than dwell on the negative, Manu approaches the situation positively, surrounding herself with those who share a mutual understanding with her. “I just make sure I build relationships with people who value the work and value my work,” says Manu.
And she’s not short of respectful collaborators. For every director that’s overlooked her, there’s a director like Gabriel Moses, who places utmost trust in her wealth of both research and experience. For every “what even is your role” comment, there’s a “Manu, you do you” that pushes her to continue being her most authentic self on every set. Naturally a more reserved character, she’s also continually challenging herself to project and ensure her voice is heard. “The more jobs I do, the more people and sets I experience, I’m getting better at it,” says Manu.
In addition to ensuring her voice is heard, she feels a massive part of her role is to empower models, as she’s “been there” herself, so she knows “how they feel”. An unquestionably empathetic being, Manu believes part of her job is to give models licence to express themselves, the same way a set designer, a stylist, a director is encouraged to. “It’s about giving models freedom, allowing them to be more than just a mannequin,” says Manu, which is something that translates into the way she works with the less traditional ‘model’, giving anybody who finds themselves in front of the camera the freedom to be fearless when they step into the limelight.
Especially apparent on one of her favourite projects to date, she was the movement director behind Gabriel Moses’ shoot featuring black cowboys. Her fascination with black cowboys was complemented by her background in visual research and cinema. Due to there being a multitude of live reptiles on set, they [the cowboys] hadn’t seen them before so were a little tentative. So, as Manu always does, she took the cowboys to the side, had a general conversation and placed the reptiles on herself to make them comfortable around the animals. By the end of the day they were not only enjoying themselves on set, but they also “wouldn’t leave the reptiles alone,” says Manu. “Movement works in the same way, you’re easing into someone’s character. It’s important to challenge them but make them comfortable in what they’re doing.”
Manu is excited for her future within the world of movement, but never will put her first love, cinema, completely on the back burner. As such a humble character, who is able to amalgamate disparate ideas from all the different individuals on set, she describes her wider role as more than what can be defined by a job title: “There’s so many people to please on a set. As a movement director, I help to build that bridge.”
That bridge is ever expanding, we’re excited to see the forthcoming projects Manu will share, one of which includes a self-directed film.
Photography – @armand.dasilva
Printing – @rhysbawilliams
Words – @igweldn
Editor – @elliefmuir
Styling – @rachel.parisa
Design – @andycarnegiebrown
Production – @pifivy
Hair & Make Up – @anushasolanki
Now well and truly in a league of their own, Crocs continue the roll out with Salehe Bembury throughout 2022. Having already collaborated with household names within both streetwear, art and music they’re back with their next Bembury colab with the eye-catching Pollex.
With fresh new colourways of the Pollex Clog having already launched this year like the ‘Cobbler’ and ‘Tide’, the latest from this duo is dubbed ‘Kuwata’.
Crafted from foam, the fit is moulded into an unorthodox fingerprint design – its daring exploration of form is one that is reminiscent of Salehe Bembury’s signature branding. Concaved perforations throughout continues the theme of authenticity as well as keeping things ultra-lightweight. Paired with an adjustable heel strap for added personalisation, while underfoot, the part translucent outsole unit signs off the design with supreme durability made with everyday terrain in mind.
PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ THE BELOW!
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.
Crocs and Kitchens tend to go hand in hand. A go to for those whether they’re seeking all day comfort or on their feet all day, you often find a pair of Crocs in any kitchen around the world. Taking a fun approach on this, we caught up with one of our favourite and definitely coolest London based chefs, Big Has otherwise known as Hasan Semay.
We popped over to his pop-up over in Islington called Sessions where he’ll be dishing up some absolute delights, many inspired by his Turkish-Cypriot background.
Take a closer look below at when we caught up with Hasan and shop Crocs here!
Footpatrol: Yes Hasan, great to finally meet you! Firstly, we must add an apology from the get go in case we get distracted by you whipping up some delicious grub!
Could you perhaps give our audience a bit of a trip into your past and how you ended up where you are today?
Hasan: so I’m Hasan, aka big Has. Been a chef for 11 years. Started off as a Jamie Oliver’s fifteen student and been cooking ever since really. Today we’re in sessions a pop up I’m sharing with 2 talented chefs until early January next year.
FP: Must’ve been an insane moment and an equally insane journey being part of Jamie Oliver’s ‘15’ programme back in 2011, could you tell us a bit more about how that came about?
Hasan: My mum basically, she saw that I wasn’t happy being a security guard. I’d spent a lot of my childhood watching cooking shows. Whilst kids were running home to watch ‘Hey Arnold’ and ‘Doug’, I was rushing back to catch Ainsley shakes his suzy salt.
FP: We need to thank you too for delving into the world of Youtube, your ‘Sunday Sessions’ have gone down a storm and all the office team at Footpatrol tune in!
Were these face to face walk through’s something you’ve always wanted to share?
Hasan: I’d be lying if I said that it wasn’t in the grand scheme of things. I knew I always wanted to be involved In food, I knew I was always gonna pass on what I learnt to my peoples, so I guess it’s just happened naturally. In some ways lockdown was a blessing for me and George. Everyone had consumed everything on Netflix. We’d seen our crazy cousins across the pond in tiger king, we’d watched Micheal Jordan run rings around people, and everyone had seen the pretty shit end to line of duty. So when Sunday sessions dropped it felt like the right time and it was recieved well by people.
FP: What’s your earliest memory of home cooked food, did this spark a love of food do you think? Bless her, my mum wouldn’t ever claim to be a chef but I always remember her slaving away making bolognese for the family!
Hasan: We were constantly around food as kids, dad on the bbq, mum cooking home cooked meals every night for dinner. I’ve got loads of food memories but the stuff mum cooked for us as kids was always great. Wether it be Turkish dishes or dad wasn’t home she would secretly cook us gammon dinners. My earliest memories change from time to time, but there’s defo significant ones. Mum making me coronation chicken on my birthday, my sister making a tart and getting it wrong and it tasted like an omelette, my dad frying prawns in the garden with scotch bonnets and spring onions. I feel like the love for food was always there I just hadn’t figured out it was my thing yet.
FP: Your Turkish-Cypriot heritage plays a lot of inspiration when it comes to your recipes, what is it about this part of the world and it’s food that inspires you so much?
Hasan: It’s home man. It’s the food we grew up on. Cypriot food is very humble, food of necessity and we don’t really have a food scene. The best food is made in family homes and shared between the village. I found that when I started at 15 there were loads of similarities with Italian and Turkish food and then I guess I just started questioning food and looking more into heritage and culture.
FP: Also, we must say a huge congratulations on the launch of your first book. We’ve been eager to get our hands on it since it finally launched. Is this something you’d like to follow up on whilst your influences grow?
