Author: Jake Archer
For hardcore Airmax collectors the Powerwall series is full of underrated gems! That’s if you are lucky enough to find them of course!
With such rarity and untold truths behind this infamous series it only seemed right to talk to German based collect and Mr. Powerwall himself, Doel!
Having been collecting the pack for over 10 years he has been able to collect nearly all the pairs within the series making him one of the world’s leading collectors of the Powerwall pack. His passion didn’t stop him there as Doel also was the brain behind the first and one of the only history pieces found on this mythical series!
We spent some time with Doel to talk about his love for the series and also his thoughts on the recent renditions of this Airmax 1 icon!
Footpatrol: Doel welcome! Thanks for working with us on this feature. We are super happy to have you here, how are you?
Doel: Hey guys thanks for having me, I hope you are fine.
I’m doing pretty well so far, despite the tense corona situation. We all have to make the best out of it and stay safe.
FP: Let’s talk shoes! You have got an incredible collection that a lot of Airmax heads would go crazy over, how did you get into collecting sneakers?
Doel: This is a very good question haha. I have always had an unusual taste for shoes, as far as i can remember. I think when I was 12 I started looking out for certain models and specific colors at local stores or on the internet. Just a few years later I went to my first campout.
That made me more and more addicted!!
FP: You’re also known as Mr. Powerwall due to your vast amount of pairs you have collected of Nikes Powerwall series, how many pairs do you think you have?
Doel: Haha yes my friends gave me that name years ago powerwalls (beside lemonades, brs, morning glory) weren’t that popular but I was totally on fire for the whole set.
I have almost 40 of a total of 56 pairs from the Nike Powerwall Pack.
Small sizes are getting harder and harder to find.
FP: There aren’t many others out there that have anywhere near that many! What was it about the Powerwall series that made you want to try and find them all and how long did it take you to find the pairs you have now?
Doel: Yes, despite its ingenious implementation, the set is not necessarily very well known, apart from a few shoes that are among the holy grails of most collectors.
In the beginning I never intended to find them all, but over time and with every new pair I got, my love for this incredible pack grew more and more.
Every single shoe just convinces me from front to back, this love for detail and material mix plus new and old technologies combined on one shoe, plus the story behind each pair.
This is simply crazy and unfortunately nowhere to be found on this scale. Meanwhile it was probably around 11 years that it took me to gather all my pairs!
FP: If you had to pick a Top 3 Powerwalls what would they be and why?
Doel: Oh that is definitely the hardest question, but okay i try:
Nike Air Max 1 “Lemonade”
- it was the second pair I ever owned out of the powerwall pack. That’s the pair that got me addicted. I’ve been absolutely thrilled ever since.
Nike Air Max 90 “Orange Blaze”
- My favorite color is orange! With this heavy color blocking against the black upper and the bright orange midsole, that slightly orange shining laser prints and the excellent mix of materials. I couldn’t help but strike these off the list!
Nike Air Max 93 “Green Bean”
- It’s the ultimate spring shoe in my opinion. This bright, radiant green is simply a hit. Plus all these lovely applications of the details which are usually bright yellow, also reject 3M. Such a beautiful and underrated shoe.
FP: You were also one of the first people to start sharing the Powerwall story with your K’klet article you did sharing the colour breakdowns of each of the packs within the series. Do you think there is enough history surrounding the Powerwall or do you think there should be more for something so big?
Doel: The complete set is full of History!
Just not everyone is so taken with it. I really think most people out there only know the BRS, Lemonade and Morning Glories, as these are very popular, expensive and rare.
It also takes a lot of time, patience and research to collect them or to know about the History because of some half-truths and misunderstandings in some articles/post etc…
There are actually only a handful of collectors who can understand my love and addiction to this pack.
FP: So we asked to speak to you because of the upcoming release of the Nike Airmax 1 ‘Lemonade’. We have already seen the release of the ‘Limeade’ and ‘Strawberry Lemonades’ which is safe to say was hugely popular! What are your thoughts on this pack?
Doel: The Softdrink pack!
Many people expected a 1:1 powerwall retro I think, some are sad, some are on fire. People are 50/50 I think. I really kinda like the new pairs, they’re very much Inspired by the infamous AM1 “Lemonade”, but very different on its own.
