Author: Bradley Martinez
When it comes to Mizuno, you can always rely on them for a great base to tell an interesting and intriguing story. This is very much clear with their latest offering, the ‘Street Food’ pack. Consisting of the Contender, GV 87 and City Wind, each looks towards a different type of cuisine thats delicate in its creation and tasty in its finish.
To celebrate the arrival of this latest pack, there was one place that stood out to us and we just had to pay them a visit. Situated in the food market over at the relatively new Coal Drops Yard, you’ll find a curry house called ‘Hiden‘. Not only is it somewhat hidden within its location on a quiet stretch of boutiques but it also delivers on it’s offering, curry.
With foodie details covering the silhouettes in sublet fashion, each pair is dressed in a premium suede thats been combined with mesh for a super luxury feel. For the colour ways, Mizuno have opted for a range of subtle off whites with bursts of colour making them perfect for the upcoming warmer months.
Take a look below at the time we paid them a visit with Mizuno and make sure check out the ‘Street Food’ pack available to shop online here!
CLOT and Nike are no strangers to us now when it comes to sneaker collaborations. Having teamed up numerous times in the past on a whole host of famed Nike silhouettes, the duo now turn their attention to the Air Jordan V in its Low disguise.
Bridging coast to coast, CLOT founder, Edison Chen brings what’s on first glance, a simplistic approach to this latest collaboration however, on deeper inspection there is a lot more going on! Bringing in inspiration taken from Chinese culture throughout, this AJV uses a mix of ‘Anthracite’ and ‘Fire Reds’ as its base whilst a glow-in-the-dark outsole makes sure these catch peoples eyes during both the day and night.
Not forgetting the heritage of the silhouette, sūzhōu mazi numerals are placed on the heel that takes a fresh approach to the iconic Jordan number.
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!
A fan favourite returns…
The YEEZY SLIDE features an injected EVA FOAM for lightweight durability, whilst the soft top layer in the footbed offers immediate step in comfort. The outsole utilises strategically mapped grooves for optimal comfort and traction.
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!
With a multitude of collaborations and inline specials, the Nike Dunks return a few years back met it with unrivalled amounts of fan fare that meant any iteration was a must have. With that hype having not died down and the need and want for the Dunk silhouette still apparent, Nike continue to deliver the goods with new and intriguing inline renditions of the fan favourite.
Often taking influence from those things that surround us, this time they look towards the worlds oceans. Inspired by their movements the ‘Bright Spruce’ leather upper features a textured finish that mimics the oceans waves on a calm day.
Take a closer look below and make sure to get your entries in for the in-store and online draws for your chance to purchase this sure to be summer favourite.
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!
The YEEZY 500 ‘GRANITE’ features an upper composed of full-grain leather and suede overlays that offer a premium finish, soft hand feel, along with a supportive and durable wear. A mesh upper provides lightweight breathability and comfort where it is needed while reflective piping details add unique design cues and visual interest. 25% of the components used to make the upper contain a minimum of 50% recycled content. A rubber wrap along the midsole provides support and abrasion resistance. The ADIPRENE+ cushioning absorbs impact and optimises rebound while a light rubber outsole provides traction.
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!
Ever-evading definition, RADA seeks to continually metamorphose her sound and image. “I often switch up both, as I don’t like being put in a box. I prefer playing a character or inhabiting an idea which gives me freedom to change.” This natural inclination towards shifting identities aligns with her nomadic upbringing, having been born in London but raised in Russia to parents of Russian and British-Jamaican heritage. She describes her music as eclectic, hectic even, but her third chosen adjective of fantastical reveals the overriding narrative of RADA the artist: a self-professed “sad girl-cum-fairy persona on the quest to remain artistically free.”
With singles like ‘Burn One’ and ‘Above It’, and features on Kish! and Safiyyah tracks, RADA has already made a name for herself in the underground scene – the pinnacle of which so far has been a live performance for Boiler Room TV’s series. Her new EP set for release later this year sees RADA establishing a bedrock of sounds to pull from in the future. “The EP is different elements of what I like,” she tells me. “It flows between soft trap, ethereal RnB, a bit more electronic. And there’s a stripped back song with just guitar. I finished all the songs around September and I feel like I’ve already moved on. But it’s a starter of what I want to explore – that was the point of the EP.”