Hassan: thank you, do you know what, I never thought I’d be a chef let alone author. I left school with 2 GCSE’s and pretty much thought only the academically privileged kids would get opportunities to write. I’m actually writing book 2 at the minute, I can’t go into major detail but I think it’s a topic that a lot will relate to and others will be educated by. But basically if I can write a book a year, travel, shoot travel docs and eat I’m living the dream.
FP: At Footpatrol, we’re always recommending our customers or brands to local eateries close to us within our community, what would be your five go too places to eat?
Hasan: PERILLA IS A MUST, beautiful spots I’ve been a few times, Ben is super talented and it’s great food without being intimidating.
Popollo in Shoreditch, Jon took me under his wing when we worked at Theo Randal’s together. He’s a half Italian, half Spanish London boy and when he isn’t cooking he’s break dancing or kick boxing. One of the nicest people I’ve ever met and then there’s his pasta. Phenomenons.
WHERE EVER ELLIOT CUNNINGHAM IS COOKING YOU MUST GO. IVE BEEN TELLING ELLIOT FOR YEARS HES A WIZARD BUT HE WONT ADMIT IT.
Being Turkish I’m always asked “where’s the best kebab” and for me it’s mangal 1 Arcola street. Get the mix for one, spicy ezme, smoked aubergine and grilled onions. It’s no thrills, but always consistent.
Xian impressions is another we go to a lot, diectly across the road from the arsenal stadium, I’m not the biggest fan of sczehuan but there’s soo many beautiful things on the menu. Cold chicken, wood ear fungus, dressed cucumbers and these like little panini pressed pulled Chinese pork burger things. Mental. It’s tight in there and you’ll have to que but it’s never let us down. Not once.
FP: Since the pandemic, we’re noticing a lot more places pop back up with people doing some amazing things! Last year, we caught up with a good friend of yours and ours Elliott Cunningham. How is it from Chef to Chef, do you find people collaborating more in these times or bouncing off each other?
Hasan: I don’t often do pop ups and I should, I get in my own head about things and convince myself I’m not good enough, I’ve got huge respect for guys like Elliot who just cook how and when they want. I’d love to do something with el, it would be great and we both share the same love for bbq. The pandemic birth loads of great things, big mommas samosa’s, lings lings, and my boy Tom who’s selling the fucking most delicious seafood boils at decatur. Honestly buy one.
FP: So, one of the reasons we’ve come down to your kitchen at Sessions in Islington is to get you in a pair of Crocs. They’re often found within the kitchens of the world so we’re excited to get them on feet with you. They’re the perfect kitchen crep right?
Hasan: Yeah i spent all my career in crocs, wearing them until they were leaning like uggs. Super comfy. it’s mad how they’ve become so trendy, customising them yourself or even a wu tang collab. I used to get rinsed for wearing them and being a size 14 they were almost a novelty size. Personally I feel like there’s a space for one of the leaders in the crep game to bring out a non slip steel cap ting. I’d love to be the face of it but I’ve gotta keep my cards close to my chest.
FP: Well, thank you so much for joining us,
Big love guys thank you x
This Black Future Season, Footpatrol, Air Jordan and Gauchoworld have teamed up to tell the stories of four Black individuals from the world of music, fashion, art and food. Up next is Diadié Diombana, whose unwavering desire to create unique dining experiences saw him become Madonna’s live-in chef for a six month period.
Landing in the centre of Paris via Eurostar, we visited the Freddy’s Kitchen pop-up takeover of restaurant Sélune, and watched as head chef Diadié Dombana kindly interacted with passersby as they stared at his menus with intrigue. After seeing okra featured as a starter, I knew for many reasons that this visit was not one that’d leave my memory in a hurry.
We were lucky enough to get a proper taste of the Freddy’s Kitchen menu, of which I tried the okra starter, then sea bass, the most flavoursome mushroom I’ve ever tasted and a dessert that combined sweetness and saltiness to absolute perfection — if I do say so myself. It’s hard to describe flavours that completely take your taste palette to new places, finding the words to describe what I ate would do it a disservice. My advice would simply be, if Freddy’s Kitchen is ever in town, make sure you give his food a try.
Showcased for only a week in a restaurant in Châtelet, it was so successful that Diadié decided to continue it at another location to match a fraction of the demand that came his way. “It was really enjoyable and motivating to do the [first] pop up,” says Diadié. “It sold out in 24 hours. A French chef owns this restaurant [Sélune, the location of his second pop-up] and he gave it to me for two weeks, and so far it’s been amazing.”
It’s been a long road to Sélune for Diadié, and it’s by no means been easy, but cooking has been a calling he’s been answering all his life. “My mum and my grandma are really great cooks, and since I was young, I was cooking for my four younger sisters,” says Diadié, speaking on how his taste palette was constantly improving, as a result of being surrounded by a perfect blend of inspirations (and critics).
Whilst much of Diadié’s originality does come from home, he aims to constantly put a modern twist on the food he grew up eating as a child of Malian descent, in addition to borrowing techniques and flavours from Southeast Asia to create a culture clash on a plate that satisfies souls as well as stomachs. “I need to write my background into my plate,” says Diadié on his approach to his cuisines, his dishes simply being a multi-sensory story.
Continuing to showcase his alternative style, his flavour choices blend his Parisian upbringing with his Malian heritage, whilst being inspired by Southeast Asian dishes. But as a black man in Paris, he faced doubt and disrespect from senior chefs whilst working as an apprentice, never allowing it to shape his self-identity. “I was around some chefs who wouldn’t give me opportunities, they’d just be rude to me. They were scared of people being better than them. But I’ve always said that’s not good. Respect is for everyone. This job is complicated but we have to show respect because it’s love, you know?” says Diadié.
Instead of being spiteful about it all after working in over 30 restaurants, Diadié has used the experience to fuel the warmth that fills kitchens he’s in charge of (alongside the heat of the ovens, of course).
Once he was shown faith by his bosses, and became head chef at multiple restaurants, he began to explore his own ideas, and the mediums he’d use to share his foods — events, festivals, private dinners — building the brand of Freddy’s Kitchen, something larger than Diadié himself as a chef. Whilst working on his brand externally, he was continually pushing himself in the kitchen, as head chef of two restaurants, Chope Des Artistes and Chéri Coco. “I hadn’t made vegan cuisines before, but when they [Chéri Coco] asked me to join, I tried it and it was a challenge, but everybody was happy, saying I’m capable of doing whatever I want in the kitchen,” says Diadié.
As the challenges came, so did the opportunities. Speaking on one particular opportunity that came onto his plate quite unexpectedly, Diadié reflected on his six month stint as Madonna’s live-in chef — a gig which came after somebody he exchanged Instagrams with on a night out was asked by one of Madonna’s team for the best chef they knew. “It went from one normal day, to another, where I was now living with and cooking for Madonna,” says Diadié. The experience helped him understand the importance of being a brand, even as an individual, allowing him to connect between people with “food as the base” that has birthed many a relationship.
