Author: Jake Archer
Remember the early days of Instagram; where we made obscene edits with overly saturated filters. A time when we could only post pictures and where we as consumers became engrossed by people laying out their ‘outfit of the day’ on the floor like it was the hottest topic on the news. Well for those nostalgic Footpatrol fans we have tried to do just that with our latest Communi-T release.
Having worked with Bravado and many other like minded brands. South Korean based illustrator / artist, Cityboy brings a nice twist to the existing outfit breakdowns previously seen on social media and community groups.
Utilising Cityboys signature style, we have collaborated on this exclusive release to bring you our latest Communi-T project. Dressed in the artist graphics seen on his socials, you aren’t going to want to miss this!
Now available HERE!
Footpatrol: Before we get into your work, let’s start off with a brief introduction. Please let us know who you are and what you do?
City Boy: Hello, I’m Kim Young-han, an illustrator from Seoul. I majored in visual design and illustrated as a hobby. I started drawing whilst looking at a snapshot from a fashion magazine. Then, I thought, “How about drawing my favourite daily look and sharing it?” Since then, I have been working as a style guide illustrator.
Footpatrol: How would you describe your signature style?
City Boy: I would say an illustrated style guide – for instance, a woman dressed in a crew neck sweat, t-shirt and jeans eating ice cream on a hot day. Or a man in a suit and glasses combing his hair whilst watching a movie. If you create a scene that anyone can relate to, people can be more immersed in your work, and naturally, their eyes go to the brands and items featured.
There is limited information given on the clothing. For example, cool linen and stiff corduroy fabrics can be difficult to paint. I use various brushes to show the textures that can show the materials. To show waterproof clothing I add raindrops on the clothing surface.
Footpatrol: You’ve also implemented some animation into your work too. Did this develop naturally over time or was this something you intended to add?
City Boy: When we see something moving, we give it more attention. Static expressions have visual limitations. Dynamic expressions catch the eye. I naturally started working on animation. It is also suitable for using Instagram Reels.
Footpatrol: Were there any artist inspiration or references growing up that pushed you into this style of illustration?
City Boy: When I majored in college, I drew illustrations while reading fashion magazines. The one I referenced the most at that time was Popeye (Japanese fashion magazine). I would draw while looking at the daily life and look of a city boy directed by magazine Popeye. I was fascinated by the indescribable atmosphere it created. Those works would have been at the root of my current illustration. My other reference is to go out and look at my daily life carefully. I like to work outside the house.
Footpatrol: One of the things that catches the eye of viewers, is your visual breakdown of each item of clothing & the brand featured in the characters outfit. Can you tell us how this idea came to life?
City Boy: There are many works in magazines that describe each outfit of a character. I must explain the costume that they are wearing in my work. Sharing my favourite styles with everyone.
However, I borrowed the power of the branding. I thought the visual appeal of a brand logo was more attractive than writing. It creates a stronger more visual appeal when matched with my illustrations.
Footpatrol: Can you walk us through the concept behind your Communi-T design?
City Boy: I wanted to bring inclusivity into this Communi-T project by featuring a male and female model wearing previous Footpatrol collaboration archive pieces. To bring out the atmosphere of the illustration, I also added fixtures into the designs – one of them was a vending machine – It creates a setting for the consumer to relate to.
Footpatrol: How did you find yourself conceptualising the idea for this project?
City Boy: There are so many vending machines in Japan. A few months ago, I was walking on the streets of Kyoto and saw a vending machine lying on the streets. It was lying alone, like an island. I was fascinated by its charm and took pictures. When I was painting an illustration of chilling atmosphere, I included this vending machine.
Footpatrol: What’s next for you after this project, anything exciting you can share with us?
City Boy: Immediately after this project, I have another t-shirt with a different brand!
Footpatrol: Thanks again for your time. It’s been a pleasure working together on our latest Communi-T project! Before we let you go, is there anything you would like to say to sign off the interview?
City Boy: It was fun working with Footpatrol. When you work on illustrations for a brand, it gives you insight into their history and culture. I was so grateful for Footpatrol to allow me the freedom to do my work in my way.
Thank you for supporting my work! Many people look at my illustrations and refer to my style. I will always look to try and draw different variations.
My aim is to create content that can be enjoyed in various forms that can be seen, felt, and touched.
To celebrate the launch of the J Balvin x Air Jordan III ‘Medellin Sunset’, we’re utilising this launch to give back to the community.
We’ve teamed up with Brixton Soup Kitchen for a special activation that requires your help. To access the in-store draw, those who would like to enter will need to donate a tinned food good to a member of the Footpatrol London team. The team will then provide you with the in-store draw form to fill out to enter the draw. Once ended, these will all be donated to Brixton Soup Kitchen to give back to the community.
T&Cs below.
Donate canned food item for the chance to enter the J Balvin x Air Jordan III ‘Medellin Sunset’ In-store Draw
By taking part in this raffle, you accept and agree to these terms and conditions. If you do not agree with any of these terms and conditions, then you should not take part in the raffle. It is your responsibility to ensure that you review the terms and conditions before entering the raffle. We, JD Sports Fashion plc (t/a Footpatrol), recommend that you print and store or save a copy of these terms and conditions for future reference during the raffle. Footpatrol is the promoter of this raffle, which is run in conjunction with Brixton Soup Kitchen, Charity Number: 1159976.
- What can you win?
Each person who donates a minimum of one (1) item of tinned food, will gain access to enter the in-store draw for the J Balvin x Air Jordan III ‘Medellin Sunset’ (the “Prize”).
This draw is taking place in Footpatrol’s London store only. The address for the store is Footpatrol, 80 Berwick St, London W1F 8TU (the “Participating Store”).
