Author: Bradley Martinez
When you think back to 90’s TV shows, you can’t help but think of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Having made waves across our TV screens during the 90’s, Will Smith became known for constantly wearing laceless Jordans on his feet.
Fast forward to 2013, and the Fresh Prince finally gets his own pair, a Jordan V. In a Cool Grey upper, the silhouette was finished in bright bursts of colour that instantly make you think back to that opening title sequence and logo.
Fast forward even more to the present day, we once again, the Fresh Prince returns once again with a new alternate colourway. This time finished in a stark white upper, those ‘racer pink’, ‘court purple’ and ‘ghost green’ highlights are still their taking pride of place and alternate colour Jordan branding on the heel. The lining screams 90’s with a bright print.
To enter the ONLINE raffle (UK applicants only), 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.
Online raffle winners will be contacted with further information on how to purchase their pairs. 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.
Within all the hype surrounding the Jordan 1 High silhouette, of late the Jordan Brand have begun to utilise the Air Jordan 1 Mid and Low silhouette by crafting their own unique place within the market. With a host of collaborations and special editions coming to light, the Air Jordan Mid taken this all in its stride to stand out on its own and even played a heavy part within their Fearless collection.
With this in mind, the Jordan Brand are back with two new iterations of the AJ1 Mid that play on a host of mixed materials. The usual leather upper that’s been a mainstay on the Air Jordan silhouette since its introduction has been stripped back and in its place sits a rich suede bringing a new feel to this classic silhouette.
To enter the BLUE ONLINE raffle (UK applicants only), CLICK HERE!
To enter the YELLOW ONLINE raffle (UK applicants only), CLICK HERE!
To enter the BLUE LONDON IN-STORE raffle, CLICK HERE!
To enter the YELLOW 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.
Online raffle winners will be contacted with further information on how to purchase their pairs. 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.
For our Footpatrol Discussion we always aim to give more insight into the footwear industry as best as we possibly can, to create a better understanding of the hard work these creatives do. What better way to continue that than with Pumas Global Creative Director, Heiko Desens.
Heiko has been in the footwear industry for over 15 years covering all aspects from sportswear to luxury. Since making a return to Puma, Heiko has worked on launches such as the famed RX series, Puma Muse and many more.
We sat down with Heiko to talk about all things Puma and his involvement with the brand.
FP: Heiko, it’s always a pleasure to have the Puma family spend some time with us, for the Footpatrol community could you give us a brief introduction into who you are and what you do for Puma?
Heiko: The pleasure is on my side. I am responsible for the global product Creative Direction with a team of Creative Directors focusing on individual product categories. Also leading the Innovation team where we look for state of the art engineering and performance innovation.
I am a passionate product person and have been moving between sport, fashion and luxury with the result that sports wear definitely is my biggest love.
FP: Over the course of your career this isn’t the first time you worked with Puma, could you tell us a bit about your role previously and your journey that’s brought you back?
H: It was an amazing time being the Creative Director for PUMA Sportstyle when Puma Platform, Puma Muse, RS-0, RS-X launched and also working with an incredibly passionate team.
One of my other passion, however is bags and accessories and once the opportunity came along to work for MCM i took the chance to experience and get insights to the luxury market. When I heard that PUMA wants to merge Creative Direction and Innovation and is going to emphasize performace in all aspects even more, it was clear that I need to be part of it.
FP: What drew you to the sneaker industry in the first place as a designer?
H: Actually I am not a footwear designer, my background lies in fashion engineering. My first professional touch points with sneakers were when the second wave of Sports X Fashion sneakers started to bubble up. It was during my time with Y-3. Only after when I worked for the german designer MICHALSKY i was responsible for the full scope of FTW.
Since you have been back with the brand you brought back the 80s Running System technology and released the rebooted RS-O. Did this release go as well as you guys thought it would? It’s hard not to see someone walking around not wearing a pair of the recent RS series.
We were convinced that the RS franchise is going to do great for PUMA but i doubt that at the starting point any of us expected what was ahead of us. So, it went well. Extremely well in regards to several aspects. PUMA is great in many other product segements but with the RS franchise we were speaking to a consumer we haven’t been touch with for quite a while. And we could manifest our position with a young trend driven consumer.
It’s interesting, when you think of Puma you think classic with a lot of heritage behind it and a passion for innovation. A lot of people may not know that Puma paved the way for the modern day sneaker collaborations in 1997 with Jil Sander.
FP: How important is it to maintain that consistency in raising the bar within the industry?
H: Looking back this was a genius decision to pair Sportswear with fashion and it created a whole culture ….or industry segment.
Going further i see this a key to success but in a general crowded market, space aspects like the connection of well being/health and sports becoming more important and pushing limits in regards to sustainability. Whether it is through partnering up with brands, organisations or emphasizing innovative ideas from within.
