Peacocking the Modern World

adidas/Crooked Tongues ‘Oktoberfest’ München
When adidas gave the go-ahead to proceed with a themed Oktoberfest collaboration, CT’s collective minds instinctively headed to the Cities Series for the München - a late ’70’s indoor training shoe design, that originally carried the vast PU cup sole akin to the mighty Trimm Trab. And while photographic evidence indicates the München may have had a brief career as a volleyball shoe of choice, like many of its contemporaries, cult status in the UK beckoned as a oft-envied piece of terrace, pub and casual wear in the early ’80s. Given the Munich location of the famed booze-based festival it was a no-brainer, amplifying the undisputed connoisseur pub shoe status on UK shores back to its namesake and the granddaddy of all beer events. Seeing as it’s a shoe we’ve loved in dual-tone texture mixes before, we wanted to give it some similar elements, and in the knowledge that some conceptual pieces get lost in heavy-handed storytelling, in a nutshell; we saw images of some lederhosen, noted the unexpected mixes of colour amid the well-known traditional elements, decided it looked unexpectedly fresh and set about working it into the shoe.

Trying to make our mark without sullying the basic appeal, the soft tan leather and suede upper is complimented by red suede stripes, a forest green canvas heel tab, solitary gold eyelet, and darker brown suede lining. Beyond the colourway, materials are integral without making it too busy - conscious of its relevance to a particularly discerning consumer we were keen not to diminish the original appeal while making our mark. The gold Crooked lettering and trefoil on the heel, and embroidered tongue and footbed branding completes a collaborative classic for the Winter months.

Released on 26.09.08 exclusively through Crooked Tongues, and retailing at 60gbp, the adidas/Crooked Tongues ‘Oktoberfest’ München is limited to just 300 pairs.

K-Swiss have partnered with Japan’s premier sneaker retailer Atmos to create this triple header project. Launched with an event in Harajuku on the 27th of September, the shoes comprise a curious selection of models and styles, all decorated with the deft touch of the Atmos crew, led by store owner Hommyo Hidefumi.
From their trans-continental HQs in Harajuku and Harlem, Atmos are perfectly placed to interpret and direct trend traffic like nobody else. As far as product development goes, the brand has a peerless record established over the past decade or so, meaning virtually anything they put their hand to achieves a form of instant credibility. Think back to their stellar Nike colabs, not to mention North Face, New Balance and most recently Puma. K-Swiss to their credit, has not been previously known as a brand to hand out the colab deals willy nilly, making this alliance even more intriguing.
The cashmere croc upper on these models is nice and simple, but it’s the rhinestone encrusted stripes that really make these shoes a zinging novelty. Given it’s designed for the fellas, the diamantes are so fashion forward nutty, it’s hard to even know what to say as a sneakerhead except that it’s certainly new (in a confronting way) and I can’t think of a single thing to compare it to. Atmos would certainly know better than anyone which direction the Tokyo market is headed and after our week in Japan, the glitzy augmentation certainly seems to make more sense. The swingshift in the domestic sneaker market towards frillier fashion is immediately obvious the moment you enter Harajuku. Trad-sports brands are suffering badly!
These sneakers will be released throughout the rest of Fall 2008 in K-Swiss locations in Japan, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the U.S.A.

K-Swiss have partnered with Japan’s premier sneaker retailer Atmos, to create this triple header project. Launched with an event in Harajuku on the 27th of September, the shoes comprise a curious selection of models and styles, all decorated with the deft touch of the Atmos crew, led by store owner Hommyo Hidefumi.
From their trans-continental HQs in Harajuku and Harlem, Atmos are perfectly placed to interpret and direct trend traffic like nobody else. As far as product development goes, the brand has a peerless record established over the past decade or so, meaning virtually anything they put their hand to achieves a form of instant credibility. Think back to their stellar Nike colabs, not to mention North Face, New Balance and most recently Puma. K-Swiss to their credit, has not been previously known as a brand to hand out the colab deals willy nilly, making this alliance even more intriguing.
First reaction is that these two models have certainly been hit with the crazy stick! The inescapable reference is the Jordan-esque elephant print, but Atmos for their part, are calling this ‘embossed asphalt’, which is their prerogative. The gold chain across the tongue and subtle Atmos branding complete the picture for the Bristel High and the Rannell, K-Swiss’ casual runner with the shock absorber known as ‘Si-18’ in the heel. If one of the objectives of creating a collaboration is to spark interest and create unexpected outcomes, then this connection between two unlikely brands would seem to be on the money…
They will be released throughout the rest of Fall 2008 in K-Swiss locations in Japan, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the U.S.A.
 