The Prize is subject to availability (size, styles and colours). The Prize may not be exchanged for a cash value, nor is it transferable. The Prize is subject to winner confirmation (i.e. Footpatrol has been able to contact winners and has been able to confirm eligibility). Footpatrol has the right to change, alter or withdraw the raffle or Prize at any time due to any change in any applicable law or any events outside the control of Footpatrol. Footpatrol shall not be responsible for any delay, cancellation or rescheduling of the Prize. If any part of the Prize is not claimed (for whatever reason), Footpatrol is under no obligation to supply an alternative prize.
This is an instore raffle and the winners have to collect their Prize in-store at 80 Berwick St, London W1F 8TU on or before 19:00 on Sunday 24 September 2023.
2. What is excluded from the prize?
It is the winners’ responsibility to organise and pay for anything excluded from the Prize, including transport to and from the Participating Store to collect the Prize.
3. Who can enter?
Entrants must be aged 18 years or over. Entrants will need to have an email address, Instagram account, and follow the ‘How to enter’ section below.
Footpatrol reserves the right to ask the winner to provide proof of age. Employees (and their immediate family) of the JD Sports group (http://www.jdplc.com/our-group/sports-fashion.aspx), or anyone else professionally connected with this raffle are not eligible to enter the raffle. Footpatrol reserves the right (at its sole discretion) to decide if the eligibility criteria are met. If the eligibility criteria are not met, the entry will be invalid.
4. How to enter
Entrants can enter the draw by:
- Bringing at least one (1) can of tinned food (which must be in-date and consumable) to the Participating Store (Footpatrol London) between 10am BST Wednesday 20 September 2023 to 3pm BST Friday 22 September 2023; and
- Completing the in-store draw form provided by a Footpatrol member of staff. Entrants will need to provide the following details to enter the raffle:
- Full name;
- Email address;
- Shoe size; and
- Instagram handle.
Once the form has been completed successfully and you have handed over at least one (1) can of tinned food, your participation to the draw will be complete. Please note only in-date canned food goods will be accepted.
All donations for this raffle will go to Brixton Soup Kitchen, who we have partnered with to celebrate this launch.
Participation is limited to one entry per person. If more than one such entry is received, only the first entry will be accepted. No responsibility is taken for entries that are lost, delayed, misdirected or incomplete or cannot be delivered or entered for any technical or other reason.
5. Closing times
The raffle will open on Wednesday 20 September 2023 at 10:00am (UK time) and will close on Friday 22 September 2023 at 15:00pm (UK time). Donations after this period will still be accepted and passed on to Brixton Soup Kitchen however, you will not be eligible to participate in the draw.
6. How are winners selected?
Footpatrol will select the winner from the correct guesses randomly using a random name generator. The decision of Footpatrol is final and binding on all entrants. No correspondence will be entered into regarding the selection of the winners (other than with the winners themselves). The winners will be notified via email that they have won and will be required to bring valid ID with them when they collect their Prize from the Participating Store. Valid ID is required so that Footpatrol can verify the winner’s entry. The winner will have two (2) days to purchase their Prize from the Participating Store. In the event that the winner does not purchase and collect their Prize from the Participating Store within 2 two) days (which, for the avoidance of doubt shall be no later than Sunday 24 September 2023 at 19:00pm (UK time)), they will be considered to have waived their right to the Prize.
7. Winners Responsibilities
It is the winners’ responsibility to: (i) donate at least one (1) can of tinned food; (ii) organise and pay costs for anything excluded from the Prize, including travel to and from a Participating Store; (iii) complete all stages of the How to enter section above and present evidence of such completion to a member of staff in a Participating Store; (iv) provide accurate contact details; (v) provide valid proof of age, which is required to enter the raffle; (vi) adhere to local laws in the UK (vii) comply with any rules, instructions, requirements, terms and conditions or regulations of the event organiser. Footpatrol will not be liable to the winners or any other persons where they fail to comply with such responsibilities and any such failure may result in forfeiture of the Prize.
8. Personal Information
For full details on how Footpatrol uses your information, view our Privacy Policy here
9. Publicity
By taking part in the raffle, entrants may be invited to participate in publicity at Footpatrol’s request if they are a winner of the raffle. Entrants agree that Footpatrol (or any third party nominated by Footpatrol) may in its sole discretion use their comments relating to the Prize and their experience for future promotional, marketing and publicity purposes in any media worldwide without notice and without any fee being paid (including for the avoidance of doubt when responding to any third party). Any use of images or other personal information that could identify entrants will be subject to the entrants’ consent.
Footpatrol reserves the right to withdraw the Prize (or any part of it) if a winner breaches any of the terms in these terms and conditions or if they are found to have acted in a dishonest or fraudulent manner.
10. Which law applies to this raffle
This raffle is governed by the law of England and Wales and the participants to the raffle submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.
11. The promoter
The Promoter of this raffle is JD Sports Fashion Plc t/a Footpatrol, Edinburgh House, Hollinsbrook Way, Pilsworth, Bury, Lancashire, BL9 8RR. If you wish to contact JD Sports in relation to the raffle, please use the following address: Donate canned food item for the chance to enter the J Balvin x Air Jordan III ‘Medellin Sunset’ In-store Draw, JD Sports Fashion plc t/a Footpatrol, Marketing Department, Hollinsbrook Way, Pilsworth, Bury, Lancashire, BL9 8RR.
For the launch of the New Nike Air Footscape Woven, we worked together with Satara Achille AKA RUG CITY on a 1 of 1 bespoke rug that draws influence from the Footscape elements. We caught up with Satara to see where RUG CITY started and to hear what inspires her work.
Footpatrol: Hey Satara, Hope you’re well, and thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions! Can you please start with a little about who you are, and what you do?
Satara Achille: Hey! Thanks for having me. I’m Satara – but I also create under the name Rug City. I’m a multidisciplinary artist / designer in London. I make rugs and paint but I also have a background in digital design and UX.
FP: Where do your inspirations come from? And what ignited the spark to start rug making?
