Author: Bradley Martinez
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.
A silhouette that came towards the back end of 2023, the Nike Lunar Roam also signalled the return of a fan favourite technology. That of course was, Lunar. A tech we first saw hit the streets back in 2008. This launch though brought together more than just old tech. With the recent trends of retro runners coming back to the market and taking dominance, the Lunar Roam went down a different route and seems to rethink the retro runner for the modern day.
Fifteen years on and the Lunar Roam doesn’t look to the past but instead the future. Nike reference the past with the reintroduction of the ‘Lunar’ midsole and ‘Magwire’ within the upper but instead opt for a more modern sleek, streamlined design.
Originally arriving in a colour way dubbed ‘Alabaster’, the second colour way is now here. Known as ‘Desert Moss’, these two introductory colour ways are giving us the Gyakusou energy we’ve been missing for a number of years now. It’s fair to say, we’re here for the return of Lunar and can’t wait for more!
Take a look at this latest silhouette below which is now available to shop in-store at Footpatrol London and Paris and online by clicking here.
An early contender for sneaker of the year?
Coming soon to Footpatrol. The one we have all been waiting for. The Air Jordan 4 ‘Bred Reimagined.’
The nostalgia, that retro feeling, we all have it, this shoe is guaranteed to bring you that. An iconic silhouette and colourway to match with the leather treatment coming in a textured premium quality, making these wearable for many occasions.
The reimagined series was a concept put together by Jordan brand back in 2021 with the idea of bringing OG pairs back to life through premium construction and key storytelling. Following the Jordan White Prime Green SB 4s from last year this pair follows the same structure and shape minus the lighter heal tab and flexibility. The red hints with the tongue Jumpman label help you stand out from the rest.
The Air Jordan 4 was very much a court shoe worn by the man himself, Michael Jordan whilst Tinker Hatfield’s Air Flight design was the first to be globally released on a mass market. A much more wearable shoe with a visible air unit to elevate your step and make you feel you were part of the process and creation of this shoe.
Coming in a full family size run so you can equip your loved ones. Need we say more.
Head over to Footpatrol launches where all is not what is imagined… Scratch and reveal your way into the draw…
PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ THE BELOW…!
To sign up to the Online raffle, you will need to download the Footpatrol Launches app and complete a pre-authorisation payment of the retail price of the product plus shipping costs. This will be held until raffle completion. Those successful will have their raffle win posted out to the address entered during sign up. Those unsuccessful will see a return of their funds, this can take up to 5 working days from when the winners have been drawn. The raffle is limited to one entry per household! Multiple entries will be cancelled!
The Footpatrol Run Club is back!
After last year’s endeavors, we saw an opportunity to continue bringing our community together through our shared love for running. From our wear testing adventures with New Balance over at Tillingham Vineyard and creating wholesome moments with our Wellness Walks with Hoka. We also can’t forget about when we ran on a rooftop running track with PUMA and their Team GB athlete, Jack Rowe…
2024 marks a big year for Footpatrol and our drive towards being more than just a lifestyle footwear retailer. We see the synergy between our sneaker enthusiast and our running obsessors – a love for storytelling and product.
As we make our way through this year, we have a series of exciting activations, brand challenges and more, to put our running product and community on the front line.
Keep your shoes laced, your short shorts on and your speedy sunglasses at the ready. The FP RC will be making a return and we will be looking to do more partnerships than we ever have before.
*Our top tip: You’ll want to become regular at our community runs, you may just get lucky with some special prizes….
Stay tuned to the Footpatrol RC instagram for the first dates of the FP RC Community Runs coming soon to Soho!
Checkout out our latest performance offerings HERE!
The writing is usually on the wall for graffiti artists – but not always when it comes to sneakers. Since hip-hop first exploded out of the South Bronx in the late 70s, sneakers have been intrinsically linked to the culture’s five elements: MCing, DJing, Breakdancing, Knowledge and Graffiti. Influential artists like Run-D.M.C. certainly sent sneaker culture into the stratosphere, but there was a whole generation of b-boys and graffiti artists who were responsible for cementing sneakers in the cultural movement.
Graffiti, the most underground of all the elements is one area where sneaker culture has been neglected in terms of its cultural influence. On the surface, graffiti and sneaker culture seem to have a loose association with one another, but you only have to look back at films like Wild Style or archival photos of early writers like Henry Chalfant, Futura, Dondi White and Zephyr wearing the same Superstars, Campus and high-top Decade’s worn by B-Boys and MC’s at the time. The same walls that these artists were painting on often became the backdrop for some of the first promo shots and album covers, where artists like KRS-One, Rakim & Eric B and Run-D.M.C. posed against the building walls that were graced with the era’s best graffiti.