After being back in Paris for a while since work took him beyond the shores of France, Diadié looks to get back on a plane, to immerse himself into various cultures that’ll inform the flavours of his dishes. “I was inspired when I came from the US. I felt like I needed to have this moment where I could express myself without any limits.” Where will he go? Diadié parts with an ambiguous answer, simply responding: “We’ll see, we will see.”
Photography – @armand.dasilva
Photography Assistant – @rhysbawilliams
Words – @igweldn
Editor – @elliefmuir
Design – @andycarnegiebrown
Production – @pifivy
For the launch of the Air Max 1 ‘Denim’, we wanted to celebrate all things denim with the help of the kind folk at Blackhorse Lane Ateliers.
Speaking with founder Bilgehan Ates, we paid a visit to their East London factory where since 2016, the team have carefully been crafting ready-to-wear selvedge and organic raw denim jeans. Footpatrol being Footpatrol, we turned up with the recently launched Air Max 1 ‘Denim’ and gave it to some of the team to get their thoughts and opinions on this icon!
Shop the Air Max 1 ‘Denim’ here.
Footpatrol: Hey Guys, hope you’re doing well? Firstly its great to meet with you today. For our audience, could you give us a brief insight into Blackhorse Lane Ateliers?
BLA: Historically makers are well connected to the community whether they be a tailor/cobblers/joiners they were on the high streets and that how is the industry started actually. But in the late 80s towards 2000’s this relationship changed and gradually these local businesses lost their face and became huge productions which went offshore, especially in the garment industry.
So that created a disconnect, which is very much linked to sustainability in my opinion. When you don’t know how the garments or furniture or whatever item it might be is made, your appreciation lessens. Also, if you know that it’s also easily available at a very reasonable price you appreciate that less…in today’s world the help of fast fashion /cheap and quick bombardment of trends leads to a detachment from the makers and depreciates their work.
So, by introducing real makers and saying to people this is the person who made your clothes, in a small way that could reverse that trend. It’s not going to happen tomorrow but we could find solutions to the throw-away culture.
FP: Your brand very much celebrates it’s teams who are behind the scenes creating the products we see today. How do you feel this benefits the end consumer?
BLA: Coming back to connectivity, I think as designers we have a responsibility to connect to the end user and for me that’s vital to understand and develop that relationship. If we think back to our grandfather’s generation when they were going to a shop, they were treated like individuals, the shop assistants were what you would call “lifetime shop assistants” and they were connected to this community.
Whereas these days instead you might get an aspiring actor or a student who generally sees that job as a stepping stone to further their career. So, by giving lifetime repair guarantee what we achieve is our customers come back to us after six months, one year, sometimes seven years later and we get to understand their lifestyle and that creates a conversation and deepens our relationship with them.
For example, sometimes we receive garments which have been repaired by the customers themselves (even though we give lifetime repair guarantee), this is when we feel that we are achieving the aim because people are repairing their own clothes.
FP: We also understand you’ve also been involved within the restaurant industry, what was it that pulled you back into fashion? What did you learn during your time working in food same
BLA: One of the reasons I opened a local restaurant is because I didn’t want to travel to work, when I first started my career, I was managing factories in North East London; Harringay Manor House and Walthamstow, and within 10 years of that, I had a factory in Turkey and gradually went to the Far East.
During that time, I travelled for work 3-5 times a month, and I started to question my own values in life; is it really worth it? Am I doing it because of money or because is it the industry pushing me to do this? I think it was a combination of both, the more I went, the more I felt disconnected from the community that I lived in but most importantly from my family and my values.
So that’s when I decided to stop and come back to my neighbourhood and open a small business where I didn’t have to travel, I walked to the restaurant every day.
But of course, when I first opened Homa, I didn’t expect to be fast-tracked into a connected community; restaurants are very democratic places, and everyone can walk in, for a coffee, for lunch, etc but within one year of opening my restaurant, I started to know my neighbours, my clients, their children, their grandfathers so that was one element of reconnecting with the community that I lived in.
The other element of running a good restaurant is the philosophy of “you’re only as good as your ingredients” no cutting corners and using off-cut meats, in really good restaurants the ingredients which are used must be seasonal and fresh, if you start using cheaper quality ingredients you become a less respected restaurant.
I thought wow, that’s amazing because in the fashion industry we don’t follow that.
Generally, fashion brands cut corners; they want to use cheaper fabrics, materials, and cheaper labour and with that of course the end product is always cheap, both in value and quality.
The other element was the craft beer/gourmet burger movement which I witnessed in 2009. When I opened my restaurant, we had 4-5 brewing houses, five years later we had over 25 and that was just in Hackney not counting other London areas let alone nationwide.
So, imagine we had our Peroni’s and Heinekens but these local brewers were coming from left, right, and centre and creating these amazing recipes with double the price and people were still willing to pay for that because the quality was there. I thought, “What is the “beer” of the fashion industry?” I came to the conclusion it was jeans!
Previously whenever I looked at my jeans, I was never happy with the quality of them, outside they looked ok but whenever I looked inside, they were full of unfinished edges. As a trained tailor that was an eyesore for me.
In 2015, as I was coming towards the 5th year of my hospitality experience, I decided to come back to textiles and garment making with a very different approach.
I sold my restaurant and, that year opened Blackhorse Lane Ateliers in Walthamstow, East London. But with a different approach, because we wanted to create an open-door policy calling on my experience in having a restaurant, I decided to have a pop-up restaurant within the factory space, so that connectivity which I keep talking about was still carried over into Blackhorse Lane Ateliers, so therefore I think that creates a different vibe for us in the working space and the neighbourhood.
FP: How does this holistic approach to running a business influence the clothing line?
BLA: That’s a very good question… in 2015 when we started producing jeans in east London there weren’t any UK brands/designers who were making jeans in London, some people were making them offshore, but the limitation with going offshore is the minimum quantities which are required.
When we started, we invited other designers to come to us as part of the design community, and people gradually started to dream about making ‘Made in London’ jeans in smaller quantities, we gave designers the chance to make 40-50 pieces at a time. But if you try to produce that offshore minimum orders are usually 300-400 pieces usually. For a small designer that is too expensive of an investment.
So, by giving that opportunity to dream about making made in London jeans lots of people started putting jeans in their range.
If I remember correctly in 2018 The New York Times, ran an article about the UK denim brands challenging the US denim market. And when I looked at the article, 5 out of the 6 brands they mentioned were made by us. So, by us opening this space we created an industry, I believe. So being in the community and given the ability and opportunity to manufacture in London, creates a different kind of collaboration.
