When browsing the web for more hidden books on footwear, I came across a rather interesting magazine on Onitsuka Tiger. Among the photos in the advertised post was an image that detailed an assortment of shoes all of which had a red piece of string tied to them. Fascinated by this photo, I would soon learn that this was an exhibition created by a Japanese artist called Chiharu Shiota. In her piece called Dialogue from DNA, Chiharu viewed footwear from a perspective I’d never considered before, finding how “objects can contain the air of an absence, about how nothingness often speaks volubly about objects and people.”
Photo by Sunhi Mang
“One of Shiota’s favorite works is an assortment of used shoes that she collected from various people in her neighborhood in Osaka. “I asked them to write out little histories attached to the shoes, and the result was extraordinary,” she says. “I got messages about how a woman wore a particular pair of black pumps on the day of her husband’s funeral, about a girl who had worn a pair of sneakers on the occasion of a break-up with her boyfriend. Some of the shoes were battered and had holes, others were crushed and looked like cabbages; others were practically new but a little sinister-looking.” Shiota displayed the shoes in such a way that they looked as though their owners had just left them there temporarily, and would soon be back to wear them and stride out the door.” – Page 50 Onitsuka Tiger 60th Made Of Japan. (Words by Kaori Shoji. Photo by Sunhi Mang.)
I recognised this view myself, having photographed abandoned footwear since my trip to Peru back in 2022. I think what sparked it was when I spotted a sandal being ingeniuously used as a door hinge. At that point, the object had transformed into something I had never realised it could be. During the time it made me chuckle, but since I have taken it to be a revelatory moment.
My version of Homer’s infamous epiphany
Since moving to the Big Smoke I have found myself taking photos of any discarded shoes that I have come by, all in the hope that I can one day include them in my book on shoes. Giving people a multi-layered approach to the vast world that is the objects that go on our feet.
A pair of Nike Lunar runners left at the bottom of a communal bin in Manchester (June, ’22)
To a certain degree, shoes are the only item of clothing left that truly reveals who we are, at least when it comes to the Western world and the generation born in the 90s upwards. Similar to what Yohji Yamamoto was saying in Wim Wenders’ documentary about him, the days when you could tell someone’s profession by what they wore are long gone. A shoe says a lot about someone, even more so when they are not being worn by said person. Whether someone is shy or confident, how they walk, their beliefs, their ability to dance the night away, their priorities and their insecurities are all tied onto that person’s foot at the start of the day.
Clearly this person’s priority was for their feet to stop hurting. Bun heels.
However tempted I have been to pick up these discarded trainers or sandals, I realise that it would not be practical in the slightest, especially because I already own more shoes than the average person. So having considered the moral and even hygienic aspects of taking all these objects, regardless of if I end up hosting what could be a similar exhibition to Shiota’s Dialogue from DNA, I have decided it best to stick to a digital perspective (…at least for now).
Where Shiota has asked the person who donated their shoes to add a storied note, I will have to stick to a combination of simple facts as well as a sprinkling of artistic license. Where I found the shoe, the type of day it was, what mood I was in, what brand and year the shoe is from are all questions which first spring to mind.
A knit-based shoe washed up on the shores of Huanchaco, Peru (Feb ’22)
If you do know of any picturesque pieces of footwear that have been thrown away on the streets of London, then by all means drop me a message or better yet, send in a shot that you took yourself!
A few years ago during the first lockdown, I spotted a cool photo of England forward Emile Heskey. Now while the ex-Liverpool striker is an icon in the world of football, his off-pitch dress sense was not something he was known for. Either way, in the photo shown below, Heskey is seen posted up with three other England teammates in their rest day attire. All of them are rocking a form of Moc hybrid, however, the main man steals the show with his murdered-out pair of Nike Mercurial Slides.
Having acknowledged the Mercurial line as a legendary football boot during my younger years, this Hyrbid Moc was definitely a piece of footwear I was eager to get my hands on. Since March 2020 I kept my eye out for them, searching far and wide, only coming across the occasional UK6 at a hefty price point. Naturally, my hopes began to fade, this was until four years later when an impromptu lunchtime Vinted-browse finally had me stumbling across them. Frantically messaging the seller for more photos and a size confirmation, I managed to secure them for just under £30.
Granted they did look a little worn, but nothing I couldn’t brush past with a fine comb and a can-do attitude. Collecting them from the local In-Post locker a few days later, anticipation was so high that I ended up ripping apart the packaging and waving them in the air like that toilet paper scene out of Stepbrothers (if you don’t do this every time you buy a 12 Pack then get in the mix).
As soon as I made it back home they went straight on feet, envisaging myself enjoying a day off from the National Team’s training in a full Umbro tracksuit … oh and also as Emile Heskey (the latter of which was harder to imagine). The mood took a slight hit once I found out that the left foot smelt of cigarettes, a risk any Vinted warrior has to endure from time to time, needless to say the top-down view was worth marvelling at.
Waking up the next day and checking up on how the “freshening up” process was going, I was also hit with the fact that they were a size UK11 and not UK12. A detail not too upsetting had it not been for me asking the seller to double check if the sizing was correct but alas, I would still be able to prance around the house feeling like an off-duty Heskey so not all was lost.