The concept of the Limeades is absolutely successful. The dark pine green mudguard and the metallic looking mesh combined with decent yellow accents on the swoosh, the eyelets and the “air” logo on the heel harmonize wonderfully with each other.
As a new eyecatcher the tongue lable and the insoles with fresh lime prints are just right.
All in All, well done!
The only and biggest negative point this time is the choice of materials, because we have all seen some pairs cracking right after the first wear. The 3M cracks even faster than usual.
FP: What about the Lemonade then in particular? They are most definitely one of the nicest colour ways to release on the Airmax 1 this year.
Doel: Lovely! These fresh, bright and tasteful colors are perfect for summer days.
Each pair impresses with small new details, be it the new tongue label or the inner soles with fresh lime/strawberries/lemons on it.
They’re an absolute eye catcher for me is the metallic looking mesh! I love that on them.
So yes an absolute fire pair for sure.
Small drawbacks, however, are again the choice of materials.
FP: If you had to pick 2 pairs from the pack to create a combination like this one what would you pick and why?
Doel: To be honest, I would leave every pair exactly as it is. Each pair has its own speciality, be it the simplicity, the history, the mix of materials, the bright colors or the tiny little details that immediately catch your eye. Each pair is “perfect” in its own way!!
If I could design a shoe then the powerwall pack would surely be a huge inspiration of mine and you would notice the influence the pack has on me, but I would not change anything about the OG’s.
FP: Well Doel – Mr. Powerwall our friend, it has been a pleasure to be able to talk to you about your collection! Good luck with hunting for the rest of the pack. We are looking forward to seeing you complete it someday!
Doel: I would like to thank you for the opportunity to talk about my passion, the nike powerwall pack, and maybe to have brought something closer to one or the other.
Have a good time, stay healthy my friends!
Through out this year, we reached out to the community to learn more about their collections, giving them the tough task of choosing a Top 5. Though some people broke this rule and showed 6, or even came back for a second go, It was really interesting to see such a wide, diverse range of footwear that at the end of the day, suited each person depending on their personal style and their wants and needs when it comes to buying sneakers.
At Footpatrol, we’re no different and now we’re coming to the end of 2020, we thought we’d give you an insight into our current rotations and what we’re wearing at the moment.
Whether it’s old or new, GR or collaborations, bold prints or stripped back colour ways, we are all passionate about sneakers here at Footpatrol so over the next coming weeks, a different member of TEAMFP will share their current rotation of sneakers.
First up is one of our creative photographers, Tom. Take a look below to see what Tom has chosen, why and to see more of his work for us – @aintfussed
Footpatrol: So, let’s kick things off with how/why this selection is your current rotation?
Tom: This series in-particular is made up of pairs that have already been through the wars, or pairs that I dont mind wearing in all types of weather.
Given our climate it really narrows down what I go to wear every morning, then there is the question of if I’m going to be on a demanding shoot all day or not, what can my feet endure?
I’ve chosen pairs like STASH, Patta and the Footpatrol saga as whilst they may be older, they’ve had rigorous wears over the years, which is probably the only thing keeping them together, especially stash, every wear is with an amount of apprehension but i trust in the materials made for the conditions. Patta/Saga are too far gone, we’re waaayyyy past Jason Markk now, they need Jason Miracle.
Whereas, Vivienne Westwood asics and Dunk Community Gardens are both new pairs I don’t mind exposing to the elements as much as I would other pairs in my collection.
FP: Is there something you look for in a release before buying it?
Tom: I guess so, I own some pretty elaborate pairs so i’m always into something a little different from the norm, it’s a bonus if the shoe tells a tale I suppose but honestly, as long as the shoe doesn’t fall apart on my feet then I’m not fussed whos made it / what its made of.
FP: Give us 3 pairs that you think deserve some attention and love within your collection?
Tom: Well, 3 pairs that deserve some attention from ‘ME’ would probably be:
1. Asics x RF GL3 Culture shoq 2.0 – never see daylight unless its bone dry, sunny weather.
2. 0121 Airmax 95 – falling apart, RIP.