SA: I started in the first 2020 lockdown after going through some personal tribulations. So this is really the basis of why I do what I do, and where I draw my inspiration from. It started as a hobby and was all self-taught, with the name initially being a bit of a joke. It was Rug City Bitch from Rack City but I ended up dropping the Bitch and Rug City kinda stuck. At the time, I really wanted to get away from screens, and back to a craft that felt more hands on. My background is in graphics / design and interaction, so a lot of what I do day to day is very digital and screen-based. Tufting felt like the perfect antithesis to that.
FP: Can you tell us about the tufting process as opposed to other rug making techniques?
SA: When I first started making rugs, they were hand knotted and tiny. A ‘rug’ , say, 20x20cm took me about a month to make. Tufting is a bit of a level up from hand knotting. You have a tufting gun, which is some serious machinery. You can make bigger pieces in half the amount of time and you’re not limited to, what I like to call, a ‘pixel mesh’ canvas. You can pretty much draw anything you like with a tufting gun, as well as play with carving and shaping your rugs. My process generally starts from sketching, most of the time on screen. I can also write code so this becomes part of my practice in the design process. Some of my warped designs will go through code, to get a somewhat serendipitous output. Then I’ll project onto the canvas and tuft away. This then gets shaved, cut, glued and then backed. There’s way more to the tufting process than the tufting itself.
FP: There’s an emphasis on type and smiley faces in your works, is there any particular reasoning behind this?
SA: Most of my designs pair tongue-in cheek slogans with contradictory visuals, which comes from having a bit of a rough time with my mental health. My work outwardly says “it’s ok” but with warped and distorted visuals it questions if it’s really ok? Rug City is a reminder that if you repeat something enough, it can become your reality. I love playing with words and visually representing them.
In terms of the smileys, I love 90s rave flyers and how rave culture took the smiley and made it its own. It gave the smiley a whole new meaning and became a totem for running away, having fun and forgetting all your problems. It’s also always used in times of societal turmoil, so felt fitting especially when it all started in the midst of lockdown.
FP: The Footscape was often known for its elaborate patterns and material choices, if you had an opportunity, how, and with materials would you make your own pair?
SA: I’d love to see my rug city smiley pattern on one in chenille, it’s got a fuzzy texture that’s the closest thing to a tufted rug on a small scale.
FP: and something we always like to ask, if YOU were a Nike shoe, what one would you be?
RC: By day a Cortez and by night a TN
FP: For anyone looking to start rug making, what’s the basics you need? From materials to kit?
SA: There’s a fair amount of kit you’ll need to get going with. The basics are a tufting gun and monks cloth, which acts as your canvas and a tufting frame. I think you can get some ready to go frames online but most of these are pretty small so it’s best to custom build your own. And then of course, yarn.
FP: Thank you for taking the time to chat to us, are there any shoutouts or words of wisdom you want to share for anyone looking into picking up rug making?
SA: Lean into the process. Experiment, and Google and YouTube as much as you can. Each rug will get better and better.
Puma knew exactly what was needed to get fans warmed up ahead of the Notting hill Carnival. Alongside Wray & Nephew providing drinks, Bokit’La serving up some classic carnival must eats, and a host of star DJ’s, the scene was set at west London’s Unit 1.
The shoe of the hour, Puma’s Velophasis could be seen sported on foot across the venue, coming in a variety of low key and vibrant colour ways, it would certainly be a great choice for carnival goers. Sporting a large footprint and supportive panels with an array of accents across the silhouette it offers a pallet for every individual.
Keyrah got the party started, getting the growing crowd in the carnival spirit with some classic rhythms.
Remi Burgz took to the mic alongside Selecta Suave to elevate the vibes further with a host of bashment and bassline selections. Going back-to-back, they made sure everyone knew they were at the waviest pre carnival party. With the London weather being kept at bay, the party was as much alive outside the venue as it was inside.
Izzy Bossy brought some absolute bangers to the decks with her high energy mixes and blends. The dance floor at this point was certainly on fire with everyone putting in their two step. The folks at Jewels + Drillers had lines out the door for a chance to get carnival ready withs some custom tooth gems and nail art.
Next up on stage was Willow Kayne and General Levy, both giving it the most, duetting on stage and raising the roof with their individual flare and stage presence. It was most definitely a moment every raver present will remember and they both seamlessly flowed back and forth.
Rachel Anson finished off what was left of the night, and the crowds energy with some high octane tempos to see everyone well into the weekend.
Footscape fans are freaking out right now as Nike prepares to resurrect its Nike Air Footscape Woven, which makes its return to retailers at the end of this month. So far, the American footwear giant has confirmed two reissues: a ‘Black’ and ‘Cow Print’ – both of which come complete with the original signature asymmetrical lacing system along the upper and a chunky midsole infused with Air tech for extra comfort and bounce. There are also rumours of collaborations this year, including Sacai’s Magmascape and Bephie’s Beauty Supply x Union LA x Air Jordan 1, which are heightening anticipation surrounding its return.
But of course, the hype hasn’t come without the hate. As any seasoned sneakerhead will tell you, the Air Footscape has a chequered history in sneaker lore. A unique and eye-catching model, the Footscape has been divisive from the start. Designed by Tory Orzeck (also responsible for the Air Moc, and developing Nike Foamposite technology) and developed by Nike’s Advanced Project Engineering Group, the 1996 oddball asked people to ‘Trust your feet, not your eyes.’
True to its strapline, the Footscape didn’t prioritise face value beauty, instead refocusing innovations to improve comfort for the wearer. In an experimental move, Orzeck proposed creating a ‘Footform’ shoe built correctly around the anatomical shape of the foot. While the ergonomic upper and asymmetric lacing system gave way to its perfect ‘form-fitting’ structure, Orzeck’s off-centre orthopaedic lacing system raised eyebrows in the sneaker community. Orzeck told Sneaker Freaker that ‘the Footscape was almost killed as being too risky’ due to its then-zany lacing and link to orthopaedic footwear.