In hopes of lifting my spirits, I trekked down to the Thames to snap a photo of my new favourite Mocs in front of Tower Bridge. A questionable act, yet one that made sense in my head. Finally hunting down a grail which admittedly smelt of a forty-pack and was one size too small felt good, so to celebrate the achievement I decided it necessary to photograph them in front of the symbolically powerful Tower Bridge. For any of you still trying to hunt down that elusive item, dreams can come true!
I finally watched Return To Seoul the other day. It will stay with me for a long time. As if this was Ji-Min Park’s debut acting appearance.
Similar to a scene in Paris, Texas by Wim Wenders where the protagonist has a line of shoes sat on a wall after having polished them because of his insomnia.
This scene involves the main character’s (Freddie) father offering to buy her a pair of shoes from the village market from his childhood. There’s a deep connection when buying someone footwear, especially when it comes to your child.
Here, the father takes the opportunity to protect his daughter’s feet, a role he would have enjoyed filling if he had not regrettably given her up for adoption decades ago. His longing for connection is a feeling we encounter throughout the film’s runtime, achieved here in a minor way through this simple act.
Growing up in a catholic school, you would often hear about Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. A symbolic act, this idea was referred to many a time, its meaning something I still have yet to fully appreciate to this day.
The symbolism in this scene can go amiss, it’s only fleeting afterall – yet its moments like this where director Davy Chou has gradually painted a portrait which feels so very real.
If I ever create a book about footwear then best believe this moment will be printed in amongst the pages.
Couldn’t recommend this film more, especially if you’re in your mid 20s.
The following are just a few tracks and images that I recently came across. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
This one I found from a “Moog Board” playlist on Spotify. It gets quite cinematic towards the middle, something I can definitely imagine myself using later on in life if I ever get round to creating a montage of happy memories. Until then it can just remain a fun track.
This one’s a little more on the nose but delivers that feeling of being on the Brazilian coastline. No doubt a classic over there and one I hope to encounter while sipping my morning coffee at my future favourite spot.
Stumbling across this light jazz number towards the end of listening session, a favourite from the Japanese Jazz playlist I had great fun delving into.
Nike Fuelband, patent leather Air Force 1s and two Yeezy’s off of Virgil’s old blog, an era dripping in nostalgia. One day I hope to drop a Bobbito-style book with my life’s take on footwear but for now, a small dump on the website will have to do.
Back in February, Skepta was sent to Japan on a PR campaign to explore his relationship with PUMA. Sabukaru did a great piece on this titled “24 Hours in Tokyo with Sabukaru, Skepta and PUMA”. It’s definitely worth checking out as it gives you an interesting look behind the scenes. Apart from the trip being a marketing piece for the newly created Velophasis silhouette, the multi-hyphenated artist managed to visit the PUMA archive in Germany, where he no doubt kept an eye open for a silhouette for his next collab.
A few days later, Skepta took to JME’s BadmanOnline Twitch channel during a late-night studio session, proceeding to show off a pair of creps he’d picked up on his trip. “You lot seen these? Mad tings, make sure to take an extra suitcase cause they’ve got some serious stuff out there”, he said while showing off a pair of the Brain Dead x Oakley Factory Team Flesh in the “Iron Brown” colourway to the people on the stream.
Oakley has been trickling back into the functional wear scene as Instagram accounts such as @inside.tag put people on game. As the hype for Nike’s ACG division slowly moved into Arcteryx between 2019-2021, other authentic brands such as 66 Degrees North and Oakley are now the focus for people who are tuned into the scene. While Oakley is far from breaking out onto the mainstream stage, people with an actual interest in outdoor wear are happily gathering up all the early 2000s and ‘90s pieces knowing the brand’s existing reputation as authentic functional wear.
The Oakley Factory Team Flesh is an interesting silhouette to say the least, created in June of 2000 and like other footwear that was released at the time, was way ahead of the curve. The neoprene booty entry foregoes the need for laces, while the upper’s water-wicking abilities and Open-cell Aeroprene ensure your feet don’t get wet or sweaty. The most interesting component is definitely the sole unit, with its wavering midsole and Traction Pod system underfoot that enhanced “tactile awareness”. This was perhaps Oakley’s attempt to dip its toe into the world of minimal footwear, a field that adidas was exploring with its Feet You Wear range from the ‘90s and ACG’s experimental pieces that ex-Nike designer Steve McDonald previews on his Instagram account.
Surprisingly, the Factory Team Flesh doesn’t stand out like a sore thumb among Oakley’s back catalogue of footwear, with the brand often leaning into the theme of unconventional design. It’ll be interesting to find out who was the creative lead for Oakley during that era, especially as we see archival models make a comeback through collaborations with Brain Dead. As Skepta’s track record has proven time and time again, the artist has an eye for good taste, so let’s hope we get more tasty revivals from Oakley.
“You a bad B you yeah?” – asked the assistant store manager at the shop I used to work at. It’s 2019, I’m crouched down sorting out the Carhartt beanie display when I get asked that. I’ve got a pair of Air Monarchs on my feet in the black and red colourway. I was hesitant to wear them that day as it’d been a while. “The age of the Monarch is over. The time of the 990v5 is now.” I was considering retiring so that little education on the Manchester Bad B Monarch crowd was the final nail in the coffin. The Monarch had served me well during my time in Bristol but now the day had come. It was the pinnacle of the Dad Shoe era in 2018, a time when pairing up white tube socks and some classic white trainers would get you far. Far in what, however, is yet to be defined.
