4ever
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editorial
B y M a x i m i l i e n N ’ Ta r y,
Editor at Le Closet Magazine
Skateboarding is not a sport, it’s a lifestyle. We tend to forget what the skate style was like back in the days before SUPRA made its entrance onto the market. The year was 2006, cool kids were into bapes and all over hoodies, skaters wore goofy shoes and oversized gear. Then SUPRA footwear appeared, breaking free of the core skate niche and opening up to the whole world. The brand had a sense of design, unseen before in the world of action sports. Supra’s young bloods showed cockiness and 3
bravery responding to Nike SB with a full range named NS (or “Non Skate�) designed and marketed to stand out
THINK
LONG
THINK WRONG
thanks to its distinctive materials. Skateboarding was definitely a lifestyle, why lock oneself into skateparks? Remember those low 4
top bulky shoes, they were like a membership card to the skateboarding community at the beginning of 2000? These dark ages were enlightened a decade ago by one man: a maverick, a trendsetter, a visionary named Chad Muska. No need to introduce you to the dude, check his credits. He conquered whichever spot he laid his eyes on and designed every shoe he ever skated in when most endorsees would simply cash and keep rolling. Realizing that his name would forever be attached to the product, he felt the responsibility of not letting down his fans who might spend every last cent to purchase his shoes. Whilst dividing his time between the fashion world, arts 5
community, music industry and skateboarding scene, Muska joined SUPRA with a plan: to design the ultimate skateboarding shoe with a killer shape. He attended the first meeting with a suitcase full of shoes he loved. From fashiondesigned ones to athletic brands, he couldn’t have cared less what people thought or were rocking at the time. Some styles were selected for their design, others for their comfort or skating capacities. At the 6
#skytop 4ever
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end of that epic first meeting between Chad and footwear designer Josh Brubaker, the Skytop was born. A shoe that would blend the boundaries between skateboarding and the rest of the world. Like Woody
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from Sneaker Freaker said: “It singlehandedly invented an entirely new breed of sneaker that jammed fashion, skate and street together in a way that had no precedence or right to work. Kanye was clearly watching�.
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Skytop evolution (2012)
The street too. The Skytop turned a skateboard-shoe company into a global footwear brand. The high top was so sleek and elegant that it was quickly adopted by riders, John Does and celebrities. Kanye was still watching,  rocking and taking a note or two. The Skytop redefined coolness and reshaped what skateboarding shoes should look like. It changed the sneaker market for the coming years. Bottom line, it put the 10
brand SUPRA on the map. It was not a smooth ride though. At first retailers and sales representatives were reluctant to promote that disruptive frame. SUPRA’s ‘think outside the box’ attitude was
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ahead of its time but the aura of Muska skating and partying while wearing the Skytop triggered the demand and helped establish a franchise with hundreds of styles, packages, incarnations and sequels. Chad Muska relates it perfectly: “It was a perfect storm of everything that came together. It was a really good group of people that got together and created something amazing. And, yeah I’m curious to see what happens from here. I feel like SUPRA is just in its infant stages right now, you know?”
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Photo credit : Alex Sabot
They said we couldn’ We heard, We did not listen. And they were wrong 14
.
Photo credit : Tiphaine Lemoine
’t do it.
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SUPRA is a gl California in 20 SUPRA is a fo street lifestyle way. Today SU New York City to over 60 cou of retail shops 16
lobal skate lifestyle brand founded in Southern 006. Inspired by passion and born from skate, ootwear innovator fusing fashion, music, art, and e to classic footwear silhouettes in an innovative UPRA operates flagship stores in Santa Monica, y, Mexico City, Paris, and Tokyo and distributes untries worldwide through an exclusive network s and high-end boutiques. 17
ÂŤskytop took it to next levelÂť as Erik Ellington said about the meteoric leap from skateboard shoe company to global footwear brand. The Skytop is the shoe that brought SUPRA worldwide attention. Once the Skytop was discovered, it became the musthave footwear of the Hollywood elite and the darling of the sneaker community. The foundation of the design came from the close 18
collaboration between Chad Muska and a newly hired shoe designer named Josh Brubaker. 19
SKYTOP (2007)
— current style — Chad Muska The iconic and highly imitated Skytop design is constructed atop a vulcanized sole.
