Author: Bradley Martinez
For our latest discussion, we sat down with Remko Nouws. Being a part of Karhu’s lifestyle department, LEGEND, Remko plays a part in the brand globally taking on aspects such as PR and marketing. Having been part of Karhu since 2014, we’ve often worked closely with Remko when it comes to Footpatrol and Karhu so it’s great to get a deeper understanding into his role and the history of Karhu.
Footpatrol: Hey Remko, thank you for taking the time out to talk to us today! For our readers please can you introduce yourself and what you do for Karhu?
Remko: Hi Sam, thanks for the invitation, appreciate it! My name is Remko Nouws and I am born and raised in Amsterdam. I joined Karhu at the end of 2014 and I am globally responsible for LEGEND, Karhu’s Lifestyle category, which includes everything product, PR & marketing related.
FP: Karhu is a brand with so much history and has been around for over 100 years, something some may not be aware of! In the early years the company was producing a lot of sporting equipment specifically discusses, Javelins and even spiked running shoes, which led to a lot of Olympic success for Finish athletes before even going on to help make items for the Finish Military. How has these 100 years of history helped to shape the brand for what it is today?
Remko: As you mentioned, the brand is more than 100 years old (established in 1916). We are considered to be a smaller sports brand, but Karhu has the history of well-known key players in the market. Even though we lost everything because of a huge fire in the 1950s in Finland, we started to rebuild the Karhu archives years ago. The archive consists of original shoes, apparel, accessories, memorabilia and old catalogues going back as far as 1920. All of this helps us to develop new products and to come up with interesting concepts.
FP: One story that most people would have heard of is that Karhu originally owned the trademark for the ‘Three Stripes’ logo which they sold for around €1600 euro and some whisky! This led to the introduction of the M logo standing for Mestari, Finnish for Champion, logo that’s still in use to this day.
Remko: Haha, well according to the legend, this seemed to have taken place in the early 1950s. However, we are super happy with our M-logo in all shapes and forms. The design has been changed over the years. To me this also gives a lot of individual character to the silhouettes that were launched throughout these decades.
FP: Karhu continued to bring new products to market, with the introduction of the Champion Air, a shoe that launched in 1976 and featured a cushioned midsole and sold over 1,000,000 units worldwide. How did it feel to bring this iconic silhouette back to market 40 years on?
Remko: It was very exciting to bring back a shoe that for its time featured revolutionary technology. The ChampionAir was in the collection for years but the product teams of the 70’s and early 80’s slightly changed the design each year. We didn’t have the version we liked in our archive and by coincidence we found that exact original version via a person in Finland that still owned a pair. You can imagine that it felt like we were destined to bring back the shoe once we found the perfect reference!
FP: By the mid 1980’s you had moved away from the cushioning in the Champion Air and introduced a new technology, Fulcrum Technology. Can you tell us a bit more about this and how its evolved over the years?
Remko: Karhu is known for the Fulcrum technology, which was developed in 1986 in order to help runners run in a more efficient way. This meant that it was not about bouncing but moving forward. Previous to the Fulcrum technology, Karhu was using the Air Cushion system, but in Finland they realised that a different kind of movement was more efficient. The simplicity of the function and the design of the Fulcrum element helped Karhu to establish itself by having a unique point of view in the industry. The Fulcrum Technology is still Karhu’s main technology, and is featured in all our running shoes.
FP: In more recent times, going back the past 5 years even, Karhu have frequently collaborated with some of the biggest sneaker retailers and brands around the world! The Footpatrol Fusion 2.0 from 2016 is one of our favourites! How do these projects come about and what’s it like being able to work with these partners?
Remko: I can imagine that the Footpatrol collab was one of the team’s favourites, and to be honest, I am a big fan of the outcome of the shoe as well. You guys challenged us to use some new materials, which we later on also used inline. That is how it should be if you would ask me. But lets get back to your initial question.
