Author: Tom
This past week we headed out to Dubai to experience our first ever Sole DXB festival. Since it began, the weekend festival quickly become a cultural hub in the middle east for all thing’s sneakers, fashion, music and lifestyle.
Taking place in Dubai’s D3 design district, overlooked by the Burj Khalifa and Dubai’s impressive skyline it made for a perfect location to house some of the world’s biggest brands and showcase some upcoming talent alongside legendary reggae and hip-hop artists from across the globe.
As soon as we stepped into the space, we were greeted by the towering structure of the Air Jordan Unite building which was showcasing some of this season’s most sought after AJ1 releases alongside the ‘Sole Ball Above All Invitational’ on the Unite court. We also had the privilege of witnessing an intimate talk between Patta’s very own Edson Sabajo and Basketball Legend Ray Allen.
Throughout the rest of the Sole DXB space we were greeted by London locals Archive DNA who had curated one of the largest, rarest ever collections of sneakers for sale. The collection was filled with everything from AJ1 Michael Jordan player samples, AM90 Alexander McQueen, Deftone Dunk Highs and many more! London based Labrum London and Studio ALCH were also on site showcasing their latest collections.
Our friends over at adidas Originals where also bringing the London experience to the desert with their stand split over three levels. The three-tiered structure was designed to look like a London tube station with the mid-tier featuring a tube train and Superstar branding! Inside they showcased some of their latest products, including the upcoming YEEZY Slides, Alexander Wang collection and Ultra BOOST 2020.
This year’s theme for Sole DXB was all about Reggae and the importance of the Sound System. Throughout the event we were able to view the “Rudeboy: Story of Trojan Records” film and bear witness to talks and DJ sets from the likes of Don Letts and Lee “Scratch” Perry in the Nyam and Scram area through a special one off sound system created by Uncle Ronnie.
Ahead of the event we had heard so much about the Sole Talks and had to check it out for ourselves, inside the Talks we were able to witness Mike Cherman and the Chinatown Market gang talk about the brand. Alongside this we were honoured to be in the room hearing the stories of Yasiin Bey and Talib Kweli as Black Star hosted Bobbito Garcia which needs no introduction to the status in the room there!
After hearing Mike Cherman talk about the brand, we were able to get a hands on experience with Chinatown Market courtesy of Puma who were running a customisable workshop to introduce the upcoming collection between the two brands. In the workshop we were able to get creative across apparel and totes with patches designed exclusively for Sole DXB. Whilst at the Puma stand, we were fortunate to witness live performances from the likes of YNB Cordae who brought the energy from his ‘The Lost Boy’ album alongside a stunning performance from Sevana.
Once the sun had set and we had checked out all the stands it was time to get our space at the main stage, where the night previous we had seen the fresh talent of Jamaica’s own Koffee. This night we would eagerly await Hip Hop royalty the Wu-Tang Clan who brought a close to the weekend’s events. Before Wu-Tang however, we enjoyed a variety of other artists on the main stage including Ocean Wisdom who brought the energy with his signature acapella fast delivery! This was followed up by Protoje and Rico Nasty who warmed the crown up for Black Star and then a performance like none other from Wu-Tang celebrating their album 36 Chambers!
Check out our video recap and photography diary below and look out for the upcoming collections from adidas Originals, Air Jordan and PUMA to be available at Footpatrol..!
As far as as iconic silhouettes go, the Air Jordan XI falls perfectly in that category. Designed by Tinker Hatfield in 1995, the AJXI was the fitting model for the returning Michael Jordan after his spell out off the court.
His feet back on the court, and his eyes set firmly on the prize, Michael Jordan returned strong with his familiar break-neck pace. En route to one of his most impressive years to date, Jordan clinched MVP, All-Star MVP and Finals MVP before securing his fourth championship ring.
Like most silhouettes within the signature MJ line, the AJXI has become more of a lifestyle piece as opposed to a performance based footwear and consumers have become accustomed to the time of year that Jordan Brand release the beloved model. For the holidays, the popular Black and Red or “Bred / Playoff” is set to return after 7 years. Released in 2001, 2008 as part of the ‘Countdown Pack’, 2012 respectively, fans and sneaker aficionados alike have been anxiously waiting for its comeback.