Today, the iconic system has become the standard for football boot design, alongside plenty of lifestyle models, but almost 30 years ago it was a radical concept for the average sneaker enthusiast to get their head around. This is perhaps why the Footscape, in all its retro releases, new variations and wild colourways has continued to divide opinion, especially in Europe and America, where fans either “love it or hate it.”
In Japan, however, the cultural status of the Footscape is vastly different. Though many attribute the Footscape’s success to the last fitting the wide Japanese foot shape, Manuskript editor Masayuki Ozawa counters this saying its popularity actually stems from the curiosity surrounding the sneakers advanced technology. “The ergonomic concept of the design and its side shoelace system which relieved pressure on the instep was a truly innovative in terms of footwear technology,” says the Tokyo-based sneaker expert.
Ozawa, who has published titles such as “Tokyo Sneaker History” (Rittorsha) and “The 1995 Nike Air Max Shoes” (Chuokoron-Shinsha) says the Footscape arrived at the dawn of high-tech sneakers dropping in Japan at the time. “Although we were gradually getting used to seeing more eccentric designs such as the Reebok Pump Fury and Air Max 95, Japanese fashion in the 90s was still not aggressive and conservative.” In fact, he says the initial drop of Footscape colours weren’t even that popular when they first released in 1996. “If you checked magazines and stores regularly, they were never a shoe you could not afford to buy, partly because the number of sneaker lovers was small compared to now.”
It wasn’t until the 2nd and 3rd generation of colours arrived that local sneaker heads starting paying attention. The initial lukewarm reception quickly turned into a frenzy as sneakerheads began to dig back into the archives and swooping up the OG pairs they originally slept on – a trend common to all high-tech sneakers released in Japan at the time, according to Ozawa.
The Footscape wasn’t the only hit among Japanese sneakerheads in the late ‘90s. Linus Nutland, founder of London-based Nike specialist reseller @nikeserver, says it was among a handful of models that, in the past, had a cult following in Tokyo’s booming sneaker scene. “Three that come to mind are the Air Woven, the ACG Pocket Knife and the ACG Okwahn,” reveals Nutland. “All three have striking appearances, are incredibly practical and released in striking colourways. The Footscape hits all of these points and then some!”
Nutland cites the craftsmanship behind models like Air Footscape Woven, the 00s’s successor to the OG 96 release, as the main appeal to the Japanese sneakerheads. “It’s a silhouette that has an artisanal feel to it with the woven strip on the upper, which makes this model even more desirable to the Japanese market,” he says, stating how the sneaker likely stood out in Tokyo’s eclectic streetwear scene. “Sneakerheads naturally want to stand out, yet it must be harder to stand out in a vastly populated city like Tokyo, unless you have a more left-field taste. So this is no doubt one of the reasons why these models do so well.”
Its this thirst for innovation, combined with an inherent respect for tradition that makes Japan’s sneaker scene is so interesting, according to @Yoblessed. “The idea of looking forward while appreciating the past,” says the Footscape fanatic (formerly known as krazeefox), whose personal collection focuses purely on original Air Footscapes. His comments support Ozawa’s statements, sumerising that its “Japan’s deep appreciation for left of centre designs and their openness to technical aspects” as to why the Footscape became phenomenon in Japanese sneaker culture.
Among the early adopters of the Footscape was Japanese streetwear legend, Hiroshi Fujiwara. The influential stylist-designer heavily endorsed the Footscape during its formative years, confirming just how vital the sneaker was and establishing a spiritual home of its own in Japan. Ozawa’s recalls the moment, around 1996-97, when The Godfather of streetwear wore the OG blue model, which generated hype in the streets of Uruhara. “At that time, Hiroshi Fujiwara had the influence to instantly sell out a store with just one photo of him wearing a pair,” says Ozawa. He remembers seeing the impact first hand when sneakerheads began switching out “women’s purple colours and men’s green/yellow or black/red” Footscape’s to same OG pair Hiroshi wore. “The introduction of blue by the god of the streets made everyone believe that it was precious.”
Fujiwara not only promoted Footscapes in local style magazines like BOON, but he also helped implement the sneaker within Nike’s “CO.JP” or “Concept Japan” line in the late ‘90s. According to a Jeff Staple interview with Hypebeast, Fujiwara along with Atmos founder Hommyo Hidefumi, helped tap local creatives and retail outposts for special makeups of classic models. Speaking with Marcus Tayui, the man in charge of Nike Japan’s “Energy” marketing, Staple asked “How do you know what’s gonna be the special shoe? He said that he’d often touch base with a guy to determine what’s hot and what’s not. “That guy was Hiroshi Fujiwara. This was pre HTM, pre fragment design x Nike, pre-everything.”
Just as Nike did with the Dunk, AF1 and Air Max, the Footscape was primed with special makeups and shop exclusives with influential Tokyo sneaker stores to integrate the model into Tokyo’s rich sneaker landscape. The limited quantities, released at local concept stores, were quickly snapped up by the city’s relentless collectors. But similarly to how CO.JP’s origins are shrouded in mystery, the specifics of Footscape’s exclusives are somewhat muddled. They weren’t marketed by Nike, instead using natural product marketing to get the word out to the local scene. Much of this information is reserved for the archives of Japanese-style magazines and knowledge among diehard collectors.
Nutland has been using his Nikeserver platform to uncover the untold stories behind Nike’s obscure relics like the Footscape. They regularly feature oddball Japan-only exclusives like a 2001 pair of Footscapes featuring a wavy-print mesh and textured orange suede toe box. Other gems in their archive include a 1/30 pair of 2006 Nike x Sophnet Air Footscape Woven FCRB. “The “F.C.R.B.” Nike Air Woven Footscape released in just 30 pairs for Nike’s ‘Joga Bonito’ event in Tokyo in 2006,” explains the founders of Nike Server. They go on to reveal that the shoe created by Sophnet founder, Hirofumi Kiyonaga, mimics the eight iterations of the Nike Air Woven Footscape World Cup pack also released in 2006. “These are unfathomably rare and sought after. Can’t quite believe we’ve even got a pair in stock,” they say.
