Author: Tom
Jun Takahashi is one of the most influential figures in not only the Japanese streetwear scene but in the global fashion industry. In 1993 Takahashi drew heavily from his love of punk rock and counterculture to found the brand UNDERCOVER. In the same year Takahashi also founded Tokyo based retail venture, Nowhere, alongside friend and collaborator Nigo of BAPE.
Across his 25-year-long career Takahashi has made a name for himself for pushing the boundaries of men’s and women’s design, however he has recently turned his attention to the sneaker industry. This year Takahashi has already collaborated with Nike on the Nike React Element 87 but his latest venture sees him reworking a classic – the Converse Chuck Taylor.
The collection features the Chuck Taylor in four vivid tones, with the sole and toe-box featuring a futuristic sheen (as a nod to Takahashi’s love for the cult Sci-Fi genre). As well as the words ‘ORDER’ and ‘DISORDER’ printed on the latter.
The UNDERCOVER x Converse Chuck Taylor 70 will be available online and in-store in Footpatrol Paris on September 25th. Sizes range from UK7 – UK12 (including half sizes), and the shoe is priced at £90.
In 1974, Converse dropped the stripes, added a star to the vamp and re-launched their low-cut version with an updated look. The new One Star Emblem was a smash for one year, before being removed from retail shelves completely.
In 1993, the One Star returned. A Perfectly timed entrance during grunge and skateboarding’s advances into popular culture, Converse’s classic found itself being worn by the right people at the right time. Kurt Cobain was regularly snapped in One Stars, and Guy Mariano was captured in the One Star during his section in ‘Mouse’, Spike Jonze’s legendary 1996 skate video.
Since its inception in 1989, Carhartt WIP (Work In Progress) has been become a staple brand for the style-concious audience. With longevitiy in mind, the workwear label has produced three iterations combined with finely crafted Cordura fabric, a long-lasting textile composed primarily of nylon with cotton, mixed in for strength and comfort.
Carhartt branding can be seen on the One Star’s tongue and insoles, while Cordura’s signature tag comes partially-concealed between its tongue and ankle collar.
A nod to Carhartt’s Detroit origins makes its presence known on the tongue label as well, with a “313” area code. A die-cut Converse One Star presents a customary look for the brand’s avid fans appearing in appropriate colours.
The Carhartt x Converse One Star is now available online, priced at £90.
Surfaced during the YEEZY Season fashion show in 2017, the bulky sneaker initially released exclusively via the YEEZY Supply online store. As the “chunky” trend of a “dad shoe” gained notoriety in 2018, the demand for the YEEZY BOOST 700 began to resurface. As this release was exclusive in numbers, pairs became almost elusive and consumers could only see them in person from those who managed to grab a pair. Now however, this silhouette is due to be obtainable worldwide to please many consumers.
The YEEZY BOOST 700 features an upper composed of grey and black suede overlays and premium leather with blue mesh underlays and reflective heel and Three Stripe details. The full-length drop in boost midsole provides comfort and stability.
adidas Originals + KANYE WEST YEEZY 700 is now SOLD OUT.
adidas Consortium x Études
The original UltraBOOST that launched in the early months of 2015 quickly established itself as the most impressive example of high-performance functionality and meticulous craftsmanship that has come to define the adidas running shoe.
For FW18, the UltraBOOST Collective is comprised of A Kind of Guise, Engineered Garments, Études and Kinfolk.
Paris-based Études ‘studio’ was founded in 2012 as a way of exploring and advancing global experiences of visual culture.
Their work traverses mediums, but is most memorably conveyed through contemporary-minded fashion collections.
Their UltraBOOST design slots seamlessly into their aesthetic: a deceptively
refined, uncaged shoe rendered in shades of bright blue and deep black.
The blue uppers not only call to mind an iconic adidas colourway but also a shade that Études frequently uses to champion a strong, open and progressive Europe.
adidas Consortium x Études UltraBOOST Uncaged now available online. Sizes range from UK6 – UK12 (including half sizes), priced at £180.
Shop the adidas Consortium x Études UltraBOOST Uncaged now over on the Footpatrol Website.
In the last few years, Jordan Brand has been a growing presence in Paris. A Jordan-only store Jordan Bastille opened in 2016, and in 2017 the brand announced a partnership with the French Basketball Federation. These examples buttress a long-standing, organic relationship between brand and city, which began with Michael Jordan’s first visit in 1985. That connection has been retained through the decades, highlighted by continued support of the Quai 54 World Streetball Championship.