Loaded and Visa Entertainment Present - Adidas Originals Skateboarding Photography Exhibition. Celebrating the local photography of Mark Barber, Dave Read, Simeon Patience and Kevin Francis as well as global creative from the adidas Pro-team members including Dennis Busenitz, Tim O’Connor and of course Mark Gonzales! Also on show will be the entire adidas Originals Skate range for Autumn/Winter 2009 to give everyone who comes along a sneak peek. Don’t miss out on this dope exhibition and exclusive look at what you could be rockin’ on the half pipe next year courtesy of the three stripe bandits!

If you’re in Auckland and fancy getting some VIP action hit up LOADED to get your hustle on, for one of 10 double passes up for grabs on their website!

Tougher than teak and taller than Wadlow, the 580 is the darling bud of NB Japan. In fact, for years and years, you were often lucky to see a pair of 580s in the wild outside the Harajuku fashion/sneaker nexus… In recent times however, other international branches of the company have tried to infiltrate local markets with this jacked-up RollBar. The flavour of this purple/red/gold/beige joint is perhaps a little too strong for some palettes, but others will have a warm feeling in their loins at first sight of this chunker.

Troop, the once iconic NYC hip hop brand is back in town! Regular readers will know that we have been banging the Troop gong since day dot, and we can now reveal another of the first releases from the rejuvenated brand right here. The Pro Edition is a classsic Troop hightop and has been given a slight reshuffle with an embroidered logo and a mysterious air-bag which is visible from the inside of the arch. However, we were surprised to see this trend hunting paint-by-numbers edition added to the Troop stable. No doubt urbans will rate this joint for its sheer fruity impact, but to mature heads, it does appear somewhat overcooked and about two years late for the technicolor yawn brigade.
On the other hand, given Troop’s in-your-face heritage and predilection for youthful vigour of a nineties flavour (including gold badges, elephantitis patterns and huge embroideries), the case can be argued that this is exactly the type of shoe Troop should be making in the new millenium. What the kids want, the kids get, even if they’ll be laughing about it decades later showing their kids photos of the good old days of alloverhoodies and neapolitain shoes with 12 colours. After all, it’s just a shoe. October/November release.

Fruition team up with Dr Romanelli to create the illest patchwork bubble vests to hit stands in a long time! DRx and Fruition continue their collaboration with Season 3’s ‘Recycled Pop Bubble Vest’ collection. This innovative drop consists of cola-inspired premium vintage gear hand picked by Fruition Las Vegas medically engineered into Bubble vests by the good doctor.  Available exclusively at Fruition.  Stay tuned for additional flavors coming soon.

With its red and yellow stripes offsetting the stark black upper, this is a great alternative to the silver and gold Skytop madness that has been flying off the shelves this season. What can we say? Supra keep rolling out the gems, and we’ll keep posting them!

Yep, you heard right, to mark the official launch of the new store on Chapel Street, Foot Locker has come over all generous and will be handing out a range of new sneakers on Thursday 9th October. Not quite a ‘free for all’, Foot Locker will be giving away on-the-spot footwear prizes to anyone visiting the store including the highly-sought after Force Gold Legacy Pack which includes the Nike Air Force 1 and Air Force 25. The collectible Nike Air Force sneakers feature an 18-karat-gold plated polished metal deubré and cashmere leather lining and will be looking for a new home in Melbourne.

 
“There’s a lot of die-hard sneaker collectors in Melbourne so Foot Locker should be ready for some crowds – especially for the Force Gold Legacy AF1’s and AF25’s which were brought out to celebrate 25 years of Force and are big news in the industry” says Woody of Sneaker Freaker who is collaborating with Foot Locker on the store launch.

In total, Foot Locker will be giving away 20 pairs of sneakers from Nike whilst DJ Flagrant will provide the soundtrack with an in-store set. There is no purchase required, simply turn up to the store, get a ticket and keep your fingers crossed. In addition, the first 100 people through the doors at 5pm will receive a Foot Locker giftcard and also one lucky sneaker head will walk away with the ultra limited Nike AF1 Original 6 Figurine Pack! So make sure you get down to the store early to line up to be in the running to grab one of these insane giveaways.

The new Foot Locker store is situated at 525 Chapel Street, South Yarra and alongside a Limited Edition collection sells a wide collection of athletic footwear, apparel and accessories from the best brands in the business. This is definitely set to be one of the best store launches to go down this year, and one that Melbourne sneaker freaks are going to be talking about for a very long time. Remember, you gotta be in it to win it, and with such a bevvy of prizes to hand out, the chances of leaving empty-handed are second to none!

FOOTLOCKER CHAPEL ST LAUNCH
THURS 9TH OCT 2008
525 CHAPEL ST
SOUTH YARRA
5PM SHARP!!!

Sneaker Freakers will remember Insa from Issue 5 as the runner-up in our Custom Sneaker comp. Since then, the London artist’s career has been steadily on the rise, mostly thanks to his provocative explorations of the female form, many of which have made even the staunchest of ladies go weak at the knees! With such a subjective fine-line between interpretation, Insa’s obsessions will always provoke strong opinions. Indeed, the artist’s mysterious presence coupled with an androgynous non de plume has meant that many have often mistaken him for a woman! We posed some hard-hitting questions on the eve of the launch of the beautiful ‘Insa Heels’, made in conjunction with shoe designer, Ruth Shaw. Get you freak on – we certainly did!