There was a time in 2018 when all the Bad Bs in your local area were wandering into Sports Direct and sifting through a pile of orange Nike boxes to find their right size. I know this because I myself did the same on my lunch break one day, not that I’d consider myself a bad B in any sense of the term. This era was loaded with bulky silhouettes, a much-needed change from the Sock Shoe era that had just been. NMDs and Ultra Boosts were on their way out as the Air Max series made it’s way back into the fray.
Now, in hindsight, I feel like the bulky shoe movement spawned the era we are currently living in today or at least the one that is almost over/teetering on the edge. To my recollection, the cycle over the last 10 years has somewhat been as followed: Vintage, Sleek/Modern, Bulky/New and looks to be like we might be heading back into vintage runners again with the Mexico 66 slowly simmering under the influence of fashionable Tik Tok’ers. The Monarch, particularly the fourth iteration, embraced the bulkiness of its silhouette as a by-product to comfort. Who didn’t mind this? Dads and Grandpas who’d wander in, see their size already out on the shop floor and walk out the store chuffed with their brand new set of kicks that’d last them for the next 10 years. Plus, they did this all before the Monarch IV was considered ‘cool’.
This bulky look went on to inspire the design language of high-end sneakers such as the Balenciaga Triple S and Versace Chain Link 2, both of which featured huge midsoles. Then Buffalo Boots slowly crept into the mix, with the ‘alternative’ crowd making these look cool enough for a larger female audience to be enticed into picking up a pair. Nike collaborations with sacai did much of the same with its LD Waffle, then building on that stacked midsole again with the Vaporwaffle. Meanwhile, the New Balance 990 series started gaining huge popularity as people were no longer put off by its high price point, having already picked up numerous pairs of Air Max 98s which were only £50 cheaper, yet nowhere near as sophisticated.
That year saw the Dad shoe trend evolve and mutate through the various footwear camps, all while the Monarch’s shadow grew smaller and smaller. I still own a pair of the original white and blue colourway, a choice I’m happy about considering it was rumoured that Nike stopped production on them in 2020. Although a quick Google search reveals that they’re still available on the Sports Direct website, albeit at the eye-watering amount of £57, and that’s their sale price too! I remember the good old days when you could pick them up for £32 pounds at your local Sports Direct. It’s nearly doubled since! Now that’s one example of inflation that no sneakerhead seems to be talking about. Long live the Monarch IV.
My original reason behind writing this was the idea that the New Balance 2002R and 1906R are merely extensions of the Dad shoe trend. Both silhouettes, had they come out during that time in 2018, would have perfectly fit the programme. Yes, both have hit the mainstream audience, but you can’t tell me that they wouldn’t look out of place on your Dad’s feet at the next family barbeque. Just look at the Up There Store x New Balance 2002R “Backyard Legends II” pair, the perfect Dad shoe (granted the inspiration behind the shoe is very Dad shoe-inspired). I wouldn’t go as far as to say as this is the hill I’d die on; it just might take me some convincing.
Side Note: Does anyone remember the MK2 Teknos – talk about a flash in the pan moment.
I missed Nike’s “Silver Bullet” drop in 2017 and being a broke student, resell prices weren’t an option. Almost a year later in the Spring of 2018, I picked up a pair from Depop for £100 all in. Result. They arrived in good nick, a receipt from JD Rochester crumpled inside the red Nike box. I slipped them on and headed to the library, 3M gleaming from all different angles. I was at the deep end of third year at the time, so dissertations and essays had me tied to the library. ‘At least I’ve got a pair of 97s to get me through it’, I thought, a minor saving grace.
A few years later and they were beat, gone, finished, caput, done out, pooped, wrecked, dunzo… you get the idea. I’d had them tucked away at home in a clear zip lock bag having chucked out the original Nike box out a while back. Rumours of a “Silver Bullet” retro hit the web around October 2022 so I thought, best fly the old pair for the fresh 2022 retro. I put it up for £75 quid, a decent chunk of change towards the new pair.
Few days later a friend messaged me telling me about some exchange deal that END was doing up in Manchester. I’d only moved out a few months ago so it was a good excuse to head back. After some minor digging, I found out he wasn’t lying. ‘Head to this Silver Bullet themed event and swap out your old pair’ was along the lines of END’s Instagram post. Sounds good to me. The train up would cost £70 quid (£18 of which I got refunded thanks to delayed train) but that sounded a whole lot better than forking out £165 for the new retro. Plus, it was for charity so it morally made sense as well.
Four and a half hours later I was back breathing in the crisp air of Manchester’s damp streets. The event only a few hours away, so I headed to my mates to kill some time. We drove to the destination with my friend inevitably queuing a host of 67 songs like he was sponsored. Luckily it was a short drive. Arriving in what seemed like the middle of nowhere, we saw a queue with some old friends outside this warehouse. The insides were covered in tin foil, remnants of what could have been a Salford’s annual conspiracy theory convention or even Chuck McGill’s house from Better Call Saul.