Dressed in a combination of an all black ballistic mesh and leather, the most noticeable element of the shoe is the addition of a patent leather overlay for an unprecedented touch of luxury. A white midsole for contrast and a red translucent outsole for an added pop, hits of red on the Jumpman located in the heel and tongue with 23 on the back completes the timeless model. Tinker Hatfield also added a carbon fibre plate for unrivalled performance.
The Air Jordan XI ‘Bred’ will be launching in-store and online Saturday 14th December (available online at 8:00AM). Sizes range from UK6 – UK12 (including half sizes), priced at £170.
Children’s, infants and junior sizes will be launching online on Saturday 14th December (Available online from 08:00AM), Infants sizes range from UK0 – 3.5, Juniors sizes range from UK3 – UK6, Childrens sizes range from UK10 – UK2.5, priced between £35 – £60.
Now in full flow, the Jordan brand is set to release another iteration into the 2019 ‘Fearless’ collection.
The fearless collection shows the symbolic power within the AJ1 with a series of stories with collaborators from around the world to show what fearless means to them.
Next up on their Fearless list is a new approach both technically and aesthetically on the Air Jordan 1 silhouette.
In an effort to enhance the upper, the usual overlay of colours we’ve come so familiar too has been reconstructed with a full 3M upper which when under spotlight creates a full iridescent effect making the layers merge into one. Away from the spotlight and the 3M upper has a stealth appearance in a deep graphite colourway.
Updating the outsole has been achieved with the exclusion of the Nike Air for the edition of a full length Zoom Air unit.
Coming soon to Footpatrol…!
For the first time at Footpatrol, we are proud to introduce the latest from the collaboration between ASICS and Kiko Kostadinov.
As part of their on going relationship, Kiko Kostadinov has taken inspiration from past ASICS’ models to create a new hybrid silhouette. Known as the GEL-KORIKA, the team has fused together the base of the GEL-NIMBUS 21 with the upper design from the ASICS basketball shoe, GELBURST RS.
The use of a full FLYTEFOAM midsole is the creation of a long study that looked at the human-centric science, specially designed to provide the bounce and shock absorption that long distance runners desire.
In an attempt to redesign the GELBURST RS’s upper, the mid has been reconstructed into a low with the ASICS stripes making their way back to the sides of the silhouette. The ASICS spiral logo which has proved dominent on there past few collaborations takes a back seat and acts as a lace holder at the front of the sneaker.
For the men, they receive a duo of dark, yet sleek colour-ways that hark back to Kiko’s Autumn Winter collection. For womenswear, newly introduced duo of Laura and Deanna Fanning have added a burst of vibrant hues including an array of pinks, reds and blues bring a contrast between the two collections.
Launching in-store and online on Saturday, 16th November priced at £185.
Mens sizes range from UK7 – UK12, womens will range from UK3 – UK7.
The 3rd installment to Filas latest SP range comes in the form of the brands early 2000s cross-fit shoe the Fila Ravagement 2000 SP. Originally released as a cross training shoe the Ravagement joined the scene during the boom of the sport.
Many brands at the time had their own renditions and technology for their cross fit footwear but none compared to the contemporary look the Ravagement brought to the market.
Pieced together with a mix of technical panelled uppers, the Ravagement is fitted with a mix of leather, nubuck and suede which feature across the sidewalls, toebox, heel and eyestays creating incredibly detailed uppers. The shoes also present themselves with TPU grooves across both outside and inside of the side panels for increased stability to further support your foot.
The Fila Ravagement 2000 SP will be available in 3 stand out colours, Chilli / Electric Purple, Dusty Turquoise / Mazarine Blue, and finally the Lemonade / Purple Orchid.
Shop the latest FILA product now over at the Footpatrol Webstore.