When you collaborate with other like-minded creatives you always create stories and new ideas… going back to craft beer…imagine after 20 years of the craft beer revolution how many more master brewers we have in this country! So, I’m hoping by having that kind of community in fashion we will create so many designers who get the craft mentality approach with UK denim too.
FP: You have some great collaborative pieces already but what would be a dream collaborator? Would you be interested in creating a sneaker
BLA: When I look at our day-to-day lives, when I’m on the underground, walking on the streets of London I see a uniform, even though we express ourselves in different ways, whether through different colours, shapes, hats, coats, etc but 90% of the population have one single uniform; their jeans and sneakers. I would love to design a sneaker with our logo and our ethos.
FP: And to finish up, what are some words of wisdom you could share with our audience?
BLA: One thing which has stuck with me over the years, I’m an entrepreneur; I create projects but generally what I realise is that I create projects to experience the journey, not the end of the journey. In the journey I feel I learn so much, being proactive and creating and acting on it. In the action, there is power and magic.
Now a frequent collaborator with New Balance, Joe Fresh Goods is back once again with another take on an NB classic.
Fresh from his recent ‘Inside Voices’ 9060 silhouette, JFG now looks towards an NB great, an icon within the 990 series, the 993. A model of late that has received a lot of attention with thanks for fresh new in-line takes as well as Teddy Santis and his debut Made in USA collection, JFG now brings his signature desaturated details to the forefront dubbed ‘Performance Art’.
PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ THE BELOW!
The London in-store draw is now CLOSED!
The ONLINE draw is live 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!
For our latest FP Meets, we catch up with Liverpool based photographer, Anthony Lee. Constantly on the move with a camera in his hand, Anthony often has the more obscure choice of silhouettes on his feet. From classic New Balance options to more trail based picks from Salomon, you’ll always find Anthony experimenting with colour coordination for tonal perfection.
Footpatrol: Yes Anthony, great to have you join us at Footpatrol for our latest episode in the Footpatrol Meets series. First and foremost, how have you been?
AL: Yes! Thanks for having me. Good thanks, enjoying this cooler weather we’re having lately, prime time for layering!
FP: Kicking things off, Footpatrol Meets is our opportunity to highlight everyone and anyone who has a passion for sneakers to share their favourites with us and our audience. Can you remember what kick started this journey for you?
AL: I actually think it may have been down to my first pair of New Balance 990v3’s that kick-started this ‘mild’ obsession. It was a few years back and you couldn’t really find them outside of the US, so I ended up buying a pair online from Kith, bouncing them to a mate in Texas and having him ship them to me. I’d never gone to those kinds of lengths before for a product and I guess putting in that kind of ‘work’ definitely makes you appreciate them more, I actually still have and wear the pair to date. It’s super nice to see the v3 model make a huge return and grow in such popularity.
FP: ‘Mild’ obsession… yeah ok, we can see all those shoe boxes!
Having followed you for a number of years now, you’ve really nailed down that distinct style that sets you apart from others. Whether it’s selecting your next piece of furniture or that next item within your wardrobe, what is it you look for when making a purchase?
AL: Haha, thank you. You’re too kind. I can’t really say what drives me to make a purchase to be honest. I guess first and foremost it’s about supporting the brands and stores that you love? I’m pretty conscious about design, whether it’s a garment or piece of furniture. I think that good design and construction is definitely one thing I’ll prioritise.
Then I suppose the next question would be “does this fill a gap (functionally and/or aesthetically) within my wardrobe, home or wherever?” I’ve made far too many mistakes buying items that fulfil the same purpose in my wardrobe especially, I still probably will do as well, haha.
I’ve also found myself making more and more secondhand purchases, off the likes of eBay, Depop or Grailed. I’ve found that a lot of previous or older seasons from my favourite brands really resonate with me so finding the odd piece here and there not only feels like a victory but also feels more exclusive and rare.
FP: What’s that one item that you just can’t put down or stop wearing?
AL: Tough one! Besides the obvious like, jewellery and my phone haha. I’d probably say there’s this pair of Nike cargo’s I picked up off eBay for like £20. They’re probably from the early 2000’s and an XL so they fit nice and loose, but also I don’t mind battering them so I tend to reach for them more often than not. Yeah, I’ve shot fits with them, dog walks, beers, you name it, they’ve probably been worn doing it…
FP: What we enjoy seeing on your page is the range of brands, from New Balance to Saucony through to Salomon and a clear love of Mizuno, you aren’t tying yourself down at all! Why is this?
AL: I think I’ve been fortunate enough to be in a position where my job kind of allows me to try and explore all of these brands. I really enjoy it to be honest, and I think if you ignored all of the great work so many of these brands are doing then you’d really limit yourself in terms of style, creativity and even performance.
Safe to say, I definitely do have my favourites on brands and styles like the New Balance 990v3 or the Salomon XT-4, but trying new ones like Mizuno has definitely been exciting.
FP: And speaking of that love of different brands, you’ve selected the following as your top 5… The New Balance 993, Packer x Reebok Trinity Premier, Kiko Kostadinov x ASICS GEL-DELVA, Bodega x New Balance 990 and the Salomon XT-Quest 2 Advanced, can you share with us a little bit more about why you chose these?
AL: Sure! So I’ve tried to hit a broad selection across my collection with this pick. I don’t think any one of these models does the same thing as the other, whether it’s performance based or aesthetic? – Maybe with the exception of the Bodega NBs and Packer Reeboks, I’ll admit they’re similar…
Anyway, obviously a pair of 990v3’s had to go in there, think these are possibly my favourite model of all time? And I think the Bodega collab really hits with the colourway and materials. I’ve got my pair of 993’s in there mostly because I feel like they’re an underdog in my collection. I think triple black sneakers can be overlooked a lot of the time and I find I love mine more and more with each wear.
The ASICS x Kikos are probably one of my grails, I managed to pick mine up off eBay in mint condition for a steal, which kind of makes me love them more? I think the releases between these two are always some of the most progressive and interesting designs out there.
For the Salomon’s, I think the XT Quest 2’s are a real throwback model, a proper dad hiker and unlike anything I currently own in my collection. Been a fan since I saw the TBA pair and this colourway in particular really hits!
And lastly, the Packer x Reebok Trinity Premier; these were a surprise love for me, I hadn’t really seen a silhouette like this from Reebok before and the colours and materials just ticked boxes in my eyes. Quite an underrated release if you ask me, I haven’t really seen many others knocking about but maybe I’m just looking in the wrong circles.
FP: Could you quickly talk to us about how you’d style them?