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L o v e i t o r h at e i t, t h e S kytop i s o n e o f t h e m ost r e c o g n i z a b l e s n e a k e r s o f a ll t i m e s . U n l i k e ot h e r s h o e b r a n d s , S up r a h a s c r e a t e d a styl e t h a t d i d n ’ t e x i st i n sk a t e b o a r d i n g a n d h a s e x p a n d e d to t h e l i f e styl e m a r k e t . R a f é m e r y – S h o es U p
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A vener
leg
music
and
to t
rise 24
rated street skating
gend, artist,
cian, designer
d integral piece
the inception and
of supra Footwear. 25
Chad
Muska
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Chad Muska has been with Supra from day one. Friend of Angel Cabada, original founder of the company, he naturally joined Supra at the very beginning, back in 2006. Over the past 10 years he has brought to life the iconic Skytop franchise and its derivations such as Skytop Kids, Skytop LX, Skytop LS. His unique taste and style have set him apart throughout his entire career and helped him solidify his place as the influential pro he is today.
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S K Y T O P II ( 2 0 1 0 )
— current style — Chad Muska The second generation of the Skytop is constructed on a vulcanized sole and features an extremely high collar and a distinctive tongue design with two pulltabs.
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born fro 30
o m sk a t e 31
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S K Y T O P III ( 2 0 1 1 ) — End of production 2013, re-released 2016 — Chad Muska Originally released in 2011, the Skytop III was an athletic-inspired midtop which combined elements of modern basketball shoes with technical runners in a blended design that was as popular for its performance as much as its looks.
“As with all the Skytops, I wanted to make s o m e t h i n g t h a t s t a n d s o u t i n o u r i n d u s t r y, ” said Chad Muska. “The first Skytop was known for its height, and since we went even higher with the II, I wanted to mix things up with the Skytop III by bringing it down to a midtop and switching from a vulcanized sole to a cup.”
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“It is simpli technical s ‘lifestyle’ th ‘skatable’. can wear it
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still skatable
ified, lighter, and less so even if it looks more his Skytop III is still But of course everybody t in a ‘lifestyle’ way.” Chad Muska — Inter view by Raf émer y, Shoes Up, 2016 35
S K Y T O P III (2016) — current style — Chad Muska 2016 saw the return of Skytop III in an updated form that builds upon the elements that popularized the shoe in its initial run.
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THE CREATI SPACE a multi - p ur p o se v enue built a n d c o nce p tu a li z e d b y C h a d M us k a
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REATIVE
MELROSE/FAIRFAX, a pop-up shop and creative space built and conceptualized by skate legend and artist Chad Muska. The multi-purpose venue doubled as a retail space that housed exclusive SUPRA product as well as an events/gallery space that showcased Muska’s original artwork throughout the summer 2016.
“This creative space is a place where I can create, experiment and c o l l a b o r a t e w i t h o t h e r a r t i s t s . I t ’s become a creative outlet that serves as a work space in addition to an installation space as we gear up to launch new SUPRA projects and product this year”
Chad Muska, August 2016 39
“Whether you’re painting, designing, photographing or skating it’s all a type of artistic expression. At one point I thought I was escaping skateboarding through art, but I realized there was a direct connection to it.” Chad Muska — Inter view by Hunter Charlton, VICE, 2014
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S K Y T O P IV ( 2 0 1 3 )
— current style — Chad Muska The fourth installment in Chad Muska’s Skytop legacy is a ruggedly constructed high top featuring a short eye stay and clean vamp set above a lightweight SUPRAFOAM midsole with ridged heel accents and a unique sidewall line.
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“I’ve always tried to stick to my beliefs and what I feel proud of creating.” Chad Muska’s words above explain why his Supra signature line has put forth three of the more unique silhouettes of the past decade. His fourth is no exception to the established tradition, the Supra Skytop IV, as Muska put it, is “a perfect representation of the past, present and future.” In combining these influences, we arrive at the Skytop IV as another standout hightop skate shoe.
Aaron Hope — SNEAKER NEWS, 2013
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Decade x Layers
Decade x Reflection
D e c a d e x T e x tu r e
es
DE C ADE X Celebration of Supra’s 10 years anniversary “I think doing anything positive for ten consecutively years is worth celebrating, especially in business. So we decided to do a few special edition products to celebrate this milestone. Seeing as the Skytop franchise is an iconic piece of Supra’s history, we decided to create a special shoe in all the current models from the 001 up to the IV” said Chad Muska. 45
The Decade X Series (2016) includes o four Skytop silhouettes in a different l of Muska’s artwork and creative proce themes.
