Author: Bradley Martinez
2020 has already been a standout year for sneakers collaborations. From Dior’s luxury take on the AJ1, to the weird and wonderful dunks thanks to Ben & Jerry’s (and Grateful Dead Dunks) through to the Off-White Sail/Muslin Jordan 4 which has become one of the most covetable sneakers of the year so far.
As we enter mid-October, there shows no sign of releases stopping anytime soon. Brands like New Balance have been upping the anti this Fall with a number of high profile collabs with Aime Leon Dore and Salehe Bembury, while Converse has too been pushing out some interesting takes on classic Chuck Taylor thanks to designers like Samuel Ross of ACW* and now Chinese designer @fengchenwang who is set to release her much hyped 2-in-1 All Star.
The sneakers which feature a deconstructed and layered aesthetic, debuted during her SS19 “My Half” collection which showed during both NYFW and Shanghai. Speaking on the concept with Dazed, Wang explained “I always look to the human form when designing a collection,” she’s says on her primary inspirations: bodies. Wang specifically looked to the idea of “the other half” that might complete a person and the idea of exploring human connections and emotions.
The London-based designer has built her reputation on experimenting with silhouettes: draping, deconstruction and working fabrics into new shapes that offer a new take on tried-and-tested menswear staples. The same design codes are applied to this converse collaboration. “We designed our own deconstructed iteration of the classic converse Chuck Taylor with our signature double-sole layering and wrapped outer layer on the back heel. Each pair were hand made and hand sewn for the show” Wang explained via IG.
Some slight adjustments have been made from the original runway samples: the lacing system on the heel is streamlined to simple loopholes with the addition on Feng Chen Wang branding. As it stands, the pastel colourways are sadly just for the show but the new designs do feature the same wrap detailing. for the tooling. Select stores are now offering raffles for the white/black and orange/canvas colourways expected in the first drop.
Launching in-store and online on Tuesday 20th October, sizes range from UK4 – UK12, priced at £140.
In the build up to the launch of our latest collaboration with both Karhu and SSSU, we sit down with SSSU’s founder, Sasu Kauppi to learn more about his journey and his thought processes behind this latest collaboration.
A Central Saint Martins graduate, Sasu quickly became intrigued by the world of sportswear and its place within high end fashion and has since gone on to dedicated his SSSU label to this, producing garments to last through all seasons.
One thing we also felt we had in common with Sasu at Footpatrol was our love for music. This is something Sasu remembers growing up and pays just as much importance in his life than fashion. Having always flirted with this scene, producing music and DJing throughout his life, this has led to him working with some of the biggest names within the music and fashion industry… one big name in particular!
Check out the interview below and make sure to keep your eyes peeled for this latest collaboration launching on Saturday 17th October.
Footpatrol: Sasu welcome to Footpatrol! Before we get into it how are you, have you been busy?
Sasu Kauppi: Hi! I’m great, thanks. I’m excited about what’s to come. It’s actually been a quiet year when it comes to my design work, but finally some stuff will be out soon, this project obviously included!
FP: It’s been so good to be able to work with you on this collaboration with KARHU but before we get into it in more depth, where did your inspiration to want to go into fashion design come from?
SK: Good question. I was looking for the most mobile physical medium to present my creative work through. That’s how I ended up designing clothes. You see, they’re as mobile as it gets, they travel everywhere you go. Static galleries are nice, but most of the time not for me.
FP: Being a Finnish designer, having studied at Central Saint Martins and working with some of the biggest names in the industry you have been able to see fashion evolve in many different ways. How do you think the industry has progressed since you graduated?
SK: I feel fashion itself has almost come full circle since i went to Uni. The industry though is changing a lot, not least because of the current situation in the world. The direction, I feel, is right, but there’s still a long way to go.
As the most important change I see the companies’ will to focus on good design and not only sales and volumes. Wasting less on surplus and designing more for an individual customer. Smaller quantities of better products and not merely seasonal collections. I find seasons sort of an old-fashioned (pun intended) way of thinking. I want to create pieces that can be worn until worn out, not needing to care if they belong to a specific season or a trend in time.
FP: In your work we know you have Finland as your many source of inspiration. How has the country inspired you over the years when it comes to your designs?
SK: I often try to look for inspiration somewhere not obvious. Finnish culture is great for that since we’re not generally known as a fashion forward country, though there are a lot of talented creatives working and studying here.
I’ve used our culture as an inspiration in many different ways, from actual garments or photography refs to subtle or less subtle statements or for example a colourway for a collection. My first commercial collection that was sold in Japan (AW12) was inspired by ice hockey uniforms and fans’ costumes. Hockey has been the biggest sport in Finland since at least the 90s I think.
Finland is the most important country for me and even though I live elsewhere occasionally I tend to return here. Maybe there’s something about the darkness and cold winters that drives the creativity.
FP: Are we right in saying also that you produce music too?
SK: Yes, that is correct.
FP: Which came first fashion design, or producing?
SK: I started making music back in around 1995 or 1996. First by playing a guitar but later with the help of some computer tracker softwares. Early 2000s I was DJing and making a lot of electronic music, but since around 2004 when I studied fashion I didn’t have time for it until almost 10 years later.
I might be known as a designer, but music’s always been super important for me, ever since I was a kid.
FP: What drew you to want to go into music production in the first place and do you still do it now?