“Jordan Brand and Paris Saint-Germain share a distinct position in sport and style, so to partner with the club is a natural fit,” says Michael Jordan.
With the Air Jordan 5 model part of the capsule which includes apparel, Air Jordan 1 and football cleats, the inspiration behind the collection is the balance between sports and lifestyle, the mix of energy from the love of music and being a genuine fan of the Basketball sport. The black and white colours are a nod to the PSG football kits which is predominently those main colour blocking and the strategic use of red is a colour of Jordan brand heritage as well as a prominent colour to PSG.
Air Jordan V ‘PSG’ is now SOLD OUT.
adidas SPEZIAL returns for Fall-Winter 2018 with a collection of apparel, footwear and accessories that continues to tell the story of Acid House in the year of its 30th anniversary.
Focusing on the cultural phenomenon of warehouse parties, that first ‘Acid Winter’, and how the legacy of those first generation ravers continues to endure through the energy of 21st century sound systems.
Inspired by those parallels between the modern sound system subculture and early Acid House, it tells the story of how that fashion and music has had a lasting global influence and how adidas was a key element within it. This premium range returns with a bold and colourful selection.
Building on the success of SPEZIAL’s Spring-Summer 2018 collection it reflects how the energy of the outdoor raves in the Summer of Love were transplanted into the underground of the warehouse parties. As Acid House made its way back to inner cities, it took on a new look, a new ethos and a new audience. The colour palette remains vibrant across an array of heritage-inspired footwear and accessories, but this time with a more winterised offering.
TheLowertree SPZL silhouette is a new hybrid that has its roots in the iconic Marathon Competition, whilst the ZX452 SPZL is based on a shoe that was designed with a feminine aesthetic but was adopted by boys for their pastel colourway is updated and reborn for the modern collector.
A lime green Munchen Super SPZL, a reference to an 80s Gazelle colourway, is complemented by a version in classic adidas blue and white. whilst the collection’s commitment to authenticity and heritage is cemented with an Indoor Comp SPZL inspired by the archive indoor Star with an 80s adidas colourway that was used across a number of styles (including the now legendary Lendl series). The Punstock SPZL continues the SPEZIAL lineage of new hybrid leisure shoes.
adidas SPEZIAL Fall/Winter 2018 is now available online. Sizes range from UK6 – UK12 (including half sizes), priced at £100 – £110.
Shop the adidas SPEZIAL range now via the Footpatrol Website.
Coming off from his recent collaboration with Nike on the BW/97 hybrid this year, Skepta continues to make big strides with the Swoosh on a third installation of his SK Air line. Reminiscent of his first release, the model chosen is the Nike Air Max Deluxe, which was deemed elusive prior to its first retro.
A silhouette that is rarely discussed within the Air Max conversation but still admired by most, the Air Max Deluxe is a sneaker to cause a statement, with its bold colourways and design aesthetics that is inspired by soundwaves in parties. Initially released in 1999, the Air Max Deluxe featured the popular Air Max 97 outsole with a full-length air unit and released in a variety of colourways which was bolder than its predecessors.
2018 saw Nike retro the silhouette for the first time in its OG colourway and also a first-time collaboration. Skepta’s iteration pays tribute to New York’s role in his career trajectory as an artist and rapper. His breakout out single “That’s Not Me” was a crucial point as cities like New York embraced the sound and helped propel Grime from outside of UK to US.
The upper features a Black signature neoprene material with details that are inspired by the insomnia of long nights on the road. “NEVER SLEEP ON TOUR” is an ethos that is fuelled by Skepta’s work rate which is laid across the medial side of the shoe. The upper patterns are drawn from the VHS static-led aesthetic, this is also found in his award-winning video for “That’s Not Me”. A personal touch of the release date of the single is seen on the lateral side of the shoe.
The Skepta x Nike Air Max Deluxe SK is now SOLD OUT.
Claudia Jones, a Trinidadian human rights activist based in London, put on a BBC broadcasted indoor ‘Caribbean Carnival’ at St Pancras Town Hall back in 1959. She is widely credited with sowing the seeds for carnival in the UK by doing so.
An appetite for the indoor Caribbean carnival was fed by Trinidadian husband and wife booking agents Edric and Pearl Connor who along with many partners including The West Indian Gazette began promoting indoor events in halls dotted around 1960s London.
In 1966 the first outdoor festival took place in the streets of Notting Hill.