The EP derives from her current inspirations: “I’m listening to more experimental, kind of electronic, kind of trap-y music. And I’m listening back to noughties punk bands, which has been my vibe recently. Stuff like My Bloody Valentine, Deaftones – very TikTok-y type bands.” They’re the kind of bands her mum would have played in the car, she says. Subliminally knowing one or two tracks but more recently diving into their entire discographies.
Our conversation shifts towards RADA’s lyrical interests, confessing that her mainstay theme is love. This body of work, however, is more of an exploration of mental health. “Each song talks about mental health in a certain way. It’s more intimate. I talk about stepping away from things in the past and being reborn. There’s a lyric in one of the songs which goes, ‘when you find me, I’ll be somewhere you can’t blind me’. It’s like a metaphor for that idea of stepping away from dark things in the past.”
I ask RADA if she finds music a consoling medium through which to face and explore her mental state. “I’m definitely a lot more open to it now. Music is the easiest way to talk about certain topics without people knowing what you’re referring to, without being direct and vulnerable. It could just be a literal lyric. The way I do it in this EP is very symbolic.” On the note of symbolism, she tells me that we can expect elements of Russian folklore in her upcoming EP that pay homage to her heritage, and from which she has also drawn song titles.
“London is my home,” she answers to my question about her sense of belonging, as someone who associates with different cultures and places. “I moved around a lot growing up so I don’t feel connected to a certain place. All the elements of each are within me, but London is where I feel the most at home. It’s so diverse that I feel like I can relate to people without actually relating to their backgrounds. It’s an accepting place, not without its issues of course.”
Looking to the future, RADA wants to focus on creating music rather than building a brand, a set identity – an honourable endeavour in an age of artist consumables. “I haven’t had time to focus on my craft, so I’m doing that now. Being part of an underground scene gives me the freedom to work on my sound.” NAYANA IZ, Eartheater, LOLA and Babyxsosa are among the artists she names when asked who her dream sessions would feature.
We’ll be listening to RADA’s latest singles, ‘Pisces <3 Crybaby’ and ‘Tightrope’ on repeat – with the full knowledge that she is in fact a Gemini – whilst waiting for what promises to be an incredible EP.
Editor – @elliefmuir
Photography – @stuartnimmo_
Photography Assistant – @rhysbawilliams
Words – @angelicawska
Styling – @rachel.parisa
Design – @jack___sharples
Production – @pifivy
Since Footpatrol’s birth 20 years ago, we’ve always had a strong connection to the adidas Originals Campus. Since our first collaboration on the Three Stripe silhouette way back in 2007 on a set of three colour ways, we revisited the silhouette again in 2012 to complete a pack of four and who knows where we’ll take our love for the silhouette in the future.
To celebrate the adidas Originals Campus and our 20th anniversary, we invited down Superstar and Campus collector Dave Robertson who brought down some of his favourite pairs including those four Footpatrol pairs.
Take a closer look below at some unique, rare and simply out there pairs!
Footpatrol: Dave before we get into everything, how are you?
Dave Robertson: I’m good, very well in fact, I have recently moved back to the seaside where I’m channelling my inner seagull.
FP: For people that are unfamiliar with who you are and what you do, could you tell us a little about yourself?
DR: What? Unfamiliar? I have over 25 followers on Instagram don’t you know who I am? I’m 46 going on 12, my Internet name is Lurky and that’s because 15 years ago I used to hang around on Internet message boards but was too shy to post and was branded a lurker. I tweaked it and here I am, not the best nickname but I had to roll with it. I’m also not shy anymore.
FP: How did your love for trainers, specifically adidas, come about?
DR: One word, the Internet. I had no idea about the styles and colourways available, they only sold cricket bats and fishing rods in my local sports shop but the more you find out the more you want. It’s a very dangerous place, I’m sure many of your followers will understand. What I will say is, you don’t have to have every pair, it’s a marathon not a sprint.
