SNEAKERS
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SNEAKERS
SUAVE
LA PURA MIEL
A COLLECTION FOR NIKE
OFF WHITE V I R G I L
A B L O H
W/ BY DUKI
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EDITORIAL
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he world is like a ride in an amusement park. And when you choose to go on it you think it’s real because that’s how powerful our minds are. And the ride goes up and down and round and round. It has thrills and chills and it’s very brightly colored and it’s very loud and it’s fun, for a while. Some people have been on the ride for a long time and they begin to question: “Is this real, or is this just a ride?” And other people have remembered, and they come back to us, they say: “Hey, don’t worry, don’t be afraid, ever, because this is just a ride.” ... and we kill those people.
DIRECCION GENRAL
Dominik Bini 961 - 155 - 1813 elbinidominik@snk.com
DIRECTORIO
EDITOR GENERAL
Denisse Ojeda 222 - 504 - 7172 denojedar94@snk.com
JEFE DE REDACCION
Felipe Mata 744 - 223 - 5686 felipemata1995@snk.com
REPORTEROS
Albafica Karos 222 - 175 - 6226 Mau Aczino 100 - 39 - 25
alka@snk.com / acz@snk.com
FOTOGRAFIA
Suave 744 -023 - 0627
AIR JORDAN 1
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4 COLECCIONISTAS
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SNEAKERS WE DON’T
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TINKER HATFIELD
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CONVERSE
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VIRGIL ABLOH
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THE NPC UK
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C Coleccionistas
AIR JORDAN 1 17-years-old with the Best Collection
The world is like a ride in an amusement park, and when you choose to go on it you think it's real.
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he Air Jordan 1 wasn’t the first sneaker made by Nike, but it may be the most important. The partnership between Michael Jordan and the footwear brand from Oregon launched—at least in America— what we now refer to as “sneaker culture,” and no single shoe had a bigger role in that than the original pair of Jordans, first released in 1985. The sneakers have since been re-issued in a plethora of colors and styles, but none are more prestigious than the first Jordans ever produced. There have been stories about people finding pairs, with yellowed soles and cracked leather, and holding onto them as their most-prized possession. But Dylan Ratner, a 17-year-old from Miami, has made a hobby out of collecting the original Air Jordan 1s, and he’s done an excellent
collector wide-eyed. Many wonder how he was able to procure such a priceless stash of shoes, especially since he’s not old enough to have ever watched Michael Jordan suit up in a Chicago Bulls uniform. This is how he did it.
How did you get into collecting vintage Air Jordans?
The vintage thing happened by accident. I was originally involved in newer releases, and I made a trade for a vintage pair. I became really interested in the history and the significance behind the older pairs, so it started from that. Then I began to buy and sell, focusing on vintage, and I amassed a collection.
How do you get your pairs?
job at it. Dylan has amassed nearly every original and sample Air Jordan 1 from the line’s inception. He has other vintage Air Jordans, too, but the 1s have his heart, and his collection would make even the most seasoned
Sometimes I get them online and through people I meet, connecting through Instagram and Facebook. I run a Facebook group called “What Did You Wear Today?” and we have 67,000 members at the moment. So, I’ve met a lot of people.
W/ BY DUKI
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4 COLECCIONISTAS MEXICANOS Que alimentan la fiebre de los “SNEAKERS”
The world is like a ride in an amusement park, and when you choose to go on it you think it's real because that's how powerful our minds are. The ride goes up and down, around and around. “La posición geográfica nos ha beneficiado para crecer”.
Socio y fundador de la plataforma Sneaker Fever, Mike González es uno de los grandes referentes de la actualidad entre los sneakerheads mexicanos. Aproximadamente 1,200 tenis forman parte de una colección que comenzó con un par de Michael Jordan y que hoy encuentra su gran valor en la diversidad. A Mike no le importa nada más un modelo o una marca. Él va por todo. Por la pasión al sneaker. Amante lo mismo de los modelos Yeezy de Kanye West que de los Air Max, es un madrugador de subastas, donde obtiene la mayor parte de sus novedades y rarezas, los pares que le dan sentido a su obsesión.
“La evolución va de la mano de la confianza de las marcas”.
