CAN THESE OG BRANDS REEMERGE AFTER JORDAN?

So the hype around the PSG x Jordan Brand collab was more than real. What we fail to realize though, or at least what I did initially, was that this is not the first time a brand totally foreign to the world of soccer has come in to stake its own claim. While numerous brands have come and gone before the Jumpman, the overwhelming success of this PSG x Jordan Brand collab has proven that there is obviously more than enough room for other brands besides adidas and Nike. There is clearly and more importantly real opportunity for brands out there right now, especially those with a streetwear heritage, to reinsert themselves back into the spotlight.

What follows is a list of brands I consider prime for a comeback or that I’d simply love to see back in soccer.

FILA

I start off with what is perhaps the biggest longshot, and that is FILA. Here in the United States, FILA has not been hot since the Grant Hill sneaker line. The same can be said about its stint in soccer as its heyday came at about the same time in the late ’90s and early 2000’s. Though the brand is not totally out of soccer as it sponsored some lower league teams in recent years, you start to wonder what sort of splash FILA could make in this new context we now find ourselves in, as well as with a much higher profile club to back it.

REEBOK

Reebok, as we all know, is a Crossfit brand nowadays, but who could forget the fire kits they put out in the not so distant past. This away number worn by Javier Zanetti in the late ’90s is one of the best put out by the brand. I know I can’t be the only one who wouldn’t mind wearing something similar to this with a fresh pair of Reebok DMX’s.

STARTER

Starter is another brand with a streetwear past to make a foray into soccer. Only a few years ago, the brand kitted out Oxford United, a team from the lower tiers of English football. While its design for the club’s home kit is not something that immediately grabs my attention, Starter still has an unshakeable nostalgia tied to it. There is definitely much for the brand to capitalize on, which is why I’d love to see some soccer club partner with Starter on some sort of apparel line at the very least.

CHAMPION

Rounding out the list is Champion, the brand I consider to have the most potential of all. Unlike all of the brands profiled just now, Champion is the only brand to still have considerable cultural relevance in the present day. Most of us might remember Champion in its time outfitting Parma. As those kits are still very sought after, I can’t help but wonder why the brand has yet to stage a comeback in soccer.

I hold out hope that some, if not all, of these brands will make their triumphant return. The timing just seems right as soccer now has the type of consumer that appreciates the allure of a brand with both a sport and streetwear past. Make sure to let me know your own thoughts on this topic in the comments below.

ANOTHER NIKE CLASSIC WITH THE PREMIER II SALA

Unlike any other major sport, Soccer and by extension futsal, share a symbiotic relationship with street fashion. Shirt, shorts, shoes…simple really. It only makes sense then; that what we often see on the pitch and court is what we continue to rock off it. To focus on the latter, Nike has hit yet again with another indoor classic, the Premier II Sala collection.

Continuing a tradition of timelessly clean boots, Nike keeps it classy yet functionally forward with this latest release. Starting with color: the shoe comes in a clean “Desert Sand” and “Midnight Navy”, to which would virtually complement any fit. As for comfort, the shoes upper is rugged and sturdy, built for the countless courts it will be played on worldwide, and features lightweight mesh alongside supple suede accents. To bring it together, Nike has instilled its Lunarlon technology, a soft and durable foam core base that’s both lightweight and resilient.

The Nike Premier II Sala Collection arrives at an interesting time, as fashion is hearkening back to the many styles seen throughout the ‘90s and early 2000s. Baggy pants, eccentric shades, flashy color palettes, and oversized tops are but a few of the trends currently dominating the street landscape to where we’ve seen other sportswear giants, such as adidas, dropping its own set of historical and modern kicks with the recent release of the Predator Accelerator TR Ultraboost and forward thinking Sobakov.

Like its German counterpart, Nike also pays its homage to its past by blending the right amount of history with just the right amount of modern technology, where the shoes just feel right and will feel right for a very long time.

Images from soccerbible.com

A PERSONAL TRIBUTE TO THE DESIGN OF THE MAGISTA

I never wore the Magista as a cleat, but I did regularly wear the Footscape sneaker version. I probably can’t give you a good look into what it is like to wear the Magista from a performance point of view, but from an aesthetic and whatever Nike told us about technology view? I gotcha.