When it comes to Japan exclusives, Ozawa notes a pair of leather Footscapes (609060-101) from 2001 as his personal favourite. “I don’t like my feet flashy to look too flashy, so the white base and luxurious leather made it easy an easy pairing with my style.” Yoblessed counts hard-to-find exclusives like the AD 21 suede/flywire, faded cloud editions, and the premium materials of the NSW Supreme as some of his favourites. He believes that these models within the CO.JP line were the genesis of the Quickstrike releases, Tier Zero marketing, shock drops, and Hiroshi Fujiwara-adjacent footwear that modern sneaker lovers are accustomed with today.
Fujiwara was the first Japanese figure to be invited by Nike to make a mark on the ever evolving Footscape reinventions. In 2005, he introduced the Footscape Woven Chukka via Nike’s HTM initiative. Designed with Mark Parker and legendary sneaker designer Tinker Hatfield, the trio of mid-cut boots took a construction method from 2000’s innovative Air Woven (already a popular standalone in Japan) and applied it to the same midsole unit from the original Footscape style. A worldwide release followed in 2006, along with Fujiwara’s own Air Footscape Woven collaboration under his Fragment Design brand, which updated the new lifestyle iteration with a black and white polka dot pattern in inverted colourways.
Fujiwara reimagined the Footscape again in 2009, this time aiming for the OG 96 design with a four-pack featuring block colour mesh uppers and the token grey suede toe. Fragment’s logo was subtly added onto the heel pull tab to not disrupt the original details. The final Fragment Footscape collaboration in 2010, saw Fujiwara introduce the Sportswear Air Footscape Motion a two-pack promoting Nike’s new Flywire-infused upper.
It is Fujiwara’s ability to adopt, reinterpret and ultimately perfect the Footscape with the subtle spins that helped generate feverish demand for the Footscape and pave the way for future collaborations with Japanese designers like Atmos (2012), Nike Air Footscape x Babekubcity x Medicom (2005) and Comme Des Garcon also released their blacked-out iteration in 2019. This January, Sacai designer and founder Chitose Abe offered a hybrid take on the ‘90s cult classic with its Magmascape, a silhouette that fuses the Footscape with the ACG Air Magma.
Beyond Japan, the germination of the seeds planted by CO.JP has influenced Nike to roll out the format to wider regions. In 2006, iconic London retailer The Hideout produced a limited edition pair of Footscapes. Nicknamed the ‘Hamster’ due to its pony hair upper, the shoe quickly attained grail status amongst collectors both overseas and in Japan. That same year, Edison Chen celebrated the opening of Shanghai speciality footwear store ACU with a CLOT Footscape Woven in a Jamaican-inspired colour scheme. It was one of the first times many Guanxi fans in China felt the allure of Footscape Woven outside of Japan.
It is not to say that the Footscape’s fanbase in the West has been entirely unresponsive. There have been plenty of hits over the years like the soccer-inspired Footscape Magista to the 2011 Nike Air Footscape Woven Freemotion aka the Gingham pack, and oddities like the Tony Spackman-designed NSW Supreme in Harris Tweed, which had cult success both in Japan and overseas among Footscape fiends. Nutfield points to The Tier Zero ‘Striped Pack’ in 2010 as another peak in the Footscape timeline, highlighting it as the last time a pair of Footscapes dropped with the og sole tooling. “A retro is well overdue!” he says, suggesting the Footscape Woven with its “artisanal/handmade feel” will do well in a market flooded with mass production.
It’s playful reinventions like these that are perhaps the biggest testament to Orzeck’s oddball invention and how his obscure vision is open to interpretation, time and time again. Today, collectors like Nikerserver and Yoblessed continue to shine a light on the eclectic history of the Footscape and prove how criminally underrated the sneaker is. You only have to look at #properfootscapes (coined by Yoblessed) to see how diverse Nike’s Footscape offering has been over its thirty-year history.
While we might not be getting the full-scale OG retro that many of us would wish for, it’s exciting that Nike is spotlighting one of its most dynamic sneakers again. For many, the influence of the Footscape might not always be felt — but it will always be appreciated by those who seek out something a little different in their sneaker choices, whether that’s in Japan or anywhere else in the world.
Words by Samutaro.
Modern design that’s built for urban exploration… That’s the way ASICS describes this latest offering and we couldn’t sum it up better ourselves.
With that said, we introduce to you the GEL-QUANTUM KINETIC. An exploration into their running heritage, this latest silhouette doesn’t forget to pay homage to the brands aesthetic identity. Over recent years, we’ve seen numerous collaborations like Kiko Kostadinov who have helped explore the archives and create their own take on the brands aesthetic and now, it’s time for the SPORTSTYLE team to have their turn and that’s where the story of the GEL-QUANTUM KINETIC begins.
Taking inspiration from classic runners like the GEL-NIMBUS and GEL-KINETIC, this advanced aesthetic brings those metallic panels and chunky meshes we’ve become use too and thrusts them into the future with technical components like the huge Scutoid GEL unit in the midsole taking visual dominance.
Shop the ASICS GEL-QUANTUM KINETIC HERE!
adidas and Liam Gallagher team up once again to bring his third collaboration with Gary Aspden. The LG2 SPZL which was first seen back in 2019 the latest offering sees the use utilisation of different tones and materials featuring Green and a gum outsole, a take on the timeless classic-style silhouette.
“Glad to announce the LG2 SPZL in a bottle green colourway. Absolutely delighted with them”
PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ THE BELOW!
The LONDON IN-STORE draw is now CLOSED!
The ONLINE draw will be live on 20.08.23. This will be live over on the Footpatrol app, CLICK HERE to download!
To enter, you’re required to sign up via the above forms, these WON’T be available in-store to sign up on.