FP: You still to this day have been pushing some strong fashion collabs with the likes of ADER ERROR, Han Kopenhagn, and the most recent project with the young chinese brand Attempt.
How do you go about deciding on the brands you choose to work on your collaborations?
H: The wheel of collabortions is turning fast these days. More then ever it is important to partner up with influencal brands, people or organisations and go beyond just a logo swapping exercise. We want partners to inspire and influence traditional ways of product creation, give us insights in subcultures/cultures we haven’t got access to and most of all we want to have fun, createing a positive energy and products consumer will love.
FP: I wanted to touch on the Puma Suede as we are approaching its anniversary and is one of the most recognisable models from the brands archive. Could you share with us a bit of the history of the model and how it came into fruition?
H: When Tommie Smith and John Carlos stood on the podium of the 1968 Olympic Games on October 16, Tommie had his PUMA shoes standing by his side, while he raised a fist into the air and made (sports) history. The shoe next to Tommie Smith was called the PUMA Crack, the only suede shoe in PUMA’s line up by the time. In 1972 the PUMA Crack was replaced by the PUMA Clyde – same material, but named after basketball legend Walt “Clyde” Frazier. A few years later, the contract to name the shoe “PUMA Clyde” expired, but the model stayed the same. With only a slightly modified silhouette, PUMA continued to sell the shoe in a large variety of colors and named it “Suede”. Obviously, the Suede and its similar-looking predecessors, the Crack and the Clyde, were intended to be universal training shoes for indoor and outdoor sports. But the lifestyle trend had other plans for the Suede, turning it into a timeless classic street shoe.
FP: It was a hugely popular Bboy shoe especially within New York during the 80s/90s do you think this movement helped solidify this model into sneaker history?
H: With a sleek suede upper and thick rubber outsole, the Suede was the perfect fit for breakdancing, making it popular in bboy culture. This movement certainly helped solidify the popularity and legacy of the suede.
FP: It was also one of the first all suede trainers for the time no, essentially a comfier Puma Basket no?
H: This was the first suede shoe in PUMA’s lineup. The PUMA Suede and the PUMA Basket are very different shoes, with different materials and soles.
FP: There is no doubt that the model still continues to be hugely popular with brands such as Bape making their own renditions of the Suede. What do you think it is about this model in particular that has been able to stand the test of time?
H: It is unique to combine a sports shoe silhouette with a material what is perceived as luxurious and high quality. That makes the SUEDE a rather versatile shoe bridging sports and street.
The clean and timeless branding showing most of our brand assets…CAT….PUMA…FORMSTRIP make it authentic and our most beautiful brand representative.
FP: For recent weeks we have all been stuck indoors and at home. Could you share with us some of your go to pairs for the below:
Working out – …..well, I am outing myself to wear pair of Tsugi Evo Knit for non cardio work outs, a shoe I stocked up on a few years ago because it is the most comfortable shoe I have ever been wearing.
Casual Everyday – Future Rider Lux white
Impressing someone – RHUDE Ralph Sampson
Staying home – OBEY leopard pattern jacquard sox
FP: Thanks again for being here Heiko Before you go do you have anything you want to let the Footpatrol family know surrounding Puma and the rest of 2020?
H: As I am a peoples person I am hoping to meet the Footpatrol family in person sometime soon as in current times I am missing the personal exchange and conversation about our favourite topic, SNEAKERs and style.
Meanwhile stay safe and stay connected!
This style marks the return of a storied retro colourway that originally dropped only in Japan on 1st January 2001, with a limited run of 2,001 pairs.
While a limited-edition version with special packaging is now fittingly releasing in Japan only, a wider release sans the suitcase is scheduled to drop across the globe, featuring the same shades of Neutral Grey and Metallic Silver. Other additions include CO.JP branding on the insole, as well as a tag inside the tongue nodding to the style’s early-noughties origins.
PLEASE READ THE BELOW CAREFULLY!
To enter the ONLINE raffle (UK applicants only), 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.
Online raffle winners will be contacted with further information on how to purchase their pairs. 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.
First introduced in 1984 as a trio of running sneakers, the ZX series has since grown to iconic status and has managed to gain an almost cult like following ever since that introduction.
Fast forward to 2008-2009 and adidas felt like it was the perfect time to celebrate such a collection, this led to the introduction of the A-ZX series. With an array of collaborations from the likes of Colette and ourselves with a bunch of iterations that paid homage to some of the adidas archive the A-ZX series proved a worthy celebration.
Now adidas once again look back to this celebration of the ZX with another take on the A-ZX series that will span across 2020 and into 2021. Building on the ‘Thousands’ series, adidas introduce 26 new iterations based on each letter of the alphabet, some in collaboration with some of the most prominent brands of today and some that once again, take inspiration from the Adidas archives.
Looking at the chart below, head back over to our Instagram and let us know who you would love to see take part in this series!