A projector beamed an animated loop that depicted a liquid metal substance transforming into the Silvy B, very cool. Inside, a reflective bubble bouncy castle minus the bouncy floor was where the swaps were going down. Everyone lined up with some crusty Air Max 97s in hand, ready to complete what most sneakerheads would deem an unfair trade, even if it was all above board. Getting closer to the desk, I witnessed a girl getting turned away cause of some technicality, people including myself were starting to worry, maybe there was a catch?
I was up next. I gave my name as the girl scrolled down a spreadsheet list full of names. A few clicks later and I was in. I placed my old pair on the desk taking one last look at them before they departed, many memories of roaming the Bristol streets were formed in those. They’d served me well. She slipped an OG 90s Nike box an END bag, handing them over to me. They were mine, the swap was secured. I stuck around for a bit afterwards watching an assortment of people bob about in their various Air Maxs, clearly everyone had got the memo. I caught up with a few old mates from the store and then trudged back home the next day. Dipping in and out of Manchester had been a daze, the docile streets of my quiet hometown slowly becoming more of a normality. I slotted the 97s away, “keeping them on ice” as some would say. What for? Who knows. I just know that I’ve got a fresh pair of “Silver Bullets” and I’m sound with that.
Back when the first Air Max released in 1987, people’s minds were blown by the exposed Air unit. How do I know that? Well, Nike have done a great job marketing and documenting this, making sure its Air Max line remains relevant for years to come.
Now-a-days, releases from the Swoosh still embrace that same Air technology, just look at the Air Max Scorpion which dropped in the second half of 2022. Recent models like the Air Max 720 and 270 were also added to the lineage, dropping on Air Max day in 2019 and receiving lots of attention, yet has seen waning interest post-pandemic (admittedly, the Air Max 270 is still a go-to gym shoe for many). So, which of these is the Retro of tomorrow, the retro of the future? Is it the Scorpion with its crazy sole unit? Possibly, but I’d like to think otherwise.
We need to truly understand how mind-blowing and crazy the reactions were to the exposed Air unit on the Air Max 87/1 to really understand the possible future of the footwear market. We need to ask ourselves as sneakerheads or as people with interest in the industry, which recent drops created a reaction in the past few years? We need to look at shoes that may seem wild and futuristic now, but will fit perfectly within the design language of 20 or 30 years’ time.
Just look at the success New Balance is having with its NB 1906R and 2002R, models designed over 10 years ago that look like they were only penned yesterday. That’s just one example, but even then it’s too close to its original. We need to look to the 80s and 90s, releases from 20 years plus which still fit in today.
Of course, the Air Max line was designed with a running purpose in mind. The Air Max 95 “Neon” colourway had a black midsole because they were a trail running shoe first, a detail that would allow the midsole to look clean after a heavy trek in your local woods. It may not seem like a big deal now but most shoes at the time had a white midsole, so this feature really went against the grain.
With that logic, do we look at the Nike Wildhorse or updated Pegasus line as future-retros that will have sneakerheads going wild? Old Pegasus models such as the 83 still receives love from the vintage runner afficionados and mainstream market, their classic silhouette making them easy to wear. The rubber midsole on the pre-2000s edition is also much more durable than its updated foam counterpart. While the latest 39 version might be way better for energy return, I think it comes at a cost of foam durability, as Lao Tzu once said, “The flame that burns Twice as bright burns half as long.” Therefore, in my opinion, the Peg 83 would outlast the Peg 39 by quite some miles. On the other hand, you can still see the early 2000s Peg editions pop up on eBay from time-to-time so I might be completely wrong. Chances are though that they were only copped when Stewart was adamant to embrace his New Year’s challenge and picked them up from his local sports shop only to remain hidden in his pantry cupboard after a handful of 5Ks. We’ve all been there Stewart, chin up.
Having considered these run specific lines, I would like to look elsewhere for a more promising suggestion. Keeping it within Nike, if we look at the brand’s most cutting edge division, it’s got to be the ISPA line formed in 2018 (Improvise, Scavenge, Protect and Adapt). When I used to work at the Size? store in Manchester, there was one shoe that I’ll always remember leaving a huge impression. I worked in the stockroom, meaning hundreds of different shoes would pass under my nose as I booked them in for delivery. That one shoe which I remember to this day, was the Nike ISPA Road Warrior from 2021. Granted, Zoom units aren’t ‘new technology’ and we’ve seen them exposed before thanks to the Zoom Spiridon Cage 2, but not like this.
The shoe had a total of four Zoom units, two of which were stacked! Not to mention the quasi-Shox looking springboard mechanism that housed the Zoom units, plus the assortment of techy straps attached to the knit upper. The shoe was wild and still is! That to me is a great example of contemporary Nike innovation. Side note: I wanted to try the pair on but we only had them in women’s sizes so the closest I got was a description from my stockroom friend who happened to be a UK6. To this day I have to go off, “oooo, these are bouncy aren’t they”, a less than sufficient description to say the least.