The Magista came about in 2014 and they revolutionized the game. Launched by Iniesta, the first-gen Magista featured the sock-like collar alongside a FlyKnit upper that we see on so many boots today. It wasn’t just the technology that I loved about the Magista; it was mainly the look of it. A beautiful design with so many colorways being released over the years since its inception.

A whole 26 colorways of the first-gen Magista were released and there wasn’t many I disliked. The whole look was intriguing, with the upper and base colors supporting an underlying color in a net-like design. This offered a delightful look, with the chance to combine some wonderful additional colors. We’ve seen turquoise combined with orange, which surprisingly worked and became one of my favorite releases of the silhouette. The Magista seemed to be a representation of the expression of creativity, both on and off the pitch. This is why all the magicians of the game wore it, from Andres Iniesta to Kevin De Bruyne, to Mario Götze (who scored the 2014 World Cup-winning goal in a pair of these).

Where it became cooler, was the Magista Obra II. An interesting development from Nike in terms of tech and aesthetic. The first release of the second-gen was a delightful but weird release. The colorway was a direct replication from a heat map which highlighted where a player would make contact with the ball the most. Not only did the colorway feature this design, the boot’s shape, and texture were also designed with what the player’s foot would be like if its sole purpose was to be playing soccer. As a boot aficionado, a release like this had me hooked on the Magista Obra II, and to be honest, I loved many of the Obra II colorways.

Now, all that being said, with the recent release of the Phantom by Nike, the Magista dies. A sad time indeed, as the now legendary-in-my-books Magista was built for intelligence and creativity – by intelligence and creativity. It was – and still is – an intriguing boot, especially the second-gen. it’s a wonderful addition to soccer’s footwear market, and despite never wearing it during a game, I loved it. Happy retirement.

ADIDAS PREDATOR TR: AN EARLY BUT LASTING STRIKE?

The pun is intended when I say you cannot keep a Predator like this caged. If you follow all the familiar sites on leaked releases, you might have known about the return of the Predator in all its OG glory for quite a few weeks now, but I doubt you would have expected to be able to get your hands on a pair even before any sort of official press release. This is exactly what took place over the weekend as both Canadian retailers Livestock and Off the Hook struck early with this drop. It is no surprise that most sizes are now sold out, but of course, that is beside the point, as today I am here not to state so much of the obvious, but rather to explain how I see this Predator playing out in the larger scheme of things.

The electricity yellow Predator which released just last month provides as a good model of comparison for this latest release. I bought a pair for myself and as such, I can attest to the comfort, authenticity, and nostalgia that the shoe has going for it. However, even with all that, it is plain to see that this shoe just doesn’t have the same pull this latest Predator, which is back in the colors it is best known for, has. For this reason, I have to be honest with myself and all of you in admitting to experiencing the slightest amount of buyer’s remorse.

However, despite liking one pair more than the other, I can still be critical of the shoe as a whole. When looking at both the release pics or when finally putting on a pair of Predator TR’s myself, there is one thing that stuck out immediately. Design-wise these shoes are not winning any more hearts. To be clearer, these shoes are simply for the die-hards who connect with all the nostalgia that the cleat elicits.

With this sense of sanctity that I identify with the Predator, it is important to address whether adidas should be saturating the market with more of these Predator releases. Considering only a few weeks have elapsed since the last release, that is the indication I get and I obviously have my reservations about this. In churning out more Predator releases, it is possible adidas may just be giving the people what they want, but at the same time, they could also just be capitalizing on something that they believe has a short lifespan.

I regard myself truly lucky and blessed for having lived through what I lived. The predator is a hallmark of the soccer culture I have lived through, but I am not sure if quite the same example exists for the kids growing up and loving the game today. There is thus an unprecedented magnitude to this Predator release as I am now able to see past what it represents to me alone and instead look at what it can and should represent to every soccer fan old and young.

To every person reading this, I simply leave you with this: look past the consumerism and ask yourself how you will use this product to pass on a particular part of your soccer culture so that this culture simply doesn’t die, but instead endures through the soccer fans that come after you.

Images via Hypebeast.

