Author: Jake Archer
re.GENERATION – powered by FOOTPATROL is a series of workshops designed to lift the lid on the creative industry and pass on knowledge to the next generation. Aiming to open up access to those who’ve missed out on formal training, the workshops will help attendees form their own creative practice by showing them how to turn ideas into reality.
Led by respected industry figures from the Footpatrol community who’ve done things their own way, and using a mix of personal insights and hands-on experience, the workshops will provide attendees with a toolkit of techniques, contacts and real-world knowledge to kickstart or enhance their creative endeavours.
The workshop series will cover four key areas in the life cycle of a creative campaign, culminating in the launch of a Footpatrol Communi-T t-shirt. Workshop 1 covers copywriting, using the written word to convey an idea on the theme of ‘change’. Workshop 2 will use these ideas to create graphic images, a selection of which will then be screen printed onto t-shirts in Workshop 3. In Workshop 4, creative campaigns will be conceptualised for a shortlist of the best tee designs, with the winning t-shirt and campaign concept ultimately brought to life as the next Footpatrol Communi-T release.
Would-be participants can apply for a place in one workshop each, and must be able to attend a London location on the relevant date(s). Places for each workshop are limited, but printed and digital zines will be available after each event to share the process and insights with anyone who’s unable to attend.
To share your interest in attending workshop 2: Image Making which will be hosted by Mark Ward, please head over to our latest blog piece here and fill in the sign up form.
Though it’s relatively new to the scene having started back in the first lockdown in 2020, Hartcopy was never short of knowledge. Acting as a digital documentation of all things within street culture, Hartcopy became a place where you could enjoy learning new things about the things we all know and love whether that’s special apparel pieces, the oldest (or latest) sneakers or accessories, you always came away having learnt something new.
Now, two years later, Hartcopy are releasing their first physical printed matter with ‘The Hartcopy Journal – Volume 1’ and at Footpatrol, we’re excited to announce we’re the UK’s exclusive stockist. To celebrate, we caught up with creative lead Sam Le Roy to learn more about Hartcopy, how it came about and how they gather the knowledge for all the product.
To be in with the chance of getting your hands on a copy, head over to the Footpatrol Launches App or alternatively, join us in-store on Thursday 14th April between 7PM – 9PM BST where we’ll be joined by Sam for an in-store signing where we’ll also have limited availability of the book to purchase!
Footpatrol: Sam Le Roy, the man behind the copy, how are we doing?
Sam Le Roy: I’m great! Very busy, tonnes going on, but it’s a good problem to have.
FP: Let’s start off nice and easy. Could you give people a little bit of insight into who you are and what you do?
SLR: I’m a sneakerhead first and foremost, a collector, a writer, a content creator, all wrapped into one. I’m the creative lead at Hartcopy, a platform dedicated to shining a light on some of our favourite stories from the sneaker scene and its peripheral subcultures. I’ve got the best job in the world – writing about things I’m already fascinated in.
FP: HartCopy, a page conceived during the Covid pandemic. How did this journey for you all begin?
SLR: Well the journey started with Tim Suen, an amazing bloke from Singapore. Hartcopy is his creation, he really dug out the blueprint from a love of classic Japanese print mags and sneakers. Tim posted the account on a now disbanded Facebook group, and me being an aspiring writer, I sent him a message asking to give him a hand. That was near enough two years ago now, and the two of us really grafted to hollow out a space in the industry, and we’ve picked up a few amazing people on the way that have spend countless hours helping out.
FP: What was the aim with the page itself?
SLR: A few things really. For Tim, he wanted to simply document his collection. Things really developed quickly and we realised that we could do something big – speaking on my behalf, I saw an opportunity to capture some like-minded individuals, build a community and really become a force in the culture. On a more surface level, Hartcopy opened a door for me to escape reality and work in an industry I previously thought was inaccessible.
FP: The diversity HartCopy has in stories, brands and products is so wide that it’s hard not to be drawn into wanting to learn something new. Without giving too much away, where do you source this information from?
SLR: Personally, I get it from all over the place – there’s no one outlet. Old blog posts, instagram posts from collectors, chatting to designers and employees from big companies, the information is really a mish-mash from anywhere I can find it. In terms of inspiration, and figuring out what I need to write about and cover, it’s all about dissecting what’s relevant in the moment and thinking about how I can relate it to products from years ago. Sometimes it comes very easily, sometimes it ends with me in a very frustrated state, shutting the laptop for another night.
FP: Now of course, the book. I have been excited for this since you told me about it last year. How has it been producing your first printed edition?
SLR: The book has been amazing to make. All of the intricacies I have to consider on social media and digital content are blown up tenfold; the stakes are higher, and it’s amazing to think that someone will be able to open The Journal up in years to come, and (hopefully) admire what we did.
