Author: Bradley Martinez

Under the cover of darkness, the Footpatrol Run Club and some lucky community members took to the streets to celebrate SOUKUU, a collaboration between The North Face and UNDERCOVER. Lacing up in the VECTIV SKY and apparel collection, we stomped our way through central London to take in the sights at night and find out what this curated performance collection had to offer!

Check out the full collection online at Footpatrol here.

Footpatrol: Jake, thank you for your time. Been looking forward to speaking more in depth on wecanfly since we worked together on the ia22 campaign. How are you?

Jake: Hey Footpatrol, thank you for having me it’s always good to catch up with you guys, I have great memories of our ia22 campaign! I’m doing well, everything in the world of wecanfly is flourishing.

FP: I know we gave people a little insight before into what you do but could you give us a bit more of an in-depth look into the world of Jake?

Jake: Of course, come step into my world for a minute. I’m a designer who loves sports, both of these passions fill me with joy and enhance my drive. My focus in Fashion is Sportswear Design which I consider as design for purpose. I’m inspired by the people around me, especially my twin sister Daisy, who has special needs. Our shared story growing up together has given me a unique understanding of the life of someone with a disability. From this experience, I created wecanfly, a brand with a vision to improve inclusivity and accessibility within fashion, society and everyday life. 

FP: Wecanfly I know is a brain child of yours since you were studying at university. How did it all come about? 

Jake: The vision of wecanfly was born before studying at university out of a conceptual project I created on my Art Foundation titled Daisys Life with a Disability. The project explored how the perception of disabilities in society has excluded Daisy. At the time, designing, pattern cutting and sewing were completely new to me. With no previous experience, I saw myself as a blank canvas ready to learn. This project was my light bulb moment. I discovered how I could apply my newfound fashion skills to something I genuinely care about Disability Inclusion. Initially, the focus was through the lens of Daisy and our lives together but I quickly began to realise how much bigger this was. Shortly after this, I presented the project to Sergio Tacchini who awarded me a scholarship to study Fashion Sportswear Design. In a short space of time, I’d gone from having an interest in fashion and deciding to give it a go-to feeling like I’d found my purpose. From then on, the vision was clear. I used my time at university to experiment and work on the concept to understand how to form this into a brand. wecanfly is the creation of this process.

FP: When you started that degree, did you think this was the direction you were going to take yourself down initially?

Jake: I guess I’ve just mentioned this above but yeah I did! 

On reflection, I think it’s fortunate that I started university with a clear understanding of my direction but I didn’t just sit about, I made it happen. Throughout my degree, I experimented with multiple techniques and styles of design/creation to understand my and I like/don’t like, my strengths and weaknesses to have the ability to create what became wecanfly in the best way possible.

FP: What are the struggles you think some of these people have when it comes to fashion and how do you plan to combat that as a designer?

Jake: Good question. Like all industries, there are many struggles, especially if you’re an emerging designer trying to make a name for yourself. It isn’t easy. Firstly, I think it’s important not to dwell on these struggles and let them get you down. It’s natural and all a part of the process; if you love what you do, you’ll know that. To focus on the struggles from a wecanfly perspective, a standout for me is that to a certain degree, wecanfly is not and will never be on trend. I’ve been aware of this from the get-go and it carries both positives and negatives. The struggle is that the concept and vision of wecanfly is new in the industry, meaning I have to trailblaze a pathway which has not yet been walked. Creating a trend-based brand can create momentary hype, but it lacks longevity. The positive of working from passion is having the ability to create a long-lasting brand which can make an actual difference you want to see in the world.

FP: Has there been a piece that really challenged you to think outside the box?