When Fear of God founder Jerry Lorenzo started working with Nike in creating a new silhouette, consumers were eager to know exactly what was in store. When they revealed the footwear, the Fear of God 1 model stood out on a love/hate situation due to its military style boot cut and minimal design but as the dust settled it became a sought after pair. With a few colourways already released – the Sail and Amarillo in particular being the most recent, Jerry Lorenzo and Nike are back with a new colourway.
Dressed in an ‘Oatmeal’ colour, Lorenzo reverts back to his Earthy tones palette with a combination of mesh and premium suede with intricate stitching details. Protected by a semi-translucent cage, the heel contains a zip feature for easy insertion. The midsole also featuring a translucent hit is met with an icy blue air bubble inspired by the Air Max 180 respectively. A white mini Swoosh is placed on the lateral side of the foot and Nike branding on the heel as well as Fear of God detailing on the midsoles. Further aesthetics such as thick rope laces and toggle finish it off the outer portion with perforated leather on the footbed completes the inner part of the shoe.
The Nike Air Fear of God 1 will be available in store & online from Saturday 2nd of November, stay tuned to our social channels for more details on the release in Footpatrol London. For your chance to purchase a pair in our Paris store, enter the raffle HERE.
Throwing it back to the early 90’s, New Balance have looked towards the reimagination of one of their runners. Known for its innovative appearance, the 860 harnessed a wealth of new technology making it popular amongst runners.
Fusing both N-ergy technology with Acteva lite makes a defining feature in the 860’s appearance. Both situated beneath the upper, the N-ergy allows for extreme shock absorption with elastic return whilst the Acteva keeps the 860 as a lightweight, sleek silhouette. Adding a touch of aggression, the upper has been constructed out of an open mesh with overlays of slight metallic details giving a modern twist on a heritage runner.
Taking these inspirations, the 860 V2 has been reimagined for 2019 and is now ready to dominate todays streets. With a mix runner and lifestyle built within it, the 860 has become the sneaker that is ready for those daily wears, the sneaker that will go with everything.
To coincide with the launch of the New Balance 860, we directed and photographed an editorial shoot looking at the ways in which the 860 could be taken away from the track and into everyday life.
Coming soon to Footpatrol…!
Following on from FILA’s introduction to their Special projects line, FILA gives us a glance at the second silhouette within the range following on from Boveasorus 98 AT.
Known as the Uproot, it draws its inspirations from the retro Fila Barricade from 1997. The Uproot is a blend of the hard-wearing Barricade built for the court with a touch of lifestyle for your day to day use. Playing on these 90’s inspirations, the colours pay tribute to old school advertisements which took a playful approach towards advertising with slogans that were thought provoking and confident in approach.
Featuring premium leathers and nubucks the shoe will be releasing in 2 colours ‘Tofu White’ and ‘Black’. The shoes are fitted with hard wearing quick tie eyelets for easy adjustment. An overlay of durable mesh on the side walls and tongue is constructed within the upper whilst underneath sits retro gum outsole with coloured stitching for the Fila branding cleverly placed on the side panels, heel tab and tongue.
Shop the latest FILA Uproot now in-store and via our Footpatrol Webstore.
A brand built upon competition, Salomon have been crafting excellence since the 1940’s. Originally known for their breakthrough in skiing technology, Salomon have built their reputation on quality and innovation.
Recently however, Salomon have started to appear on the feet of many attending fashion weeks around the world after an uplift in the current outdoors and hiking trends coming through into the fashion world.
For FW19 we have taken to the streets with the latest styles available at Footpatrol.
Known for their trail running appearance, we’ve taken Salomon and brought them to Soho, away from the great outdoors and welcoming them to the densely populated streets of the city.
The Salomon XT4 and XT6 are two of Salomons most iconic silhouettes. With both having a TPU film welded on to the abrasion resistant mesh, this makes for a combination suitable to take on either the most rugged terrain or curb stomping through the streets whilst maintaining a lightweight and durable approach, perfect for those wet and colder months.Shop now in-store and online
As part of our up-coming Mantra night at Phonox, Brixton, we sat down with resident producer and DJ P-Rallel to speak about his beginnings to where he finds himself today.