The Air Jordan 1 changed footwear forever—and the original ‘Black Toe’ colourway played an essential role in establishing the silhouette as a cultural icon.
A women’s-only release from 2019 revived the famous make-up but with a reversed look. This new release showcases parallel styling, but incorporates a mix of both satin and faux snakeskin. Predominantly a make up of leather upper, faux snake skin takes up the heel portion in black. Further black hits on the Swoosh, outsole laces and tongue tab. Like the 2019 release, satin occupies the tongue and lining to keep the timeless classic modernised.
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.
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.
Designing, building and manufacturing footwear has never been an easy task and unlike fashion isn’t a process we tend to get to see or hear a lot about. This never stopped owner and founder of BespokeIND, Damian if anything he was encouraged to create a bespoke atelier service specifically for sneaker lovers giving them the foundations to learn, understand and put together their very own pairs of some of the the industries most popular models.
We sat down with Damian to go over his journey and what led him to create what has become one of the works leading bespoke sneaker ateliers.
Footpatrol: First of all, welcome Damian, thank you for spending time with us, we know you’re a busy guy! Before we hop straight into it could you introduce yourself for the readers?
Damian: Hi FootPatrol, Damian Sim here, Founder, Design Lead & Artisanal Architect of BespokeIND. Manually Made In Melbourne Australia.
FP: Let’s start from the beginning. You are a passionate sneaker lover who has been able to produce some of the highest quality bespokes on the market, could you share with us a bit about your journey and how you ended up starting BespokeIND?
Damian: Being born & raised in Melbourne Australia in the early 1980s, I embraced what my city had to offer as a young kid growing up in such an emerging multi cultural city, with so many influences & sub-cultures from across the globe. I embraced my asian heritage however I was pretty much influenced by US & Japanese subculture from the onset. Travelling to Tokyo & New York copious times over the decades to embrace the sneaker culture & learn from the best in the game.
Alike cities like Berlin, Paris, London, Tokyo & New York, Melbourne had an underground subculture growing in all facets of what we now know as Hype Culture. Graffiti, skateboarding, hip hop was the underground society of the ERA for these cities.
My early days stemmed prior to the evolution of the quote on quote word “sneakerhead”. The industry now is more like an all you can eat buffet, saturated with monthly drops & collaborations, less niche, with the big guys like Nike, retro’ing everything hot from that ERA. My ERA lol. Live your own ERA I say.
A niche almost geek like hobby & market, that has evolved into a mainstream industry, where the mums & dads are now embracing the industry like their offspring. Matching sneakers & fit with their kids, copping that extra pair to resell on the side. Whatever floats your boat I guess.
I came from the geek ERA of sneakers, before dial up internet, pre Nike Forum Talk days, where it was all about the actual sneaker itself, the shape, the form, the materials, the rake, the cushioning & technology, or who endorsed it or wore it, not so much what the sneaker itself will be worth in time like the stock market. A toxic culture now albeit, but whichever the ERA, it is good to know its thriving more than ever. Embracing it is all us old heads can do haha.
I submersed myself in the early stages of sneaker culture (late nineties) via basketball card collecting, NBA Jersey archiving, skateboarding, street art, & adopted a passion for collecting sneakers & all things rare around it. This was pre-internet ERA, so it was all about magazine subscriptions, mail orders & getting to know my local OG sneaker & skate stores to attain what I like & could afford.
I’ve always been that collector who collects rare & hard to find grails, whether that be sneakers, street art, vinyl toys, skate decks you name it, if it’s rare & fits into my DNA, I’ll likely collect it. I have been a consumer of hype product for years…. so this BespokeIND Atelier I have created is a means of expressing that DNA. I know what the kids want so to speak. Thats as bluntly as I can put things.
All the above most definitely paved the way & became the catalyst to how I ended up starting BespokeIND. This all leads to your question…….
“Since young, I have always been creative. Painting, drawing, sketching, sculpting, hand-sewing, taking things apart and putting them back together. Was a blessing in disguise I guess. My high school years I excelled in Media Arts & Graphic Design & won many awards for design & innovation. I completed my degrees in Business & Marketing/Media. I worked corporately for many years in my early work life, & have run my own businesses since for the last 12 years in a few industries.
This path gave me the opportunity to go full circle in 2013 when I was tired of the ground hog day vibe of doing what you don’t love. Life is about fulfilment isn’t it? Waking up everyday knowing you are doing what you love. Life with a purpose. Creating something that is unique & yours. That was, & still is my goal with BespokeINDs concept.
FP: BespokeIND has now got this huge worldwide following, did you ever see it taking off as much as it has?
