Sneaker Freaker

[NEW RELEASE] SOLEBOX x SAUCONY SHADOW 5000 (THE LUCANID)

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:13:00 -0500

Coming off the back of the success of the 'Three Brothers Pack' from earlier this year, Berlin's Solebox revisit Saucony's Shadow 5000 silhouette for an encore. Dubbed 'The Lucanid', the double pack comes dressed sharp in black, cruising aboard white midsoles, subtly accented with alternate neon green and orange accents around the ankle collar, tongue areas for that extra pop. Stick with SF as we bring you all the juice in the lead up to the June 15 drop.

[NEW RELEASE] COMME DES GARCONS x CONVERSE (PLAY COLLECTION)

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:50:00 -0500

Japan's Comme des Garcons' casual line 'PLAY' in conjunction with Converse have come to gather to spread some love on the classic '76 Pro Leather silhouette. The pack comprises low and mid options with a simplistic running scheme of black red and white with all models adorning the Comme des Garcons PLAY love heart motif pattern printed cross the uppers. All styles will be available on Dover Street Market’s website and at the Comme des Garçons NYC store starting May 28, in Paris and London starting June 1 and at Comme des Garçons stores in Tokyo and throughout Asia starting June 21. News via nikeinc.com.

[NEW RELEASE] CONVERSE AUCKLAND RACER (SIZE? EXCLUSIVE)

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:14:00 -0500

Leveraging off over 40 years of jogging heritage, Converse in conjunction with Size? get set to celebrate the Auckland Racer. Size? will be exclusively releasing 2 colourways reflecting the Racer's illustrious early 70's heyday, commemorating the trainers long standing legacy in the running world. The collaborative Racer double pack will drop in flashy Running Yellow and Bijou Blue options, and both nappy suede pairs will be readily available online and in Size? stores from May 24.

[NEW RELEASE] NIKE FREE ALT CLOSURE RUN (BLUE GREY)

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:49:00 -0500

Following the dark grey/teal edition of their Free Alt Closure Run, Nike gear up to send another schmick scheme out into the sneakersphere. Featuring a black elasticised exoskeleton cage over the upper, these grey mesh bandits double up on the lock-down with a webbed layer of bright blue Hyperfuse taping. Finished of with a 4.0 Free sole, these free motion running socks are a tight package for all lightweight freaky sneaker fans. Peep these and more in Sneaker Freaker issue 27 and stay tuned for release info.

[NEW RELEASE] REEBOK QUESTION (CANVAS PACK)

Thu, 23 May 2013 05:00:00 -0500

Continuing the revival of a cult classic, Reebok drops off a fresh batch of the Question Mid for all the Iverson heads. Dubbed the 'Canvas Pack', we see three colourways – blue, black and red – all resting aboard a white midsole. Extending the blocked out upper, each base colour has been carried inside the hexagonal bubble system. Keep your eyes glued to Packer Shoes as these drop on June 7th.

[NEW RELEASE] PUMA TX-3

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:38:00 -0500

PUMA keep the retro running vibes alive with the re-release of their TX-3 model. Seen here in a tidy mesh, nylon and suede blend, the '85 classic comes with just a little lick of 3M on the tongue reflecting back to a time when tech was just about to take over the game. The Puma TX-3 is available now from SNS in a trio of tight colourways right here.

[NEWSFLASH] FUSE TV AND FILA TALK ABOUT THE FUTURE

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:00:00 -0500

We've thoroughly enjoyed the FILA renaissance over the last few months and have seen some straight dope silhouettes drop from the big F. Fuse TV's 'Sole Searching' program has stopped by the FILA office to talk with brand strategist Louis W. Colon III about the Grant Hill and Stackhouse releases as well as the effort that went into the Ninja Turtles colab. Louis W. also talked about what FILA has up its sleeve for the rest of the year and it's got us a little bit excited. Essential viewing for ball shoe lovers, watch the interview below.

[ARTICLES] SUMMER BAY: SNEAKER FREAKER COLAB WITH LE COQ SPORTIF!

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:34:00 -0500

Welcome to Summer Bay, where the sun shines golden all day long and life’s a flaming beach. It’s so perfect, it’s like walking on air, and now thanks to our friends at Le Coq Sportif, you too can hang out in Summer Bay.

But first, let us introduce you to Le Coq Sportif's Flash, an early-90s runner with just enough zippy paneling and more than enough savoir faire. We can’t honestly say we had any great sentimental connection to the Flash, but we know a thing or two about tidy runners, and the chance to work on a fresh retro model that hasn’t been thoroughly rinsed has max appeal.