SK: I think it comes from my upbringing. Both my parents are musically talented, so it was always sort of a natural thing for me to be interested in making music.
Recent years I’ve been working on a lot of hardware synth/sampler driven music (still to be released). My background is actually in UK bass sound, jungle and drum and bass (which I DJed also), but nowadays I produce sort of a mixture of everything from ambient to techno to electro to pop. Actually, I hate genres and categorizing…I’m currently working on a producer album which would include various rappers and vocalists on different tracks.
Sometimes I make music just to relax and concentrate on something, along with my hobbies bicycle building, cooking and gardening.
FP: Besides your influence in fashion and music tell us about your shoe collection, would you consider yourself much of a sneaker head?
SK: Sure, I guess someone could call me a sneaker head. Never actually counted how many pairs I own, but they sure are hogging a lot of room around the house.
I tend to go for the very special drops rather than buying the classics in all colourways. I do own some collab styles from higher end brands like Raf, Rick and Yohji, but also classic stuff from most of your essentials sneaker brands.
Most of the shoes I own, I actually wear. There’s only a few pairs in boxes at home. Nowadays I tend to buy more sneakers for my daughter, actually, than for myself, ha.
FP: We’ve really enjoyed working with you on this KARHU project, how was it working with the team in the design process?
SK: Glad to hear. It was interesting to work with two different kinds of brands and learn about/from their process.
Obviously a three way collab sets more challenges with scheduling, logistics and correspondence not to mention design decisions, compared to a two way collab, but I think we pulled it off pretty well!
FP: Could you tell us a bit about the story behind the colour way and design of both the shoe and tracksuit?
SK: I was asked to work on the specific Legacy model, which I thought was good, since I like to have some boundaries when designing. I was trying to look for quite odd placements and colour/texture blocking, but still to retain a commercial approach. I wanted to add some logos on the shoe in sort of a “merch product” layout.
I would say the colourway of the shoe, at the end, was a collaborative decision between myself, Karhu and Footpatrol. My initial sketches were quite a bit more colourful, but we ended up using earthier tones, which also translate differently in each different surface texture.
The colours on the sweatpant and sweatshirt obviously borrow from the colourway of the shoe, also being heavily inspired by my original SSSU triple panelled pieces. We kept the branding and added Footpatrol and Karhu logos on the tape and also did this chenille/embroidered graphics on the front of the sweatshirt.
FP: Your logo is also featured on the vamp of the shoe alongside the Karhu branding as well as the heel, where did the logo come from, is it something you have always carried?
SK: Prior to year 2015, when I was still working on my SASU KAUPPI brand, before merging it with my newer brand SSSU, I had this SASU KAUPPI logo that was made out of basic geometrical shapes like circles, triangles and rectangles. I think it was designed around 2011, when I started.
I just took the letters S and U from the logo, and made the SSSU logo out of that. Came out fun. And, yes I design all the prints and graphics myself.
FP: The tracksuit drew inspiration from one of your original designs, could you walk us through the aesthetic of it and why it was put together in that way?
SK: It’s based on my classic fit of garments that I’ve been using for several years on my own collections and also some other work. A little oversized, sort of a 90s fit.
The idea for the panelling came from an old photo of a sweatshirt. And then I just added the chenille letters and embroidery. Nothing more special about that.
On different versions of the original design the branded tape twists around the leg or sleeve and creates almost sort of a spiral. For this project I wanted to go with something a little more commercial.
FP: Sasu honestly it’s been great to have worked with you on this collaboration, before we leave you though is there anything at all you want to share with the Footpatrol family?
SK: Thank you guys a lot, for trusting in me with this one! Thanks!
Michael Jordan’s NBA career is laden with accolades, from MVP awards to championships. And while they’ve all been brought to sneaker form via the Air Jordan line, these tangible achievements have been accompanied by #23’s jaw-dropping, record-breaking performances. The women’s Jordan 1 OG High “Lucky Green” revisits one such example: a 63-point game against the Boston Celtics in 1986.
The upper features soft tumbled leather combined with Lucky Green and White, along with a matte finish. The Swoosh is displayed in a black patent leather with hits of red on the Wings logo and tongue tab whilst sitting on top of a Sail midsole. The raw construction of unstitched eyelets nod to the idea of “progress, not perfection,” a fitting sentiment given that the Chicago Bulls lost despite Jordan’s post-season scoring record. Further personal detailing feature a parquet floor-inspired insole reminiscent of the old Boston court.
To enter the ONLINE raffle, RAFFLE CLOSED!
To enter the INFANTS ONLINE raffle, RAFFLE CLOSED!
To enter the LONDON IN-STORE raffle, RAFFLE CLOSED!
To enter the PARIS IN-STORE raffle, RAFFLE CLOSED!
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. 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 within 3-5 working days. The raffle is limited to one entry per household! Multiple entries will be cancelled!
In-store winners will be contacted via email informing them of their win and pick up dates. Due to current government laws surrounding Covid-19, the store is working on an appointment only basis. You will need to contact the store to make an appointment for a time during the stated pick up dates.
After the successful 2016 Fusion 2.0 collaboration with Karhu, we team up once again with our focus towards the Legacy 96.
Footpatrol’s Creative Brand Lead Asheeba Charles was keen to tap into Helsinki’s Fashion & Streetwear scene and wanted to work alongside a Finnish designer on a three-way apparel & footwear collaboration.