In general we are not the brand that collaborates too often. We try to build a brand that can stand on its own two feet, so the main focus is on building the strongest possible inline collection, because there is quite some competition surrounding us. However, if we can collaborate with partners that can elevate Karhu, then we love to work together on a project. It happens that we are invited by a brand to visit their head quarters for a meeting and to get a look into their brand archives. These are the moments to treasure and you feel very fortunate working in this industry. I really like linking up, going back and forth with the partner and working on an amazing product, which hopefully is appreciated by fans around the world.
FP: Some of these partnerships have been amazing ways to reintroduce the consumer to older models from your archive and certain times we have seen Karhu go down the OG route and introduced a model in its original form, how is the decision made to reintroduce a silhouette with a partner vs the going down original route?
Remko: In general we introduce a model inline first. We want to show confidence in our own products instead of leaning on a partner for model validation. We recently launched the Legacy 96, an Air Cushioned runner that has started getting some love, so I think it could be the right time to get something in the works on the model. What do you think?
FP: One thing I have always admired of Karhu is the thought that goes into every pack of shoes that launches. The colour palettes, themes, storytelling and photography is always well thought out in every release. How closely do the design and marketing teams work together throughout this process?
Remko: First of all, this is a huge compliment for the team! We are well aware of the great stuff other brands launch, so we need to give 200% to keep up with them. This means that I am asking the teams to go that extra step (or two, or three), we can’t be “just” good; our stuff needs to be outstanding!
From the start, the teams work closely together and anybody with a good idea can give input. Sometimes the concept comes first, but it can also happen that a colour way or the use of materials inspire the team to come up with a suiting concept. But as I mentioned before, Karhu and its rich history seem to be the gift that keeps on giving and we are trying to use all that brand goodness in the most respectful, credible and fun way.
FP: In the media and press its been evident that there are a lot of Karhu enthusiasts out there as they have been spotted on numerous celebrities over the years! With a lot of brands partnering with celebrities, musicians, restaurants and even other brands over the likes of retailers and athletes. Would this be a route that we can expect to see Karhu venture down in the near future?
Remko: We have been very fortunate to see our shoes on the feet of some very talented and famous people, which of course helped to spear point the brand awareness of Karhu. Funny enough these moments came also with cool anecdotes. Can you imagine on a normal weekday in Helsinki, Shia LaBeouf steps into your store, and buys a pair of shoes which he later is spotted in during the film festival in Cannes, crazy right? Or that Kanye walks out of a restaurant wearing a pair of Karhu’s, this blew my mind of course! But to get back to your question, yes we are open to look into directions that are less usual, but it needs to fit Karhu as a brand. Our authenticity is very important to us, but it can be exciting to get out of the comfort zone. It can also be good to combine the two and work together with a retailer and an external designer. That will be our next step, but we are also in talks with a great upcoming fashion brand and the project will potentially launch in 2021.
FP: Remko, thank you for your time! Before we sign off please can you let the readers know what you are doing to keep active and inspired during these tough times! (Hopefully making use of the Footpatrol Run with Friends playlist) and what they can expect to see from Karhu throughout the rest of 2020!
Remko: The Karhu x Footpatrol “Run With Friends” Playlist is a MUST and at my home in daily rotation and I suggest all Footpatrol and Karhu fans to listen to it via the Karhu Store Spotify account (karustorehelsinki on Spotify). Next to listening to music, I have a little boy that is almost 1.5 years old. Being with him on a daily basis during this period was the biggest joy and trust me, chasing him kept me very active. We might have a problem, he is already way too much into footwear and I didn’t even force him to get into it, haha!
Again, thanks for the invitation Sam and hopefully it gave people a bit of an idea of what we do and drives us at Karhu. Both the LEGEND and Performance Running teams are very passionate so keep an eye on us; more good stuff is on the way!
Thank you,
#TEAMFP
Paying a faith nod to the 1992 Air Jordan 7 ‘Hare’, this Air Jordan 6 receives a stark white leather overlay with underlays of perforated leather in neutral greys borrowed from Bugs Bunny.