On another note, it’s been a massive learning experience for me, one that I’m hugely grateful for. I know so much more now than I did six months ago, and I’m excited to push hartcopy even further with these insights.
FP: Do you see this as an ongoing journey?
SLR: The Journal, and books as a whole, are absolutely an ongoing journey for Hartcopy. Tangible products are so hard to execute, especially so in a world so obsessed with the digital and disposable, but I’m confident we can build something really amazing from the foundations we’ve already got in place.
FP: What do you think is the next step for HartCopy, you are already a global platform. I am intrigued to hear where you look to take things?
SLR: Just like the products we write about ever day, the goal with hartcopy is longevity and timelessness. We’re in it for the long run, which is exactly why we didn’t rush anything putting this stuff out. I know we’ve nailed our goal of documenting culture, and we’ll never abandon this mission, but I really want to start steering the culture little by little. This will come through more books, products, maybe sneakers, all of which will have some brilliant stories attached.
FP: Sam, thank you so much for your time as always. We are really looking forward to the in-store book signing and launch on Thursday. Before we let you go though, we like to give all our interviewees a chance to sign off the interview in any way they wish, whether that’s to get people excited or just a message of positivity. So without further ado Sam, take the stage!
SLR: I’d love to say a big thank you to Tim Suen, who really is the man that made this whole thing happen. Him and I have worked so hard on this, but in reality, without him, Hartcopy wouldn’t exist, and I’d be in a lab doing a very bad job at a Masters Degree in Chemistry. On the same note, everyone else that contributed to the book deserves a big pat on the back and some love. Phil, Joash, Chris, Arthur, you guys really killed it.
Onwards and upwards!
Last week saw the coming together of two streetwear giants, Converse and Carhartt WIP. In what has been a long line of collaborations between the pair since 2017, the duo return with a collection that places a sport that’s rooted within the pair at the heart of it, skateboarding.
To celebrate this latest collaboration, they hosted a special event in the heart of Paris, France. Fittingly, we sent some of the Footpatrol Paris team to check it out and to see the two piece footwear collection being put through its paces.
With skateboarding apparatus set up within the foundations of a derelict Parisian building, select skateboarders had the opportunity to push their limits, show off their ability all whilst highlighting the Fastbreak Pro and One Star Pro.
The Converse x Carhartt collection is now available to shop online at Footpatrol here!
For their latest release dubbed the ‘Fast Pack’, the Nike Air Zoom Alphafly NEXT% is one of those products that does exactly what it says on the tin… Consisting of a number of their top runners, the Alphafly is by far their most elite option.
The recipe is simple, ultra cushion, reactive and of course lightweight. How did they achieve it? Starting at the top, the Atomknit is a new innovation from Nike that’s moved on from the traditional Flyknit and brings a tad more sturdiness to the upper. Underneath continues with the innovations by taking the Air Zoom Vaporfly NEXT% and upping the ante. The stack height is larger with even more ZoomX foam, a carbon plate still sits built within the midsole for that ultra responsiveness whilst not stopping their, Nike call upon their history with Air by incorporating two Air Pods under the forefoot. This all adds up to become a shoe that loves taking on personal bests!
To finish things off, the Alphafly now comes in a burst of Hyper Violet which with its black staggered outsole against the white ZoomX foam, it definitely lives up to its name ‘Fast pack’.
The Nike Air Zoom Alphafly NEXT% ‘Fast Pack’ is now available to shop at Footpatrol here!
Another one of Nike’s silhouettes that first came to light on the courts way back in 1973, the Blazer very quickly became a go to lifestyle choice with its simplicity and easy to wear nature and was a staple within street culture and even skateboarding.
Fast forwarding to 2022 and the Blazer has seen a vast amounts of attention given to it with a host of inline disguises and has often been a go to silhouette for collaborators. For 2022 alone, we’ve seen the likes of sacai and ACRONYM bring their ideas to the table and now, we see Off White.
Often is the way with Virgil Abloh’s collaborations, this Blazer Low takes inspiration from many sources from within Nikes archive that looks at many sports including basketball, skateboarding and trail running that brings with it a ultra playful nature to the collaboration. The most eye-catching of those details is the extended TPU heel piece that’s placed on top of the Blazers midsole which draws inspiration from the Terra Humara’s Classic design.
Not to forget this being an Off White collaboration, you can be sure to find signature detailing such as dual lacing, exposed foam tongue and the punched-out holes that we saw originally covered up on the Air Jordan V.
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 raffle, 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 raffle completion. Those successful will have their raffle 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 raffle is limited to one entry per household! Multiple entries will be cancelled!