Jake: To date, all the wecanfly jackets have been challenging in their own right. Our first piece, The BlindAid Jacket, carried a unique set of problems to solve to create a product accessible to those with visual impairments. More recently, the DSDT EverWax Laoisha Jacket caused a few headaches! The jacket features a dual CF fastening with a magnetic zipper sitting in an overhang storm flap near the collar. I’d been given some magnetic zips from a factory with the plan to use them as the full CF zipper. However, it turned out they were only 20cm long. At 20cm, an open-ended magnetic zip doesn’t have much use. Determined to find a way to use one, I had to get creative, designing the whole jacket around the function of that zip. I designed the jacket and got to pattern cutting. Admittedly, I often get a little carried away adding features which are great but can be technically hard to execute. Anyway, we got there in the end and the final jacket looked exactly like my ambitious design.

FP: Can you tell me about the pieces we shot recently?

Jake: The three wecanfly jackets we recently shot were the final outcomes of a two-part project I planned towards the end of last year. For phase one, PurpleLightUp 23, wecanfly ran a creative workshop with the Down’s Syndrome Development Trust to celebrate Disability History Month. We taught three selected participants Eco-Printing. For the finale of the day, each participant designed and printed their own wecanfly jacket. These three jackets became the wecanfly designed by DSDT Jackets. They were the samples of the jackets we shot together. I planned the project around inclusion and sustainability. So often in fashion samples go to waste this project showcased the wecanfly approach using samples for inclusive, artistic purposes. The jackets were created using Halley Stevesons Purple P270 EverWax™ Vintage fabric. Each jacket is named after the three individuals from our wecanfly workshop. All jackets are asymmetric designs with magnetic fastenings, finished with the signature wecanfly green pull tags.

FP: Have you got the next plans in action for wecanfly?

Jake: I’ll keep my cards close to my chest for now on this one, although I will say some good conversations are taking place. There will be big projects coming out throughout the year.

FP: Thank you again for allowing us to share your story Jake. It’s been great to catch up and get to know a bit more about you! Is there anything else you would like to mention?

Jake: As said by Dan, one of the participants of the wecanfly workshop, Be kind and hold hands.

‘Disability is not inability’

Still a relatively new offering to Footpatrol, Merrell have been making waves with the current lifestyle and outdoor trend crossover. Built on the foundations of the outdoors, Merrells vision hasn’t been blinded by these trends however and continue to keep these at the root of all their products. None more so than the introduction of their 1TRL line. A premium offering that looks back at the Merrell archives and combines with updated technology, this is where we are at today with the MOAB Speed 2 GORE-TEX landing at Footpatrol. 

Sticking to those original foundations with an updated flare, the Moab Speed 2 GTX provides a GORE-TEX upper and rugged outsole to make sure whatever you’re doing, your footwear is up to the task. Couple this with a lightweight approach and streamlined aesthetic, this silhouette is one that can be utilised everyday whether you’re hitting the hiking trails or stomping through the city streets. 

Take a closer look at the silhouette below and make sure to check it out online here. 

Our Frequent Players platform continues to grow and shine a light on musicians and DJ’s who are cemented within our community. This month, we speak to Stephane. Doing the most within the scene at the moment, Stephane often looks to blend a mixture of contemporary French and international rap to create a unique sound that travels the globe.

With that said, make sure to get locked in to Frequent Players Guest Mix 050 and take a look through when we caught up with Stephane.

Footpatrol: Hi Stephane, hope you’re good, thank you for taking the time to chat with us, I’m very excited to get you involved as we’ve been listening to the shows for some years, so thank you and welcome! 

STEPHANE: Thank you guys for listening to the shows! 

FP: Firstly, Can you let us know who you are and what it is you do? 

STEPHANE: I run @goodpl.ay, put on shows in Paris and London, A&R and manage. I’ve also been a resident on NTS radio for the past four years. At the moment I’m working on different projects with Scuti, tn_490 and French rapper Zeu.

FP: With an emphasis on French and international rap, where did this all start? What are your influences and inspirations? 

STEPHANE: When I was about 10 a friend gave me a dozen cd’s. A lot of different stuff, from Dr Dre to french rap classics all the way to the Beatles. After that, I always wanted to know about music history. 

FP: How do you find drill, trap, hip-hop, rap is received from city to city, do you find different cities feed off different artists and genres? 