AL: Loose pants, always. I think the selection I’ve picked are probably styles that are super flexible in terms of styling, probably one of the things I enjoy about each, there are several ways to style. Off the top of my head though;
Probably some nice Ecru pants and a good fleece for the Bodegas? Keep it nice and tonal. I’ve actually been wearing this beigey/browny knit from Garbstore and some loose khaki cargo pants with my Salomons, reckon that fit really hits the mark for where I’m at style-wise. I’d match up the triple black 993’s with a pair of black wide pants maybe a sweat up top? Pretty plain and a little bit smarter. The ASICS x Kikos are probably one to show off a bit so I’d get a pant that sits just on or above the shoe? Probably a nice shell up top with these but a more understated fit to let the shoes hit first. Then for the Packer Reeboks; I think what initially sold me on them was the styling that Packer did around the release, they’d paired them up with some loose sweatpants, hoodie and a down jacket so I’d probably run with that exact look for these.
FP: What’s that one elusive sneaker that’s always slipped your grasp that you’ve always wanted? Hype, or not, we’re intrigued!
AL: Haha, man. If I had a time machine… It’d probably be the ASICS x Kiko Gel Burz 2 in that green/aqua colourway (or Burz 1 in that earth colour), they released way before I knew what I was chatting about so missed the boat there big time. Just really love the design and colours on these. I’m definitely keeping an eye out for secondhand pairs but that £1k mark they’re currently at is astounding.
Besides them, it’d be the JJJJound x New Balance 990v3’s in the green/olive colourway. I don’t think I’ve seen a better looking v3 if I’m honest, and still gutted to this day that I couldn’t secure a pair for myself.
FP: And I think with that, that’s it from us at Footpatrol! It’s been great to speak more to you Anthony!
Thanks for having me here guys! Really appreciate it and it’s been awesome to talk to you. Keep up the sick work!
At Footpatrol, we love combining worlds. When we saw Mizuno’s latest pack dubbed ‘Ceremony of Tea’, we saw this as the perfect opportunity to delve into the world of Tea… of course!
An early morning alarm followed by just over an hour on the train, we left the concrete streets of London and traded them for the delights of Bath. Nestled in the South-West of England, on one of their beautifully quaint streets, you’ll find Michelle and Rob. Founders of Comins Tea, this duo are on a mission to find, import and brew the worlds finest teas.
Focussing on the Mizuno Sky Medal and Contender, each silhouette comes with multiple bursts of Green across the upper that just scream Matcha.
To celebrate, we catch up with Michelle and Rob to learn more about the world of tea, we hope you enjoy and why not check out this latest pack from Mizuno here.
Footpatrol: Hey Michelle & Rob, thanks so much for having us at Footpatrol visit you and help celebrate the Mizuno ‘Ceremony of Tea’ pack, how are you both?
Comins: We are doing really well thanks & it was so nice to welcome Bradley & Alice to the Tea House & share tea together. Always amazes us how tea offers us the opportunity to connect with wonderful people that we would otherwise not have the chance to meet. We very much enjoyed learning about your world while we shared ours.
FP: Jumping straight into things, I’ve been fortunate enough to have visited you a few times whilst I lived in the South-West but for our audience, could you tell us a bit more about yourselves and how you both ended up bringing the world of tea to the streets of Bath and Dorset?
Comins: One of the many wonderful aspects of the Comins Community is how people who have visited us & moved away to start new chapters of their lives get back in touch; so it was great to hear from you & get the opportunity to understand your world over tea!
Well, we are Michelle & Rob Comins, direct trade tea merchants. We have spent the last 15 years travelling the world sourcing & learning about tea & we still feel like we are only just starting! How did we come to be in the SW? Well, before tea we both had different careers – it was Michelle who had a deep interest in tea & a desire to explore it – Rob was less keen on tea – put off by early childhood experiences of very strong bitter black tea with milk. It was a trip to Darjeeling in 2017 & a chance meeting that changed everything – sitting in the office of one of the most famous faces in the world of tea; Rajah Banerjee; we experienced tea like never before. We left that tasting room on a cold December day in the Darjeeling hills determined to make a life in tea & share the amazing experience we had enjoyed with others. Historically, teahouses have always been places to meet up and connect, whether purely socially, for debate and discussion, or for business. Over the centuries, the formal rituals and ceremonies that have developed around tea have needed physical spaces to facilitate them so we knew from the very start that we wanted to build a physical space in which people could meet, explore & enjoy tea. Our experiences around the world had shown us that the best spaces to enjoy tea are rarely in prime commercial locations. More important than that are the host, the beauty of the experience offered & a space that allows people to escape & purely appreciate tea. With Michelle’s family in the SW our search led us to a Georgian house with a shop front in the small market town of Sturminster Newton in Dorset. Here we could quietly bring our vision to life and indeed tucked away from the pressures of modern life, the space has attracted tea lovers from all over the world who enjoy tea in the heart of the countryside with few other distractions. Two years later we decided to move to Bath – in keeping with the above we are not on the high street, rather tucked away waiting to be discovered.
Central to Comins is the belief that great tea should be an everyday pleasure, not just for special occasions or for rarefied, elite enjoyment so we aim to present our teas with the same openness, grace and enthusiasm with which they have been shared with us. The design of the Tea House is minimal with tea, of course, taking centre stage. Our menu is global with many of the items on the menu having been taught to us by our friends and partners in tea. Over time, a tea community has developed, keen to experience, learn about and enjoy fine tea and we are delighted that it is a space where lone tea drinkers feel comfortable to enjoy peace and tranquility alongside the more sociable aspect of tea where drinkers offer tastes of their chosen tea to complete strangers, conversations start, topics are debated & connections are made.
FP: Sourcing teas from all corners of the globe, what is it you look for when you’re looking at the different makers, regions of tea producers? Does it solely come down to just taste?
Comins: Partnership is at the heart of our company, when you come for tea at Comins we will of course discuss the leaves but we will also share more about where the leaves are from and the people who have grown & processed them. We often talk about our tea sourcing trips in terms of plant, planet & people; an approach that always leads us to delicious tea. Key to our decisions are the approach to caring for the land on which the tea is grown & the wider environment (only ask Michelle about soil if you have a fair amount of time on your hands!), the way that tea is planted, nurtured & processed & of course the values and vision of the people growing and making the tea. It works both ways – our partners are highly skilled and put huge care and attention into their land and their leaves – so all the while we are asking questions of them they are also asking questions of us – just as it should be. We have to also convince them that we will represent and prepare their teas in the best possible way. There is a lot that sits behind a cup of tea & we are always keen to discuss, share & exchange ideas with people who are interested to learn more.
FP: Did we see you managed to get Bradley to drink a tea on our visit? A man who doesn’t drink hot drinks, how did you convince him!
Comins: He did indeed! What can we say – the world of tea is captivating!