As all of us have come to know, 3.26 is a day etched within the sneaker calendar. For this years Air Max Day, we co-hosted a community filled event over at Nike HQ in London. As part of the ‘Give Fresh Air’ campaign, we took part in panel talks as well as watching a live game show that was taking place with teams from around Europe including a very own London team, Amsterdam and Berlin. … A date that is now etched within the sneaker community, of course, it means its Air Max Day!
With a whole host of Air Max’s on feet throughout the event, it was great to see the variation and love for this historic, iconic sneaker whilst also opening up the stage to those within the community to share their voice!
Make sure to scroll down below to see a recap of the days events and we can’t wait for the next one!
A popular collaborator within the Nike line up, Union LA are back once again with Nike to take on the ever popular, Dunk Low.
Eye-catching visually thanks to the reimagined upper, the usual leather upper have been stripped back and in its place they’ve opted for a durable ripstop with a synthetic grid pattern that’s finished in a s mash up of Purple and Yellow that can only make us think of the iconic colours of the Lakers.
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 raffle, 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 raffle completion. Those successful will have their raffle 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 raffle is limited to one entry per household! Multiple entries will be cancelled!
Where to start with our latest Frequent Players guest mix… High energy maybe?
Stepping up to take us on a journey through a variety of genres that’s cemented with a mix of underground club music alongside a playful blend of hard-hitting rap classics that feeds off the energy she brings to her nights out.
Now just in time for the weekend and to celebrate the recent launch of the adidas NMD S1, the London based, Californian born DJ brings her flow to Frequent Players.
Footpatrol: Ludo, it is always great to see you! On this occasion though we are putting all the focus on yourself, so before we get ourselves into everything we always like to start off with a nice and simple, how are you?
Ludo: I am wonderful. The sun is shining and I’m feeling mad grateful for the things that are happening in my little ecosystem. With all the chaos that comes with being alive in 2022, I’m trying to practice gratitude and recognise how lucky I am.
FP: Kicking things off then, could we get a bit of insight into who you are and what you do?
Ludo: I am many things, like a lot of people in the music industry. Initially this mix was caused by not fully knowing what my main interest was, combined with the need to have multiple streams of income to get by. I am an artist manager, record label honcho, music marketing consultant for labels and brands, radio and club DJ, host and presenter. These days I’m focusing especially on repping the Keep Hush crew by day and club DJing by night.
FP: Anyone that has seen you host on the Keep Hush channels and also in your sets know you bring the happiest energy that rubs off effortlessly with the crowd. How did you get yourself into DJing?
Ludo: I always try stuff out on a whim. I see things or activities that I find cool, interesting, challenging or edgy and i’m like – let me see if I suck at this or not lol. And that ranges from painting, different sports, skating, languages, music production, at one point I was even writing bars (no I will not share them with anyone lol). More recently I started going to comedy school just to train my brain to think in a different way. So the same thing was for DJing, I wanted to see if it was something my brain could work with. I also particularly love picking up activities which I predominantly saw guys doing – it made the challenge even more interesting.
FP: What was it like coming up as a young, female DJ within the industry?
Ludo: With all the challenges and bias I faced, I still was and am privileged to be a white woman in an industry full of racism. Having said that, at the beginning of my career I was getting loads of token bookings to be ‘the girl on the lineup’. I also had promoters assume or publicly state I was queer because of my work with the label I used to run, all so that they could tick multiple boxes in one booking – mental. These days it feels like things are changing, promoters seem to actually care about change (or maybe i’m in an echo chamber?). We’re lucky to be blessed with so many amazing selectors in the scene who are non-male and single-handedly pushing sounds forward. Look at Mixtress, Manuka Honey, KG, Nia Archives, DJ Priya, Giulia Tess, Chloé Robinson, Sherelle, I could actually go on forever.
FP: We know you do a lot for upcoming artists and DJs, why is this so important to you?
Ludo: I think sometimes humans can be inherently flawed by greed, having this instinct to accumulate resources when by sharing them, there is more to gain for everyone involved. This is why it’s so important to open doors and share opportunities, resources, contacts, knowledge, education – because it pushes us forward as a community and individuals both.
FP: Could you tell us some of the ways you have been able to do this over the years?
Ludo: The whole reason why I wanted to run a label was to push forward thinking sounds & talent and I was lucky enough to work with incredible artists at earlier stages of their career such as Ariel Zetina, India Jordan, Ehua, LCY, Anz, Badsista and more. It was and still is important to me to showcase someone’s art by using any of my tools or experience repurposed for someone else. It’s all circular. What I learned or physically own can help progress another person.
Same thing at Keep Hush, our motto is ‘back the underground’ – meaning every initiative we do has to spotlight artists and create value for them.