Hailing from West London, P-Rallel has found himself as a resident at the well-known London radio station, NTS. Having built a name for himself for breathing a sense of new life into the scene within the capital with his unpredictability when it comes to track selections… meaning the only thing you know from going to see him live, is that it’s going to be an unforgettable set.
In preparation for our night at Mantra, P-Rallel has taken to the decks and recorded a teaser of what’s to expect.
Make sure you check out P-Rallel warm up mix for us ahead of performing at Mantra. Find P-Rallel alongside Jael, Complexion, Sharnie and a very special guest at Phonox on Saturday 19th October.
Get your tickets here.
Limited edition Footpatorl x Mantra t-shirt available to the first guests to arrive on the night, available whilst stocks last.
Footpatrol – What was it that got you into producing & DJing? You’ve worked with some great artists already, was there anything (or anyone) that inspired you to get into the music industry?
P-Rallel – I got into it through my boys at Elevation Meditation, they were doing their music thing and I caught sight of it, and it made me want to build a studio in my bedroom and help them out. Whilst helping them out I was also learning too, everyone was winning. I did that for a while then 2015, Rejjie Snow hits me up saying he needed a studio and I messaged him back and said it’s a home studio, but he can come if he wants. Rejjie told me he’s coming but he’s coming with his boy, Playboy Carti. At this time, I didn’t know who Playboy Carti was, I was completely oblivious. They came through and recorded and after that I learnt about those two artists and thought wow, then I also started becoming more aware what was going on in the scene. Say a year later Bakar hits me up saying he needed an engineer for Milkavelli so I started engineering that at Lily Allen’s studio, that’s where I met my mentor/manager Theo who’s been helping me out. So that’s what got me into the music scene.
FP – We heard also you are going on Dublin tomorrow with Slowthai, how did you guys meet and end up working together?
P-Rallel – The first time we met, JD.Reid was doing a session at Redbull Studio for his tape. Slowthai and 808ink had a song together and my manager just told me to pull up and sit in the session, watch it and chill with those guys. Then like 3 years later Jeshi was on tour with Slowthai and I was DJing for him. While I was DJing for him I was also DJing before and after Jeshi’s sets kind of warming up for Thai. Then Thai said he wanted me to come on the next tour, so I did and now I’m on this one coming up again. It’s a nice relationship you know, during the summer if can get myself to any festivals he would always say come DJ for us.
FP – What are you most looking forward to with the Mantra residency?
P-Rallel – A story. An experience I can do chatty patty about when I’m 40 and talk about some crazy shit that went down at Phonox. Also, a place I can call home/Dojo and where people know where to catch me and vibes with the kid.
FP – Being so immersed within the music industry already, do you think that’s influenced your sneaker game or have you always had your own style that you’ve stuck to?
P-Rallel – It’s a mix of both, it’s definitely being in this scene and industry that has increased my knowledge of trainers and what I actually would want on my feet. With me I just like tech-wear, anything that is technically made and fits on a human body I just love it, also anything that’s got that Boost technology that’s light on your feet.
FP – You’re more into the functionality, right?
P-Rallel – Exactly if I’m on my feet all day I need to be comfy there’s no need to look good all the time.
FP – What is your go to pair on a day to day basis?
P-Rallel – Nike Reacts
FP – Any particular one?
P-Rallel – I got both models I normally just wear my black ones they’re comfortable, if it’s not those though my its Y-3 Boost if I know I’m on my feet all day then I wear one of those.
FP – Having worked with a lot of emerging artists is there any emerging talent you’re looking forward to hearing more from in the future?
P-Rallel – Everyone I grew up with, everyone I did music with from 2015 onwards, anyone I’ve met everyone knows who they are. They’re they only people who I really care about. Keep the faith in people I really want to see strive and it makes me happy when they do.
FP – Finally, can you let us know what’s in the pipeline for P-Rallel?P-rallel – So, I just dropped a song with Sam Wise, I’m also about to drop an EP in November. I’m going to be at Phonox nearly all the time cos I’m a resident now. Meet me there, if you ever want to meet me.