The Summer Bay colourway was intended as maverick-OG, and by that, we mean it’s 'almost' legit for the 90s, but there’s a few subtle twists and turns that take it out of the predictable zone. Cornflour blue, dusty pink strobes and banana yellow heels are a harmonious pastel mélange, but it’s the cunning deployment of both white and pale-blue silky mesh that is the off-kilter key, at least to our deep-fried retinas. Praise to Le Coq for their attention to detail. The materials are first class and the nubuck is shaded to perfection.

Summer Bay is timed for release in July. We'll post a list of global stockists once all the details are confirmed. Roll on Summer Bay, you know we belong together!

[ARTICLES] HYPEBEAST x PUMA 'DIM SUM PROJECT' INTERVIEW

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:33:00 -0500

Sneaker Freaker touched down in a hot and steamy Hong Kong last week for the launch of the Hypebeast x PUMA ‘Dim Sum Project’. In between laying tracks through Mong Kok’s maze of sneaker stores and getting our Asian karaoke virginity broken, SF also sat down with PUMA footwear designer Jon Tang and Hypebeast managing editor Eugene Kan to learn how the new colab came together.

SF: I know you're Canadian born and bred, Eugene, so why'd you move to Hong Kong? Is the dim sum really that good here?
Eugene: I came here to play soccer, a shitty level of professional soccer! I had so much free time because you only train two to three hours a day, and you're not really balling like you're playing in the EPL. I started writing for Kix-Files in 2006, I was just doing something I really enjoyed and it paid off. I still think about it now with the people that come through Hypebeast, the people that genuinely do it because they love it. The unpaid intern that you beat around, you understand that the pure passion takes you a long way. That’s how it started for me too.

SF: Coming from a soccer background, how did your love for sneakers evolve?
Eugene: Performance in footwear. I thought that relationship was so cool, how performance could be enhanced by equipment. I always gravitated towards things like visible air.

SF: How did it differ for you Jon, coming from a design-based background?
Jon: I started out in graphic design. School taught me how to think like a designer. I started working for PUMA in the marketing department as a graphic designer, so I was always surrounded by influences. I love doing packaging design and slowly seeing the 2D world wrap into a 3D world – seeing the translation that was created. I love shoes, I love 3D, and so I applied for a footwear design position with PUMA.

SF: PUMA has such a strong stable of classics from Clydes to Suedes, how did you make the decision to work with the Blaze OG for this collaboration?
Eugene: For me, Clydes and Suedes are limited in what you can manipulate on them. From a design perspective, the Blaze offered so much more to work with.
Jon: PUMA wanted us to work with the Blaze. They loved the heritage the shoe already had and we also wanted to work with the LTWT version. It all just came together perfectly, taking classic and pushing it with the idea of performance. The OG is classic and simple, while the Lightweight has this touch of tech and innovation.
Eugene: People are slowly starting to understand that paradigm shift from bulky tooling. It's the unspoken contrast, the high and low concept Hypebeast has often aspired to represent. Streetwear meets high fashion! When you look for contrast in unassuming ways, you will always find something interesting.

SF: Comfy. Visually representing a dim sum on a shoe couldn’t have been easy. While the Siu Mai is rather straight forward, the Har Gao’s (shrimp) design is quite complex. Talk us through the process.
Jon: We did a number of trials, applying images of shrimp on the shoe. It didn’t really work out at first.
Eugene: The early samples looked pretty wack!
Jon: Yeah. We began to look at macro images of shrimp, basically looking into what makes the shrimp a shrimp. We found a lot of correlation to tiger stripes in the shrimp. So we said let’s take this idea and re-purpose it with shrimp colours – it’s a refreshed shrimp camo.

SF: With over 150 types of dim sum, what was it about these two that stood out for you to be the representation for the colab.
Eugene: When it comes to the institution of dim sum, there are no other dishes that are ordered in unison so frequently. It's because they are so similar. If you look at it broken down, the base ingredient is different, but it's your peas and carrots.
Jon: If you don’t eat it, it’s like you don’t eat dim sum! It just made perfect sense, it had to come together like this.