STEPHANE: In London there’s less borders for artists between the different scenes. Artists like Skepta that are free to go from Grime to Rap to House with no issue. In France we have JUL, rapping crud on house beats and inventing a whole new hybrid sound (“Type Jul”, which influenced rappers all over Europe, each of them doing huge numbers, like Morad, Ashafar, Rhove, Elai etc..). It’s funny to me how both situations are so close to each other yet what’s possible in one country doesn’t translate to the other.

FP: Your NTS show championed worldwide and local talents. Can you explain the importance of supporting young creatives through these communities?

STEPHANE: I remember when the Parliament tried banning drill, it got me thinking if you don’t offer alternatives + forbid artists from doing what they love, what else do you expect them to do? 

FP: Where has been your favorite city to do shows and why? + are there any cities you are yet to visit but would love to? 

STEPHANE: I have put on shows in London and Paris. Currently talking about doing it in more countries in Europe, and I guess Brazil would be special.

FP: With a variety of artists and genres on the show, Is there a place in the world you think we need to be paying closer attention to musically right now? 

STEPHANE: Everywhere! But I think our local scene is unbelievable, there is always new talent coming up in France.

FP: If you were a sneaker, what would you be and why?

STEPHANE: I’d say the 95s, mini swoosh, great colorways, solid shoes.

FP: Outside of your radio shows, are there any events people can catch you at for the rest of the year?

STEPHANE: We started the year with the first Goodplay party in January in Paris, with my good friends from Victory Lap. Scuti is releasing her next single “Comfy” March 13th as well. @goodpl.ay to see the next ones.

FP: Well, thank you for taking the time to chat Stephane, we look forward to seeing what you do for 2024 and beyond. Are there any final messages to readers before we go? 

STEPHANE: Catch me on NTS radio, one friday each month. Thank you for shouting me, it was a pleasure! Stream Scuti, stream tn_490’s

For 2024, we continue to build our performance offering at Footpatrol with the introduction of Altra.

Still a relatively new brand with 10 years behind them, it hasn’t stopped them in their pursuit of technology innovation and pushing what is possible. Built on close friendship, the brand was founded by Brian Beckstead and Golden Harper who met on their first day of cross-country practice at Orem High School out in Utah.

“We ran cross country and track, we practiced hard, we worked at the running store, and we just totally became shoe nerds” – Brian Beckstead

This all began with a simple recipe of sticking a pair of shoes in a toaster oven. This allowed co-founder Golden Harper to remove the heel of the shoe and balance it out. Therefore creating a shoe that he felt didn’t obstruct the way he ran and in turn, create a shoe that offered a normal feeling running shoe.

It was this that lead to the Balanced Cushioning and Footshape design. A combination that looks to address the biological differences between mens and women feet and make sure that whatever foot shape you are, there is something for you. Something for you to feel comfortable to run in.

To celebrate the brand now available at Footpatrol, we took a quick train ride out of Londons concrete jungle to the picturesque landscape of Surrey to see what this brand is all about!

Make sure to check out the full collection online here.

A relationship that first began in 2021, ourselves and tattoo artist Ken Carlos team up once again for our second collection together. Going bigger and better this time around, the collection consisted of 5 T-shirts and a hoody that celebrated the world of art, tattoos and the relationships formed between the tattooist and their clients. Client who become like family.

To celebrated, we opened the doors of the store to our community to come down, have a drink, check out the collection and have the opportunity to pick up their favourite piece. A huge thanks to everyone who made it down and make it a memorable night.

Our Frequent Players platform continues to grow and shine a light on musicians and DJ’s who are cemented within our community. This week, we catch up with Crash Tracy. Based over in East London, Crash Tracy is not only a part of the Gimmie 5 family, who of course we’re very familiar with, but also a DJ and music manager.

Working with a number of collectives like Morning After Night Before, Bone Soda and of course NTS, Crash Tracy has become a well known figure within the community. And now, we’ve enlisted his help for Guest Mix 49. Check it out below as we catch up to learn more about his journey growing up and where he’s found inspiration and drive going forward.