For many people their only experience of tea has been a teabag in a mug or perhaps lower quality leaves which may deliver a bitter cup & although today there are more Tea Houses in the UK (and awareness and interest in orthodox teas and the different ways to enjoy them are growing in Britain) spaces dedicated to the exploration of tea are still far fewer than say coffee houses. Many people are simply not aware of the sheer diversity of tea, the different types and importantly in todays’ fast paced world the slower pace that can come from the ritual of enjoying multiple infusions of quality leaf tea. This gives people far less opportunity to regularly explore and means that many tea drinkers still don’t know too much about tea’s heritage and the basics of its preparation, which varies between types and according to how it has been grown and processed.
Our Tea Houses aim to offer a window into the world of tea which is what Bradley experienced. We will have to ask Bradley to describe his experience in his own words – but to us it was wonderful to see his surprise and excitement at the fresh grassy tones of a Japanese Sencha simply prepared in a Kyusu – a realisation that quality green tea leaves prepared quite simply and with care & attention need not be bitter & that loose leaf is not cumbersome and complicated but beautiful and ritualistic! We look forward to welcoming him back to continue his tea journey.
FP: When we talk about personal favourites, where is your go to region of tea?
Michelle: For Michelle it will always be Darjeeling. The place where our tea adventure began & where some of her most life changing moments have taken place. A trip to Darjeeling will open a window on the tea world to any tea drinker highlighting the importance of terroir, the affect of cultivar on tea profile, the skill of the tea maker….
Rob: For Rob has to be Japan; the home of some of our most popular teas. Japan holds a special place in the history and culture of tea. From the introduction of tea by Buddhist monks returning from study in China to the development of the Matcha ceremony and then on to the development of highly advanced picking and processing technology Japan has forged its own path. This uniqueness is shown in its teas, whether it is the rich umami of gyokuro or the sweet bitter tang of Koucha. We could quite easily fill the teahouse with the different senchas created by the intricacies of varying regions and farmers around this beautiful country. This is even before looking at the incredible culture not concerned with tea! For Rob, Japan has it all.
FP: Much like coffee (or even a well crafted cocktail), I see tea as something that isn’t just about the ‘drinking’ aspect but more so about the time and the process taken to brew a cup, would you agree?
Comins: Most definitely – at Comins talk about ritual every single day. If you get the chance to visit the Tea House (you can also look online) you will see the different tea vessels from all over the world that can be used to prepare tea & help you get the very best from your leaves. You will also see more simple pieces of tea kit, tea filters, tea infusers. The one thing that both these simple and more specific pieces of tea kit have in common is that they introduce the concept of taking time over tea. Adding in a step of putting leaves into an infuser and waiting for 3 minutes can be just as transformative to someones day as laying out a tea table with a beautiful mat, South Korean tea pot, jug & cups. Quite simply quality tea, prepared properly, offers us a chance to stop and because most of us are already familiar with the concept of a tea break it is a really accessible way to introduce rest into your day. We get many phone calls, emails & letters from people in our tea community each week & this is the aspect of tea that people talk about the most.
FP: From previous visits to Comins, it definitely provides a journey, an experience. From discussing flavours, to the different teas that may cater for that down to the hand pouring experience. Is this something you wanted your customers to get hands on with?
Comins: From the very beginning we have wanted to make tea & the culture that surrounds tea more accessible. Central to that is creating a space & environment that makes it normal to question, discuss & explore. We always offer to explain the menu and encourage people to try something different. Because there are so many teas we will always swap a tea if someone who is exploring for the first time chooses a profile they don’t like & one of us is always in the Tea House to offer advice. When you come to visit you will notice how we always prepare the first infusion at the table, explaining each step, before leaving the tea drinker to continue the remaining infusions themselves. This hands on approach allows people to explore and adjust infusion times etc to their own preferences – although we offer guidance on time, temperature etc tea is incredibly personal and we encourage tea drinkers to experiment. We have found that this approach makes people far more confident to take the ritual of quality tea home and into their own lives where they can enjoy tea on their own terms on a daily basis.
FP: One thing that is clear is your desire to share your love of tea with your audience, whether it’s the tea makers across your Youtube channel or your Tea School located here in your Bath location. Is this something you always wanted to offer?
Maybe the tea drinkers of Footpatrol will have to pay a visit one day to explore the world of tea, not just Yorkshire’s finest… if you know what I mean!
Comins: Comins Tea is only made possible due to the dedication & generosity of the tea partners we are lucky to know around the world. Over the years they have shared their time and expertise with us both at origin and through visits to the UK and we naturally feel that it is really important to pass what we have learnt onto our community here at home. In the last month alone we have enjoyed a visit from our great mentor Rajah Banerjee who as mentioned earlier started us off on our life in tea, as well as held two workshops on Taiwanese tea with our great friend from Nantou County. You can read more about some of the discussions at those events on our blog here and if you go back further through the history on our website you will find similar blogs on events with Japanese & South Korean tea masters and so much more.
As well as sharing these deeper insights into tea we also want more people to discover tea for the first time – our Tea School offers classes that range from a general introduction to more detailed sessions on green, oolong, white and black tea – each category of tea is so diverse that it needs its own dedicated session. For people visiting the Tea Houses we also offer in Tea Houses sessions for individuals or groups – an hour dedicated to exploration in the calm environment of the Tea House. We really hope that some of your readers will feel inspired to explore tea & look forward to welcoming them!
FP: A key reason for our visit today is to not only explore the world of tea but also, the Mizuno Sky Medal and Mizuno Contender which is part of their latest pack, ‘Ceremony of Tea’. Could you tell us what this Ceremony means to you?
Comins: For us the ‘chanoyu’, or the Japanese way of tea is synonymous with hospitality. When visiting Japan and being welcomed by this ceremony it becomes very clear that it is a powerful way of sharing a moment and showing respect both as a host and a guest. Matcha is prepared in this way by tea masters who have practised this art for many years, often decades. This depth of understanding of every element of the ‘ceremony’ is humbling and a privilege to experience. This is also true of other tea ‘ceremonies’ practiced around the world but the Japanese way has a special resonance. The Zen Buddhist term ‘ichigo-ichie’ (one opportunity, one encounter) summarises this perfectly meaning that every meeting in the tea practice should be treasured and treated with the utmost sincerity, as they will never recur.
FP: The bursts of green on the Mizuno Sky Medal and Contender are the perfect resemblance of ‘Matcha’ tea in its powered state, could you share an insight in how to brew the perfect cup of Matcha?
Comins: Ah the beautiful bright vibrancy of Matcha is hard to beat. Matcha has been central to the Japanese chanoyu or ‘the way of tea’ since it began in the twelfth century. This cultural practice today consists of hundreds of carefully choreographed steps according to rituals laid down over many centuries. The most elaborate expression of chanoyu can last for up to 3–4 hours, including a meal and meditation. This is called chaji and is an extremely rare occasion. A much shorter and more widespread version is named chakai and lasts around half an hour. There are many factors to these practices, and to do them justice is beyond the scope of this short blog. Indeed as mentioned above, it takes ten years to master chanoyu to a level where it can be performed in public.