3. New Balance 993 x Kawasaki Ninja – even though i own it, i can’t fit into a size 4, so they just gather dust under the bed…
FP: Is there a stand out model within your collection that you keep going back to? What is it and why do you love them so much?
Tom: The shoe that makes up most of my collection is the Gel Lyte lll, I wouldn’t go as far as to say I love it, but it’s just something that agrees with me comfortably and stylistically.
FP: What is it about the GL3, that originally caught your eye?
Tom: Originally it was the split tongue and at the time the striking array of colourways that were available + its a bonus to not look down and see the tongue of your shoe trying to hug your ankle.
FP: Before you run off! Tell us one new trick you learnt during this year’s lockdowns?
Tom: Spinning revolvers on my fingers in red dead.
One thing we saw in 2020 is the 30th anniversary of the iconic ASICS GEL-LYTE III. With this, ASICS has worked hard to bring an array of special editions with collaborations from the likes of Comme des Garcons and Sean Wotherspoon and they even looked back at some OG iterations.
Now deep into Fall ’20, ASICS have one again let someone take the GEL-LYTE III silhouette and make it their own and that someone, has now become a household name within ASICS collaborations of late, Kiko Kostadinov.
A designer that has built his reputation around craftsmanship and unique design, this latest coming together stays true to that with a new unique hybrid. The upper carries across noticeable design language from the GEL-LYTE III with its split toe design and asymmetric toe window however, from here on out, their is a shift in its language. Kiko has called upon some of ASICS most famed technology by including the GLIDERIDE midsole, bringing an instant running shape to the GEL-LYTE III bringing extreme levels of comfort and stability.
Check out the images below for a closer look at this unique take on an iconic silhouette.
Available online, Mens ‘Asphalt/High Rise’ sizes range from UK6 – UK12 and the WMNS ‘Red Bud/Fire Brick’ sizes range from UK4 – UK8. Both are priced at £165. Click here to shop.
One thing we spoke about with the recent launch of the Yeezy Boost 380 ‘Onyx’ was how aside from the unique colour ways like the ‘Zebra’ or ‘Semi Frozen’, a firm fan favourite within the YEEZY franchise is an all black silhouette.
And as if by magic, YEEZY and adidas bring look back to 2018 and reintroduce the YEEZY 500 ‘Utility Black’. What was the third colour way within the 500 series back then, the mixture of an all black suede and mesh upper, coupled with its extreme levels of comfort made this one of the most sought after colour ways of the 500.
Making do without adidas’ BOOST technology, the 500 instead utilises adiPRENE+, providing cushioning and support, the chunky and unique outsole provides traction whilst a rubber band wraps itself around the midsole to add extra support and abrasion resistance.
Who else is happy to see the return of the ‘Utility Black’?
PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ THE BELOW!
To enter the ONLINE raffle (UK only), CLICK HERE!
To enter, you’re required to sign up via the above form, this WON’T be available in-store to sign up on.
To sign up to the Online raffle, you will be prompted to 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 Air Jordan 1, while attentive to its traditional colorways and OG releases, has experimented vastly within this year alone. Releases such as the AJ1 Tie Dye and AJ1 OG High Zoom have taken on a new approach to a classic model. Now nearing the end of 2020, we see another interpretation of a love-hate patent leather material.
First seen on multiple colourways of AJ1’s in 2003, the use of patent leather has been interpreted across the board on the poplular model over the years. Recently, pairs like the ‘ComplexCon Top 3’ and ‘Gold Toe’ have featured shiny leather and have been recent favourites to collectors. In particular, the black and gold release in 2003 had a mid cut aesthetic but now in 2020 Jordan Brand have reverted back to an OG High cut.
Predominantly dressed in a shiny black upper and nylon tongue – differing from the 2003 pair, metallic gold features on the ankle collar, Swoosh and Wings logo. Further gold detailing is seen on the midsole stitching.
PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ THE BELOW!
To enter the ONLINE raffle (UK only), CLICK HERE!
To enter, you’re required to sign up via the above form, this WON’T be available in-store to sign up on.