In-store winners will be contacted via email informing them of their win. Within this email, winners will be given a set of dates in which they must collect their win from our London store. To collect, you will need to provide the winning email and a valid photographic government ID matching the winners name. NO ONE can collect on the winners behalf. Failure to provide this, or failure to collect within the given dates will mean failure to purchase your win.
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 latest FP Meets has arrived. For this latest edition, we headed to Tokyo, Japan (virtually unfortunately) to catch up with designer, photographer and all round collector Nicolas Chalmeau, otherwise known as Yuthanan.
Born in Paris, Nicolas takes us on his journey to landing in Japan and to how he got to where he is now. A collector of homeware nick nacks to the rarest sneakers of yesteryears Nicolas’ Instagram is curated perfection often taking you on a journey to discover new things.
For his FP Meets, he takes us through some of his most “hard to find” pieces.
Footpatrol: Yes Nicolas, great to finally get you on board for a Footpatrol Meets feature. Been someone I’ve wanted to get on board for a while now.
Let’s kick things off with the most important question, how have you been?
Nicolas: First thanks for having me, Footpatrol has always been a mandatory stop when visiting London. Regarding life, it has been good, good news is always good and bad news always has its solution.
FP: For our audience who may not have discovered your channel yet, could you give us a bit of background into you, what you do, and your journey of getting there?
Nicolas: Quite hard to synthesize my journey from being younger born and raised in Paris to still young myself now based in Tokyo. My life adventure started 6 years ago when I left Paris, where my interest in clothing started when I was 13 or 14 years old.
Japan wasn’t a place that I was imagining myself shortly. I discovered Japan the same way as everyone, as a tourist, first came in 2015 and instantly liked it, for its culture, cleanliness, and common sense. Things that I didn’t know before coming, since Japan wasn’t a culture that I was familiar with, had never been a fan of anime or even the food.
Back in France I decided to resign from fashion school and found a full-time job in a sneakers shop in Bastille, I worked there 2 years full time and full extra to save enough money to move to Japan. 2017 was the year, before leaving I made sure to buy some new clothes to be sharp for my new life, spent almost my whole budget in a few days, and just 1000€ was left in my bank account. Enough to pay one month’s rent in Tokyo, I had just a month to find a job and a visa, without any contacts or friends here. But, miraculously I‘ve made it, and then you know the story, you just need to go back to my 2017 posts to follow my story until now.
FP: We see on your social channels a wide variety of footwear options. From custom New Balance tabi to the latest from ASICS through to vintage Nike Considered or Rifts but in your words what is it that a sneaker has to do for it to get your attention?
Nicolas: My passion for shoes started from a previous job in Paris, as I said I worked in a store where the owner was a former Nike sales agent back in the ‘80s, probably one of the first ones in France. He transmitted his passion for retro running and all sorts of shoes in general, he was a living encyclopedia about shoes.
I honestly don’t have a favorite brand, what matters to me is good designs and aesthetics, whatever the era and the brand. But I do have a preference for past silhouettes, especially runners.
The color palette also has its huge importance to me, back in the day colorways were more joyful and colorful, and the OG Rift colorways are still unbeaten until this day.
FP: What is that one item of footwear or clothing that you just can’t put down at the moment?
Nicolas: Quite unexpected but a very honest answer, my Made in France 20€ Jelly Sandals, these are the best shoes for summer in Japan, no big logo, no high technology, just rubber.
FP: So, back to Footpatrol Meets and the reason we’re catching up… We asked you to select a few of your favorites within your collection. Could you delve deeper and explain to our audience why these made the final selection?
Nicolas: I am a collector, collecting plenty of things, if you have that mindset you want to find the rarest item always, the most difficult to acquire, it’s not about the price, it’s about the rarity. So here are some of my most “hard to find” pairs, most of them have been purchased in Japan, in the past 6 years. Lucky myself, Japan has been making incredible shoes for decades, and a lot of them have never been released overseas.
FP: Is there a stand-out brand at the moment that’s grabbing your attention?
Nicolas: Hmmm, I would say, Mizuno, it’s not a new brand, but quite new in the European market, after they started their “Sportstyle” line, some of their designs impressed me like the Wave Prophecy. Besides that, I like Mizuno retro runners like the Wave Rider 10.
But honestly, I wear every brand, major or not, again it’s about the design, not the brand.
FP: And with your own brand ‘Sillage’, how do you try to stick out from the crowd? Do trends come into your thinking from season to season or do you stick to a blueprint and evolve within that?
Nicolas: Sillage is based on a very simple top and pants blue-print, all based on my measurements actually, one of the reasons why I made Sillage back in 2018 is that when moving to Japan I didn’t have any clothes which fit me properly, sizes are quite different from European / US sizes here for clothes.
Regarding the seasons, it’s depending on my own experiences, travels, encounters and other possible ways to be inspired. I do have new ideas popping in my head from time to time, but it’s never instantly after finding inspiration, it takes days or weeks to emerge in my head.
I realize quite late that the way I was working, completely remote for the Fashion Week calendar, creating, shooting, and promoting just by myself was “Alien” in the industry, I prove to many people that you can make a brand on your starting with 0. We have our own pace, and not rushing anything is our motto, also, we are just 2 people, since the beginning. Sillage is probably the smallest clothing brand that still has 2 operating persons for 5 years.
FP: For any of our audience wanting to start their label, can you give any words of advice or lessons learned from sillage ?
Nicolas: it’s far from being impossible, you just need a simple idea, a vague image of the first design and brand identity. Find someone to help to make your prototype, and start from there. We have the chance to have free tools to share our projects, and everyone can make an online shop, nothing difficult.
FP: With Japan being a hub back in the day for exclusive colorways from the likes of Nike and their co.jp initiative, we always hear of unique, hidden away shops that stock these rare vintage pieces… A very much if you know you know the type of situation. Do you have a favorite hidden gem in Japan to hunt out these past goods?