Finnish designer Sasu Kauppi a Central Saint Martin’s graduate was called upon and embraced the project immediately. Before launching his own unisex streetwear brand SSSU, Kauppi was design director and head of menswear design at YEEZY fashion line.
During the footwear design stages, after input from both Footpatrol & KARHU, the final design was reached through a process of elimination, resulting in a premium offering.
Presented in a Paloma Grey & White colourway, the KARHU x Footpatrol x SSSU Legacy 96 takes advantage in using premium materials throughout. Long nap suede material is used across the entire toe-box area with reflective detail overlays atop. Pig skin suede is used on the toe cap and heel.
A combination of three meshes are seen throughout – the open mesh underlay on the medial and lateral panels, shiny ribbed mesh used on the tongue and collar, and diamond mesh lining. The custom lockup logo features in embroidered form on the long nap toe-box and on the woven tongue label.
Textured and smooth leather overlays complete the shoe with each partner’s brand logo embroidered & printed on the heel. The shoes come with a spare set of bright white laces.
Accompanying the footwear, based off the original triple panelled SSSU tracksuit, the KARHU X Footpatrol X SSSU version maintains the same relaxed 90s style fit. The sweatshirt is made up of varying shades of mid-heavy French Terry material with a ribbed neck collar/cuff/waist, and branded taping on the sides. The taping featuring all three brand logos has been simplified to meet a more commercial approach. Chenille KARHU branding is added to the sweatshirt with Footpatrol and SSSU text embroidered in-between & below the KARHU letters.
The triple panelled sweatpant features an elasticated waistband and cuff, with two side pockets.
The Karhu x Footpatrol x SSSU ‘Legacy 96’ & Tracksuit will be launching in-store and online on Saturday 17th October (Available online from 08:00AM BST), sizes will range from UK6 – UK12, priced at £125. The Tracksuit will be available in sizes S – XXl, priced at £115.
Official Stockist List
EUROPE
Shoez Gallery – Lyon, France
Milk Store – Nantes, France
Patta – Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Woei – Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Avenue – Antwerp, Belgium
Patta – Milan, Italy
Sneakers76 – Taranto, Italy
Karhu Pop-up Store – Verona, Italy
Storm – Copenhagen, Denmark
Hunting Lodge – Oslo, Norway
Sneakersnstuff – Stockholm, Sweden
Sneakersnstuff – Berlin, Germany
Afew Store – Düsseldorf, Germany
Suppa – Stuttgart, Germany
Asphaltgoldt – Darmstadt, Germany
43einhalb – Frankfurt, Germany
Allike – Hamburg, Germany
Titolo – Zürich, Switzerland
Footshop – Prague, Czech Republic
Foot District – Madrid, Spain
Noirfonce – Madrid, Spain
Beamhill – Helsinki, Finland
Beyond – Helsinki, Finland
Karhu Concept Store – Helsinki, Finland
USA
Bodega – Boston, MA
Concepts – Boston, MA
Concepts – New York, NY
Extra Butter – New York, NY
Sneakersnstuff – New York, NY
Sneakersnstuff – Los Angeles, CA
Bodega – Los Angeles, CA
Blends – Los Angeles, CA
Proper – Long Beach, CA
Proper – Houston, TX
Likelihood – Seattle, WA
Social Status – Charlotte, NC
Shoe Gallery – Miami, FL
OCEANIA
Above The Clouds – Sydney, Australia
Good As Gold – Wellington, New Zealand
JAPAN
Billy’s – Tokyo
Sneakersnstuff – Tokyo
Picking back up our discussions series, we sit down with fellow Soho resident and artist, Robi Walters to get a little more understanding on his journey manoeuvring the art world and becoming the Artist in Resident at Aston Martin.
A long time Footpatrol friend, Robi, with his own studio and gallery within the heart of Soho, we wanted to also take a moment to look away from the year that has been 2020 and discuss with Robi the importance of spreading positivity and the reassurance with everyone around you.
Take a read below and have a look at some one off T-shirts Robi made for us at Footpatrol!
Footpatrol: Robi welcome, It’s a pleasure to have you here. Just as a quick introduction could you start off with sharing a bit about yourself to the Footpatrol readers?
Robi: Firstly thank you Footpatrol for working with me on this project, I’ve known you for a good few years now and a real pleasure to create together. I am a London born artist who has a gallery and studio in Soho. I represent myself and don’t know anyone else doing this in the west end.
FP: Your work has an extremely recogniseable look and aesthetic which instantly makes you think of you when you see it. Where did this love and passion for art come from, has it always been something you were always interested in growing up or did it develop overtime?
Robi: My love and passion for art has always been there but has also grown over time. As a young boy I always loved to create things and as a teenager I got more into graffiti. My current style and body of work has developed over the last 12 or so years. I think it’s difficult to pinpoint when inspiration starts. It’s now an obsession.
FP: Now it is essential we ask about your experiences within the footwear scene as you have seen it grow. I read that you were heavily into your hip-hop and graffiti, did either of these influence your footwear at the time?
Robi: I was really into footwear in my late teen and early twenties. There was a sneaker store in Kingston called Cobra, that was the spot! I even remembered the smell. A real moment for me was when I first went to New York by myself in September 1995. I was working with a friend Ebon on Def Jam records, Source magazine and a clothes label called 555 Soul. These were the early days of Stussy and Supreme. I bought a pair of Nike 95 the week they came out. This is when the internet was just beginning so forget social media or knowing what was happening in any city let alone country. When I brought them back to London no one had seen anything like them as they didn’t come out for months later.