Still featuring the multi coloured tongue, (one of the most iconic details carried across) as seen on that original 7, this 6 plays it a bit more subtly hidden behind its translucent tongue with bursts of ‘True Red’ complimenting these additional colours.
Playing more on the Bugs Bunny theme, lace toggles are dressed in a orange and green hinting towards carrots.
To enter the ONLINE (UK APPLICANTS ONLY) 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 receive a special code in which they’ll have a limited time to purchase their raffle win via a unique link. The raffle is limited to one entry per household! Multiple entries will be cancelled!
Coming thick and fast during its 25th anniversary, Nike deliver us another iteration of their iconic Air Max 95 silhouette.
Building on a safari theme that has often graced Nike silhouettes in the past, this latest version takes a much more stripped back approach with a predominately white upper. Subtle details hint towards this continuing theme with a zebra print working its way across the gradient along with bursts of deep forest greens.
To enter the ONLINE (UK APPLICANTS ONLY) 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 receive a special code in which they’ll have a limited time to purchase their raffle win via a unique link. The raffle is limited to one entry per household! Multiple entries will be cancelled!
In a celebration of the silhouettes 25th anniversary, Nike pay homage to Sergio Lozano’s 25-year-old design with another look at the ‘Greedy’ iteration.
Bringing a sense of greediness to the forefront, this 95 has been dressed in a host of iconic colour ways that have been draped across the famous gradient. This Air Max 95 mashes them all together into one clean iteration with a distinct split between each panel.
To enter the ONLINE (UK APPLICANTS ONLY) 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 receive a special code in which they’ll have a limited time to purchase their raffle win via a unique link. The raffle is limited to one entry per household! Multiple entries will be cancelled!
After first connecting with Bossy LDN earlier in the year for the launch of our Nike Air Max 95 ‘110’ and the following launch event at Mantra, we took this recent opportunity to reach out to them once again to see how they are keeping active during lockdown and to create the next mix in our Frequent Players Guest Mix series
Footpatrol: Hey Dee, thank you for taking the time to talk to us today and providing us a with a mix to help everyone get through these difficult times. For our readers who may not be familiar can you please introduce yourself?
Thanks for having us <3 We are Dee and Izzy, a DJ and creative duo and founders of Bossy LDN!
Through Bossy LDN our aim has always been to pave the way, to push equality, to break down preexisting ideologies of the role of women in music, to connect culture, music and fashion, to highlight creators, to create opportunities for the next generation and contribute to the community. Over the years we’ve thrown events in London, been lucky enough to have DJ’d all over the world and have worked with the likes of Megan Thee Stallion, SZA, Smokepurpp and more!
FP: You and Izzy both featured in our Air Max 95 LDN campaign and DJ’d at the Mantra party earlier in the year. What you have you been up to since?
Obviously lock down as a concept sounds crazy and no one saw it coming, but we’re lucky enough to say that this time has been good for us. We’ve been able to reset and re-asses what’s important to us as well as having the space to be creative again. We’ve actually been doing a fair amount, including starting up our IG live series, every week we have work outs, Bossy Bedroom sessions with artists we love and guest DJ sets every Friday! You can watch them all back on our IGTV.
FP: How are you finding it with not being able to DJ out at parties? Have you stacked any new music ready for when we can go out again?
Deffo have been finding loads of new artists and songs as well as getting Inspo to curate our own tracks 👀! So many new songs I’m ready to play!! I’m not going to lie, I really miss feeling the base in my chest and vibe from everyone enjoying parties but I’ve had time to play around and practice my craft more & learn never to take anything for granted.
FP: You recently did an amazing online party with Highsnobiety, can you tell us a little more about that and do you intend to do anymore?