I recently picked up the Nike ISPA Link, eager to get a taste of the division’s technical prowess and believe you me, I was not disappointed. This forward thinking design from the ISPA division combines the latest of technologies for the modern human (enter “all humans are athletes” phrase here). That’s a thought process that all the best designers of their time were considering, think Tinker, Peter Moore or Bruce Kilgore, something which has been side-lined with a large portion of Nike’s recent output. Then again, the brand needs to sell basic logo Ts and simple retros to fund the research process. A process that went on to fund Kipchoge’s sub 2 hour marathon and kept it true to Nike’s “Impossible is Nothing” ethos. Back to the designers though, what do those guys have in common? Is it the socks they wear or the toothpaste they use? Unlikely. Jokes asid, what links the aforementioned designers was that they all created a silhouette, a shoe which is still relevant in the industry today. Sure, the Swoosh’s marketing plays a part but the product comes first (or so I’ve been tricked into thinking).
As we have seen recently, cutting edge thinking isn’t everything. Look at the 2022 retro of the Nike Air Kukini and its lukewarm reception from sneakerheads, the models now sat on shelves at 60% off and they’re still sitting. Madness. These were birthed out of Nike’s Alpha Project division that embraced futuristic design brought on by the turn of the millennia.
The early 2000s actually birthed a number of forward thinking editions to the sneaker world, such as adidas’ Crazy 1, the ACG Air Dri-Goat and the Air Jordan XV Moc, influenced by a cultural fascination about what the future would look like, a theme reflected by film and TV. Most of the models only gained a cult following, with specific parts of the world resonating with these releases more so than others. You don’t even have to look that far back to see a tech-heavy shoe flop. Take the adidas Springblade, a wild looking addition that saw a quick transition from shop floor to adidas archive. This is good news for sneakerheads like myself who end up picking up an old pair of Springblades for about £30 on the second hand market. Mind you, it’s definitely more of a niche pickup.
Accurate portrayal of me catching another L on SNKRS.
So that doesn’t exactly bode well for my theory on the Road Warriors or the rest of the ISPA division for that matter. While it may have caused a reaction amongst a small number sneakerheads including myself, it doesn’t come close to that of the Air Max 1 back in ’87. This might have something to do with modern culture though rather than the shoe itself. The internet and drained serotonin levels amongst those 15-25 have resulted in a lack of surprise and shock value. Chances are you’ve seen a shoe on social media before you’ve seen them on the shelf at your local shop. A shoe would have to be that much crazier in order to gain a reaction out of you, or some might be gassed with the shoe in hand but be less obvious about their excitement. This thought process isn’t exactly helpful, as it means that shock value could still be both completely relevant and irrelevant, depending on the person. A sticky one still.
How do you go about judging a future retro classic in that case? Perhaps new releases that have gained a mass following and recognition could be an indicator. Look at the JJJJound Projects, each time they’re leaked a shockwave is sent running throughout the sneaker socials. Yet again, this is only a niche crowd of enthusiasts who amplify this excitement and not touching the outer edges of the footwear-loving world. Not to mention the fact that they only deal with classic and iconic silhouettes, so it’s not exactly cutting edge design; back to square one it is.
As a matter of fact, the future could be less about Swooshes and Stripes than it is now. Fashion is closely attached to its cyclical nature, implying that these brands won’t be going anywhere, not for now at least.
Trainers themselves could completely transform between now and 2050, deeming current releases as old and insufficient compared to the designs of the future. We may not use shoes at all, the Barefoot Movement of today has grown since its niche following in the early 2000s, Vivo Barefoot and Vibram Five Finger lines garnering more attention each growing year. The recent Artificial Renditions are also worth considering, taking social media by storm with its incredible new renditions that suggest the future of footwear design will only get more dependent on tech. However, it’s too extensive a subject to try and relate solely to the footwear industry, I only hope that we use it wisely.
Image via HypeBeast
In that vein of thought, the Air Jordan and Air Max Line could turn into museum pieces, items only there for household decoration. I realise a lot of Air Jordans have been sold at respected Auction Houses under such a title, however I’m on about the models of today here, not game-worn Jordan’s from the 80s; different kettle of fish.
I recently picked up a pair of all leather Sports shoes from what appears like the 1930/40s period, a truly vintage pair that harks back to the days before Blue Ribbon Sports, years during the early Reebok days. They are truly for decoration though, bought for £20 at an Antiques shop in the town across from mine. Even if they were my size, I wouldn’t even think about wearing them because one, they’d fall apart, and two, they’re just far from practical. This might seem obvious to most of you, yet as someone who loves his old trainers, this mindset is one that only applies to this pair in my collection. Given the fact that I own a silly number of shoes, that’s quite the statement.
This mindset is one that could be applied to all my other pairs, not by me obviously, but to that future individual who finds them knocking about an old Antiques shop. They’d pick them up (unlikely to be a size UK12 mind), and think, “what a great display piece!”. They wouldn’t think, “Aww yeah, I could get about in these” or “Ah wicked! A vintage pair to go straight on foot”; and walk them over to the till in some invisible, minimalist robotic shoes that been invented by some future brand and has built in heating and ventilation systems. Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself like the designers of the early 2000s, take a look at the Nike Adapts though, they’re not miles off.
I’m probably veering too far off topic now, yet I say all that to come to what may be some sort of conclusion. I think the future of footwear will factor in practicality and health a lot more. New science will reveal that people who wear X type of trainers are X% more likely to develop health issues as a result of the footwear they own, creating a dramatic need for change in the industry. Sure the human anatomy is being considered in the design of today, but that’s constricted to the sporting world and more specifically, running. What about the other 85% of our lives that are spent flexing on haters or for the time you’re stuck in office shoes that were based on the formality of the early 20th century?