FP: Tell me a little bit about your Instagram page endorsed by Dave, what was the motivation behind starting this? We can see a lot of custom tongue tabs there.
DR: Endorsed by Dave came about because I wanted to do something different. I had a fairly successful account but it demanded a lot of my time so I decided to do something fun for myself and be more creative, it was time to take a step back and a break from the old routine. I decided to design Stan Smith-esk tongue badges for shoes that would probably never see the light of day. It was a way of learning Photoshop and I found it very therapeutic. It also gave me pride that I could make something unique instead of showing off with my collection. I get the odd request for personal badges but I always ask that they make a small donation to a charity and that’s usually The Dog’s Trust.
FP: Why is the adidas Campus silhouette special to you?
DR: The superstar is my first love and always will be! But the campus, the campus 80’s in particular comes a very close second. I wanted something for my non shell days. The first time I held one in my hands I knew they were something special, it was about the shape, the construction, the smell and quality. 90% of campus are suede and the majority are made in the Vietnam adidas plant to a very high standard.
FP: We love that you have collected so many pairs of adidas Campus’ from all eras over the years, what era of Campus would you say is your personal favourite in terms of shape, quality and releases?
DR: The French-made pairs from the Mid-eighties are spectacular. They came in a black with silver stripes; Argentinian blue and burgundy; black with red stripes and also a light grey and a light green. For me, they are the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be. It’s the same silhouette that Footpatrol used for the original collaboration, there’s some good people behind this eighties reissue.
FP: If you could only wear three pairs of adidas Campus from your collection for the rest of your life, what would they be?
DR: House of Pain from 2008 with its shaggy suede upper, Irish accents and embroidered HOP shield on the tongue, limited to 1000 pairs and released for the US market only, they always get a run out on Saint Patrick’s Day. The simple but effective scarlet Footpatrol is my favourite from the 2007 pack with its very tasteful instep snake stripes and butter suede. The iron greys are great also but crazy hard to come across nowadays.
Olive undefeated/ Bape with a subtle camo hint, super soft suede and stripe free design. Only sold in the adidas flagship shop number 6 and the bape store in the Uk. No doubt they will look great with my pyjama bottoms at the residential care home watching a rerun of Love Joy.
FP: If you could design your own pair, what features would you include?
DR: I have already done it, the pair I’m wearing in the feature, I commissioned with a very good friend. There hadn’t been a campus with a full camouflage upper so we went for duck camouflage fabric and who hunts ducks? The Looney Tunes of Elmer Fudd of course. We featured him and added oily leather lace stays and white heel, tongue and stripes, and some very simple detailing.
FP: To finish off we would like to thank you so much for the interview! Is there anything you would like to share with the Footpatrol friends and family? A message of positivity, whatever you like.
DR: Trainer collecting is fun and it always should be.. As my great grandpa used to say “only buy what you like for retail In your size and wear them”
Thank you so much for having me, it’s been A-blast.
Taking a ride with BXKS
“I’d probably be a Bentley if I was a car,” says BXKS, sitting on a bench surrounded by the retro Porsche and Maserati cars in south London’s ForeverGood. “Because I’ve got a bar that says, ‘Too many thoughts in my head that my forehead looks like the front of a Bentley,’” she laughs.
Through her dexterous wordplay and dulcet rap vocals, Luton rapper BXKS is meticulously developing her own unique take on grime music. From innocently freestyling in her friend’s car, BXKS eventually persuaded herself to experiment in a studio session and embrace her inevitable talent. It wasn’t long until she appeared on a slew of UK rap YouTube channels, and received a promising reception, with praise from the likes of Skepta.
But being seen as an artist who makes grime music is something BXKS has had to work for. Breaking out in 2019 after her ‘Next Up?’ freestyle, she was quickly labelled as a drill rapper. This wasn’t her goal, though – a year-long hiatus from music gave her the space to refine her sound. “It’s not to say that drill isn’t music,” says BXKS. “I just wanted to make music that would make people think ‘This sounds different.’ Like, ‘Packed in!’ sounds like its own thing.”