This was craaazy! A small idea that became a huge activation in collaboration with High Snobiety, a moment in history we will never forget and never thought we would find ourselves doing?! Our favourite DJ’s from all over the world, an 8 hour long stream, raising money for Refuge charity and World Health Organisation, amazing special guests including Kali Uchis, Coi Leray, BEAM, Shenseea and more PLUS exclusive tees!!. There might be something in the pipeline.
FP: What are you currently doing to help keep active and inspired during these times?
IZZY: Planning for our future and what is to come, listening to all my old playlists so many classic I need to play after this, vision boards, working out so much lol and making sure we are checking up and family and friends
DEE: Music has really been a big healer for me at this time, exploring anything and everything. I’ve done a lot of self pampering and been trying to get a grip on a workout routine haha! I’ve also been reading a lot and trying to gather up creative inspiration from various sources.
FP: And, to help us all look forward to when lockdown has been restricted a few quick fire questions…
Where is the first place you are going to go out for dinner?
IZZY: I feel like this changed every day for me but today I’m thinking Yauatcha soho
DEE: Roti King, I need my authentic Malaysian food please
FP: What are the first trainers you are going to wear out?
IZZY: I miss my Aleali May x Jordan 1 Retro High Viotech
DEE: I’m going to get on the Nike Rifts! Ready for this weather.
FP: What events are you looking forward to?
The one we are going to throw after this 😈🥳
FP: What is the first place you are going to visit?
IZZY: The airport hahaha
DEE: I’ve got my heart set on Vietnam, i’ll keep waiting
FP: What song are you going to close your first set with?
You will have to come and see for yourself flyer out soon hopefully lol
FP: Who is the first person you are going to visit?
Each other, it’s been so long!
FP: Thank you for your time today, finally can you let us know what we can expect to hear in this guest mix?
This mix is made up of the tracks that have kept us going through this time, old and new! A signature eclectic Bossy mix! We hope you enjoy <3
Thank you,
Stay Safe,
#TEAMFP
Linking back to the last years Air Jordan III that was heavily inspired by big cats and had an overall jungle theme, this latest animal inspired iteration looks more towards a dark, reptilian scene with a host of textures including croc, ostrich leather and snakeskin.
To enter the ONLINE (UK APPLICANTS ONLY) 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 receive a special code in which they’ll have a limited time to purchase their raffle win via a unique link. The raffle is limited to one entry per household! Multiple entries will be cancelled!
The design brings together a 90s attitude and aesthetic with a well-worn feel. The browns, tans, and oranges at the painted base layer of the exposed foam are derived from a trail-inspired style of overlays with a colour palette akin to Travis Scott’s affinity for vintage style.
The midsole combines Nike React foam, with a 270-degree air unit at the heel. The waves on the upper act as an extension of the embedded grooves of the midsole, while fleece at the ankle provides a bit of plush, comfortable appeal. The Cactus Jack logo appears at the heel-tab and insole, while a retro colored lace-lock holds onto the tongue-tab.
The trail-inspired Nike x Travis Scott Apparel Collection is the embodiment of uniting sportswear comfort with utility. Included are a hoodie, sweatpants and t-shirt. With cargo features, the hoodie and sweatpants are ideal for the individual who won’t sacrifice comfort for function, and vice versa. Rounding out the collection is the accompanying pocket t-shirt.
To enter the ONLINE raffle (UK APPLICANTS ONLY) for the Travis Scott x Nike Air Max 270, CLICK HERE
To enter the ONLINE raffle (UK APPLICANTS ONLY) for the Travis Scott x Nike APPAREL, 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 receive a special code in which they’ll have a limited time to purchase their raffle win via a unique link. The raffle is limited to one entry per household! Multiple entries will be cancelled!
With an extensive array of colour ways under the Jordan brand’s belt, there are a few that have stood the test of time. The ‘Concord’ and ‘Bred’ are two of these colour ways that are instantly recognisable as two of the most iconic.
And it’s these two iconic colour ways that have been brought to the forefront in this most recent AJ11. The AJ11 ‘Concord’ that was worn during the ’96 season can be seen dressed across the upper whilst the ‘Bred’ has been reimagined on the outsole.