I am only really just getting started to be honest. This “Conceptual Bespoke Sneaker Atelier” I have created is just a stepping stone for myself to unleash my own brand atelier in the near future. Due to Covid I have been unable to travel to get my next stage of my startup activated. I have been a consumer of this industry for so many decades… It is now my time to show my archive to the world. I’ve been archiving & sketching for years now. Everything thought is part of the process I guess. “My whole life has been retroed in some way or another”. I have always had attention to detail with everything I am interested in or have a passion for. The creative DNA, the decades of being that hype consumer & collector that has lived & breathed it before Sneakers became a personal gain, more than a passion, has been & will always be, the true catalyst as to why BespokeIND has taken off like it has.
FP: When you started how difficult was it to reproduce the lasts of the shoes? It doesn’t sound like a straightforward process when you hear some of the big brands having their fair share of issues with them.
Damian: Australia almost had zero industry with footwear when I first started researching shoe lasts manufacturing back in 2013, when I initially had this BespokeIND Atelier concept idea. I tried out my hand in Solidworks 3D software to develop the CAD drawing for 3D printing, but we soon found out that shoe lasts cannot be 3D printed for the purposes we required them for. RMIT Footwear was then my next point of contact.
Fast forward to 2015 I contacted various industry people locally to help me develop the correct shape shoe lasts from using my personal collection of my favourite classic silhouettes in OG format. An expensive exercise yet a necessary one, as you’d know even the likes of Nike get it wrong at times when they try to retro their own classic silhouette. For example, the Nike Air Max 1. For decades toes, mudguards, swooshes & heel heights were all over the place.
To create you have to destroy, so this is what I had to do to be able to get the right form for my lasts. The amount of hand wrap shaping I had to do over a course of say 2 years on & off to get my shoe last shape as perfect to mimic the OG shapes of these silhouettes was a huge task in itself. Although well worth it, as I have a master set that can pretty much make any shape sneaker we want now. A great step forward when we start developing my own archive line of sneakers.
Pressure points on how panels sat, toe box rake, mudguard heights, how the shoe is put together, or the miniscule little details on how the overall form & shape was from day one when it released, were all mandatory design details on how I perfected my set of shoe lasts across many classic silhouettes. Call it geeky, but this is what it takes.
As all experienced shoe makers say… “shape & form comes from the shoe last first & foremost”.
FP: How does the process go between yourself and the customer, is it very hands on from start to finish on everyone’s part or do people tend to come with a concept and let you take full creative control over it?
Damian: We are a full bespoke conceptual atelier & offer our clients an organic design to fruition service, which can be scaled from a simple custom edit on a factory sneaker, to a full blown build from a design sketch.
We offer partitions of this BespokeIND service with our 1of1 Classic Silhouette Program, Build Slot run of samples (for example the Air Diors or FL.OW pack), or full package “sketch to physical form sampling”. We can deal directly with the likes of Vibram, to develop the clients midsole design, where most would have to subcontract that type of development out.
Our client’s limitation is governed by their imagination & their budget. I would say 90% of our clientele are overseas, so interaction with clients from start to finish is crucial. It’s all handmade hours here, so we take it very seriously to ensure our clients are well informed about the whole process, & can visually see digital renders, materials in-hand by video conference or messaging apps prior to us commencing the actual build process.
We are transparent with our quotations & ensure all our clientele achieve their ultimate grail piece.
FP: Looking at your work the attention to detail is insane, do you have a Top 3 you’ve made since you started that have become your favourites?
Damian: Thank you. Perfectionist mentality is how I have conveyed BespokeIND from day dot. I never let anything slip from the process.
Top 3 is hard, I have done a lot of samples. But if forced to make one, it’ll have to be the samples I crafted that made the most impact for my creative reach. In no particular order :
Nike Dunk SB “FL.OW” – sold out in minutes & Leonard Futura Dosmil McGurr & Virgil Abloh reached out for their personal pairs, which was pretty special given it was their tapestry that inspired my idea.
MAKER : @DAMIANJENHOWESIM of @BESPOKE_IND
PHOTO : @SNEAKERFREAKERMAG
Nike Mars Air Jordan 3 Over Shoe – Probably the most technical build ever done in my studio. World first clout for sure. Using Tom Sachs’ over shoe, I designed & handcrafted a legit fireproof rated/waterproof Nike Air Jordan 3 with reinforced fibreglass textile woven into the upper, with all magnetic working clasps fully functional as Tom Sachs intended.
Part of this pack was a hybrid version of the inside Mars Yard 2.0 using a Footscape midsole (to date no one has had the balls to take apart that Overshoe the way I did, 99.9% just cut the bag off. I created two new shoes out of that Over Shoe, a similar end product like the FootPatrol x Undercover hybrid, however that was more straightforward.
MAKER : @DAMIANJENHOWESIM of @BESPOKE_IND
PHOTO : @PHOTOMONK3Y
Nike Air Max 1 – B Lucky & Sons – arcade gaming theme. Probably the most complex Nike Air Max 1 build BespokeIND/I have ever done. Day time glow panels, Pacman gaming screen toe boxes, working gaming ticket dispenser made out of kangaroo, you name it, I did it on this shoe lol. It’s also on display in my city with a massive ticket price that gamers can win from the arcade games. I think it was 450,000 tickets to win it.