During her break from music, BXKS began journaling, writing lyrics and laying the groundwork for a successful return. Since then, she’s written through three journals and boasts a weighty discography, including two mixtapes, ‘Full Time Daydreamer’ and ‘Hack the Planet’, in addition to a versatile library of singles and collaborations with artists such as Oscar #Worldpeace and Kish! This work diverts from the past drill label circumscribed to her, as the artist weaves synth-inflected notes with nostalgic jazzy undertones, rapping over melodic soundscapes (‘Work Like’) and gamer-like glitches (‘Must Feel’).
And BXKS’ favourite song she’s written isn’t even out yet. “It’s called Collateral Damage,” she says excitedly. “It’s something very different to everything I’ve put out. It’s where my head is at musically, you can definitely tell I’ve grown up.” And we’re getting it much sooner than we expected: ‘Collateral Damage’ drops on May 11.
Although even now BXKS admits that she struggles to define her sound (“I don’t know…the closest genre for my music is probably grime”), the artist is satisfied that her music sounds ambiguous. She seems nonchalant; as long as it’s different – you can categorise her music however you like.
But behind the ice-cool voice and slick pen-game you hear on her tracks, there is an artist with the energy of a Duracell bunny. When she performs, her infectious stage presence is hypnotic as she bounces from left to right, and this enigmatic personality is no different off stage. BXKS giggles in-between answers and gesticulates with her hands when she’s speaking, sitting wearing a retro track jacket and a pair of black cargoes, not forgetting her signature fisherman style hat.
BXKS’ charm came in handy during her first live show when a technical difficulty arose, which meant she ended up doing a stand-up skit rather than a grime set. “I’m so grateful I’m funny,” laughs the artist, recalling the show. “The mic cut and I had to turn into f*cking Dave Chappelle for like, 30 minutes. And then eventually they got the mic sorted.” Although she doesn’t remember what material she pulled out of the bag on that occasion, her quick wit came out in full force. “All I know is that people were laughing,” she says.
In between doing gigs, interviews, and studio sessions (and commuting to London from where she lives in Northampton), BXKS works a nine to five. Writing down her star-struck encounters and milestones helps her stay on top of her packed-out calendar. And the pages of her journal are getting filled up quickly. “Journaling helps me stay in the moment,” she says. “Yesterday I had a show and now I’m here, it’s almost as if I’ve forgotten what happened yesterday. So, if I write stuff down, it’s like ‘omg that actually happened, I was actually standing next to Mike Skinner yesterday.’”
We take a minute in awe of The Streets’ mastermind before BXKS reveals that Skinner said that her performance was great, “I was like ‘oh sh*t’,” she pauses. “That’s why I’ve got to write stuff down so I can remember it.”
The only time she’s been nervous when performing was when Jorja Smith was in the room, who also told her she was great. And whenever I ask about her inspirations, she has one answer: Skepta. If she was to tour with any artist, it would be Skepta. If she could have someone produce her album, you guessed it, Skepta. I ask if there’s anyone else, and she replies deadpan: “Honestly, no.”
“I’ll think about the other people later.”
Music has been a mainstay in BXKS’ life for as long as she can remember. Her dad was a bass guitarist and engineer in their local church and her mum – a ballerina – had an extensive record collection that would inspire BXKS’ rhythmic versatility and sonic arsenal. Although she doesn’t produce her own music (“I wish I did”), she would concoct beats on an old iMac in her dad’s studio when she was younger. “Day and night, I used to beg ‘can I go on GarageBand’ and I used to make these funky house, Kaytranada type beats,” she says – another testament to her genre warping sound. “I’m sure if I find the time, I’d be able to get back into it [producing].”
While her sound is the product of much consideration, so too is her stage name. “I’m glad you asked me this,” she says decisively like she’s got a point she’s about to make. First using the name ‘Beks’ to put out music in 2018, it was only when she did a collaboration with AB Dollars that she discovered her music was coming up under another artist’s name on streaming platforms.
Like many artists, she mused over how her name would appear visually. She recalls Beyoncé’s 2003 BET performance of ‘Crazy in Love’, where massive, luminous letters spelling out ‘Beyoncé’ filled the stage. “I was watching some old Beyoncé content and she comes down in the middle of the ‘O’. I was imagining my name like ‘Beks’ and thought ‘it doesn’t really look that cool,’ but with the ‘X’ there, it looks cool. I was trying to visualise Beks instead of Beyoncé, but ‘BXKS’ in capitals, now that works,” she nods, grinning.