Para Rubén Piliado es sencillo: su vida no puede explicarse sin tenis. Desde que tiene uso de razón, hay un par de sneakers en su mente. En su carta a Santa Claus y en cada gran evento de su vida los sneakers siempre han estado ahí. No es una moda, es una vida dedicada a un estilo. Desde que vio jugar a Jordan despertó su pasión; hoy vive de ella y para ella. Dueño de varias tiendas importantes de la capital de México, Rubén buscó que varias marcas dieran un paso al frente a la hora de traer exclusivas a la ciudad. “Hay varios niveles de coleccionismo, pero cada uno se encuentra en la ciudad. Todos entienden el papel que jugamos ya dentro del mercado global”, comenta seguro de que los mejores tiempos.
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“Codo y muy buen negociante”.
Apodado como “El Niño”, se trata del mayor referente del coleccionismo de sneakers en la CDMX. No hay quien no te lo mencione cuando se habla de tenis en la ciudad. Para “El Niño” los grandes momentos de los tianguis de la Santa Cruz Meyehualco, de Santa Martha Acatitla, el tianguis del Antirrábico, en Cuautitlán de Romero Rubio, o los domingos en la San Felipe de Jesús ya quedaron atrás. Antes, ahí se podían encontrar grandes tesoros para el sneakerhead. Uno imaginaba situaciones en las que llegaba, a precio de risa, un par histórico y todo era felicidad. Pero ahora, con tantos compitiendo por un par, ya no es igual. “Ahí es donde encontré uno de los más difíciles de hallar.
“La obsesión no distingue género”.
Mariana Kletzel es uno de los ejemplos perfectos para entender el crecimiento de la industria femenina en el mundo sneaker. “Actualmente, la variedad es algo que nunca soñamos”, cuenta intentando explicar qué tanto han crecido las opciones de sneakers para mujeres en la capital. Ella está, junto a Tanya West o Macky Maciel, apoyando e impulsando la industria en la capital de nuestro país. “Para mí, mis grandes referentes en la ciudad han sido Adzarael Camacho de Legendary Kicks, Mau Espejel y Rubén Piliado”. De igual maneraesto nos proporciona la idea que la cultura Sneaker de los Mexas. La cultura no tiene frontes, edades y mucho menos generos, si te gusta y lo pudes pagar compralo no pienses en los tabus que existen en la sociedad siempre se tu.
Life its just a ride
Take all that money we spend on weapons and defenses each year and instead spend it feeding and clothing and educating the poor of the world, which it would pay for many times over. We just think that both brands and sneakerheads.
W/ BY BENJI
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H The world is like a ride in an amusement park, and when you choose to go on it you think it's real because that's how powerful our minds are.
Want to see anymore in 2018
SNEAKERS WE DON’T
Historia
Sneakers 2018
A couple of weeks into 2018, it’s time for some spring-cleaning – which means getting rid of shoes that have dominated the last year so heavily that we’re kinda fed up seeing them by now. Don’t get us wrong though: we still got love for all the models we listed below. We just think that both brands and sneakerheads alike should take a step back with them and move on to new ones so we can fully appreciate them again with some distance.
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AIR MAX 97
Just about two years ago, it took some balls to step out in a pair of shiny silver AM 97s. Fast forward to 2017 and it was almost impossible to stroll through any major city without spotting at least three pairs on people’s feet. This is largely due to Nike celebrating the model’s 20th anniversary with a ton of both OG and new colorways, but for now we’re good on any new Air Max 97 for the next couple of years. After all, the Air Max 98 might be up for just the same treatment this year.
ADIDAS YEEZY BOOST 350 V2
Most people already know that the YEEZY hype reached its hiatus for quite some time, so we’ll spare you another lecture on that topic. Instead, here’s some food for thought: the 350’s decline in popularity perfectly proves that sneakerhead’s just can’t be satisfied. When the releases were still fairly limited and resale prices went through the roof, everybody was – naturally – complaining. But as soon as the shoes became more available and almost went for retail in the second market, interest in new V2 colorways went down. And since we placed the sneaker on our list here, we can’t even exclude ourselves from that.
REEBOK CLUB C
Let’s look at the good news first: in 2017, a whole lot of people finally realized that Reebok should be one of our first choices if you’re looking for a decently priced pair of sleek everday sneakers with quite amazing leather quality. Can’t be mad at that. But we’re not so sure if everybody stocked up on all-white Club Cs for those reasons, or rather because the silhouette was one of the essentials for people who have the audacity of writing “I N F L U E N C E R” into their Instagram bio.