MAKER : @DAMIANJENHOWESIM of @BESPOKE_IND
PHOTO : @LUCASBLACKMAN
FP: Now, we have seen a custom that recently caught our eye from yourself featuring a hybrid of the Undercover x Nike Daybreak sole unit and our Footpatrol x Nike Air Stab upper. Serious stuff!!! Could you tell us a bit about this project?
Damian: It was more to give back life to one of the best pre-hype sneakers to exist hehe. The Nike Air Stab has always been that devil between the 1 & the Ninety for me. The colour way you guys designed is timeless. Perfect. I would not have changed anything if I was part of this design in the day. I just wish they retroed the shape & OG panels correctly, which they didn’t.
It was only right, since I had acquired 3 pairs over the years, that I did something different to two of the pairs. I just had them laying around in my sneaker graveyard pile waiting for that right peripheral donor to show itself through my studio. The correct colour way midsole & outsole was crucial to these hybrids. I just patterned new mudguards & heels to be able to cover old glue lines & also give both shoes a new aesthetic. I hope I made you guys proud. More of a personal project for me to wear these again more than anything. However I did get many requests to open up build slots for these but I declined. I have to be super selective with projects these days.
FP: Is this the first time you’ve done a Footpatrol project or have you done others in the past?
Damian: First time.
FP: Do you get as many hybrid custom jobs as you do bespokes or was this more of a special one off project?
Damian: I get plenty of client requests however it has to work for me. I am selective when it comes to hybrids. Not anyone can make it work & execute it so it looks meant to be. Hard to explain the process but yes, many enquiries, but I usually just do my own pairs that are needing new soles or life. My vault has plenty of vintage. So I will be doing hybrids when I can, or when the right combination or donor turns up on the market.
FP: Damian it was great to meet you and thanks again for sitting with us! Before we let you go is there anything you want to share surrounding BespokeIND that you would like to get the Footpatrol family excited about?
Damian: Sorry for the rambling. Typing all this on the fly whilst making & playing catch up in my studio. We are like 6-12 month lead time now for our orders. It’s a crazy time, but a blessed time. Can’t wait to show the world my next step in this start up I created. Thank you FootPatrol. I’m a day one fan from Only in Sohos. I had friends in London at that time of drop. What a time to be alive! Would love to collaborate one day… Just saying 🙂
A brand that is built upon tradition and innovation, Mizuno are always keeping an eye out for fellow people that are going to play a big part in the future of the culture we know and love.
With this in mind, for summer 2020, Mizuno have teamed up with London based brand, Carefree. Founded by Damian Malontie, CareFree first started out as a blog where Malontie would document the books he was reading and written pieces from himself but since the launch of the new site, CareFree has managed to build an almost cult like following all after his made to order T-shirts, keeping the blog at the heart of it all.
This latest collaboration captures Malonties inspirations and styling with a mixture of 90’s colour hits featuring across the upper. Alongside the Jasper Green mesh sits the iconic Runbird logo in iridescent form bring a futuristic, yet old school approach to this retro runner. Finishing off the kangaroo leather body and primed leather toe box sits the CareFree logo perfectly on the heel.
To coincide with this release, Damian also sat down to create our next Frequent Players guest mix!
Footpatrol: It’s a pleasure to have you Damian! How are you?
Damian: Yes Sam! I’m a good man. Still standing, just about anyway.
FP: You are no stranger to the sneaker and streetwear scene having worked in and been a consumer for a number of years. For the Footpatrol readers who may not know you, could you share with us a bit about your story and how you got to where you are now?
D: Where do I start, hah! Will try to keep this short. First introduction into streetwear was Stussy really, when I was younger really got into that brand and trainers in general which led to me starting my working life in Size? and then FootPatrol before going onto Stussy/Gimme5 and fast forward from that to Patta and today Converse. I’d say mainly got here just by ceasing opportunities and just being really proactive. I remember working 6/7 days a week whilst at uni. I’d work at FP, intern at A Number of Names (S/O Craig Ford, been a while), go Uni and then do agency work via a blog I was part of Second To None (along with Bakar, Sam Blenkinsopp (Trippin) & Shola Branson), before all you other people had one (laughs). That was a really big plus actually and how I ended up getting a job at Stussy/Gimme5. I showed them shoots I produced for JD, Size?, we actually had our work on billboards and tubes all whilst I was studying. I’ve always had my hands in many pies. Now I’m finally learning to say no- sometimes.
FP: We are here of course to talk about your upcoming collaboration with your brand CareFree and Mizuno. Before we talk about the project, we want to talk a bit about CareFree. It originally started out as a blog if we’re right in saying, what brought you to create it in the first place?