It was important for BXKS to keep her name, Rebekah. It’s at this point BXKS rolls back the sleeve of the track jacket she’s wearing to reveal her ‘Always be yourself’ tattoo on her left arm. “That’s what I want people to know, to always be yourself.”
Editor – @igweldn
Photography – @rhysbawilliams
Photography Assistant – @stuartnimmo_
Words – @elliefmuir
Styling – @rachel.parisa
Design – @jack___sharples
Production – @pifivy
Images can be purely decorative, but the most powerful ones usually have an idea behind them. And when working commercially, it’s important to be able to tackle client commissions and interpret a brief in your own particular style.
Mark Ward, an acclaimed illustrator, animator and artist who’s been embedded in the UK creative world since Footpatrol’s early days, will give attendees a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the way he works. He’ll cover everything from image concept to graphic techniques, helping attendees unlock their own creative style and potential.
Mark will set a brief for attendees to interpret a slogan from Workshop 1 in graphic form, coaching them as they use their new-found insights to approach the brief and come up with an impactful concept for a t-shirt design.
Having refined their ideas in the workshop, participants will be set a deadline to complete and submit their final design. The best entries will win their creators a place in Workshop 3, where they’ll be taught how to screen print their graphic onto a t-shirt. The brief will also be opened up online so you can create and submit a design even if you can’t attend the workshop in person.
Ultimately, one winning design will be selected from the workshop process to become the next Footpatrol Communi-T release.
To be in with a chance of attending Workshop 2 with us and Mark Ward, you can sign up to attend by CLICKING HERE!
To see more of our re.GENERTAION workshops, click here!
An eclectic Birmingham based fashion start up in 2016, Bene Culture is more than a subcultural fashion brand, it internalises a diverse community that has become a wide part of their inclusive journey and youthful narrative. From a vintage store to a multi-brand retailer, Bene Culture utilises their unique roster of apparel and accessories creating a sense of space and acceptance for marginalised audiences. Focussing on a wide range of designs that are forward thinking, stylistically innovative and a true emblem to their community.
Transforming their physical and digital space into a mecca of budding creatives, has proved the credible way that Bene Culture has connected with its streetwear audience. Hosting over 40 events, from brand pop ups, concerts, exhibitions to listening sessions. Bene Culture is an inaugural fit with Footpatrol due to its vision to do more than sell apparel, becoming a larger part of a society that continues to inspire the masses.
At Footpatrol we have had the pleasure of teaming up with Bene Culture on a space inspired range – one that nods to creatives namely Anna Mills and Stewart Armstrong who have worked with a lengthy catalogue of brands; Blacksmith Store, Axel Arigato, Eytys and many more. To kickstart this exciting collaboration as a true sentiment to our own streetwear community here at Footpatrol, we have created a range of t-shirts, a hoodie and beanie iteration that we think you’ll love.
Our invigorating range of t-shirts come in three lively iterations: ‘Explore’, ‘Celestial’ and ‘Reflections’ all previewed in plush cotton body with space-themed graphic printed on the front and reverse, available in a range of futuristic colour hues (purple, green and pink). The fits are rounded off with a hem stitched detailing.
The FP x Bene Culture Explore hoodie is a stylistic standout, opting for a blacked cotton and recycled polyester mix, adorned with blue spaced-theme lettering on the front, a classic drawstring hood and kangaroo pocket. Plus, the elasticated waistband and cuffs completes this fitted look.
Finalising our range is the beanie, constructed from a plush knitted body embossed with geometric Footpatrol and Bene Culture branding throughout – dressed in a pink hue.
Shop the Beneculture x Footpatrol collection in-store and online here!
To help us celebrate the launch, us and Bene Culture have teamed up with the good people at Keep Hush for an evening of celebrations. Join us on Thursday 28th April from 19:00 at a secret location in Peckham. All you need to do is RSVP here.