THE ADIDAS SOBAKOV CAN BE A SOCCER CLASSIC OF ITS OWN

They say some things are just too good to be true. I was certainly in complete disbelief when I first set eyes on adidas’ new soccer-inspired shoe: the adidas Sobakov. The shoe is everything of my wildest shoe dreams except I am not dreaming. These kicks are the real deal and here’s why I think they’re the best soccer lifestyle shoes adidas has come out with as of yet.

The stripes are obviously what draw you in. Their inspiration stems from no other source than one of soccer’s most classic cleats: the adidas Predator Precision. As you’ll recall, adidas recently reissued this cleat and offered a lifestyle option that came with a Boost sole. While many of you, including myself, would not mind having the Predator UltraBoost in our collection, we would not be wrong in saying that we did not miss out on much as rather than a consolation, the new Sobakov is the real prize.

Between the Predator UltraBoost and the Sobakov, one has to admit the UltraBoost will always look like a soccer shoe. The Sobakov, on the other hand, is more subtle in its inspiration and therefore has the potential to not only be more appealing to more people but to also be more versatile in one’s choice of outfits.

The Sobakov has what you call an unassuming elegance that is only further augmented by its shape. The contours, after all, are what I found problematic in adidas’ other soccer lifestyle options such as the latest Predator Tango 18+. That shoe just looked too modern and I couldn’t see anything in it that said Predator to me, even though it was called a Predator. The Sobakov is the complete opposite as I am able to see much more than just a Predator. Despite the references to the adidas Kamanda, the shoe’s shape, especially with that sole, reminds me much more of a Nike Roshe or a Yeezy. Both of these shoes have obviously been overwhelmingly popular amongst consumers and may just provide the wave that the Sobakov can continue to ride.

This connection I draw makes it more apparent to me why the shoe does not look to be packaged as an adidas soccer release. Instead, the shoe looks like it will be an adidas Originals offering even though the soccer inspiration is in much more than just the stripe detailing. adidas has truly exceeded my expectations as rather than merely appropriating the distinct features of a Predator, which I once said was all that was necessary, the brand has now also redefined other features from yet another classic silhouette. Taking inspiration now from the Samba Classic, the Sobakov’s upper makes the Samba’s beloved textured tongue a prime rather than secondary feature. With this, adidas has given us everything we want more of in a shoe that is familiar, but new yet with all the makings of becoming a classic of its own.

There is no info on the release of these as of yet, but make sure to stay tuned to the KTTP IG for all the details.

Images via Sneake Studio.

#TBT: A LOOK BACK AT OUR FAVORITE ADIDAS SAMBAS

The adidas Samba is without a doubt a classic imprint within the world of soccer, or in this case, “football,” seeing as it’s a silhouette that resonates the world over. Many argue – with good reason – that it’s the best indoor soccer shoe around, while others have adopted the model for a look outside of the beautiful game, like skateboarding or worn as a lifestyle sneaker. The silhouette itself was first introduced back in 1950 and has since become one of adidas’ most synonymous shoes, falling just second in line for being the highest selling design after the Stan Smith.

Selling status isn’t everything though, we’re more about a good story or learning about cultural relevancy in a product, and the samba has just that. Not only was the silhouette introduced to help players train on hard ground, therefore becoming the choice trainer for futsol, the Samba also played a significant part in the UK’s football culture during the early ’80s, when the subculture known as “the Casual” was in its prime. While associated with hooliganism, there was also a heavy fashion element to scene, where a casual would be decked out in expensive sportswear designer clothing – referred to as “clobber” gear – in a bid to divert unwanted attention from the police. The outfits, however, were also typically matched with, you guessed it: the adidas Samba.

While the history of the Samba is of course much more detailed, we already know that it’s a design that transcends time, hence it being well worthy of being highlighted with a look back at some of our favorite drops ever, leading up to the release of the adidas Originals’ Samba in June 1, which sees a meticulous one-for-one reproduction of the original design. Check out our list of favorite Samba releases below, then look out for the true throwback to release globally come June 1.