Brands like adidas started this thought process with its Feet You Wear line of performance trainers and Nike with its Free line, boosting the Barefoot trend for brands like Vivo Barefoot. Other brands like Camper tackle the practicality with formality problem which is good to see but I don’t see them outperforming the brogues at Clarks, change does take time I guess. What I’m saying isn’t new, I just think the science will become harder to ignore.
Can I give you a specific future retro, not really. However, I can tell you the Future of footwear looks practical AND still cool… I hope. Otherwise catch me in a fresh pair of Air Max 90 “Infrareds” looking fairly decrepit and barely being able to walk!
EDIT: This was written pre-Yeezy scandal which saw adidas taking huge hits to its yearly predicted profits. That being said, the adidas Originals line-up was still fire, so a lot of this piece still stands.
Back in March 2021 I found myself having to paint the shed. This unfortunately seems to be a designated role of mine whenever I’m at home, which because the lockdowns, had not been the case for almost a year. Knowing I’d be spending the next hour or so repeatedly moving a brush back and forth, I decided to queue a favourite podcast of mine, The Complex Sneaker Podcast. The episode featured Jerry Lorenzo and Jason Mayden, two big names when talking the world of design and contributions to footwear culture. That episode, more than any other had left a huge impact on me and my understanding of the footwear scene. With Jerry Lorenzo having signed on as President to the newly founded Fear of God Athletics under the adidas Umbrella, and Jason Mayden now Managing Business and Creative Strategy Globally for adidas Basketball, the duo took to the pod in order to discuss their future plans.
“A lot of my personal memories of the brand are super iconic. There are so many revolutionary individuals that were championing the brand that were aspirational to me as a kid. The Sambas were some of the first shoes that I had in high school that I would wear with my Umbro shorts and Daisy Dukes. What I love about the brand is this juxtaposition in association with these high-level Revolutionaries like Kanye West, Mike Tyson, Mohammed Ali and David Beckham. The product has always taken a backseat and I love how the product allows individuals to shine. It’s always felt like when I put on a pair of adidas it allows for my own swag to take president. It feels like I’m wearing the shoes, not like the shoes are wearing me.”
-Jerry Larenzo
“My relationship with adidas was on the heels of the people who stood in front of adversity and challenges and authentically themselves. Flow Joe, Mohammed Ali, Run DMC these people crossed over and were a spine breaker. As a kid who grew up in Hip Hop culture you started to see the nuances of people who did not fit in, they made it okay to be other. So for me adidas represents more of an idea more so than a product and a company, that idea is individualism. That’s what I like about this opportunity is that we get a chance to paint a new narrative, where the protagonist is the hero, not the artifact. Not the product itself but the person. I think that’s important for the person in this generation because when they’re seeking authenticity, it’s really hard to be authentic when you’re chasing a trend but it’s easy to be authentic when we’re standing in our truth. adidas has always stood in its truth and I get a chance to extend that legacy into the future.”
– Jason Mayden
image from google/solecollector
What stuck with me was both of their takes on adidas as a brand. I had personally never seen the company in that light before, only having warmed to it myself the past year or so. To me adidas had seemed a little lost after their complete takeover back in 2015/16. They had experienced a huge peak but had since become lost, the fog near the top of the mountain obscuring their view of the path upwards.
Since moving and working to Manchester however, the love for the brand was a lot more noticeable. Working in the Bristol store prior to the move meant I started to question the brands history more and more. The Trimm Trab and Kegler Supers sat on the shelf of the wall with a vast history that I wasn’t yet aware of. In fact at the time, I’d never even seen the shoes before having scanned them in during delivery. I’d been drip fed the Nike narrative for so long that I was getting schooled when it came to adidas. Thank goodness it wasn’t all Tubular’s Doom’s and Deerupts! (praying hands emoji).
There’s a special place in hell for people who enjoyed wearing these.
I myself had started to notice the Samba gain traction slowly but surely back in the end of 2020, the nostalgic seeds for the model were once again planted by Sean Wotherspoon post his Nike contract ending. He ended up doing a few limited Round Two Samba pairs in 2021 made of recycled material scraps and were made in the special German factory too. You can now seem him start to wear what I assume to be his next set of releases that he is trying to stir up traction for. Here’s hoping they do better than the previous Hot Wheels release that has just dropped.
Of course adidas were retro-ing the shoes every year or so, similar their release strategy with Shelltoes and Superstars, however I can only imagine them doing regular numbers throughout this period. Along with the Sambas, the Rivalry’s were having a small moment in 2018 before adidas went all out on their marketing for the Forums and seemed to have reached success with the model.
A lot of traction also came from strong collaborations with the world’s most streamed musician Bad Bunny and rumoured to be Louie Vuitton’s next designer, Grace Wales Bonner. The Bonner shoes were massive online in terms of Instagram presence with all your cool influencers getting off solid fits in them. This undoubtedly had a trickle-down affect with those who either didn’t know about which particular adidas shoes they were or couldn’t find them online, leading them to spend their well-earned cash on the next best thing. You even had Harry Styles on stage in Wembley performing in a pair of red Gazelles. I only noticed this myself as I thought he was wearing a pair of Napoli’s, a shoe that just so happen to be my one of my favourites, as opposed to being a massive fan of his. Aha, Watermelon Sugar yes my dudes.