To sign up to the Online raffle, you will be prompted to 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 Air Jordan IV was revolutionary in its own right when it released in 1989. Designed by Tinker Hatfield, the task of following up the ground-breaking Air Jordan III was no easy feat. However, Tinker did manage to follow that up and successfully too. The Air Jordan IV is seen as one of the all time classic silhouettes, from Michael Jordan’s performances on the court to the shoes becoming a lifestyle staple. Originally released in 4 colourways – including the Fire Red – the AJIV would be the first Air Jordan model to release in a global market as well as featuring in Spike Lee’s ‘Do The Right Thing’ movie in 1989.
The Air Jordan IV ‘Fire Red’ was one of the 4 original colourways, matching the Chicago Bulls kit. It first retried in 2006 with the ‘Mars Blackmon’ edition, a current theme associated with Spike Lee and Jordan Brand. It didn’t retro again until 2012, considering the amount of times its been re-released showcases a sort of rarity with the Fire Red rendition. However in 2020, the beloved Fire Red colourway is slated to release to consumers in its original form which includes the ‘Nike Air’ branding as opposed to the Jumpman logo.
The 2020 release features its signature white leather upper, with black taking up the wings, midsole and heel. Fire Red hits are displayed on the midsole, wing tips, lining, Jumpman logo on the tongue as well as the Nike Air branding on the heel.
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To enter the ADULT ONLINE raffle (UK only), CLICK HERE!
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To enter, you’re required to sign up via the above form, this WON’T be available in-store to sign up on.
To sign up to the Online raffle, you will be prompted to 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 Nike Zoom Kobe 5 was released from 2009-2010. They were designed by Eric Avar and Matt Nurse. Once again coming in low-top, they feature a lower profile than their predecessor, heat bonded overlays, flywire, a perforated tongue, Zoom Air cushioning in the heel and forefoot and sculpted heel counter.
Over the past few years Kobe Bryant‘s signature sneakers have been retroed as part of a ‘Protro’ line, which injects the sneakers with modern performance technology while keeping the OG design intact.
At the end of 2019, we saw the return of the Kobe V ‘Chaos’ in its new Protro aesthetic and now for Holiday 2020, another fan favourite makes a comeback with the Kobe V ‘Bruce Lee’. Originally released in 2010, this release was inspired by Bruce Lee’s bodysuit worn in the iconic film Game of Death.
The Protro version is unchanged aside from updated technology, with the yellow walls and toe caps are interrupted by black panels, completing the tracksuit reference, while bold red claw markings on forefoot pay homage to Lee’s battle wounds from the movie Enter the Dragon.
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To enter the ONLINE raffle (UK only), CLICK HERE!
To enter, you’re required to sign up via the above form, this WON’T be available in-store to sign up on.
To sign up to the Online raffle, you will be prompted to 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!
Within the adidas YEEZY collections, there tends to be a colour way that stands out for one reason or another, whether it’s something more out there and eye catching like the 350 v2 ‘Zebra’ or the ‘Semi Frozen’ or something more stripped back like the ‘Bred’ or the ‘Oreo’ colour way, there is always something for someone. One of these firm favourites are those latter two, an all black colour way.
Now deep into Fall 2020, adidas and YEEZY revisit these fan favourites on their Yeezy Boost 380 silhouette with the ‘Onyx’.
Launching in both a Reflective and Non-Reflective, the ‘Onyx’s upper is comprised of a multi-toned re-engineered Primeknit in a black and muted black colour way adding visual interest against the monofilament window that’s woven into the upper.
Check out the images below and get your entries in for the online raffle!
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To enter the REFLECTIVE ONLINE raffle (UK only), RAFFLE CLOSED!
To enter the NON-REFLECTIVE ONLINE raffle (UK only), CLICK HERE!
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To sign up to the Online raffle, you will be prompted to 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!
First introduced way back in 1982, the Air Force 1 took basketball footwear to the city streets where it has stayed ever since, becoming a mainstay within the world of streetwear, making it an icon.
Having taken on main appearances over this life span, many collaborators have taken on this silhouette, putting their own spin on how they envisage it. Late into 2019, we saw another take when Nike teamed up with K-Pop star and artist G-Dragon for what was dubbed the Air Force 1 ‘Para-noise’.