FP: You are also the artist in residence for Aston Martin which must feel amazing! How did this partnership come together?
Robi: I bumped into a dear friend Mark Faulconbridge in a hotel in Mayfair – he is a global ambassador for Aston Martin. Mark invited me to the factory and to meet the senior executive Aston Martin team. We plotted from there and started to work together. I love the brand, car and what they stand for so much. It’s automotive art and it’s made right here in the U.K..
FP: Have you had the chance to work on any other exciting projects since working with them?
Robi: I continually work within a friend and chef Tom Kerridge creating art for his restaurants. Tom introduced me to Formula One. I made artwork to show with them at their Grand Prix’s, then Covid kicked in so that’s on pause.
FP: How important is it to you to be able to spread a message of positivity and reassurance to those who have been struggling with their own battles?
Robi: This is a very important subject to me. I’ve personally been through some very tough times, especially in my childhood. I’m still learning, making mistakes and self correcting. For me most of this comes down to the mind. How you think is the most important. The quality of thought can be trained but you have to do the work. Eliminate distractions and ask yourself what do you want in a no excuse world. I am currently working on my most ambitious artwork to date. If I stop and think about it it’s terrifying but I have to go beyond my mind’s fear (false evidence appearing real) and keep taking action. I believe we all have something very special inside us – it’s time to wake up and access it and show the world.
FP: Do you have anything you would want to say to anyone who may be stuck facing these battles and isn’t sure where to go?
Robi: This question may have many answers, a good place to start is with a book that has helped me so much called Psycho Cybernetics. Which means, ‘Steering your mind to a productive, useful goal’. This is a book about the self image and how to use one’s own mind. I listened to the audiobook on Youtube.
FP: You even have a well being podcast also, how has that been received have many people reached out to through it?
Robi: I have a series called “Wha Ya Chatta Bout”. So far I’ve recorded 5 podcasts Tom Kerridge, Mo Gilligan, Jake Panayiotou, Dj Spoony and Rob Rinder. I still have a few more to record and then will be releasing them in December. I’m also creating short animations for each podcast and something which I am very excited about. There will be a sneaker episode in the first season.
FP: What was the main goal you wanted to create through the podcast?
Robi: The Podcast is really to reach out to different people in different fields of work and really share about their life and whatever comes up. It’s really about the art of converstaion.
FP: Thank you for joining us today, look forward to working together going forward! Is there any last words you would like to give to the readers?
Robi: Its really important to find your own voice and work on it and share it. My message is simple meditation, transformation, love and light. We’re here to find our way home.The name of the body of work I based the t-shirt design is from a Joni Mitchell song:“we are stardustwe are goldenand we’ve got to get ourselvesback to the garden”
Ten years on from its debut, we welcome back one of New Balance’s famed runners, the 2002. With this welcome return of their iconic 1000’s series, the 2002R returns with slight updates to its technology whilst keeping those all important original colour grey and black colourways.
We welcome London creatives Frenzy and Kodj to the Frequent Players channel to tell us about their story!
Born and bred in London Frenzy has built his name up for being a conscious rapper that not only cares for his music but also his community putting together sessions for young artists to make their mark with their own sounds.
Like Frenzy, Kodj’s creativity is a free flowing form that has helped him shape his career behind the scenes making sure that message is shared to all the listeners.
Having worked together for many years now, they have been able to work together to create some powerful moments of which London locals can relate to. We sat down with them to find out more on their career as well as talk about the launch of the upcoming New Balance 2002R.
Footpatrol: Guys welcome to the Frequent Players Meets series! It’s great to have you here, how have you both been?
Frenzy: Ive been great man, giving thanks daily, self affirming myself that things are great, staying inspired by my environment, friends, family, and trying to live a New balanced (Pun intended) lifestyle, Although this balanced lifestyle is about 2 years old now lol.
Kodj: Yo! Thanks for having us, I’ve been well man, healthy, aligned – Just had my bday so you know, keeping a nice and balanced Libra spirit.
FP: Let start from the top and begin with both your stories, how did you guys find yourselves in such creative careers?
F: Mine starts from instrumentals on loop from a Sony Ericsson W810i and 8 punchline bars in the boys changing room in Hackney Free (now Urswick Academy) that got a reload selecta lol. It then transpired into a popular grime crew called ‘SOS’ or ‘SOStreet’ ‘from secondary to college almost like One Direction but just with grime and in the ends. After being torn between high level football, education and music I then took a break during college through all that adolescent confusion and returned to music in University with a crazy mixtape ‘Kareem Mclean’. Since then I have never looked back 6 projects deep with my brother Kodj guiding me all the way and now we arrive at my latest EP ‘Council Estate’ which is being received very well. Overall i think God gave me this ability to be outspoken and articulate and it seems to really do well with some story telling over amazing production.
K: damnn, I’ve been slyly on this creative journey forever it feels like, I began exploring design since the tail end of primary school, msn displays then eventually on to myspace all the y2k layouts and that. Music has been heavily enforced through my Mum and older brothers. It’s been my vehicle really in navigating my way to this point, I started music blogging back in 010 and prior to that had been doing odd mix cd covers and enjoyed being around the likes of S.O.S and other super talented peers in Hackney back in the day, taking pics, getting creative and stuff like that. I’d say that period really put the battery in my back to pursue music and A&R’ing in particular. Studying music business and crossing paths with some real life legends has allowed me to now use my vast experiences together with design & UX to collaborate with start-ups and individuals from fashion, music, film, games, comedy – any and everything. Low-key I’m just finding ways to stay a kid for as long as possible.