Harry Styles wearing recently released red Gazelle’s.
No doubt Lorenzo and Mayden had an affect across the campus at adidas with their ideas of the brand, igniting them to readopt their old ethos. You now see adidas being the biggest brand or at least following closely behind New Balance because of their new strategy. They have realised the strength of the crowd and letting them adopt retro silhouettes into their own wardrobe. Those who have an online following and a taste of their own are integrating these simple terraced shoes and making it their own. Granted, this sometimes comes through via a questionably tasteful 10 second video in which the person in shot will lift up their foot behind them and catch it with their hand, but that’s the future baby… or at least what has the biggest choke hold over the footwear market for the moment.
Great mini docs like these are no longer where it’s at unfortunately
Gone are the days where Air Max is everything. I myself was getting a bit tired of the rhetoric behind the importance of Classic and more obvious older silhouettes. The Shoe Dog in me wanted a doc on obscure Nike’s and the lesser known designers who made crafted them. Tinker is almost a rockstar at this point so why can’t the Swoosh try and do the same for some of the other designers. This behind the scenes stuff is something true fans of product are always here for.
At this point, even coveted Air Max and Jordan 1 models are sitting which would have been unheard of a few years ago. I believe the brand experienced the peak of this love during and post lockdowns once Netflix’s The Last Dance had had its huge cultural impact. The documentary had showed everyone watching why these shoes were so important. We no longer needed OG Sneaker Heads with extensive Jordan collections to tell us why, from their first-hand experiences and memories, because now we had them too! People who had never had a chance to experience watching Jordan play had now seen the magic and alien abilities of the man almost first-hand. The Documentary did so well to remove the barrier of time which is normally experienced through old footage quality that ends up creating a gap between the viewer and the art.
I was working in retail during this period and the want for anything Jordan was relentless. Every day at least 40% of customers would come in asking where the Jordan section was, it was madness. This carried on throughout the rest 2020 and into the first half of 2021 too. Thankfully or not, depending on how you see it, the hype train has indeed slowed down with 2022 being the year for adidas and new balance.
The generation born in the 90s and 2000s experienced enough of depending on the past for its footwear and put its own spin on it. Of course, models such as the Gazelle and Samba are in fact shoes created back in the 60s, yet given this gap of over half a century, the cultural and historical markers are less defined or at least more obscure as they are with 90s releases. Unless your Grandpa or Grandma were running track or game for that matter, they would have unlikely come across such shoes. It was more likely that you’d see a picture of your Mum and Dad rocking now-evangelised Nike models from old family snaps, than you would of Grandpa Joe hitting a topspin forehand in his Stand Smith’s. Even if your Grandparents were the coolest of cats, they probably wouldn’t have had the photos to prove it, funny how that works. So a lot of this nostalgia is unfortunatley limited by format.
Unless this was your Grandma, how else are we to experience some adidas Marathon’s in action without relying on old sporting photos!?
With the dawn of new technological formats, comes a much-needed shift in ideas, and one which luckily went in tandem with that of adidas product. The 10 second Reel or video relies on the fast and now, the old picture format which I would argue is still relevant today, unfortunately looks to the past all too much. You might see a picture of someone wearing a classic Jordan (peep @no.idea.is.original for what I mean) but you don’t have a 10 vid of them getting sturdy in some Jordan Aqua 8’s from when they originally released.
The cultural power has now been handed, for the most part to your smaller creators, ones who don’t seem to detatched from our own reality. If Rachel or John are running about their second-hand clothing business in a pair of adidas, then why can’t Wendy or Peter getting the bus to work feel the same way when they lace up their pair of three stipes? The power is in the people. Like Jason said, “the protagonist is the hero, not the artefact.”
Since Grime MC Legend, DJ, Producer, Actor and artist Skepta’s Nike contract ended earlier this year, he has wasted no time in finding another brand to keep his feet laced. What may at first have seemed like an unlikely partnership may actually have been the best move for the newly found music label and German footwear company.
We firstly got hints at a possible Nike collaboration way back in 2014, before any SK Air logo hit the streets of London (lots of people thought this was a Sadiq Kahn collab which could have been lowkey fire). Skepta and a few BBK members donned what looked like an exclusive all black Nike Tracksuit on stage at Red Bull Culture Clash, a subtle large swoosh across the chest.
This was before the Swoosh was coming out with clothing encompassing large logos and about two years before Virgil had released his The Ten collection. I mention this collection to say, after witnessing the consumers reception, there was a huge directional change in terms of design philosophy, adopting their ethos from someone who birthed brands such as Off White and Hood By Air. The tracksuit BBK members were wearing on stage at Culture Clash was supposedly designed by Skepta himself and had tapped into something different before the brand itself had even realised it. The MC even had a bit of a Kanye moment a year or so down the line in 2015 suggesting in an interview that the brand had been difficult to work with and were being finicky when it came to the contract details.
As we all know now, Skepta’s run of Air Max’s all did exceptionally well with is first release, the 97 arguably being the best of the bunch. All of his shoes had its own unique spin, even the “No Sleep on Tour” inspired Air Max Deluxe. Unfortunately this one felt most like Nike’s attempt to add much-desired traction onto a silhouette they had retro’d for that year (2018) only to receive a mixed reception.