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one execution of each of Muska’s limited colorway inspired by elements ess with a focus on several key
Decade x Transition 47
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The Skytop V comes after Supra’s 10-year anniversary and is influenced by several design elements from the Skytop franchise. It combines the technical capabilities of a skate shoe with the comfort of a running shoe, making it a completely new style in its category. It is available for both men and women. Lightweight, futuristic and stylish, SUPRA continues 50
to break the boundaries of traditional skate sneakers, allowing skaters and nonskaters alike to never have to sacrifice style for athleticism.
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SKYTOP V (2017)
— current style — Chad Muska
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ADA M C O N TRERAS Contreras always had a latent passion for art and design that came to the boil in his twenties. He headed to California in search of something new. He eventually landed a position at 413, a unique retail space owned by two of the creative forces behind SUPRA Footwear, Angel Cabada and Chad Muska. He spent his days packing boxes and working the retail grind until an opportunity arose where he could flip colorways for existing SUPRA silhouettes. His work was so well received that when a junior designer position opened up, Contreras was able to make the natural transition to the design team.
“ I t ’ s cr a z y t o t h in k b a c k t o m y 1 6 y e a r - o l sel f a n d s a y t h a t y e a rs l a ter , C h a d M us k a is g o in g t o be c a llin g y o u t o t a l k a b o ut new i d e a s o r w h a t we s h o ul d d o wit h h is new s Today, Contreras is a senior designer creating new silhouettes season after season, finding new ways to breathe life into tried and tested shoe designs. Finding inspiration in his everyday surroundings, Contreras puts a high priority on patterns and keeping the functionality and aesthetics of the shoe as the top priority. Working elbow to elbow with Chad Muska he brought to life the Skytop V, influenced by several design elements from the Skytop franchise.
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TRERAS
ld a new shoe�
Photo credit : Amanda Fordyce
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CHAD
I N TRO D U C ES
THE
SKYTOP V 56
Chad Muska, inter view by Jan Kluthmann, LODOWN, 2017
“I’m really excited about this one. It was something I had in my head for a few years, but it took a little bit longer to get it out. We’ve seen the shift in footwear over the last few years to a sort of slip on, comfy, urban walking wear. People are gravitating towards comfort. I applied this concept to skateboarding to create a shoe, that is snug, flexible in the toe area and goes with the contours of your foot. We (Chad Muska and Adam Contreras) only added the rubber side cage for protection. It’s an unique concept for skateboarding. We wanted to create a skate shoe, which doesn’t just take the skate shoe upper and put it on a runner sole. It’s basically a lower Mid Top, that has a lot of the similarities from the Skytop designs: from the Sidecage of the Skytop I to the holes in the tongue referencing to the Skytop II and the back heel tap which has been on all the original Skytop models. It’s very different to the other ones, but the design aesthetic connects them. Maybe, it’s a bit experimental for skateboarding, but I’m sure, that these are just the beginning stages of furthering this idea and learning from this one. I’m really happy with it, especially after wearing the vulcanized shoes, cupsoles and traditional skateboarding shoes for so long. After I put the Skytop V on, I can’t wear the other shoes anymore. They’re just so comfortable and have this flex in the toe area.”
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Photo credit : Tiphaine Lemoine
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“I a ska an
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always thought of teboarding as being extension of art.�
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#SKYTOPV #S #ITsASU @ suprafootwear @ supraskateboardin
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SKYTOP4EVER U P R A D AY supraskateboardin g
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M a n d a to r i e s & Co n s i d e r a t i o n s This fanzine, dedicated to Skytop, is a publication of L’Objet Magazine.
Publication Director: Jeremy Taltaud Editor-in-Chief: Stefania Marcuzzi Drafting Committee: Stefania Marcuzzi, Ilona Fioravanti & Jeremy Taltaud Editor: Maximilien N’Tary-Calaffard Art Direction: Ilona Fioravanti Skytop V photoshoot Models: Anne-Emmanuelle Lexée & Idriss Bellouti Photographer: Tiphaine Lemoine Photo credits: Supra Special thanks to: Ben Crogan & Manuela Danelutti Eclipse Font by The Branded Quotes L’Objet L/O est une marque enregistrée sous le Numéro 15 4 197 821. Exploitation : Jey Noname SAS, 25 Rue des Rigoles, 75020 Paris. RCS Paris B 800 033 797 - NAF 7021Z
@suprafootwear @supraskateboarding www . s u p r a f o o tw e a r . c o m
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Photo credit : Tiphaine Lemoine
# S K Y T O P 4 E V ER www . s u p r a f o o tw e a r . c o m