FP: Besides your guys careers, we have brought you guys down for the launch of the New Balance 2002R. What do you guys think of them?
F: 2002R’s trainers are cold! Personally me and kodj come from a trainer/runner community so its right up our street, this shoe seems to me like a hybrid where fashion/running have birthed something pretty cool. Dad shoes have come full circle so to be able to spark some life into a classic whilst keeping the very essence of what the 2002R’s mean i think is a winning formula.
K: They’re hard man! As Frenz said, we love trainers and for me personally NB have too many crazy silhouettes intended for running that I would just rock standard lol. I love the original 2002, the sole unit was out of here! and I really like what they’ve done with this version. The upcoming collabs for the 2002R’s look wild. I’m here for it.
FP: What’s your favourite colourway out of the two?
F: Tough one, grey & black are like my favourite colours. Nothing beats subtle! But since you’re forcing me to pick ill say grey because you can see the details of the shoe and i think grey and autumn go together like Frenzy & Kodj, Aubemeyang & Lacazette, MJ & Pippen.
K: Lol, frenz is nuts. I Love them both, it’s a tough one but I have to agree, the Grey is straight militant, there’s a real harmony.
FP: Now there may be some readers asking why we are interviewing you both together, but if I’m right in saying you guys have been working together for a while. How did you guys end up crossing paths?
F: Kodj called me after my first ever mixtape ‘Kareem Mclean’ just to tell me he heard it, he loved it and wanted to know how i pieced it together! At this particular time in my life i was on an internship in Uni and i was driving in Dagenham, the reason i will never forget is because i didn’t really have faith in my craft or ever see it was a career. It was just fun and the competitive nature of wanting to release the best tracks with the best bars whilst telling my authentic story is why I even made that mixtape. Kodj gave me confidence that i could do more, since that moment in 2013 we have been focusing on raising our game with each instalment whilst leaving footprints on our local community, to ensure sustainability for young creatives around the borough. As a Rapper/MC, designers/Creatives like Kodj are priceless. We need more Kodj’s.
K: This guy’s trying to flatter me! Love bro. As Frenzy said really, the ‘Kareem Mclean’ project was just instantaneously classic to me. Seeing his journey from Grime and 140BPM hearing this project I could tell he was just a rounded guy and he spoke many things in his lyrics that represented “us” and our story coming from East London. Hats off to him, he still does that to this day. Since then really we’ve always checked in and for a little while I looked after him as a part of the collective/roster IDREAMBIG(IDB) – (when I was getting my mogul on). We’ve now done so many projects and grown a strong relationship that just spurs the whole operation. That’s my guy.
FP: Frenzy, you are also known as London’s ‘Community Driven Rapper’. How does it make you feel being dubbed that and how important is it for you to give back to the community?
F: I just feel as if i play my part as an older person should. I feel as if when you grow in a close knit community you should be able to knock next door for some butter if you have run out. Community seems to have lost its meaning in this new gentrified London but originals like myself, who are old enough should take pride in guiding the youth through so they don’t get lost. Too many people are lost out here and the last thing we need is young people with no purpose. My Uncle once said to me ‘A elder man sitting on his rocking chair can see more than a young man on a mountain’
FP: I read also you run a safe space for young artists to record their own music, how did this idea come about?
F: Again Kodj had a massive part to play in this & i cant take all the credit, I give a massive thanks to my team for helping me unravel my brand and put our finger on exactly what makes us tick. My album ‘Murder Mile’ really helped us understand not only what we love about our community, but why we love our community and how we can really impact the people closest to us. Working with Kodj & Dominick Prosser we identified an area within Hackney/London where the next generation of artists may need assistance. We look back at our journey of people misleading us, exploiting our ambitions and lying to us and we were just hungry for an opportunity. So as a team we decided we would never want to follow these ways and any information we gather we want to share with the next gen of artist and give them confidence. Now we are sitting down and speaking with Footpatrol which is a blessing! We will share this experience and be transparent about how it came about so young people have more insight into how this industry works.
FP: Moving quickly back to both you guys. Kodj could you tell us both your guys creative processes when it comes to working together, do you guys work similarly or do you guys ever have a split of opinion when it comes to working together?
K: haha, we always have a difference of opinion and I think that is what makes the link up work. We both bring ideas to the table and almost sell it to each other. Its sick cause really life dictates 90% of it. We both strive for excellence in our lives so it usually spurs organic ideas which we can then develop gradually. For instance Frenzy told me he wanted to incorporate sport into his brand at least 4 or 5 years ago and I had no idea other than ‘Go do sport’ And now it manifests so much in both of our lives that we run weekly with RTB and it’s almost synonymous with us (more him though lol) without even forcing it.
FP: What about your guys favourite project, out of all the stuff you guys have done together was there one that stood out the most for both of you?
F: I would say i love all of our projects and they all serve different purposes, but because of the scale, time and finances involved it has to be ‘Murder Mile’ because essentially we were our own label and we had to move like the majors, we employed PR, Consultants, Promoters. And literally from the ground up we were able to release an album, sell various merch, work with big brands, tour our project. All independently with no backing.