Although a mash up of two colour ways, the AJ11 stays true to its original form with signature details like the translucent outsole, the carbon-fibre plate and even the moulded sockliner, they all stay true to that worn by MJ.
To enter the ONLINE raffle (UK applicants only), CLICK HERE!
To enter, you’re required to sign up via the above form, this WON’T be available in-store to sign up on.
Online raffle winners will receive a special code in which they’ll have a limited time to purchase their raffle win via a unique link. The raffle is limited to one entry per household! Multiple entries will be cancelled!
Ever since its founding, New Balance’s Tokyo Design Studio have been busy working their magic on collaborations such as AURALEE and even the outdoor supremos, Snow Peak. Now, they turn their attention back to the RC 1300. After a much more vibrant edition of the RC 1300 came to light, New Balance’s Tokyo Design Studio are back with another iteration of the much sought after silhouette.
This latest RC 1300 is dressed in a range of blue and grey hues that seems to take inspiration from the original New Balance 1300 which we saw revisited earlier in 2020.
The aggressive ENCAP and ABZORB cushioning is matched with a rugged Vibrant outsole whilst brand is kept to a minimum, letting the silhouette do all the talking.
To enter the ONLINE raffle (UK applicants only), CLICK HERE!
To enter, you’re required to sign up via the above form, this WON’T be available in-store to sign up on.
Online raffle winners will receive a special code in which they’ll have a limited time to purchase their raffle win via a unique link. The raffle is limited to one entry per household! Multiple entries will be cancelled!
In early 2018, we started to tease the opening of our first store outside of the streets of Soho, London. Fast forward to 2020 and we’re now excited to be celebrating our 2 years of Footpatrol Paris. Opening its doors in May 2018, within the heart and soul of the historic district of Le Marais at 45 rue du temple. For this special occasion, in these unordinary circumstances, we have chosen to retrace these 2 years of fond memories and bring you a special event.
To begin, we look towards one of the biggest dates within the sneaker calendar, Air Max Day 2019. We welcomed in store the new model of Nike which also featured the latest in Air technology, the Air Max 720. This was a great opportunity to look at this latest, and most futuristic model to date alongside the past with each member of the team paying homage to Air by sharing their favourite of Air Max.
To mark the 20th anniversary of the Nike Tailwind, Nike set out on re-releasing the shoe in OG colour-ways. This launch also coincided with our first year anniversary. To celebrate, we teamed up with Nike for a joint celebration of our one year and the history between Air Max and Paris (let’s not forget that Tinker Hatfield was originally inspired by the iconic Centre Pompidou when envisioning the first visible Air Unit). To celebrate this coming together and with the help of Parisian creative agency Yard, we looked at those creatives, community figures and consumers that are around us everyday since opening our doors.
This all came together for the first year party which featured the portraits of those certain individuals around a loft space that brought a house party atmosphere to the heart of the capital.
In 2019 we brought you Footpatrol Paris’ first collaboration with the cafe Paper Boy Paris. This consisted of a selection of t-shirts and hoodies that saw the coming together of our Gasmask logo with their Running Boy logo. A party followed at Footpatrol at 45 rue du temple in Paris which turned more into a street party by the end of the night. Paperboy delivered on food and ‘Instagrammable’ drinks throughout the evening before making their way to our London store, bringing the Parisian style to the streets of London.
Fashion week in is part of the capitals history, hosting some of the biggest names within fashion for a week long celebration. With sneakers becoming more and more prominent within fashion week with numerous collaborations on show. To celebrate in Footpatrol style, we teamed up with Jason Markk by placing the JM throne in the window of the shop for free express cleans, making sure everyone had sneakers that were street style ready!
Looking back to that first anniversary, one of the DJ’s that hosted the evening, Kirou Kirou has joined us once again for to deliver us this exclusive mix in celebration of our two year anniversary. Composed of ingenious mixtures of Hip Hop and electronic music, find the mix below!