This year, in collaboration with the Grenfell survivors, a 72 second silence was held on each Carnival day at 3pm; one second for each life lost in last year’s fire.
On the final day of the parade we had the pleasure of being aboard the AT HOME Float hosted by founder J2K. As it’s the last lap until next year the energy was immense, with music from DJ Tunez performers along with the public had a final opportunity to revel in the joy that is Carnival!
Accompanying us on the float were a number of familiar faces such as Poet, MERCS, Yinka, Konan, Don Shepard, Nasty C and Damson Idris to name a few. With continual performances in-front, behind and even on top of the float there was little time for standing still.
The stop-start speed of the float gave DJ Fira and DJ Chennessy numerous opportunities to connect with the ever expanding crowds down below during their B2B show, to which the response was electric.
We would like to thank PUMA for inviting us to be apart of this years Notting Hill Carnival and to AT HOME and J2K for having us aboard their float to experience the Carnival in its entirety.
FW18 sees adidas Originals and Neighborhood collaborate
again to create a collection inspired by sportswear’s rich counter-cultural heritage and tribal associations.
Inspired by a distinctly Japanese take on the classic sportswear of football terrace culture and the re-appropriated military garb of nomadic motorcycle gangs, each piece in the collection features new graphics by Los Angeles-based artist Cali Thornhill DeWitt.
Along with DeWitt’s graphics, military style runs throughout the collection. Alongside the apparel offering, the three footwear styles are updated takes on terrace favourites from over the years.
The apparel consists of an outwear coat, track jackets, hoodies, long and short sleeve tee’s and track pants. Some contain bold black lettering and a few pieces are more subtle. A mixture of Earth tones and clean black and white pieces fuses streetwear rebels with a calm execution.
The footwear chosen for the capsule are adidas Stan Smith, adidas I-5923 and the three stripes latest popular model the adidas Kamanda.
Each footwear continues DeWitt’s military style with hues of Green and Black as well as White. The timeless classic in the Stan Smith model features a full grain premium leather on the upper with Neighborhood branding across the entirety of the lateral side. In addition, an updated iteration with BOOST technology for the midsole for comfort.
A future classic in the I-5923 is dressed in a combination of mesh, leather and suede in Green and Light Brown with signature BOOST technology for the midsole.
Neighborood and adidas continue their partnership with 2 soccer inspired Kamanda’s that feature premium suede and leather both in monochrome finishes in Black and Green. The element that stands out from the shoe is its rigorous outsole and a slight change to the placement of the lacing system. Lastly, Neighborhood’s branding is placed across the medial side to the front to give to be in conjunction to the story behind the concept.
adidas Originals by NEIGHBORHOOD is now available online. Footwear sizes range from UK6 – UK12 (including half sizes) ,whilst apparel sizes range from S – XL. Prices across the collection range from £50 – £200.
Shop adidas Originals by NEIGHBORHOOD now via the Footpatrol Website.
adidas Consortium x Bodega
In the early 2000s, Oliver Mak, Jay Gordon, and Dan Natola had an idea for a store that expressed their experience and their world. A store that transended their version of the world into being. Bodega is nestled in the heart of Boston, still hidden to everyone except those in the know. Bodega believe the best things are worth searching for, and that search should be met with reward.
For their FW18 collaboration with adidas Consortium, the team at Bodega apply their combined instincts to two acclaimed silhouettes: the recently launched, terrace-culture inspired Kamanda, and another new style for 2018, the Sobakov.
Applying the same ‘ hidden in plain sight’ approach that led to the creation of their convenience-store shopfront, each pair incorporates a host of unusual details and cultural references without ever detracting from their distinctive silhouettes.
Bodega’s iteration of the Kamanda sees a fusion of premium suede and tech-like textiles, featuring a subtle Bodega graphic print. The eye-catching cupsole is moulded from translucent rubber for even more impact.
Like its predecessor the Kamanda, the soccer-inspired Sobakov also features a heavily-treaded cupsole, crafted from translucent rubber. The wraparound reflective three-stripes and red/black accenting recall a golden age of adidas football boots, namely the precision version of the adidas Predator.
Bodega brings a sporting aesthetic into the lifestyle arena through the use of buttery, weathered bone suede, a design choice that encapsulates the pack’s premium take on heritage details and Bodega’s continual run of quality.
adidas Consortium x Bodega is now available online. Sizes range from UK6 – UK12 (including half sizes), prices range from £130 – £150.
Shop adidas Consortium x BODEGA now via the Footpatrol Website.