There are two main types of matcha: koicha (thick tea) and usucha (thin tea). During a chaji guests are served koicha and usucha as part of the ritual. Guests at a chakai recieve usucha.
In our teahouses we serve usucha, which we whisk in front of our guests, ensuring we reference chanoyu in its structure and form, as well as its history. We believe this is important for furthering the understanding of this amazing art. Our time spent studying and talking with matcha producers in Japan has allowed us to practise a way of serving that is a balance between the formal practice & a practical way of enjoying matcha as a tea in the home.
You will need: chawan (tea bowl), chasen (tea whisk), chashaku (tea scoop), matcha powder, sifter.
Types of tea: Matcha. Matcha powder can be categorized from low grade to high grade depending on its quality. Usucha can be made with any grade of matcha, whereas koicha requires high-grade matcha to ensure an acceptable level of bitterness and astringency.
Example: superior-grade matcha (usucha).
Method: Before you start, warm the chawan and the chasen with hot water. Discard the water once the chawan is hot and carefully wipe the inside with a cloth.
Sift the measured amount of freshly opened matcha using a fine sieve. For one bowl, 2 chashaku (1 level teaspoon) is required. This ensures there are no lumps, making the final froth smoother. Place the sifted powder in the chawan. Pour around 60ml of water at 70–75°C into the chawan. We use a yuzamashi water cooler to reduce the temperature of nearly boiling water. Using the chasen, whisk the tea in a ‘W’ action until a froth forms. Remove the whisk carefully from the foam, ensuring any larger bubbles are burst. Enjoy your tea.
FP: Thanks so much for letting us come down and visit you today, it’s been a real insight and a pleasure!
Thank you so much for your interest in the world of tea, it was a pleasure to welcome you and your team! We hope your readers feel inspired to explore more!
The Salomon story doesn’t start at Paris fashion week, but is the culmination of engineering, innovation and desire.
Post WWll, A newly liberated world returned to the mountains to ski, François saw an opportunity to adapt his skills in the crafting of saw blades , and started to make ski edges, or carres, which allow skis to turn sharply. But it was his son, Georges, who propelled the business forward. Having studied engineering, Georges’ first big idea was to build a machine to manufacture the ski edges, allowing him and his father to focus on developing ski equipment instead.
Georges came up with two game-changing ideas in the fifties, when skiers still used fixed leather straps as bindings, often resulting in broken bones as legs twisted with jammed skis. The first was a releasable ‘Skade’ binding, which attached to the toe-end of a boot; the second was a system he called ‘Le lift’, which allowed the bindings to release on heavy impact. Initially advertised as ‘Your guardian angel’, it eliminated a very literal pain point. Today’s ski bindings are still made with the same basic design.
By early 70s, Salomon was the world’s number-one binding brand, making 1 million of them a year. It branched into ski boots in 1979, with the forward-flexing SX91 in 1984 considered the most influential ski boot of all time. In the nineties, Salomon began making snowboards, skis, and Alpine hiking shoes, while Georges’ obsession with innovation saw him buy US golf manufacturer TaylorMade, whose founder Gary Adams had designed the world’s first metal driver.
Salomon was just as well known for its shoes, worn by the likes of trail-running champion Kilian Jornet whose fastest-ever ascents of the toughest all-terrain peaks including Everest, Matterhorn and Mont Blanc have brought the sport to wider audiences.
XT what?
Until 2015, the idea of combining ‘fashion’ with the Salomon’ world might have left a sour taste in many alpine mouths. The bright colourways were designed solely for high visibility on extreme hikes and runs.
Soon, Salomon and The Broken Arm were working on a collaboration: the same core design as the Snow-cross, but with a new outer sole and a charismatic colourway. A series of seemingly surprising collaborations have then followed, starting in early 2016 with German menswear designer Boris Bidjan Saberi, known for his use of technical materials, who redesigned the iconic Speed-cross 3 trail-running shoe in all-black and all-white.
With a growing demand for lifestyle-focused shoes, that same year Jean- Philippe Lalonde joined from Veilance, the fashion-forward arm of Canadian outdoor brand Arc’teryx. His brief was to start a new Sportstyle division at Salomon, fusing street style with performance. The Advanced program that Jean-Philippe subsequently created largely kept the core shoe designs the same, but added bold colourways and design features.
EVOLVING THE LOGO
“This new visual identity is a great manifestation of our brand relaunch and true to our brand history and personality. The final design feels so natural and obvious, it is the best result the design team could hope for!”David Farcot – Creative Director for Salomon Snow Sports
The new “S” monogram and the new “Salomon” logo appear on Salomon products starting this Fall/Winter 2022-23 season.
Both were unveiled discretely in the exclusive Blue Fire Collection that launched in January 2022. Salomon aficionados might have noticed the design on Salomon skis and snowboards at the Beijing Winter Olympics.
The internal graphic designers had already worked on the ‘Salomon’ logo blueprint and were actually creating new products while participating in the logo creation with the external teams, so every new logo option was integrated into product design.
Benedek, a Salomon Snowboard team rider for 18 years, today runs a creative consultancy in Munich. He was one of the most well-known riders of his era, bursting onto the snowboard scene in the early 2000s by showcasing a rare combination of style and technical tricks. Benedek’s segment in the 2002 snowboard film Afterbang by Robotfood played a significant role in the progression of snowboard films and the overall culture of the sport.
The new Salomon logo is a subtle tribute to the brand history, but with contemporary updates. To begin the project, Salomon identified what it felt were its strongest heritage markers among several logo iterations from its 75-year history.
The design experience was unique for Benedek due to his connection with Salomon and because he felt he was working with friends.
“It was emotional to connect to a time of my life as a snowboarder that was very important and unique,” he said. “Then, from a design standpoint, there is hardly a brand that I work with that I know so well.”
With a strong subconscious grasp on the core of the brand and what the brand could be and what it can’t be, this helped push toward a logo and font that is authentic to the brand and a good place to look at the future.
The new brand-mark is a manifestation of Salomon’s design ethos, to be superior in function, with a very readable and recognisable sign. To be radical in design, with a very straightforward and simple aesthetic; and to be obsessive in style, with an extreme level of graphic refinement.
With Salomon’s Fall Winter collection now slowly hitting the shelves at Footpatrol, take a look at our latest new in’s here!
Delving into the sneaker community to celebrate the launch of the Nike Air Max 1 ‘Hemp’, we caught up with duo Tasha and Joey, founders of SNKRS ‘N’ HOUSEPLANTS, a community of individuals who are not only obsessive over sneakers but also plants.