Footpatrol: Hey Pierre, Hope you’re well, Thank you for taking the time to chat to us, can you start by telling us a bit about yourself and what it is you do? 

CT: I’m a DJ & Music manager from east London. I have DJ’d properly for around 3 years and manage the musician Jawnino. I work with Gimme 5 while also putting on events with a few friends under my collective Morning After Night Before, alongside Hosting the Bone Soda NTS show. 

FP: Can you tell us about your earliest memories, what people or even music have most inspired you?

CT: Growing up in London Grime and rap music has been something that’s always been around me. My Mum used to listen to a lot of funky house and garage music. No one has really inspired me, I’ve just always been drawn to music and I’ve always wanted to find a way to make it part of what I do. 

FP: Can you tell us more about what you’re studying at the moment? How does cultural and creative processes play in shaping today’s world and has it helped you to develop your critical thinking in practical ways?

CT: I’m not currently studying anything new to be honest I’ve been taking it easy, I’d like to give a crack at making music soon though. I find that having access to information so easily makes me want to try my hand at different things even if I’m good at it or not. 

FP: From Know Wave to NTS and Bone Soda, can you tell us more about your relationships with these collectives, and just how important creative communities like these help current and emerging talents?

CT: I used to host the Morning After show on Know Wave but now have it on rinse and I currently host the Bone Soda show on NTS. Platforms like this are definitely important for the community, their destinations to discover individuals with similar tastes and connect with like minded peers, while also being platforms to share ideas and to put people on.

FP: Can you tell us about “Morning After The Night Before”?

CT: Morning After Night Before is just an outlet for me and the guys to do stuff we like. Throw parties, Radio, DJ, A&R, Management, Production.

FP: What are some of your favorite venues to play? Are there any we can catch you at this year? UK or WW?

CT: Some of my favourite venues to play i’d say are Ormside, MOT, Fabric and Phonox and we’ll see…Maybe I’ll be throwing a party at one of these spots soon.

FP: Random one, why ‘Crash Tracy’?

CT: Why Not…!

FP: if YOU were a sneaker, what would you be and why?

CT: I’d be an adidas superstar, It’s just a legendary shoe  

FP: Are there any specific artists or genres you’re currently feeling and think more people should be listening to this year?

CT: I think folks should go listen to Jawnino, A.S.O, B4U, Loukeman, Paris texas and Karrahooo

FP: Again, thank you for taking the time to chat with us Pierre, and if there are any people you think need more time on the radar or any other shoutouts you’d like to give, by all means fire away! And we look forward to seeing what you have coming in 24 and beyond! 

CT: Shouts out those alwaysdowhatyoushoulddo guys there the truth.

Our ‘More Than a Sneakerhead’ series continues, as the journey to bring women to the forefront of the industry does too; meet Community Manager and Content Creator, Steph Poon.

We enjoyed taking the time to speak to Steph, firstly, about her thoughts on making waves as a woman, in a male-dominated industry: “there’s a lot more, um, like female empowerment within the sneaker community now, and we’re seeing that come through especially within recent collaborations.” But when it comes to levelling the playing field, brands need to “make smaller sizes for male shoes, or maybe even eradicate just gender overall. Let anyone wear any pair, it doesn’t really matter!”

When it comes to the future of the industry, Steph things disruption will be at the forefront… “There’s a lot of disruption currently in the sneaker community, with brands doing things that you would never really imagine before.

I would’ve to always say Jordan and Nike are the brands that remain exciting for me right now, but it’s actually the smaller businesses that are really doing things – the likes of Footpatrol, who are really giving the community a voice.”

And why is that? Well, because Steph knows exactly what she wants from the industry, and it’s representation… “representation is huge for me. Especially as someone who comes from an Asian minority background, because we are not actually seen that much throughout the community or throughout society itself. Whether this is down to a generational thing or not, I think the younger generations like me, are now actually trying to fight and trying to get our own voices.”