D: I studied Journalism and had dreams of being a Journalist, then realised they got paid peanuts unless they’re famous. So always been into writing and reading. I had a blog before the one we see today, but it looked so dead, I often say it looked like a conspiracy theorist website. I was talking about a lot of trending topics we’ve seen recently; racism, inequality, black history/philosophy. I had to make the website accessible and fly. I had to use my sense of style and marketing I’d learnt from being around cool products/people and use that to direct people to the blog. CareFree was born.
FP: So what made you want to create a brand from that?
D: Well, in order to get awareness to the website and make it a thing, I needed something people could rep. So I done a t-shirt. I initially only wanted to do 1 t-shirt as my passion really lies with the blog and what that stands for. As soon as I done the logo t-shirt people demanded a restock and then more clothing. So I went ahead and started doing sweats and one/two colour options. Now we producing our own cuts of clothing and trainers!
FP: The brand name & logo are both very unique, can you tell us where the concept for both came from?
D: My whole aesthetic is inspired by the 90s. I like baggy denim and XL tees. The colours used are very 90s, typical sports/tennis colours from this period. My design skills are nowhere near great, but I like to think I know what a brand needs. I have very strict colour combo’s I use to maximise the basic designs. The logo is a reference of Seinfeld, although can I say I like mine better!? (laughs)
FP: Let’s talk about your Mizuno collaboration! What was it like working with the brand and having your own shoe collaboration?
D: Working with Mizuno was cool, pretty straight forward to be honest, I knew what I wanted to do. It helped having a familiar face in Wes too. Having someone who I’ve known from a lil distance there in my corner and looks like me was important. His CV is second to none in this industry, his name always popped up whilst I was working for Stussy/Gimme5. As a young guy I was like who is this guy!? Hah! Really made things smoother and I learnt so much, some things he gave me advice on which he didn’t have too. I respect him for that. Having the shoe, still hasn’t sunk in yet actually. I think it will when I see it on the shelf. Having my own shoe- man! It’s what kids growing up round my way dream about.
FP: The RunBird logo has an almost holographic effect to it changing between red and green, what made you want to add this detail to the shoe?
D: We originally wanted to put a hologram of the CareFree logo in there, but couldn’t make it happen for one reason or another. Yes you can have that idea for free. I wanted to add that iridescent detail to pay homage to the OG pair, which also has that, but with my colours. My take on this was, if CareFree did an OG Mizuno shoe, what would it look like? This is how I go about collabs putting my touch of something already successful, cause I only work with brands I actually wear, so I never need to change too much. Less is more. I could never make a loud shoe cause that ain’t me, I love simple kicks. That detail gave it a lil something different. It really pops out.
FP: You’ve mentioned in a past interview how in the future you would like the clothing to be influenced by the blog later down the line, was this the case with this collaboration or did you draw your inspiration from elsewhere?
D: It’s important to me I ain’t preaching or drumming stuff down people’s throats. Last drop I did a graphic that was influenced by the blog and next drop will have another one. I don’t want to do too much too soon. The main influence for this shoe was the 90s as a whole, which also influences my website.
FP: For the young creatives who are trying to make their mark in the industry now, what advice would you pass on to help them find their balance and get themselves started?
D: I definitely wouldn’t have experience without being in stores, seeing what sells and what doesn’t. Meeting people from brands. Working retail is a very good way to get foot through the door because you can express your personality, when these brands come into your store and build connects. Also just start! But only when you know what you want to tell the people. Always, people would say to me, you should start a clothing brand, for years. I only did 3 years ago- why? I had to live life, see some stuff and know what I am trying to say. Also I am very assured in my style and taste, maybe if I had done a brand 5 years ago I wouldn’t find it still cool today. But please- just start and don’t over think, you’ll figure it out as you go. Don’t do too much, stock up on ideas so you don’t put pressure on yourself to keep producing designs. I’ve only released 1 item so far that isn’t a logo based product in 3 years. Let people get familiar.
FP: Touching a bit on music, we know it is a big part of your life. Not only that your website also features a music segment too.
Could you give us a bit of insight into your music taste and the influences it has had on your career and the brand?
D: I come from a very musical family. I was literally the only one in the house who didn’t stick to playing an instrument. I was a fan but loved football too much and yes rumours are true, I’m quite good (laughs). Dad was a big influence on music for me, George Benson in particular as my dad plays guitar and then the likes of Steele Pulse. Music had a big influence on my career. It’s actually musicians that first saw what I could offer. Styling, connection with brands and just generally working with them. Musicians definitely saw my passion for creative work before any 9-5 did. Guys like Kamaal Williams saw my value back then. The music is a big part of the brand. It helps paint the picture.
FP: Damian thank you again for sitting with us to discuss your upcoming collaboration, before we let you go. What does the rest of this year have in store for you and CareFree?