We just emptied our bank accounts and scared our girlfriends but we believed in ourselves. The main thing we know now is that we can do ths on a high level even without any clout.
K: Yeah, ‘Murder Mile’ definitely, I think that was like the combination of 10 years of figuring things out and owning independence. We called it an ‘Album’ from the jump to ensure we didnt limit ourselves in any way. We were able to work with some great people and seeing the whole thing come together was crazy. Without it there would be no ‘Council Estate’ (EP Out now btw!)
FP: Well guys its been a pleasure thank you so much for coming to spend some time with us! Before we let you go is there anything you’d like to share to the Footpatrol and Frequent Players readers?
F: Big up Footpatrol and Frequent players for having us. I spent some of my hard earned money from my retail shifts whilst working at Schuh in Footpatrol’s W1 store so this is a 360 moment for us. To the kids out there ‘SPEAK IT, BELIEVE IT, RECEIVE IT’! My EP ‘Council Estate’ is out now on all streaming platforms and my brother ‘AyChibs’ directed a bad boy video for ‘48th Floor’ Ft BlazeYL.
K: I back that! Also hold on to those dreams and promises you made to your younger self, they can ground you and in time become more valuable than you imagine. Love
Thank you!
#TEAMFP
Longtime Footpatrol friend and sneaker lover HighGraid has been making music and DJing for long enough to make himself known worldwide! Since leaving #TEAMFP, HighGraid has been working on his craft and perfecting his skills making him the body moving DJ that he has built himself up to be today.
We spent some time with HighGraid to talk about his journey, his DJing and also his music which he recently dropped back in May. Not only that we asked him to put together a hard hitting mix that will keep you your body popping throughout the weekend.
Take a read at what HighGraid had to say and listen to the next installment of the Frequent Players Guest Mix series.
Footpatrol: Highgraid welcome! Thank you for being here with us, how are you?
Highgraid: Yes #TEAMFP! All good here – trying to stay safe and healthy!
FP: Everywhere we see your name we are always reminded about your eclectic music selection. Before we get into that though, could you give us a breakdown of your story and how your journey led you here?
H: Well, it’s quite funny actually because it all started when I used to work in Footpatrol. Most Saturday’s in the store we would be listening to mixes all day and my guy Shets would gas me up telling me to buy a little DJ controller and at that time I knew Sheebs had one as well so I thought, you know what let me grab one. Ever since then I was hooked with DJing, spent years trying to master the craft and never looked back since.
FP: Let’s talk more about your music, now you are known for playing a mix of genres from UK Funky, Afrobeats, Hard Drum, UK Bass you name it you play it! What was it about these genres that attracted you?
H: Well, I remember back in the day my sister had this little pink JBL Cassette, CD and Radio all in one player and we would sit there and listen to a station called De Ja Vu. Then we came across a show by DJ Perempay he was playing UK Funky Bangers for like 2 hours straight, so we recorded it on a cassette tape and I remember just listening to that tape all the time, making sure my sister wouldn’t record over it (LOL!).
After a few years of experimenting with DJ’ing and producing I kept coming back to this particular sound. I think what attracted me the most with these genres was the power they had in the drum pattern, the catchy melodies and it brought everyone onto the dance floor no matter if you knew the songs or not.
So, I guess subconsciously it was my sister that helped me with my sound today – so shout out to Jeh!
FP: You released some new music and an EP back in May, who were your influences growing up were there any artists or DJs that you looked up to that conraged you to want to produce?
H: Well, I already mentioned DJ Perempay and I would say DJ Oneman was a massive influence when I was starting out. I would be in awe of his technical ability and the way he would move the crowd in the direction he wants them to go.
However, I’d say my biggest influence was my crew The Spot LDN. We are such a tight knit group and we just fed off each other’s energy. So massive shouts to Cherry B, E-Fit, Siimonster, Kiina, JUJU, Shets and Mimi!
FP: We know also you were a part of the MMH Radio, Copenhagen family. They are known for covering the underground sounds of the Copenhagen music scene, for those people who may not know about them could tell them a bit about your involvement with the station and how it helped you solidify yourself within the underground scene?
H: Unfortunately, due to lack of funding we had to close the radio station (RIP MMHRADIO). MMHRADIO has been a part of Copenhagen’s music scene for the last 3 and a half years so it has definitely helped shape the environment and the dynamic, diversifying the outlook. For me personally, it has been a different kind of experience, putting things into perspective, accommodating growth and exposure for other DJ’s and producers, while working on my craft and navigating the scene myself.
FP: I can imagine DJing at venues, producing music and doing a radio show has so many positives between them all. How has having all these creative outlets to showcase your sound and play the music you love help shape you?
H: I think the biggest thing I can take away from this is that I believe in myself and my product a lot more. I feel that I have more confidence in putting out the tracks and mixes a lot more than I used to. That’s why when I play out, I’m always dancing around and hyping myself up because if you don’t believe in yourself, why should others?
FP: Highgraid it’s been a pleasure and we are super grateful for you spending time with us, before we let you go is there anything you want to get the Footpatrol and Frequent Players family excited for, or would like to share?
H: The pleasures mine! I hope you enjoy the mix that I made for you! Massive shout out to #TEAMFP crew each and every time!