We asked Steph what it is she likes about collaborations in the sneaker industry…

“Even pairs like Nike’s Air Jordans are timeless; Serena Williams’ Off-White pair are quite an iconic one, especially on the Blazers. Then you’ve got Jordan x Aleali May with her like Jordan 1s, Jordan 6s and um, I’m lucky to have quite a few of those pairs.

For me, it’s not that it’s simply a collaboration, it’s the fact that there’s a natural story behind it and a reason, and they’re telling that story and using that voice as a platform.”

What makes Steph more than a sneakerhead? 

“I’m more than a sneaker head because I’m advocating for the Asian community because I never saw a role model growing up. But you know what? I decided to become it instead.”

The relationship between Footpatrol and Ken Carlos began back in 2021 by an introduction to via a previous staff member. Upon meeting Ken, we quickly developed a mutual understanding of each other’s brands. After a couple in-person meet-ups and a few conference calls, our friendship was further cemented through our first collaboration together working to collaborate with the Footpatrol brand.

Off the success of our Communi-T collaboration, in early 2023, we reached out to Ken to see if he was game for another collaboration (something more along the lines of a mini-capsule collection). Today we happily present to you the Ken Carlos for Footpatrol ‘Good Times/Bad Times’ collection.

The Good Times/Bad Times capsule collection pays homage to the love of his art craft, that is tattooing, and the connections built between the artist and the client. Each piece in the collection explores both the foundation & progression in the art of tattooing, from the classic pieces like the English rose, updated and illustrated in barbed wire form, to the meticulously detailed swoops on the Old English calligraphy lettering.

Like Ken says in the trailer video

“Art imitates life”

The Ken Carlos for Footpatrol ‘Good Times/Bad Times’ capsule collection is now available! Shop remaining sizes online by clicking here.

From the terraces to the streets, C.P. Company has been a constant staple across many wardrobes. It’s a brand that merges luxury materials with contemporary styles, elevating the look and feel of garments through their lens. Using unique and thought provoking practices they bring to life colour and shape in ways no other can do. 

The Footpatrol team took a flight (boat ride and train) to Italy, to find what exactly goes on behind closed doors at C.P. Company’s R&D unit. We discussed all things archive, design and their upcoming collaboration with ASICS on the GEL-Quantum VIII. 

We had the pleasure of speaking with Marketing Director, Enrico Grigoletti, who kindly walked us through the C.P. history and the reasons behind what they do.

Footpatrol: Ciao Enrico! Come Stai haha?

Enrico: I’m good! We had a very intense week in Paris where we presented the ASICS collaboration to the public. We also launched a new brand called Massimo Osti Studio, which was a very exciting moment for us. 

FP: Could we get a little insight into who you are and what you do for C.P. Company?

Enrico: I am the Marketing Director for C.P., I oversee all the marketing activities from the brand and work very closely with the product and design team on the collaborations.

FP: Your journey up until this point has certainly been a creative one, but one thing I need to touch on is your degree. I read you studied economics, is that true?

Enrico: It’s true! I graduated with a masters degree in economics and marketing. My first real job straight out of university was at a multinational consultancy firm as a business consultant, as you can see that didn’t work out *laughs*. After that, I did my solo project for a few years focused around menswear design and style. That later opened the doors into the fashion industry for me. 

FP: C.P. has such a rich history in garment innovation and it’s certainly no new news that Massimo Osti was a genius. From his military inspiration, to his garment dyeing processes. How does the brand continue to blossom the way it has?

Enrico: That’s an interesting question. A lot of that relates closely to how the archive is used. When you have a back catalogue of 20,000 products, it makes things very convenient. It gives us an opportunity to explore through the things that we have already done, see how we can make them more contemporary, and contextualise it with what’s happening at the moment. What’s more difficult is being able to get to the root of those designs. Trying to find out why it was done the way it was. Understanding why Massimo did garment dying at the time and exploring how we can develop the idea, pushing us to find new technologies to advance our efforts. This concept is deeply rooted within the DNA of C.P. Company. 