Rap and graffiti were about expression, and forerunners in the rap scene were mixing up their style with brand and logo-heavy pieces. Of course, repping the latest sneakers was an essential component to the perfect fit. Adidas and Puma were some of the first brands associated with NYC’s hip-hop scene, but it wasn’t long before Nike got a foot in the scene. At the same time Run–D.M.C. was doing the infamous all-adidas “Kings of Rock” fits, Nike dropped the first ever Jordan which was quickly swept up in hip-hop culture. It’s not unusual to see graffiti kings in retro styles like Penatrators or Cortez either.
Naturally, it didn’t take long for writers to start customizing their kicks, using the sneakers as a canvas for creative expression. Keith Haring, who started his career drawing on blank billboard ads on the subway, was renowned for his sneaker collections. Early shots capture him throwing up wearing Nike Delta Force, K Swiss Briston and adidas Centennial. In 2021, a pair of Nike Penatrators went on sale on eBay featuring hand-drawn graphics by the late artist. The pair, which dates back to 1986 and sold for over $25,000, were placed on auction by the pair’s OG owner, who had the Haring draw on and sign at the opening of the Pop Shop in New York City on ‘the Saturday morning of April 16th, 1986’.
While Haring never got a chance to collaborate with a sneaker brand during his lifetime officially, his iconic work has been rendered onto countless silhouettes posthumous. This crossover between legendary artists and sneaker brands has proved lucrative with high-profile names such as KAWS and Futura, both artists who got their start in graffiti, bringing their signature artwork to the sneaker world. The result has been some of the most influential and collectable styles of all time. Take, for example, Futura’s Nike SB Dunk High “FLOM”, a style considered to be one of the rarest in history. Last year, a pair sold for 63,000 USD at Sotheby’s.
Known as one of the founding fathers of the graffiti movement in NYC, Leonard Hilton McGurr a.k.a. Futura started his career in the 1970s tagging subway walls as Futura 2000, a nod to his favourite movie 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick). Fascinated with technology and science fiction, Mr McGurr began tagging as Futura 2000, fulfilling the forward-looking promise of that nom de graf through his use of abstraction, expanding the form beyond lettermaking to include impressionistic fields of colour, blooming nimbuses that seemed to be in motion even when holding still. Soon his influential artwork went on to be exhibited and housed in the collections of the Musée de Vire, the Museum of the City of New York, and the Museo de Arte Moderna di Bologna. Despite his ascent into the higher realms of the fine art world, Futura has remained a man of the culture. During his 50-year tenure in the game, he has contributed to all the stages of street culture and has closely collaborated with influential names such as BAPE, Stussy and of course Nike.
According to Dennis Mazur @sneakerdenn, Futura’s relationship with the swoosh began back in 2004 with the OG Flom SB Dunk High. An acronym meaning ‘For Love or Money,’ the sneaker is rendered with a pattern that was created from different denominations of printed money. Only 24 of the works were made. Most were distributed to friends and family at the opening of The Futura Laboratory store in Fukuoka Japan, making it incredibly difficult to find and among the most coveted examples desired by collectors worldwide.
“The message behind the “Shoes For Love or Money is the question Futura raises to the sneaker community at a time where resale culture was truly emerging, it’s amazing how relevant this message is twenty years on,” says Mazur who helped source the rare sneaker sold at Sotheby’s. The London-based sneaker collector and reseller count other styles like the yellow and black treatment of the Flom as part of the Livestrong fundraiser in 2009 as well as Futura’s link-up with Virgil Abloh’s Off-White imprint for a duo of Dunk Lows in 2019. The latter was originally released as a friends-and-family exclusive, but last April eight pairs of the sneakers were auctioned off by Sotheby’s to benefit The Virgil Abloh Foundation, the Art for Justice Fund, the Boys & Girls Club of America, and the Innocence Project. Collectively, the shoes sold for over half a million dollars, with a single pair fetching a jaw-dropping $107,950.
In a Youtube video, Mazur explores some of the more obscure styles from Futura’s Dunk history with Nike including a 2003 SB Dunk low inspired by the NYC subway steel canvas and a super rare 2005 Futura x Stash Nike ID, featuring a mysterious Trenitalia logo, the Italian train operator, which actually looks like an F and an S, the two artists’ initials. He also counts the 2004 U.N.K.L.E. Dunk in the list too. While many associate the model with Futura, due to his signature point man artwork being used on the upper, he had nothing to do with the design. “The Dunkle, which everybody goes crazy over, I see a posting of a Dunkle daily on Instagram, it’s a shoe which is pretty much like a Futura “shoe”, with the UNKLE characters that I created for Mo’ Wax Records in the ‘90s,” Futura told Sneakerheadz. “And I never really liked it. I don’t want to blow up the spot and say it was completely unauthorised, but it was a little bit like “Oh…oh you’re doing it? Oh ok.” Y’know, thanks for asking me.”