How has the summer been for you in London? Have you found a heap of inspiration from the scantily clad ladettes and ladies?
The summer here in London has been pretty shitty really weather wise, and London girls tend to keep their clothes on when it’s cold unlike the hardened drinking girls of the North!  

Tell us about your fascination with the female form and the sexualization of high heels?
Well my interest with women started when puberty hit, only joking! I have always had an interest in the female form as any hetero male would, but artistically it has been a focus for the last few years and it’s more an interest in the comodification of the female form than just straight up woman lust. I’m fascinated how so many things are sold to me by the sexualised image of woman and how that sort of sexuality has almost become removed from the individual.

How did these two themes come to overtake a lot of your work and how do curators and purveyors take to you, being so unabashedly upfront?
Well, it’s just kind of continued naturally as I experience living my life as an artist.  As for the reaction from curators and purveyors, yes I do sometimes get the response that it is too sexual or possibly offensive, but I find that very surprising as I never made my work any more explicit than anything you would see on a billboard or fashion magazine or on daytime MTV. I think this is because when the image isn’t selling you something it’s more shocking, we actually notice the sexuality and not the product being sold to us. Like we have been programmed to accept this form of consumer sexuality as a different thing to the sexuality in our real lives.

Your high heels theme has been utilised in a lot of your past artwork from the sneakers that you customised for us way back in Issue 5 to your apparel lines. Did it never occur to you before to actually design a pair of high heels?
Well I have done custom high heels for a number of years, but I always originally wanted them to be treated as art pieces and not product. I have always shown them in my art shows. But after several years of requests day-in, day-out to buy them to wear, and as my personal interest in product as art and the crossover between art and design has grown, it felt like the right time to take these art heels and produce them for a wider audience.

Tell us about hooking up with shoe designer Ruth Shaw. How did you chance upon working together to create the Insa Heels?
Well we actually met several years back when she was working at Kickers and they had commissioned me to do a 30th anniversary edition. We got chatting about kicks we like and did a few swaps. I actually swapped her a pair of custom heels for a bunch of Nikes she had just picked up from a buying trip to Japan. And from then on, I had always thought that if I was gonna go into developing a shoe range I would contact Ruth and get her involved.

Do you see a distinct parallel with men’s obsession with trainers as you do with women’s heels? There is a running debate within the male sneaker collectors over which they prefer; a lady in heels or a chick that rocks sneakers. Why do you think such a debate exists?
I think the debate exists because men are always gonna ‘debate’ about what they prefer when it comes to women, tits or ass, blondes or brunettes. Although you could say the footwear discussion is a little more interesting because it shows so much about an individual. Do you like a lady in sneakers who shows she can do whatever you can and isn’t restricted by her sex, or a lady in heels who is clearly showing her difference sexually and using that to her advantage. I personally think a lady that can rock both is the best.

Has it been difficult as a male artist to approach your work with the female form as the dominating force?
The funniest thing is that I get so many people presuming I’m female because of the content of my work, strange I know. I see this as a compliment, as one of my fears is being seen as a misogynist as I feel I’m not, rather I am using the sexual imagery that is all around to understand our position in a consumer obsessed society.

We were lucky enough to score one of your insane calendars that you produced in conjunction with the Fuel Girls. Obviously cars and sexualised women go hand in hand, but as a woman I can definitely appreciate the eye you have for your artwork. How do women generally respond to your work and how easy is it to find the amazingly beautiful models and inspirations for your art?
Women generally respond very well to my work, and I would even go so far to say I think I have a larger female following of my work than male, judging on the emails I receive. As for models, we find them all over the place. I get loads of email/MySpace requests to model, which is good, as for me it’s quite important to work with models who know the work and are into the whole idea.

Do you have a foot fetish or a footwear fetish?
It has to be a footwear fetish. It started with sneakers as I never originally had a thing for heels but now as my work has developed all I spot when out and about are nice heels.

What do the Insa heels say about you as a man?
I’m not sure, what do you think it says about me as a man? Perhaps that I have an unhealthy obsession with female clothing and I’m a perv obsessed with the power of female sexuality. Or perhaps that due to growing up with very strong female role models (my mother and sister) and being in a committed relationship for 10 years, I am in touch with the femininity that surrounds me. I’m not sure… Crikey! I thought this was just a site for people that liked sneakers a little bit too much and not a psychiatrist’s couch!

Hahaha! So when will the Insa heels be dropping and how can the ladies (and lady boys) get a hold of a pair?
INSA HEELS are dropping sometime September and will be available exclusively from www.insa-heels.com. There are only 100 pairs available in this first range so be quick.

Thanks INSA!

Pics courtesy of INSA