FP: With the archive being so rich in diversity. Are there any aspects of the design language you feel have stayed consistent throughout the years?

Enrico: When you go through the archive, it’s very complex. There’s many layers and designers that have come in throughout the years. The one red thread that has always been there is the approach to the fabrics. – How they were developed in each era – Massimo Ostis era was heavily influenced by the garment dying treatments, taking materials as they were and giving them a new shape by doing so. The Moreno era was all about keeping the fabrics in their rawest form. Now we have the Alessandro Pungetti and Paul Harvey era, where they are taking garment treatments to a whole new level. 

FP: I know you love the brand more than most. So this is a question for you on a personal level, do you have a favourite era of C.P. Company?

Enrico: How can I respond to that! I would say the Alessandro Pungetti and Paul Harvey era of recent years. I started working for the brand during this time and have a personal connection to the journey C.P. Company has been taking. We’ve had to approach things differently when it comes to the positioning of C.P., making it more of a contemporary brand. Activating collaborations for the first time, understanding our customer and how we engage with our community in different ways.

FP: It’s evident that the brand is having a huge boom at the moment, and some of the recent collaborations have been next level. What’s it been like for you on the marketing side of things?

Enrico: It’s always a challenge. When I joined seven and half years ago, we had a lot less resources. It was only myself and Lorenzo working on the marketing. The whole team was only around 10 people, this meant you had to do everything! It was very practical. We managed to raise the bar season after season. This then meant a growth in the brand across all departments to help cater for our successes. We’re now a team of 150 people. This brings new challenges. It’s a case of us transitioning from a smaller brand to a consolidated company. 

FP: We are here with you in the R&D centre for C.P. To build a bit of context for our readers. What exactly goes on here?

Enrico: This unit is responsible for fabric research, colour dye sampling, prototyping, and pattern making.

FP: C.P. Company are no strangers to footwear collaborations either, but one specifically we want to talk on is the recent works with ASICS. The design of the shoe is incredibly unique, could you walk us through the design features on the upper?

Enrico: When we initially started discussions with ASICS, we both tried to educate ourselves a bit more about each other’s worlds. We noticed that they have this strong ideology behind lifting the spirit and movement which we felt aligned nicely with our most recent collection, the

Metropolis series. A collection that is aimed more towards the urban consumer. The idea was to focus our attention on the urban environment, working on the graphics of a city to construct the upper. What we landed on was a more conceptual design relating to this concept. This was then finished off with the addition of the metropolis logo. 

FP: I think the GEL-QUANTUM 360 VIII is a nice merge of innovation across both brands. What about the colour ways, we got a sleak-er grey rendition and a bold yellow – which I feel caught many of us by surprise?

Enrico: I’m glad it did! We wanted to connect the shoe with the existing colour pallet within the collection. Usually for the Metropolis series, we tend to have a mix of black, grey, dark navy and a pop of colour. It’s a more reserved colour pallet for C.P. knowing that we have such a wide variety across many of our styles. During the early stages we tried to incorporate yellow as an accent. We later chose to make it stand out and be tonal similarly to how it is within the collection. 

FP: ASICS as a brand truly embody their Sound mind, Sound Body ethos. What do those words mean to you personally?

Enrico: For me, as you get older you start caring a lot more about comfort. In Paris I was wearing boots to walk through the snow and after a day and half my feet were done! When I put the ASICS on it was so refreshing. I feel over the years, comfort has been a very underrated value within footwear. 

FP: Really appreciate the insight, we’re very excited for this launch! Before we let you go, is there anything else you’d like to share with us? Can be anything you like. 

Enrico: I want to give a shout to the Massimo Osti Studio project. It’s been a massive launch for us and everyone you met here has been responsible for putting it together. Being able to launch a new brand was a huge effort from the whole team. The love and attention that it brought was truly something special for us.