On the occasion of our two years anniversary, we’d like you to join us over on the @footpatrol_paris Instagram! We’ll have a talk with the store staff, surprise guests and one exceptional competition for one lucky winner!
Au début de l’année 2018, nous avons ouvert notre premier magasin en dehors des rues de Soho, à Londres. Nous sommes maintenant en 2020 et nous somme ravis de célébrer les 2 ans de Footpatrol Paris. Le magasin à ouvert ses portes en mai 2018, au cœur du quartier historique du Marais au 45 rue du Temple. Pour cette occasion spéciale, dans ces circonstances inhabituelles, nous avons choisi de retracer ces 2 ans de bons souvenirs et de vous préparer un événement spécial.
Pour commencer, nous nous tournons vers l’une des plus grandes dates du calendrier des sneakers, L’Air Max Day. Nous avons accueilli en magasin en 2019, le nouveau modèle de Nike composé de la dernière technologie Air, l’Air Max 720. C’était une excellente occasion de se pencher sur ce modèle, qui était à l’époque le plus récent et le plus futuriste de la marque. Chaque membre de l’équipe était invité a partager sa paire favorite d’Air Max pour l’occasion !
Pour marquer le 20e anniversaire de la Nike Tailwind, Nike a décidé de relancer la paire dans ces coloris OG. Ce lancement a également coïncidé avec notre premier anniversaire. Pour fêter cet anniversaire, nous avons fait équipe avec Nike pour une célébration commune de notre première année d’existence et de l’histoire entre l’Air Max et Paris (n’oublions pas que Tinker Hatfield a été à l’origine inspiré par l’emblématique Centre Pompidou pour créer la première unité d’air visible). Pour célébrer ce rassemblement et avec l’aide de l’agence créative parisienne Yard, nous avons invité les créatifs, personnalités fortes du quartier du Marais et les clients qui nous entourent tous les jours depuis l’ouverture de nos portes, pour créer une campagne inédite autour de la Tailwind IV.
Nous nous sommes alors tous réuni pour fêter notre premier anniversaire dans un loft caché au sein de la capitale. C’était aussi l’occasion de présenter de grand kakémono à l’effigie des figures emblématiques du Marais dont nous parlions plus haut.
En 2019, nous vous avions proposé la première collaboration de Footpatrol Paris avec le café Paper Boy Paris. La collaboration était composée de t-shirts et sweats à l’effigie de nos 2 logos, le Gazmask et le Running Boy. S’en suivait une soirée chez Footpatrol au 45 rue du temple à Paris ! Paperboy s’est occupé toute la soirée de la nourriture et des boissons avant de se rendre dans notre magasin de Londres, apportant le style parisien à SoHo.
La Fashion Week fait partie intégrante de l’histoire des capitales, accueillant certains des plus grands noms de la mode pour une semaine de célébrations. Au fur et a mesure des années, les sneakers ont pris de plus en plus de place pendant cette semaine dédiée à la mode. Pour célébrer cette semaine, Footpatrol à fait équipe avec Jason Markk en plaçant le trône JM au sein du magasin pendant toute une soirée pour des nettoyages express gratuits !
Rappelez-vous de notre premier anniversaire ! L’un des DJ qui a animé la soirée, Kirou Kirou, nous a de nouveau rejoints pour nous livrer ce mix exclusif à l’occasion de nos deux ans. Composé de mélanges ingénieux de Hip Hop et de musique électronique, retrouvez le mix ci-dessous.
A l’occasion de nos deux ans, nos vous proposons un événement inédit ! Retrouvez nous en live, sur le compte Instagram d’@footpatrol_paris ! Au programme, takl avec le staff du magasin, invités surprises et concours exceptionnel !
Nike Air Max 720
Footpatrol Paris 1st Anniversary x Nike Tailwind
Footpatrol x Paperboy
Footpatrol x Jason Markk, Paris Fashion Week 2019