In a recent interview with GQ, Futura explained that the key to a good collaboration is being a good team player and building relationships. “The more you work together as a team, the easier it is to stack some Ws. If there’s egos and in-fighting, you’re probably not going to win as much in the long term.” Back in October last year, news leaked of another upcoming FL SB Dunk collaboration meaning we can expect more from this fruitful relationship. Unlike the U.N.KL.E. and Off-White sneakers, which featured creative additions of his work on the sneakers, this upcoming release will see Futura have full creative control over the look and feel of the sneaker, just as he did back in the day.
Of course, Futura isn’t the only graffiti artist to get a Nike collab. NYC-born graffiti artist Eric Haze added his signature style to a Dunk High and a Dunk Low, both of which were one of the earliest instances of an artist collaborating on a pair of sneakers. Like Futura’s, Haze’s release was extremely limited with only about 1,000 pairs produced. The High and Low SB Dunk editions feature an airbrushed design, which also gives off the “Fade” look.
In an interview with Japanese magazine, BOON, Haze revealed some details about how the collaboration came about: “About last fall, Nike asked me if I was interested in a limited edition Dunk model. When they told me that they could now do spray painting, I decided to proceed with the project.” He notes the custom box, which featured stencilled artwork as a perfect addition to the product design, but admitted it was one of the biggest challenges of the project. “To be honest, I had a hard time designing a custom box. The box Nike sent me was flat before assembly, but I was confused as to which side would be where… Sometimes the layout was different from what I imagined.”
Another musical collaboration under the SB Dunk series which features hidden graffiti is the 2007 release from MF DOOM. While the high-top Dunk celebrates the acclaimed rapper, the logo on the heel is the tag DOOM used when he wrote graffiti. Elsewhere, the SB Dunk series has also produced other standouts from graffiti greats like Stash (Josh Franklin) who dropped 50 pairs of his Nike Dunk at the famed Paris concept store Colette in 2003. Released as part of his travelling exhibition, “Tools Of The Trade,” the sneaker was printed with Stash’s tags on the lateral side of the heel and is accented with a paint drip motif on the quarter panels. Due to its rarity, the Dunk sold at an unprecedented price of EUR 350, atypical of classic Nike Dunks at the time. What made this pair so special was that each box was numbered and personalized by the Stash himself, with his graffiti tag on the exterior lid and side label. It’s this type of detail and care that truly blurs the line between sneakers and art.
The success of the original release inspired Stash to release a special Nike Air Force 1 20 years later. Released in March 2022, Nike and Stash dropped an Uptown inspired by that rare classic at SKP S as a part of the Style in Revolt exhibition. This reboot was faithfully rendered to the original Dunk design with the help of Stash and local artisans to update this collectable grail. Haze also reworked the AF1, adding his tags to an all-white pair in 2016 as did Craig Costello, aka KR, who added the KRINK silver treatment to a pair in 2008.
Beyond the Dunk and AF1 series, Mazur counts other standout sneaker-graffiti collaborators like Mr Cartoon and KAWS. KAWS first collaborated with DC Shoes in 2001, followed by BAPE on a number of classic Bapestas and Chompers colourways in the mid-2000s. The New York-based artist then worked with Nike on an Air Force 1 in 2007 and on an Air Max 90 in 2008, before coming with the instant classic Jordan 4s duo in 2017. On the West Coast, Mr Cartoon has a few memorable Air Force 1s to his name – the iconic Mr Cartoon Spiderweb and Clown set (2004-05), the Livestrong pair, and a few other AF1s were characterised by the artist’s pronounced tattoo-art influences and his LA and Mexican heritage.
More recently artists like Neckface have dropped SB Dunk editions (2013 and 2022) and last year’s RAMM:ΣLL:ZΣΣ Dunk with Supreme sold out in seconds. Outside of Nike, major brands like Adidas have tapped underground names like Kunle Martins aka EARSNOT, who has designed a duo of Adidas tied to his IRAK crew. The prolific writer first teamed up with Adi in 2007 and 2008 for a pair of IRAK x Adidas Remix EQT Sport Runners. He expanded the line-up in 2022 with another pair of IRAK x Adidas ZX 8000, which he explained in an interview with Brendan Dunne of Complex was inspired by the GORE-TEX outerwear he grew up within in his possession.
In that same interview, he revealed why technical outerwear became so popular in the graffiti community. “They weren’t things that we could really afford, so we had to steal them,” he says of his obsession with functional clothing. “Wearing expensive clothes and then painting and ruining your clothes—it doesn’t make any sense,” he says. “There’s no consistent line of thought throughout the whole thing. I’ve been in a subway tunnel wearing all white before.”