VANS OLD SKOOL
It almost hurts us to place the much beloved skate classic on this list… but there’s only so much blackand-white Old Skools combined with tennis socks and high-ankle 90s jeans a person can see in their Insta feeds before he or she snaps. Look, we get it. The shoe is affordable, available everywhere and goes with basically anything. But how about at least a different VANS model for a change?
BALENCIA TRIPLE S
There has been a lot of hate for the Triple S already – but even if you think that Balenciaga’s take on chunky 90s sneakers looks hideous, you have to admit that it’s at least kind of interesting. But with the brand shifting production for the Triple S from Italy to China while sticking to the hefty $850 USD price tag, that shoe has got to go in 2018.
W/ BY DUKI
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H Historia
TINKER
HATFIELD Arquitecto del AIR Max
The world is like a ride in an amusement park, and when you choose to go on it.
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acido en Hillsboro, Oregon, Estados Unidos, antes de hacerse de su legendaria reputación como diseñador de Nike formó parte del equipo de basquetbol de su estado. Ya en la Universidad de Oregon, donde estudió arquitectura, fue entrenado por Bill Bowerman, quien sería cofundador de Nike. Se unió a la marca en 1981, y al ser arquitecto, se le considera el primer constructor de tenis de la empresa, de hecho fue él el responsable de desarrollar el Air Max 1 después de visitar el Centre Georges Pompidou.
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Desde 2002 comenzó HTM con el rediseño de los Air Force 1, donde Hiroshi, Tinker y Mark intentaron capturar el enfoque ingenioso que se asocia a la cultura japonesa, su silueta incluye cuero en café y negro, además de detalles sutiles en la plantillas y costuras en contraste. “Al principio buscábamos integrar diferentes colores y materiales nuevos para elevar las siluetas clásicas”, comenta Tinker. Mucho de la evolución de los Air Max se le debe a HTM y la inclusión de tecnología en el diseño ha sido alentado por Tinker, al fin y al cabo
él conoce como deportista las necesidades reales de primera mano: “Yo era uno de los diseñadores originales del Sock Dart. Fue un proyecto desafiante que integró tejido de punto circular, el futuro en el diseño de calzado, pero poco después, por lo que recuerdo, Hiroshi quería introducirlo a HTM. Por supuesto, yo estaba muy emocionado por eso. Te diré, una de las razones por las que participé en un proyecto de esta naturaleza es que brinda la oportunidad de descubrir cosas espectaculares a las que nadie prestaba atención. Al hacerlo, puedes comenzar a pensar en diseños posteriores. El Sock Dart ayudó a la gente a repensar algunos proyectos próximos ya que estábamos empezando a trabajar mucho con tejido de punto y este fue un modelo.
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CONVERSE
Redesingned / Chuck Taylor
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onverse has redesigned its iconic canvas basketball shoe – the Chuck Taylor All Star – to appeal to a growing audience of non-sports-playing sneaker fans in the music, fashion, arts and design industries (+ slideshow). "Since its debut in 1917, the Chuck Taylor All Star has become one of the world's most celebrated sneakers, with fans, artists and musicians adopting the brand as a badge of creativity and self-expression," said a statement from Converse, the 100-year-old American shoe company now owned by Nike. "The Chuck Taylor All Star II is designed to meet the demands of the creative lifestyle and is built for the next generation of self-expression." The original design's rubber toe-cap, All Star ankle
patch and textured foxing – the white rubber strip that connects the sole to the canvas upper – have all been retained. A sole liner has been added to cushion the wearer's feet and provide arch support using Nike's Lunarlon foam material, which has been a key feature in a number of its most successful recent basketball shoe designs. A strip of padding has been added around the collar of the shoe, and the tongue has been given a non-slip finish. A perforated artificial micro-suede upper liner has also been introduced to help prevent the wearer's feet from getting too hot and sweaty. "The Chuck Taylor All Star is one of the most legendary and iconic sneakers of all time," said Jim Calhoun, president and CEO of Con-
verse. "The launch of Chuck II is a ground-breaking moment for Converse as we continue to move the brand forward through creativity and innovation, ushering in not just a new sneaker, but a completely new way of thinking." The redesign is available in both a classic high-top style, and a low-cut version – with a rectangular patch at the top of the tongue – and is available in black, red, blue and all-white for its first release on 28 July. Converse began producing its basketball shoes in 1917.
The world is like a ride in an amusement park, and when you choose to go on it you think it's real.