After the release of the Tailwind 5’s in the two colourways, Skepta’s five shoe deal was over and he was a free agent once again. This was also made clear by the abundance of Prada America Cup’s and other high end fashion shoe’s he was rocking on his socials. Whilst he is by no means alien to high fashion, he made it abundantly clear that no sportswear brands were getting any unpaid shine till a cheque was cleared. Much to everyone’s surprise, he debuted the announcement that Big Smoke Corp was signing a deal with Puma. Whilst a large portion of his fans don’t see this as a wise idea, I beg to differ.
We’ve recently seen New Balance blow up the last two years with their solid releases of old models and great roster of collaborations. However, in my opinion this hype train can only go on for so long before it eventually gets slowed down by the ever-changing trends. Puma is a brand that has not been ‘on top’ since the Puma Suede’s had a moment back in 2012. This was the precursor to the Stan Smith moment that occurred shortly after that. You know for a fact that every teenage girl and boy were hitting up Schuh and Office walking out feeling funky fresh in their new Stan Smith’s. Many PE lessons were seldom filled with Bethany arguing her pair was better than Tallulah’s because she had pink lace tips, a detail she looks back on now as the birthing of her wokeness. #Slay?
Ten years have passed since then, with brands like Asics having their Gel Lyte era, adidas Boost doing its thing and now New Balance with their current reign. All have basked in their temporary time in the Sun, only to be eventually blocked out by Nike, once they had figured out how to catch up. With this logical pattern in mind, I think Puma is set to have a rise within the next two to three years. They have shown some promise with silhouettes such as the Thunder Spectra selling out back in 2019, a shoe which provided sneaker heads with a more accessible alternative to the Wave Runner 700 which debuted back in 2017. They also had steady success with their RS Runner lines which can be seen on foot in your local City if you pay close attention. Puma has proved they can successfully collaborate with celebrities as we’ve seen with their majorly successful Puma x Fenty line. Rhianna clearly does a lot to sell this product through the sheer weight of her name however the marketing for the shoes were also a huge factor behind its success. The partnership ended after the 2018 summer collection but this was after a few years of consistently high sales.
I see no reason why Big Smoke Corp’s collaboration can’t do the same. Skepta clearly has proven himself at Nike with the ability to resonate with sneakerheads both in the UK and across the pond. Whilst his choice of Air Max silhouettes was backed with personal attachments and memories, this was only a partial factor in the success of his shoes. Whilst Skepta’s history with Puma as a product may be sparse, it is no problem for him to paint a picture (pardon the pun) when it comes to storytelling. For example, it’s not like Stormzy was rocking Gazelles during Northampton away at Rochdale, whilst on the piss with the lads and tucking into a Pucka Pie (don’t compromise). Yet he still managed to make the adidas tracksuit massively popular again with his Fire in the Park music video. Both him and Kanye made the black adi Tracksuit bottoms practically uniform back in the run of 2015 to 2017. This just goes to show how an artist can adopt an entirely new product or brand and make it their own. If you want another and more direct example of this simply look at Skepta’s Ed Hardy era of style and how he embraced that brand. This was a total 180 compared to the 2015 That’s Not Me era of a simple white T shirt and black tracksuit combinations. The guy can undoubtedly switch it up without anyone blinking an eye. This being said, there is a whole lot more attention on the artist now than there was even back in 2015 so his moves are being increasingly watched.
He recently took to the art world with his debut painting, Mamma Goes to Market. This was sold, along with a curated collection from friends and artists, in London’s Sotheby’s. The painting went for double its max expected sale price at £80,000 pounds. It is almost as if everything he touches turns to gold and I can’t see that changing for in relation to his current footwear deal.
Now we don’t know about the final ins and outs of the contracts at the moment. For all we know it could be like the UFC’s previous Reebok deal in which we saw Dana’s athletes obligingly wear the product for cage walks and press events. This could be the same for the Big Smoke Corp deal as artist under the label may have to wear a certain amount of Puma product in order to be part of the musical umbrella. Think signing your contract with BSC, receiving the silver razor blade chain, then getting handed a pair of Puma Suede’s and having to remove your pair of high-end kicks you bought in anticipation of your contract signing. Goals? I mean I wouldn’t mind, throw me some Puma Rockets instead and we’re sound.
We can see Skepta already appearing in Puma shoes and clothing over on his Instagram. He wore a simple black and white colourway when making the short walk to his private jet and also during his performance at New York Fashion Week. Whilst the brand is small compared to the likes of Nike and adidas, it has got an extensive catalogue and rich history to tap into. Take a look in Sneaker Freaker’s Soled Out and you can not only see the history for yourself, but how popular the cat was too.
If Skepta and Puma work together to hit the right notes, there is no way they can fail. All they need is a release of meaningful collaborations and excellent marketing, the rest is up to sneakerheads to realise once again how cool Puma is as a brand. I do however realise this is easier said than done. With the support of his english fanbase alone, I think the people are more than ready to back him on yet another venture. Here’s hoping Puma’s new deal with Big Smoke Corp is a success for everyone involved and we get great products as a result.
wear shoes, write poems 