Martins admits that he was never driven by hype sneaker culture, but instead opted for more practical footwear. “The only thought I’m thinking of is being electrocuted to death or tripping and falling and a train hitting me,” he explains. “Neither of those things has happened—knock on wood—yet.”
While most graffiti artists like Martins favour more inconspicuous dress to avoid capture, some communities buck the trend and embrace a more flashy approach. Nike’s futuristic Air Max 97 ‘Silver Bullet’ struck a chord in Milan when it was first released in 1997. “They looked like they were from another planet,’ Sha Ribeiro, a member of the graffiti group Lords of Vetra told Sneaker Freaker. “I mean, wearing them, you look like a fucking alien from another planet entirely.”
The crew, whose name paid homage to Casa Vetra, a park in the middle of Milan, were notorious for tagging and bombing around the city, in particular the subway system tunnels. Throwback photos capture members proudly posing in front of idle trains with aerosol cans in hand and the reflective details of their ir Air Max 97’s 3M illuminating from the flash.
Given that most of the collaborative graffiti sneakers are locked away on ice in the collections of diehard sneakerheads around the world, it’s refreshing that actual writers continue to take a less precious approach to their footwear. Known names like 1UP crew wear nondescript styles from Nike and adidas when bombing locations, while crews like @crapsule2000 opt for performance brands like LA Sportiva and Salomon to negotiate the practical demands of their urban environments: whether it’s abseiling down walls to throw up giant tags on the side of buildings or surfin subway trains in Berlin.
Graffiti writer Touch notes that the boosting popular sneaker styles like the Airmax has been a big part of the culture in the UK. The Brentford-raised writer reveals in an interview with The Graffiti Hub that he met a lot of graffiti writers in the scene through theft. “I’ve been out with 20 people from the street running up shops for jeans, jackets, shirts, jumpers and shoes. Basically every shop in London I’ve raised something from, whether it’s an electrical shop or a clothing store.” He goes on to say the main retailers he used to hit were designer stores like Ralph Lauren, Stone Island and renowned sneaker stores like Size. According to London-based cultural commentator @gullythreads, one of the techniques often used by writers to steal popular sneakers was to take odd display pairs from various stores. “You started having right foot, left foot, where you would raise one shoe from one shop and then get the other shoe from another shop.”
With so much hype around the current sneaker market and such a deep history of sneakers within the culture of the graffiti scene, it’s no wonder that more and more brands are embracing this cultural exchange. As Graffid notes, “They’re not only recognizing graffiti artists but are also providing them with a platform to reach a global audience. It’s a harmonious partnership where both the art form and the footwear benefit, pushing boundaries and sparking fresh trends within the industry.” Of course, there will always be a culture for underground artists to aquire their favourite kicks through criminal means. After all, it’s this counterculture mentality which maintains the street credibility of major corporate brands like Nike and adidas within the scene. But for those writers who have broken through to the mainstream, the opportunity of putting their art out onto the covetable styles they grew up boosting is a great way to turn such a shoe into a narrative, a piece of graffiti storytelling that connects the wearer to the broader context of street culture.
Ahead of the much-anticipated launch of his Air Max 95’s, The ‘Air in Colour’ exhibition celebrated the St. Albans born designer, Lorenz.og’s first retrospective. Exploring the plethora of Nike silhouettes, each with the unique adaptation of his ‘Patented Colour Schemes’, Lorenzo Federici staged the breadth of his work in Soho on Friday. Of course, being hosted around the corner from Footpatrol we had to make sure we were on site to look at this incredible body of work.
From Off White Air Max 97s to Stussys Nike Air Max 2013, the exhibition genuinely speaks to the versatility of Lorenzo’s style and attitude to his work that certainly goes beyond just customising. Of course, on display were the ‘Dusk’ and ‘Volcano’ Air Max’s which attracted many, however the central display area had attendees keen to discuss with the other which was their favourite piece.
Take a look at some images of the event, let us know which stood out to you.
Aside from sneakers, one thing we love at Footpatrol is music. From our Frequent Players franchise to hosting such things as Lord Apex’s album party in store, we’re always on the hunt for those who are changing the game.
With that said, early last week we had the opportunity to spend some time with UK artist Lancey. Heading down to get a first hand look at a studio session, we got to bear witness to his creative process and in turn, the recording of new music. A great insight into a creative doing his thing.
Whilst there, Lancey sported our most recent collaboration, the Footpatrol x PUMA Velophasis. This in turn sparked a conversation about the nuances between fashion and music, and how one lends itself to the other for him and his daily process. We caught a little bit of this on video, which you can now watch below.
The Footpatrol x PUMA Velophasis is available both online and in-stores.