W/ BY SONI
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VIRGIL ABLOH Off-white collection for Nike
The world is like a ride in an amusement park, and when you choose to go on it you think it's real because that's how powerful our minds are.
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ashion designer Virgil Abloh has teamed up with Nike to release a limited collection of 10 re-imagined footwear classics from the brand's extensive archive. The Ten is the result of what Nike says is one of its fastest collaborations ever, with the 10 shoes designed and produced within 10 months from ideation to release. The capsule has been split into two halves, Revealing and Ghosting, which represent an evolving design technique established by Abloh. Revealing includes new versions of illustrious silhouettes such as the Air Jordan I, Nike Air Max 90, Nike Air Presto, Nike Air VaporMax and Nike Blazer Mid. Reworked by Abloh, the sneakers have been stripped-back with Nike labels and Swooshes cut and resewn in new positions, as well as the addition of red zip ties through the laces. These pared-back design characteristics were the result of the designer's first visit to Nike's headquarters last year, where he customised pairs of Air Force 1 shoes by slicing them up with an X-ACTO knife to expose their inners, before scribing slogans on them with marker pens. The one-off prototypes were given to Abloh's staff to wear at the following Design Miami, where he presented furniture for his brand Off-white. Abloh has imprinted humorous, self-referential logos on various parts of the different shoes for this release, such as "Shoelaces" and "AIR", which alludes to Nike's Air technology featured within the shoe. The second half of the collection, Ghosting, is made up of Converse Chuck Taylor, Nike Zoom Fly SP, Nike Air Force 1 Low, Nike React Hyperdunk 2017 and Nike Air Max 97. The five sneakers feature translucent uppers, giving them an ethereal, see-through appearance that inspired the collection's name. The designer, who has a masters degree in architecture, believes the decision to re-release these historically successful trainers is indicative of Nike's large impact on sports, design and beyond. "What we're talking about here is larger than sneakers, it's larger than design culture," said Abloh. "These 10 shoes
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have broken barriers in performance and style. To me, they are on the same level as a sculpture of David or the Mona Lisa." 36-year-old Abloh, who has also collaborated with IKEA and Kanye West, hopes that the collection can inspire other fashion designers to replicate his casual, DIY approach. “Yes, we're making a desired product," he said, "but by making a trip to your local store, and using tools you have at home, you could also make this shoe." To celebrate the release of The Ten, Nike will host “Nike Off Campus” events between 14 to 17 September at various locations in East London, featuring presentations of the full collection, plus talks between Virgil Abloh and designers, artists and musicians, who will discuss different elements of the design process. The first five releases from "The Ten" — the Air Jordan I, Nike Blazer, Nike Air Presto, Nike Air Max 90 and Nike Air VaporMax — will be pre-released at NikeLab in New York, London, Milan and Paris and Dover Street Market stores on select dates throughout September.
Life its just a ride
Take all that money we spend on weapons and defenses each year and instead spend it feeding and clothing and educating the poor of the world.
W/ BY WOZ
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D Drops
THE NPC UK Cotton + Corn by Reebok
The world is like a ride in an amusement park, and when you choose to go on it you think it’s real.
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portswear brand Reebok has revealed the first product from its sustainability initiative Cotton + Corn — a pair of trainers with a bioplastic sole. Reebok launched the Cotton + Corn initiative last year to reduce the environmental impact of the fashion industry, starting with finding an alternative to the petroleum-based rubber and foam soles that are used in footwear. "Most athletic footwear is made using petroleum to create synthetic rubber and foam cushioning systems," said Reebok innovation head Bill McInnis. "With 20 billion pairs of shoes made every year, this is not a sustainable way of making footwear." "We thought 'what if we start with materials that grow, and use plants rather than oil-based materials?'," he continued. The NPC UK Cotton + Corn sneaker is one of the results. It features a sole made from corn, while its insole is derived from castor bean oil, and the upper woven from 100 per cent cotton. A total of 75 per cent of the sneaker is bio-based content, as certified by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
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McInnis says the shoe has undergone rigorous testing and development, and "performs and feels like any other shoe". Reebok — which since 2005 has been wholly owned by Adidas, a company known for its own environmentally focused collaboration with Parley for the Oceans — partnered with US manufacturer DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products to develop the sneaker. DuPont Tate & Lyle's 100 per cent bio-based material Susterra propanediol is used in the NPC UK Cotton + Corn's sole. The material is entirely petroleum-free and non-toxic. "The NPC UK Cotton + Corn is the only footwear product on the market.