D: Well- Hopefully I can do the party we had scheduled for March with Black Focus Records (Kamaal Williams) and Apron Records (Steven Julien), definitely was due to shut down London. Usually I only do one drop a year in terms of product, but this year there will be two but only this one time. Oh and yes it’s another footwear collab. That’s all you’re getting from me.
A familiar face around the streets of Soho, for our next Footpatrol Meets we pop round the corner to Jason Markk London and enlist Geoffrey to take us through his top 5.
Normally taking care of our sneakers, it’s now his turn to have the camera on him and show us what he has within his collection. Collecting ever since his parents told him not too, Geoffrey has amassed a wide array of sneakers. Below he takes us through his sentimental top five!
Footpatrol: Always great to have you with us Geoff! Before we start, could you share a brief introduction about yourself?
Geoffrey: Likewise! But for anyone who doesn’t know me I’m Geoffrey, I’m 29 and work for Jason Markk looking after the UK store operations and the marketing coordination for the brand also in the UK.
FP: So, what created this love for trainers that you now have today?
G: I got into sneakers because my parents didn’t let me buy trainers when I was a kid! So when i started making my own money, i really started getting myself into the groove for getting some form of a rotation or some form of a collection going just because i was always such a fan of loads of colours and loads of materials. At the time when I got into trainers, a lot of different brands were using a lot of materials and colours towards it, I used to match up my outfits with my trainers but it then all spiralled off into a massive collection now!
FP: Now you have got a crazy amount of shoes here! How was it trying to pick a Top 5 out of all this heat?
G: Picking my top 5 is probably the hardest thing I have had to do in a long time. It’s simply down to the fact I have so many trainers that I love and there’s always some form of a story to the majority of the trainers I do have. The reason I have decided to choose the 5 that I have today, is all of them in their own right have their own story behind them and how they I obtained them was special and sentimental to me. So that’s why I chose them, I believe trainers mean something very different to every person depending on what you went through to get it. This is more of a sentimental top 5 than a ‘hype’ top 5.
FP: Okay well let’s jump into it see what you picked! Where would you like to start?
G: Starting from 5, the Comme Des Garcon x Nike Mowabb. The reason I picked this shoe is because I’m a big fan of the Mowabb, so when Comme des Garcon reconstructed this shoe with the materials they chose and left the off-cut edges and different panelling, I was a really big fan of that. The material is also very interesting, it’s almost like suede which means it’s actually a lot more cleanable. I like the detailing also where the CDG replaces the ACG in the same font – nice and subtle. It’s a really good cream white shoe, perfect for summer.
Coming at 4th, my Nike Dunk Shima Shima took me a long while to get a hold of it and I got them for a good price. Originally it was thanks to @Archive.DNA for posting the shoe up and connecting the social media community together. So ‘Shima Shima’ means ‘Stripes Stripes’ in Japanese, so that’s shown by the Pinstripe detailing on the inside of the shoe and it also says ‘Shima Shima’ on the tongue. I actually got these for what was supposed to be £45 but the gent I got them off found out it was my birthday and knocked off a tenner, so I got these for £35 practically DS! This is a really strong 4th because I really like the light colour way, hits of the yellows, the leather is also quite interesting as well because it’s not a solid blue it has a sort of crackled finish to it which gives the shoe a really nice character.
3rd is the Nike Air Force 1 CVS from 1997. So this shoe was actually gifted to me by an old friend. He actually was trying to find a pair of Air Forces from the year I was born, he actually gifted these to me because I did him a favour – which I’m not gonna talk about haha! The detailing on them is insane, the swoosh is really fat, these are from the times Air Forces were still made in Korea and being from ‘97 they are holding up quite well. Still very wearable, the shape is just amazing and the detailing is all still there.
Coming in at 2nd! The Nike Footscape Woven ‘Pink Pack’, I actually really love this shoe and how I got it was quite a story in itself. I actually started trying to clean the shoe for one of my friends called Jimmy and he said a mad story behind it where someone stepped on his shoe and tried to clean and made it worse! He then dropped them to me to clean for him and I did the best I could. The part of the shoe that I love the most is the star perforation and during the cleaning process because the stain that he bought to me was to long, it didn’t completely lighten up as much as he would have liked it to but after I cleaned them and repelled them and he came to collect them he just said to me ‘You can just have them’. I lost my mind! But yeah, the perforations, the pinks hits on the lace, the heel and the iced pink outsole on the original Footscape sole made them really special for me and the fact they were free was a definite bonus. One of my all time favourites for sure!
Number 1! The 2001 Nike Air Force 1 Co.JP this is my all time favourite Air Force ever, in fact I love it so much that I have…. 2 pairs! A lot of OGs have been after this shoe for a long time like myself, luckily both pairs came to less than £100. I’m really lucky and really happy to have them. I like the Atmosphere Pink on the Swoosh, the linen leather and overall the shape of the Air Force from 2001 was really nice which isn’t so much shown on current day Air Forces.