Along with Tasha and Joey, we invited down members of the community to attend a terrarium workshop with the folks at London Terrarium for an evening of sneakers and houseplants!
Take a closer look below at the evening as we catch up with Joey and Tasha.
Footpatrol : Joey, Tasha! So good to finally have you both down. How are you?
SNHP: Hey! It’s great to be here. This is a bit of a pinch-me moment, we’ve been followers and fans of Footpatrol for such a long time. We’re great though, been busy but that’s how we like it.
FP: I will be honest with you. I don’t know the SNKRS ‘N’ Houseplants’ origin story and feel we need to share it with the Footpatrol community, so why don’t we start here.
SNHP: It all started during the second lockdown, we both wanted an industry job but we were both being told we didn’t have the experience and we felt that we needed an outlet. Obviously, we were all stuck indoors so you couldn’t wear our sneakers outside, so we thought why not share our love of sneakers by creating our own little platform, our own way into the industry?
Both our homes are filled with houseplants, and we found that there’s a connection between people that collect sneakers and houseplants. As we’re both interested in sustainability as well, we felt that the houseplants side speaks to that while the SNKRS part…well that’s obvious!
FP: Outside of this passion and drive you have for the community. What do you both do on a day to day?
SNHaP: We both work full-time, SNHP is our passion project. Tasha works in partnerships for an ocean impact company and Joey works as a Community Manager at a sneaker company. It’s definitely assisted us with SNHP having an even better understanding of each industry.
FP: It’s been amazing to see the impact you guys are already having in the community. From panel talks and Air Max Day, to supporting small businesses and creatives like, Lauren Fernandes. How important is it to leave this positive imprint?
SNHP: Thank you so much, we’ve had an absolutely incredible year thus far, and we’re incredibly excited to see what’s to come! Having the opportunity to provide others with a platform and support similar to what the community has provided us is a key motive of ours.
We feel that it’s so important to ensure that we help each other succeed. Having the opportunity to hold an event for the community to come and connect is a prime example of this. Community is all about uplifting each other and giving people their flowers where they deserve it!
FP: So outside of what you are already doing with your channel. What is the larger goal that you are both striving towards?
SNHP: We want to continue to grow our platform and create an even bigger, stronger, community of our own. Having the opportunity to bring people together and share a common passion while doing our part to make the planet that little bit greener is what we want to do.
We are currently curating a research project with the aim of hosting an exhibition on why people collect sneakers and their consumption habits. We think it’s important to explore people’s collections no matter how big or small, as it’s all about passion not the number of shoes you own. As interior lovers, we would love to create a homeware collection inspired by SNHP!! It would be great to have our own space where we could curate eco-friendly sneakers, a workshop space and lots of houseplants of course!
FP: Taking a side step from the community. I know you are both big product people and not only that, but also very conscious buyers ensuring nothing goes to waste. Is there a Nike release that you feel has led the charge in making a more conscious effort in sustainability?
SNHP: Definitely, this whole thing ultimately stems from (pardon the pun) our love of sneakers and collecting them. When the Nike Space Hippie collection arrived, it felt that it kickstarted the conversation surrounding sustainability at Nike by debuting Nike Grind. While it wasn’t a super hyped selection, the conversation and gradual innovation it has sparked since are really important.
This year, Nike has been injecting some really intriguing products into the market showing that being eco-friendly definitely doesn’t mean being unattractive. Our favourites thus far have to be the ISPA Link and Terrascape Air Max 90. Additionally, Nike’s 2022 World Cup kits are made of 75% recycled materials which is great!
FP: What are your thoughts on the use of materials like hemp being brought back onto silhouettes like the Air Max 1. Do you think brands should be experimenting with more exciting materials like these?
SNHP: We’re big on materials. The use of Hemp on the Air Max 1, in addition to the Crepe outsole which is also rare for Nike, is really nice. It’s crazy to think it was being used back in 2004 and even now it feels fresh and interesting.
Brands should absolutely be experimenting with more materials. It would be great to see Nike utilise similar materials on other OG silhouettes to encourage consumers to check them out.
A variety of materials, similar to that seen on the Concepts AM1, is always really interesting. Sneakers are wearable art in a way, let’s have fun with them!
FP: Is there a material you would like to see use on a Nike? If so what and what model?
SNHP: It’s all about closing the loop. 100% grape leather would be great! The newest sustainable vegan leather to shake up the fashion industry is grape leather, made with the byproducts of the winemaking process that often go to waste.
The process consumes very little water, and the water that is used can be reused over and over again.
Grape leather is an approach Nike haven’t explored yet, a silhouette like the Air Force1 could be the perfect option!
FP: I got to slip a 2-part corny question in here as its your first time on the Footpatrol socials, top 3 pairs you both own and do you have a go to his and hers pair you wear together?
SNHP: We’re both pretty big Air Max people however we do have varying tastes in what we have in our collections. Nevertheless, the top 3 we both own would have to be (in no particular order): 1. Nike Air Max 1 ‘La Ville Lumiere’ as it was our first campaign, 2. Stüssy Air Max 2013, 3. Patta x Nike Air Max 1.
We tend to wear different pairs, but we still need to get an SNHP Air Max 90 made for Tash that would be the ultimate his and hers sneaker!
FP: Is there a Nike holy grail on the hit list you both are striving to one day add to the arsenal?
SNHP: Joey: The Sean Wotherspoon Air Max 1/97 has been at the top of my list since they came out. My favourite silhouette is the AM97 and corduroy is my favourite material…maybe one day.
Tasha: I’m going with the Nike X OFF-White Rubber Dunk UNC. I love the mixture of detailed styles, such as the visible Air Unit which is often reserved for Air Max as well as combining the Dunk and elements from the Pegasus line. Also, I am a big fan of this deconstructed look and the feature of text and materials used.
FP: That draws everything to a close! Thank you again for spending the time with us and more than anything co-hosting this terrarium workshop for the community. Before we let you go, we like to leave the ending of the interview as an opportunity for you to sign off with any advice or positive anecdotes you would like to share with the community. Is there anything you both would like to share?
SNHP: Thank you so much for having us! It’s been a dream come true and we’re honoured to have been able to bring the community together, here’s to many more!
In terms of advice, we’d say be your true self in everything you do and make sure you do the things you love. If you had said to us 2 years ago, even a year ago, that we’d have met so many amazing people within the sneaker community and made our way into the industry, let alone having the opportunity to provide an experience alongside Footpatrol or being the face of an Air Max campaign, we’d have laughed.
The journey we have been on so far has been incredible and we just want to say thank you to everyone that has, and continues, to support us. The sneaker community can appear to be this huge scary thing but we promise it isn’t. Send that DM, and go to that event!
We can’t wait for what the future holds, see you there! 🪴👟