SF: Word, bird. Eugene, Hypebeast has exploded onto the youth culture scene. What does the future hold for you guys?
Eugene: There are so many great publications in the print world, ones that truly embody print and online respectively, like the New York Times. Those publications are what I think Hypebeast should aspire to be. We started out as a bunch of dudes that really had no idea how to progress in this industry. Now we're a bit older, we push ourselves to maintain our ethics of how we try educate our consumer. I’m 150 percent behind education. I fucked the dog in university! I didn’t realise how important it was til I got out. Now youth culture is a barometer for so many things, I don’t want people to look back at Hypebeast in 10 years time and think, 'It was just a place to buy shit'. Our aim is to find the creative median, balancing viral content that is easy to share with content that can teach or possibly inspire people.

SF: I hear you loud and clear. If you’re not schooling the youth with wisdom, that’s not keeping it real, that’s keeping it wrong. Let’s get down to the nitty gritty though and talk sneaks, the people have questions that demand answers. What were the first shoes that set it off for you?
Eugene: Nike Dunk NL Undefeated. Favourite shoes ever! Haha, watch Jon try to be politically correct here.
Jon: For 20 dollars of my own money, and back in fifth grade 20 dollars was a lot of money, I bought a pair of second hand Nike Air Uptempo 2’s in the white/green/blue colourway. I rode BMX in those, played soccer and literally kicked around in those 'til the Air bubbles blew out!

SF: The perfect girl, is she wearing sneakers or heels?
Eugene: Sneakers, I know the health dangers in heels! They look nice but when they take their shoes off their feet are all mangled and shit!
Jon: A good mix of both

SF: Campouts are a big part of the sneaker game. What shoe have you braved the elements for?
Eugene: I remember a few years ago, I wanted to camp out for the Michael Lau x Nike Dunk SB Low Wood. Dude it was stupid, there were people camping out for six or seven nights straight before the release! That shit was crazy back then.
Jon: I hate crowds, I don’t even camp out for Black Friday.
Eugene: I was never big into sneaker culture for consumption, I just liked what it represented, I didn’t necessarily feel the need to buy shoes to be a participant!
Jon: It’s all about understanding, about what they’re representing, about what they’re trying to show.

SF: If you had to choose a favourite from your colab, would it be the Lightweight or the OG Blaze?
Eugene: (Wearing the Har Gao) I didn’t put enough consideration into my wardrobe, if I had darker pants I would have worn the OG!
Jon: I like the execution of the LTWT with the tech and innovation in it. Style-wise though I like the OG, it’s one of my favourite shoes.

SF: If you could wear one PUMA shoe for the rest of your life, which would it be?
Jon: Suedes by far!!
Eugene: What are you doing at this event then! Just kidding.

SF: What about you Eugene; one shoe, till the day you die?
Eugene: Hey man… I’m probably gonna go with... Smaat! S-M-A-A-T look it up. Weird!

[NEWSFLASH] CONVERSE LAUNCHES 'GET LOUD' MUSIC SERIES

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:07:00 -0500

Sometimes we're guilty of forgetting music is more than Yeezy, Weezy, Jeezy, Madonna and friends – there are still dudes out there getting sweaty and slapping guitars at every other bar in your town. Converse certainly knows, and they've had the rock crowd on lock long before Cobain slipped on his favourite One Stars. History says they know how to party too, so we're pretty pumped for this 'Get Loud' Australian tour – they're bringing along Canada's favourite low-fi rock cabaret act The King Khan and BBQ Show as well as a stack of other bands with equally funny names like Scotdrakula, Doctopus and Ham Jam. Respect to these trippers. Check the flyer below to know when the show hits your town. Tickets are free of charge and available exclusively via RSVP on the Converse Australia Facebook page.

[NEW RELEASE] UNITED ARROWS x ADIDAS ZX500 OG

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:34:00 -0500

Japan's United Arrows know how to make tidy colourways, it's proven science, and this latest drop from the colab lab ain't no placebo, it's the real deal fo' sho. They've given adidas' ZX500 OG a golf green and cream do-over, with a brown outsole and fluro tread bringing plenty of pop. You can grab it now from Overkill.

[NEWSFLASH] DXC IN ATL THIS WEEKEND

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:04:00 -0500

This Saturday DunkXchange will be heading down to the dirty South with their traveling sneaker/music/fashion/art trade show. The DXC crew will be occupying Quad at Spring4th Complex and alongside a swag of sneaks will host a gaggle of side events including live music and art, fashion parades and a sneaker battle (for those that like to do combat). Purchase your pre-sale and V.I.P tickets here and book vendor space here.

[NEW RELEASE] AIR JORDAN 4 (OREO)

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:51:00 -0500

Oreo fiends take heed, the Jordan 4 is poised for another cookies and cream release. A sexy sandwich of grey and black nubuck coupled with a speckled midsole and milky white highlights render these tasty treats good enough to eat. No exact release info yet on these mid-cut munchies, but stick with Sneaker Freaker for drop details. Images via Sole Up.