Make sure you keep streaming the Give Me More EP which is out via INDEXLIFE and all major platforms and look out for the Give Me More Remix EP which I previewed some of the tracks in the mix!
Remember that real G’s move silent like lasagna!
Paris’s love for the game of basketball is unrivalled and Jordan Brand acknowledges the emotions the fans and consumers alike give in, so its only right for the brand to give back.
As football giants Paris Saint Germain being the only European club to be sponsored by the Jumpman, the results to show their appreciation is paramount. With an Air Jordan 1 OG High, air Jordan V and an Air Jordan VI having already been released, both entities are back with another silhouette in the form of cult classic model, Air Jordan IV.
This iteration of the fan favourite silhouette takes on a white premium leather upper, combined with subtle neutral grey hits on the toe in a soft suede material. Black takes on the midsole, wings, lining and Jumpman tongue tab. Further details include a sophisticated bordeaux hue along the wingtips, midsole and on the heel. Personal touches are the PSG logo on the heel, ‘PANAME’ tag on the lateral side of the foot which is the nickname of the city as well as ‘75’ on the heel tab for the area code.
One for our French followers, we caught up with manager of our Paris Store, Clems to talk all things PSG!
Head over to the Footpatrol_LDN & Footpatrol_Paris Instagrams for all launch information!
Footpatrol: Hi Clems, thanks for being with us. Can you introduce yourself ?
Clems: Hi, I’m Clems, director of Footpatrol Paris, I love sports in general and I’m a PSG fan.
FP: Can you tell us more about your relation with PSG ? How long have you been a fan ?
Clems: I love PSG since almost 30 years ! I fell in love with that team at the very beginning of the 90’s. First and foremost, it was my city’s team, but there was something special around that team. The “Commodore” jerseys blew my mind, so beautiful, so different ! But it was not only about style, the results were huge too! The team reached the european semifinals 5 years in a row in the mid 90’s, they even went in finals twice and won once! The Lama, Ricardo, Weah, Ginola, Rai… gave me so many goose bumps ! And since then I always followed the team.
FP: Tell us about your first time at Parc des Princes.
Clems: I found the ticket a few weeks ago. It was in 96, first round of the UEFA Cup Winner’s cup against FC Vaduz, a club from Lichtenstein.We were invited by the Regional Council. It was awesome to actually live this. It was not a difficult game, obviously, but we saw a good show and a few goals. A good memory !
FP: Your best moment in the stadium ?
Clems: I didn’t make it a 1000 times to the Parc, for many reasons, but in 2000 I lived an amazing moment.In the 2000-2001 season roster, there were players who were from my generation, who seemed to have the same interests as me, at least from what we could see from them, way before the social networks. I’m talking about Nicolas Anelka, who just came back home, Bernard Mendy, Peter Luccin, Stéphane Dalmat… so I could somehow relate. In short, that team was exciting.
In Champions League, at group stage, PSG hosts the Bayern Munich. Good game, but we’re heading to a sad 0-0, but at the 90th minute, Laurent Leroy, who came in a few minutes earlier, scored ! The Parc literally exploded !! A great moment !
FP: Your best and worst memory with PSG ?
I think that my best memory is Antoine Kombouaré’s headed goal in 1993 against Real Madrid. There were many great moments since then, but I think it still is my favorite one to this day.
To put it in context, PSG plays against Real in quarter finals of the UEFA Cup. On the first leg, in Madrid, we lost 3-1.In the second leg, at home, at the 80th minute, the score is only 1-0, but we score 2 goals in less than 10 mn, so we’re qualified ! But Zamorano scores in extra time to force overtime. The referee lets the game keep on a bit. At the 96th minute, free kick for PSG and Kombouaré scores !His joy is crazy, he’s in transe ! And he qualifies PSG for the semis.
For my worst memory, no I won’t talk about Remontada ! It’s a huge disappointment, a slap I would even say, but on a single match anything can happen.
No, my worst memory is the 2007-2008 season. A pure catastrophe ! Only 10 wins on 38 games ! It makes a lot of draws and losses…2 games from the end of the season we were even relegable. It was not easy to love this team on this year !
FP: What do you think about the Air Jordan 4 PSG ?
Clems: If somebody told me 10-15-20 years ago that there would be an Air Jordan 4 PSG some day, I would never believe it!
I’m a big basketball fan and obviously slightly sneakers obsessed and the Air Jordan 4 is one of my favorites.I think they’re really well done ! Quality is on point, materials are nice and the colorway works well.It remains very simple with this bordeaux touch to remind the Qatar flag, it does the job.
And of course seeing the logo of my favorite club on the heel of an Air Jordan 4 is pretty dope !
FP: Thanks Clems for spending some time with us !
Clems: Always a pleasure !
Footpatrol: Salut Clems, merci d’être avec nous. Est-ce que tu peux te présenter ?
Clems: Salut, je suis Clems, directeur de Footpatrol Paris, passionné de sport en général et aficionado du PSG.
FP: Tu peux nous parler de ta relation avec le PSG ? Depuis combien de temps tu es supporter ?
Clems: J’adore le PSG depuis quasiment 30 ans ! Je suis tombé sous le charme de cette équipe au tout début des années 90.
Déjà c’était l’équipe de ma ville, mais elle dégageait quelque chose de plus.
Les maillots “Commodore” m’ont marqué, tellement beaux, tellement différents ! Mais il n’y avait pas que le style, les résultats suivaient !