Nicolas: Yes, avoid going to famous stores, Tokyo and Japan have their best gems in the countryside, and local second hands shops would be the best place to find rare goods at unbeatable prices.
FP: And with that said, what’s been your favorite pickup from there?
Nicolas: I found most of my Nike Considered Collection in those second-hand shops, in near deadstock condition for most of them.
FP: My colleagues told me not to as I bore them enough talking about them but I must ask… the Land Rover Defender, I’m obsessed as we’ve discussed on Instagram before. How’s the ownership been and why the Defender?
Nicolas: In Japan Defenders are quite rare and not many were sold back in days. I had to import mine from London actually, funny coincidence! Not really different from owning a Defender in any other country, Japan just has fewer garages that can repair such cars when needed, but it was not a problem since I live in Tokyo. What a great car, your best friend, a family member, I like driving in the mountain and the seaside with my car, windows open, every day is a safari. I think that everyone on earth should experience riding in a Defender. A second is on the way, a short pickup 90. Can’t wait to share it with you!
FP: I think that brings us to an end… Appreciate you spending the time to talk to us and take us through your life, your collection, and your brand Sillage. We normally open up this last question for you to let us know what’s upcoming for you or share any words of wisdom so take it away!
Thank you for having me, it’s always a pleasure to share my story and opinion on things. Sillage has a lot coming, the 5th Anniversary with plenty of new items. And I promise to keep feeding my Instagram with unique content, a lot of travels planned in the upcoming months.
Throughout our 20 years we’ve had a lot of people pass through our doors who have always left a lasting impression and who continue to pass through regularly. One of those is Leanne Wright.
Having first moved to London back in the early 90’s, Leanne has become a frequent player (excuse the pun) within the underground music scene from producing audio documentaries like Basquiat: The Gold Griot to being a resident for 6 years over on Worldwide FM, It’s safe to say, she’s been there, seen it and got the t-shirt.
Having founded MOONLIGHTING alongside some of our favourite NTS hosts Zakia and Marshmello, Leanne now provides us with Guest Mix 44 with her usual blend of genres to create another memorable mix.
Footpatrol: Hey Leanne, we hope you’re good? Thanks for taking the time to chat with us. Could you start by telling us a bit about yourself and what it is you do?
Leanne Wright: I’m a DJ, radio host and a curator at an art gallery.
FP: You moved from Canada during the early 90s, what were some of the stark contrasts you remember from your Ontario home compared to the City of London at the time? Both musically and geographically?
LW: Stark contrasts for sure! The kids I went to high school with in small town Ontario were into Rock and Metal etc. while I was thirsty for anything ‘new/different’ I could wrap my ears around. When I came to London, friends took me to a rave and the rest as they say, is history. Geographically, I moved from the shores and forests of the Great Lakes (Lake Huron and Georgian Bay) to a world class city. I’ve always been a creative person and London will always be mecca. There’s something magical about this tiny island that breeds rebellious, inspirational creativity.
FP: i think it’s fair to say you have a euphoric connection to music, i know it’s an energy you thrive off, from selecting vinyl to the point that the needle starts to wheel, what is it about the process and act of simply listening to music you think we can take for granted?
LW: We have access to so much information these days and at a dizzying speed. Digital music files are fired out in such abundance, we all have overloaded laptops and hard drives. Many of us, myself included often, have lost the art of listening. Listening requires space, time and the intention of connection. This moment when you clear distractions, slow your mind down and open a space to connect on a level of vibration, of sonic frequency and the spirit of the person who created the music, is such a special thing. It’s a human thing – this need to feel connectedness, so it’s also a necessity. Doing more of this sort of thing with music, with the natural world, with our fellow humans, with ourselves is the remedy for so much imbalance. It’s like we’re walking tuning forks – we need to connect and sing!
FP: Amongst the many genres we know you play and love, what is it about London Underground sound that speaks most to you?
LW: For me, the London sound is a direct reflection and manifestation of sound system culture. Period. These architects literally built the foundations of the future with speaker stacks, DJ’s toasting on the mic, community dances – not just the sound, but the spirit of this is echoed throughout all of the great London movements like jungle, garage, dubstep, grime… None of these would exist today without the early sound systems and shebeens established in the late 1950s that grew in West Indian Communities across the U.K throughout the following decades.. RESPECT IS DUE.
FP: From working behind the counter at Honest Jons to having your own Wordwide FM shows, can you tell us more about your career in music, design and the influential moments in between?
LW: I was living in West London in the late 90s, early 2000s. Robi Walters and I began designing records, flyers and idents for all the West London/Bruk crew who had a base a few minutes away from where we lived. We also created logos for Gilles Peterson, Benji B’s Deviation, Charlie Dark’s Blacktronica etc. We were fully immersed in these scenes – musically, visually, energetically. This was our community. I was DJing a little and around the same time I began working behind the counter at Honest Jons (a whole other musical education) and helped out Patrick Forge with his Sunday night show on Kiss FM. It was live, breath, love music.
In 2004 I became a mama and we moved back to my native Canada. Music took a backseat as I focussed my energy on raising my family. We returned to London in 2015 and shortly after Gilles started up Worldwide FM. I went down to do some shows during the test broadcasts and it rekindled my love of playing music. I was given a monthly slot and really got into the research, playlisting and interviewing side of broadcasting. This in turn rebooted the joy of DJing. Now that my kids were older, I could get out and do a bit more of it. It’s a little strange to really start sinking my teeth into this at this stage of my life, but I’m absolutely loving it and who knows, maybe after all these years of just being around the scene, experiencing the various movements etc, just maybe it’s a great time to be developing my time as a DJ. I’ve told myself as long as I love and enjoy it, I’ll keep doing it.
FP: Can you tell us more about The Emerald Tablet and Moonlighting?
LW: The Emerald Tablet was the name of my radio show on Worldwide FM. It was a space where I could take all of my past experience and musical heritage and use that as a filter for current sounds and future explorations. I’m still feverishly excited by progressive, new sounds, artists and their take on things.