Finally with DJing, my radio show is very much focused on talent I am a fan of, at whatever stage they might be. And whenever I speak to promoters for my own bookings, I have the habito of sending over lists of DJs who should be on their radar. And it’s usually very well received.
FP: One thing we love about you is the amount of work you do behind the scenes to help upcoming talent make their way into the industry. What made you want to do this?
Ludo: It’s the future of culture and the future of our planet. A stagnating culture is saturated, bored, tired and bitter. I don’t want that.
FP: Is there any advice you would give to the next generation of DJs/artists to help make their first steps?
Ludo: Treating everyone with kindness and having zero snobbery, such a vanilla answer but I think what’s helped me in my career – and also made me thoroughly enjoy it – has been creating meaningful connections with staff at any level and at any stage of the music business. Example – whenever I play a gig I make sure I introduce myself to anyone that’s at the venue – from bar staff to gaffers. Sound engineers to runners to security to promoters, everyone has a story to tell, and often they’ll let the booker / promoter know how great it was working with you. But if someone is a dick by all means let them know or ring me up, i’ll come and slap them up.
FP: It’s a pleasure to be interviewing a Saint such as yourself! But before we let you go, we like to allow our interviewees the chance to sign off the interview in any way they please. So without further ado, Ludo is there anything you would like to share?
Ludo: Real Gs move in silence like lasagna, but also IG is life, so check out all these talented individuals:
@d.lish_, @emmakorantema, @myamehmi_, @taliaadarling_, @freshta, @helenastardj, @deejaypri, @gaia_ia and @jjess.mp3
To truly capture MJ’s history within the world of basketball, you have to look at his strength and desire to always be the best. In the efforts to capture these qualities in their latest Jordan silhouette, the brand look towards the ultra clean Air Jordan III.
Among one of the most iconic models within the Air Jordan signature line, the Air Jordan III for many makes a case for being one of the most desirable. First released way back in 1988, it became a shoe remembered by most for MJ wearing the AJIII in his 2nd Slam Dunk contest win from the 3-throw line, becoming synonymous to the basketball icon.
Fast forward however to the present day and the Air Jordan III has faced many many iterations and collaborations which has only further cemented its status. For this latest take however, they lean more towards the strength and durability of MJ’s career with the use of a subtle cream heavy duty canvas upper with a contrasting cement grey upper. Take a closer look at the ‘Muslin’ below and make sure to get your entries in for your chance to purchase!
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 raffle, 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 raffle completion. Those successful will have their raffle 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 raffle is limited to one entry per household! Multiple entries will be cancelled!
3.26… A date that is now etched within the sneaker community, of course, it means its Air Max Day!
Each year that passes, it seems that the Air Max franchise grows from strength to strength. Whether that’s Nike looking back at the history of certain silhouettes, revisiting famed colour ways or exploring new and exciting ways of utilising Air like when they launched the ultra-futuristic Air Vapormax.
To celebrate this year’s Air Max Day, not only are we celebrating by co-hosting the Give Fresh Air: The Game Show, but we also caught up with four individuals within the sneaker scene that live and breathe Air. Whilst catching up with each person, we challenged them with bringing down their favourite Air Max within their collection…
Take a closer look at each person’s pick below… who are you siding with?
Ikechi Amaechi / @kech_kicks
From her eclectic partnership with Sheaker Mag to creating Black Sneaker Chic – a platform that is dedicated to the evolving sneaker savvy female audience, Ikechi Amaechi’s enthusiasm and passion for the sneaker culture never fails to impress. A highly coveted favourite for Ikechi is certainly the Air Max 98’s ‘Gundam’ iteration – it’s bold, colourful and invigorating, mirroring a true reflection of Ikechi’s personality.
Skreech / @papaskreech1
Sneaker enthusiast and founder of ‘Mini Kicks’, Skreech has always found ways to integrate his love for sneaker culture into a wider community. A doting Arsenal fan, Skreech’s must-have pair is the Air Max 1, securing 5 pairs of the iconic silhouette. With a standalone favourite being the ‘Varsity Red’ OG – representing his devotion to the Gunners.
Sam Le Roy / @lleumass
The man behind the ingenious Hart Copy, Sam Le Roy love for sneakers has continued to inspire the masses with his social writing platform. With the Jeff Staple Air Max 90 ‘Navigation Pack’ being his treasured favourite, with its block-by-block map of NYC. The 2004 gem was the first pack Nike ever dropped on a wider commercial release with laser etching.
Jules / @crown_juelzz
South London born photographer and co-founder of Sneaker Sisterhood, Jules is a certified gem in the sneaker industry. Representing status and her inner-city London identity Jules would say that her favourite of Air Max is certainly the Air Max 95 ‘Neon’ colourway – a staple pair within the UK and arguably too good to be worn.