FP: Geoffrey thank you again for giving us some insight into your Top 5 and the stories that came with them!
G: I hope you guys enjoyed it! Thank you guys for having me. It was a pleasure! For anyone that is looking for me, you can find me in Jason Markks on Carnaby Street when you guys have the time to pop by. Peace!
Next up in our Frequent Players series is London and underground bass resident, Barely Legal aka Chloe Robinson. Having been a part of this scene for over a decade now and with her own label beneath her, Barely Legal has amassed a core following bringing her dark sounds to all of us around the globe.
During this time, Barely Legal has become known for merging together a number of genres from jungle, grime, drum & bass and hip hop creating a unique sound and most importantly, creating unforgettable sets.
We managed to catch up with her before she took to the decks to create our next Frequent Players guest mix!
Barely Legal, welcome! It’s so good to have you here and joining us as our latest guest for our Frequent Players channel. Could you start by sharing a bit about yourself and your journey to where you are today?
Hey Sure thing- I moved to London back in 09 for Uni and being the enthusiastic loner that I am, I was hitting up certain club nights on my ones, consequently falling in love with certain sounds and DJs quite heavily. This ended up shaping me into the misfit I’d consider myself to be. I became heavily influenced by Rinse FM back then, still to this day tbf, and indulged heavily into the Dubstep, Grime and Garage scene which was thriving. The raver turned DJ element was off the back of a good friend encouraging me to buy decks during my second year of Uni- best decision I ever made. I practiced and it was solely a hobby, the prospect of making it a career hadn’t even crossed my mind, then everything all came at once. I started getting booked and then gained a residency on Mistajam’s BBC 1xtra show a year later. That was my big break which got the ball rolling.
What was the inspiration to want to DJ in the first place?
I found myself quite often at raves feeling free and enjoying myself but also being a nerd and feeling quite in tune with the reaction between the DJs selection and effect on the crowd. I’d often be there saying to myself mid rave ‘ah if they DJ played that over this that would have worked better’ so I think I instinctively had a selectors mind set before even knowing it was something I wanted to do. I really loved the multi genre DJs who mixed up all the underground sounds sick, where there were curve balls and they could re engage the crowd in a matter of seconds just by their next track. My attention span is quite short and I love variety so too much of the same genre isn’t really for me- it was these DJs that inspired me alongside certain raves and venues.
I was reading an article about yourself recently and they described you as a ‘Genre-blending breath of fresh air’. When I saw that the first thing that obviously comes to mind is how diverse your sound is as a DJ.
Have you always tried to keep mixing things up with the music you play throughout your career?
Yeah for sure, but my taste has expanded and developed over the years. I now play genres I didn’t even know I liked 5 years ago.
What about your musical/DJ influences, do you have any that helped you find your sound that you have today?
Yeah for sure, more so back in the day, but listening to certain tastemakers radio shows and being at certain sets definitely opened my ears to genres, labels and artists I would of otherwise been unfamiliar with.
You also have done your fair share of sets for Rinse FM as well, was that as a residency you did with them?
My first ever exposure as a DJ was recording a guest mix for Scratcha DVA’s Rinse FM Grimey breakfast show back in 2011, and then over the years I did the odd guest mix here and there. It was always my dream to have my own show but it never happened for me. Then three years ago I was approached by the station and offered a short residency consisting of 5 one hour shows over a week which has now become a monthly show
There’s no hiding that you have had an insane career so far, have you got the biggest highlight so far?
This year I did the iconic BBC Radio 1 Essential mix, that’s one of my biggest achievements for sure. Playing nearly 20 festivals a Summer consecutively over the past few years (lets just not discuss this Summer and festivals) is something I’m also proud of as well as my Pretty Weird European tour I put together last year. Another big deal for me was getting booked for Circoloco at DC10 in Ibiza last Summer.
You also launched your own record label ‘Pretty Weird’ in 2017, could you tell us a bit how that came into action?
I’ve always been keen to discover new artists and help push their music however I can, predominantly through radio. The aspect of discovering new music too goes hand in hand so the concept of starting a label as another platform to do this made sense. The bigger picture was to treat the label as a brand and curate parties, festival stages and collaborate with designers for merch- all of which I have achieved which is amazing.
How did you go about finding artists to join the ‘Pretty Weird’ roster and what would you say to any upcoming DJs who want to join the team?
I’ve found some artists through them sending demos to me directly, and others through actively finding their music via another platform of some kind, hearing something special, then reaching out! I’d say ensure you send music out in a format which you can preview off and download, preferably a Soundcloud private link, Dropbox is also decent.
Thank you again for joining us Barely Legal, we look forward to hearing what you have got in store for us in your mix! Before we let you go, is there anything you would like to share to the Footpatrol readers?
Tough times never last, only tough people last.