MOONLIGHTING is a night founded early 2022 by DJs and fellow broadcasters Marshmello, Zakia and myself. The three of us share a really broad appreciation of all kinds of sounds and a very intuitive style of playing. It began small and has organically grown a loyal following. This residency allows us a freedom we may not normally experience – to express ourselves our own way, letting the music breathe and allowing the crowd the space to dance and share and enjoy being together. It’s as much about the space and atmosphere as it is about the music. The dances happen about three or four times a year around the time of a full moon, making them more special events. Our next session is September 30 if you wanna come down and check it out, we’d love to see you!
FP: it’s never plain sailing, all careers are fraught with turbulence and challenges, what are some you’ve had to face? What are the ones that have bettered you in your career but also for life? And, what have been some of the highlights, the moments you had to pinch yourself that it was happening?
LW: Big question! I think as far as my career goes, I’ve never really regarded DJing as a career. It’s only now that I’m getting more gigs and having to take things more seriously. I think the biggest challenge has always been me! One of the biggest stumbling blocks from the beginning has been self-doubt and being in my own head. I suffered quite a bit from performance anxiety too and that almost stopped me at one point. But because it gives me so much joy, I stuck it out and the more I kept at it, the more I played, practiced and put myself in those uncomfortable situations, the easier it got. I give thanks to doing radio and having residencies like the one I’ve had at the Standard Hotel for the past 4 years. Really can’t emphasise enough how much this regular, low-key playing helps. Note to all DJs starting out – hone your craft and don’t be impatient to be getting those bigger gigs right away. Building up the experience and knowledge is what leads to intuition and good timing. These are essential qualities of a good DJ. I think without realising it, all the years of being in music trained my ear and then spending the time in radio and doing the more undercover gigs really helped put me in place of being ‘ready’ to launch out into the world of gigging. Lol I guess I’m starting to feel like I’ve earned my stripes to be able to do so. And this leads to the ‘pinch me’ moments – like playing to thousands of people in dream locations that I’d been going to as a punter.
FP: Can you tell us about your introduction to Footpatrol?
LW: Geography basically! I’d been working in Soho for many years and the Footpatrol team became part of the local fam!
FP: Putting you between a rock and hard place with this one, if you had a chance to relive them long drives one more time, would it be the Childhood drives out of your small town listening to music, or would it be the drives up the M25 to the raves as a teenager?
LW: It’s actually an easy one – hands down the long drives back home. Where I grew up in Canada was so visually beautiful – raw, natural beauty. Even the drive to and from work each day beside a lake, over a small mountain and through a forest (with the right soundtrack) served as a decompression chamber. These are highly personal moments – music takes on a cinematic energy like this and becomes an instant memory trigger when you hear the songs later in life.
FP: Another curve ball, but one we like to ask… if YOU were a sneaker, what would you be?
LW: I can honestly say no one has ever asked me that before. I think it would have to be the humble Converse Chuck. And it’s simply because they’re my favourite shoes to dance in. They’re so comfortable and the sole is flat and flexible – they almost feel like wearing moccasins. I guess they make me feel more connected to the ground!
FP: Finally, some quick fire ‘listening to’ questions, i’ll start the questions and you finish them…
1. I’m on a long car journey and my first go-to song/mix to select is?
LW: prob something atmospheric like this mix Machinedrum did for Solid Steel way back when.
2. Im at home chilling with a cuppa and I’m listening to…
LW: My records!
3. I’m on set and I really want to get the crowd going so I’m going to drop…
LW: Has to be a Gafacci or Karizma edit – so many killers to choose from!
4. I’m on the tube and need something to drown out the noise and racket so i’m listening to…
LW: That’s when I don’t listen to anything – just close my eyes and do some rounds of yogic breathing
5. I’m in the park, it’s the best British weather can possibly get, I’m listening to…
LW: Probably some kind of digi/dancehall selection!
FP: We appreciate you taking the time to chat to us, are there any shoutouts or words of wisdom you wish to bestow on anyone looking into careers in the industry? Or anything you think the industry can learn from and work on?
LW: Yes, I want to shout out all the architects of so much of the music that we all listen to and love – which is essentially black music or black music influenced. So in the case of my mix some of the juke/footwork, jungle pioneers like Rashad, DJ Spinn, DJ Boo, DJ Nate, Traxman, DJ Assault, DJ Earl, Fabio, Groovrider, Reinforced (Marc Mac, Dego, Gus Lawrence, Ian Bardouille), Goldie, Rebel MC, A Guy Called Gerald, Ragga Twins, Roni Size, Krust, LTJ Bukem, (and all of the masters who inspired them).
When it comes to Jordan brands’s list of collaborators there are some that need no further introduction and for ’23, we see the Jordan Brand team up once again with Union L.A.
A duo that have previously crafted some of the most sought after creations over the years, they venture back to one of their most iconic, the Air Jordan 1. Much like that first coming together where they stitched two of the most famous colour ways to each other, the duo revisit this idea only this time the team call upon an archival Nike silhouette, the Footscape. With its distinct woven upper, this almost handmade connection between the upper helps focus the attention back to the 90’s and the connection between people and streetwear.
Take a closer look below at both the Air Jordan 1 high and the Air Jordan 1 LV8 and make sure to get your entries in for the in-store and online draws!
PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ THE BELOW!
The LONDON IN-STORE draw is now CLOSED!
The ONLINE draw will be live on 20.08.23. This will be live over on the Footpatrol app, CLICK HERE to download!
To enter, you’re required to sign up via the above forms, these WON’T be available in-store to sign up on.
In-store winners will be contacted via email informing them of their win. Within this email, winners will be given a set of dates in which they must collect their win from our London store. To collect, you will need to provide the winning email and a valid photographic government ID matching the winners name. NO ONE can collect on the winners behalf. Failure to provide this, or failure to collect within the given dates will mean failure to purchase your win.
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!