[NEW RELEASE] UNDFTD x NIKE (OG BRING BACK PACK)

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:18:00 -0500

Nike and Undefeated keep the colab Bring Back presents coming with the return of a highly sought after Dunk. February saw the release of crispy white gum Dunk Hi and Hyperdunks, but that will probably be remembered merely as the precursor for this downright dangerous double pack. The infamous olive UNDFTD Dunk Hi was restricted to 48 pairs 10 years ago and given to Undefeated workers to celebrate the opening of a second shop front, but a decade on the wider world will finally get to taste the freshness. The Dunk Hi's brother-in-arms is a new Nike Hyperdunk, which goes for the same olive and brown treatment with a show-stealing cameo from Meshley Snipes and a memorable appearance from conceited court star, Mr Toebox Swoosh. The second installment of the Nike x Undefeated 'Bring Back Pack' will be available globally from May 25.

[NEWSFLASH] STUSSY SUMMER 2013 COLLECTION @ OVERKILL

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:59:00 -0500

Stussy has got your warm weathered needs covered with this latest Summer 2013 collection. Featuring refreshed pieces of the iconic '8 Ball' tee design in floral and camo flips with a swag of killer panels to match, the collection is ready to rock and roll right now. Head to Berlin's Overkill shop to start auto-copping some of this fresh gear!

[NEW RELEASE] NIKE HYPERDUNK 2013 (FIRST LOOK)

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:41:00 -0500

Respect to the Nike Hyperdunk 2013 for actually releasing in 2013, unlike every other product and video game that jumps the gun by too many months. Yep, B Ballers have had to wait a good while for this behemoth to land on shelves but the launch is finally in sight, and our first impressions suggest it was worth the wait.
Three of Nike's big tech innovations of Dynamic Flywire support, Hyperfuse construction and Lunarlon cushioning are all sandwiched into this high performance court shoe, and they're light as a feather too, making that flight to the hoop even easier. The heel is probably the biggest revelation here with a seemingly spring loaded stack of Lunarlon wedged into the back providing not only futuristic looks but also the perfect platform for aerial propulsion. Check out the pics of the first colourway drop below, via Nike, Inc. and pick 'em up from Nike retailers on July 20.

[NEW RELEASE] NIKE ROSHE RUN (TIE-DYE)

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:33:00 -0500

Nike's Roshe Run comes up trippy trumps in this all new Tie-Dye edition. Dipped in all the colours of the rainbow, the smash hit lightweight sneak sports a scheme heavy enough to blow your socks off. Keep an eye out for these rainbow Roshes dropping at Nike retailers now including Solebox.

[NEW RELEASE] FOOTPATROL x LE COQ SPORTIF ECLAT (MACARON EDITION)

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:50:00 -0500

Following their breakout success with Le Coq Sportif back in 2012, London super-store Footpatrol has cooked up another sweet batch of Éclat runners. With a crispy exterior offset by the gooey smooth goodness inside, they’re styled after macarons, those cheeky French mini-meringues. Crafted from decadent pig suede, reflective 3M, gummy soles, satin lining and dollops of metallic gold, sweet-tooths will just have to wait til June for their cavity-crunching fix to arrive.

[NEW RELEASE] EWING ATHLETICS 33 HIGH

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:30:00 -0500

Low and behold the official rebirth of the neck-snapping Ewing Athletics 33 High! First two cabs off the rank of a scheduled four OG retros are red suede and white leather colourways. The classic reversible ankle strap, Ewing side-panel embroidered insignia, dope tongue and heel graphics and of course the swingin' b-ball are enough to make this a must-cop. Get yours from August 31st at Kith Manhattan for $100 USD.

UPDATE: SoleHeaven has received a restock of the OG 33 High in red, blue and white colourways. Head here to cop.

[NEW RELEASE] NIKE AIR SLANT (WHITE/GAME ROYAL/BLACK)

Wed, 22 May 2013 01:00:00 -0500

2013 has seen a strong resurgence in 90s trainers, from basketball to running and right down to cross training, so this Nike Air Slant Retro is a hybrid beast that should fit right in. Seen here in a white, black and blue colourway, the '96 freshman is an exciting prospect from a revered class of turf and multi purpose training shoes that dominated the decade. If you're feeling nostalgic, keep May 25 marked on your calendar as these drop at select Nike stockists, including Concepts.