A year on and we now get a look at his second iteration of the ‘Para-noise’. Much like the first, the upper brings forward his ideas and faith in the world of creation. An upper that has been coated in a layer of white paint that will over time scratch and wear away revealing a painting by G-Dragon himself. This allows the wearer to create their own journey with the shoe, ease crease, each scuff, each movement adds to the appearance of this special Air Force 1 making each unique and individual through wear.
Check out the images below and make sure to get your entries in!
PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ THE BELOW!
To enter the ONLINE raffle (UK only), CLICK HERE!
To enter, you’re required to sign up via the above form, this WON’T be available in-store to sign up on.
To sign up to the Online raffle, you will be prompted to 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!
Producing for many people is one of the hardest skills to be able to pick up when it comes to music. It takes time and a determined mindset to be able to do it, but to be able to produce and create your own music is something Louis Culture has been doing it since the days when you could get simple beat making in software in cereal boxes!
At 22 years old, Louis has been able to build himself a career through his eclectic mix of genre crossing music with his London based collective Elevation Meditation.
Ahead of our collaboration with Puma we sat with Louis just after his Suede Music performance to find out more about his rapidly growing career.
Footpatrol: Louis Culture welcome! Great to have you here, how has life been treating you?
Louis Culture: Aside from the madness presented life has been good – I think coming into the second lockdown I’m more prepared and organised but also equally excited about the new music on the way too.
FP: We brought you down here to of course be a part of our Puma Suede collaboration and be a part of our live music session which went down a treat! How did you feel it went?
LC: It was a nice afternoon still. Was nice to see Tertia and Kadeem too as we’ve known each other for awhile but it’s been a minute since I’ve seen them
FP: Let’s get straight into your backstory, where did this passion and love for music begin?
LC: It’s kind of always been this way. Growing up with Mum playing music , borrowing my cousins CDs too and just soaking in anything and everything I heard and saw.
FP: What about your musical influences, did you have many growing up?
LC: Yeah – I was deffo a sponge to most of my surroundings and have a merge of influences. 2003 as a year musically means a lot.
FP: You’re also a part of musical collective Elevation Meditation with other artists like P-rallel and Lord Apex, how did that come about?
LC: I knew P since we was about 12/13 years old , met Apex at like 16 , P went school with Finn and Finn went school with Xav.
So we’ve very much grown up with each other and gone from sharing food and splitting what we would make on the door at shows to doing brand deals and headlining shit.
FP: Any article I have read about you always talks about your versatility as a rapper. Was this something you always approached this way or did this diverse style happen on its own?
LC: I don’t really like the term rapper to be honest , or at least as a summary of what I do. In the same vein of some of my favourite black artists , I just feel I reflect an existence that is broad , and includes many genres , tones and aesthetics that are both parts of my identity. So that instead of hip hop alone which can at times feel like a ceiling or an assigned outlet for black expression.
FP: We spoke briefly before your performance about how you were into poetry. Where did that love stem from and do you think that helped build your foundations for your career?
LC: Year 5 I think it was . Just practicing that and feeling like I had something to say. As well as being a hip hop head. I’d download instrumentals but was simultaneously learning how to make my own beats.
FP: One of the things I have been listening to over lockdown is your EP Smile Soundsystem which you dropped back in May. How important has it been for you to keep your creativity flowing during these difficult times?
LC: It’s been key. I think this has provided the opportunity to really observe and sharpen my skill set. So having the time to just record on everything and solely focus on that.
FP: Now these difficult times have been one of which many people have been trying to pick up new tips and tricks. For any of those younger/newer creatives making their first tracks at home do you have any advice for them?
LC: I think just don’t give up. You have to push yourself into both a comfortable and uncomfortable space. Of knowing what you’re doing but letting there be an unknowing element whilst challenging yourself.
And also don’t compare yourself, we’re all in our own worlds.
FP: With your collective (once things have resolved themselves in the world) would you guys give back to the community in a way that encourages younger/newer artists to keep practicing their craft?
LC: 100% . Community and belonging means a lot to us individually so that’s deffo on the table.
FP: Louis thank you again for spending some time with us and also being a part of the live performances! Before we let you go is there anything you’d like to say or share with the Frequent Players and Footpatrol listeners/readers?
LC: Stay safe and sound