L’équipe à quand même fait 5 demi-finales européennes d’affilée au milieu des 90’s et même deux finales, dont une victoire !Les Lama, Ricardo, Weah, Ginola, Rai… m’ont donné tellement de frissons ! Et depuis j’ai toujours suivi l’équipe.
FP: Parle nous de ta première fois au Parc des Princes.
Clems: J’ai retrouvé le billet, il y a quelques semaines. C’était en 96, pour le premier tour de la Coupe des Coupes contre le FC Vaduz, un club du Lichtenstein.On avait été invité par le Conseil Régional. C’était génial de vivre ça en live. C’était pas un match bien compliqué, comme on peut s’en douter, donc on avait eu du spectacle et des buts. Un bon souvenir !
FP: Ton meilleur moment au stade ?
Clems: Je ne suis pas allé 1000 fois au Parc, pour plein de raisons, mais en 2000 j’ai vécu un moment énorme.Dans l’équipe de la saison 2000-2001 il y avait des joueurs qui étaient de la même génération que moi, qui semblaient avoir les mêmes délires que moi, du moins de ce qu’on pouvait voir d’eux à l’époque, bien avant les réseaux sociaux. Je parle de Nicolas Anelka, qui venait de re-signer au club, de Bernard Mendy, Peter Luccin, Stéphane Dalmat… Donc je pouvais en quelque sorte m’identifier. Bref cette équipe me faisait vraiment kiffer.En Ligue des Champions, en phase de poules, le PSG reçoit le Bayern Munich. On se dirige tout droit vers un 0-0, mais à la 90e Laurent Leroy, qui était rentré peu de temps avant, marque. Le Parc a littérallement explosé !! Un grand moment !
FP: Ton meilleur et ton pire souvenir avec le PSG ?
Clems: Mon meilleur souvenir je crois que c’est la tête d’Antoine Kombouaré en 1993 contre le Real Madrid. Il y a eu pas mal de moments très forts depuis, mais je crois que ça reste mon moment préféré.
Pour re-situer, le PSG joue le Real en 1/4 de finale de Coupe de l’UEFA. A l’aller, on perd 3-1.A la 80e minute, on ne gagne encore qu’1-0, mais en met 2 buts en moins de 10mn, on est qualifiés ! Sauf que Zamorano marque dans les arrêts de jeu pour provoquer les prolongations. L’arbitre ne siffle pas tout de suite et les arrêts de jeu se prolongent. 96e minute, coup franc pour le PSG et Kombouaré marque de la tête.
Sa joie est incroyable, le mec est en transe ! Et il qualifie le PSG pour les demis.
Pour mon pire souvenir, non je ne te parlerai pas de la Remontada ! C’est une énorme déception, une claque même, mais sur un match il peut se passer plein de choses.Non, mon pire souvenir c’est la saison 2007-2008, une saison catastrophique !! Seulement 10 victoires sur les 38 matches ! Ca fait beaucoup de matches nul et de défaite.
A deux journées de la fin, on était même reléguables ! C’était pas simple d’aimer cette équipe cette année là !
FP: Qu’est ce que tu penses de la Air Jordan 4 PSG ?
Clems: Si on m’avait dit il y a 10-15-20 ans qu’un jour on aurait une Air Jordan 4 PSG, je n’y aurais jamais cru !
Je suis aussi un passionné de basketball et bien évidemment de sneakers et la Jordan 4 est l’une des mes préférées.Je trouve la paire réussie ! Elle est très quali, les matériaux sont beaux, le coloris aussi.
Il reste très simple avec cette touche de bordeaux pour rappeler le drapeau du Qatar, je trouve que ça marche bien.Et bien sûr de voir le logo de mon club préféré sur le talon d’une paire de Jordan 4, ça me fait kiffer !
FP: Merci Clems d’avoir passé un moment avec nous !
Clems: Toujours un plaisir !
Building on from the recent launch of our ‘Take Flight’ tee, we’re excited to announce the launch of our next T-shirt collection.
For this latest collection, we continue to look back at the heritage of sportswear and its origins within the world of streetwear as this has been something that’s always inspired us at Footpatrol. The 80s and early 90s sportswear brand logos have become cemented within streetwear history and a band of colours often associated with these graphics stood the test of time.
Launching In-store and online on Friday 9th October (Available online form 08:00AM BST), sizes range from S-XXL, priced at £35.
Hot of the heals of the QNTM, adidas and YEEZY are back with a surprise new colour way of their latest silhouette that’s been dubbed ‘Teal Blue’.
Slowly stepping away from the previous monochrome approach, this latest iteration features an upper with Teal Blue hits that have been composed of jacquard providing a soft touch yet resilient thread with suede overlays providing toe protection and durability.
Utilising adidas’ famed Boost technology, the YEEZY QNTM receives a re-engineered full-length drop in Boost midsole which provides the optimum levels of comfort that consumers have come to know and love from the YEEZY line up.
To enter the ONLINE raffle, CLICK HERE!
To enter the LONDON IN-STORE raffle, CLICK HERE!
To enter the PARIS IN-STORE raffle, 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. 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 within 3-5 working days. The raffle is limited to one entry per household! Multiple entries will be cancelled!
In-store winners will be contacted via email informing them of their win and pick up dates. Due to current government laws surrounding Covid-19, the store is working on an appointment only basis. You will need to contact the store to make an appointment for a time during the stated pick up dates.