ADIDAS OG SAMBA LUZHNIKI

ADIDAS SAMBA W “WHITE ICE”

ADIDAS CONSORTIUM ‘DEEP HUE’ SAMBA PACK FOR WOMEN

ADIDAS SKATEBOARDING SAMBA ADV

ADIDAS X THE SHOE SURGEON SAMBA DAME

ADIDAS SAMBA PRIMEKNIT

ADIDAS SAMBA X BARNEYS NEW YORK

ADIDAS SAMBA B75806

SCOUTING REPORT: THE STORY OF ADIDAS: OG SAMBA LUZHNIKI

Pusha T’s latest diss track aimed at Drake, “The Story of Adidon,” seems to be the only talk in social media right now, and I’m loving everything about it. But how are we not also talking as much as we should about the newly released adidas OG Samba Luzhniki Stadium edition? When these were first released to the public last week, the hype was definitely there, but not as much as it should’ve. Well, I wanted to go back to this release and shed more of the spotlight that it deserves. So without further ado, I present to you “The Story of Adidas” featuring the OG Samba Luzhniki.

Overall Design: Instant classic. I love a lot of things about this release. It immediately gives you that nostalgic old classic adidas vibe, of course with its design of the 3-stripes, but also with its colorway of an ivory white and scarlet red. The colorway is certainly inspired by the Luzhniki stadium, the main football arena from Moscow for the World Cup. The exact same colors used in this piece are used for the seats in the stadium. I am also a fan of the stitched-on typeface saying “Luzhniki” on the side of the shoe on one side, and the other side in Cyrillic letters to stamp this as a special edition release for this year’s World Cup.

Score: 4/5

Functionality: If you didn’t wear Sambas to play indoor soccer when you were growing up, did you even really play? I used to wear them for everything – not just soccer. I was probably the only kid in the gym to always wear them to play basketball even. Can you wear these Sambas to play soccer, however? Of course you can, but would you really want to? Compared to what’s out on the market nowadays, personally, I wouldn’t pick these Sambas with the expectation that they would be the best in performance. They’re probably not the most comfortable shoes out there, but it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make to stunt a bit.

Score: 4/5

Uniqueness: Understanding the love the Russian people have for adidas gear is important to appreciate this special release. The adidas tracksuits were popularized during the 1980 summer Olympics held in Moscow during the Soviet Union times. Back in 1980 adidas sponsored the Soviet Union team as their official team apparel sponsors even though the trademark adidas 3-stripes were not shown due to political reasons. In a nutshell, once the Olympics were over, many athletes failed to find real jobs and ended up doing different types of “jobs” on the streets. The classic adidas tracksuit was then often associated with troubled youth, or even those that are high above in the underground ladder. The head-to-toe adidas look was so popular with that crowd that there were several black markets dealing the apparel, as well a separate term for groups like the hooligans that are often seen wearing the tracksuits called the “Gopniks.” With the popularity of adidas in Russia and the connection of the World Cup also being held in Russia, everything about this release comes together naturally.

Score: 4/5

Details: adidas could have simply left this piece to ride the classic Samba look and change a bit of the colors here and there and call it a special release. But they’ve also captured many small details all around the shoe that makes this a one-of-a-kind in the Samba family. First, the aforementioned typeface of Luzhniki (and in Cyrillic) on each side of the shoe is a good touch. The red stars, often associated in flags, emblems, and the history of Russia/USSR, are also placed on the back heels. The inside of the shoe also has a red star with word markings of “3-stripes” and several different Cyrillic fonts making this overall release an instant classic and undeniably a special edition.

Score: 4/5

You can now purchase the adidas Samba Luzhniki from adidas.

Photo credits: asphaltgold

FA CUP & #CUPCOLLECTIVE LIMITED BESPOKE NIKE AF 1S

To celebrate today’s Finals, Emirates FA Cup and UK-based #CupCollective – consisting of grime radio presenter Rebecca Judd and creative/presenter Poet – have officially released their own Nike effort that we’re personally dying to get our hands on. Part of the FA ICON SERIES, a collection of unique, limited edition products re-imagined by the select group of creatives, the two aforementioned partners have each created a limited run of bespoke Nike Air Force 1s that bring together our shared love of sneakers, art, and the beautiful game.

Pulling inspiration from the FA Cup itself, Judd and Poet imbued their own interpretation into the designs, resulting in something truly unique. Speaking on the creative process, Poet states: “When thinking about my design for the Nike Air Force 1s, I wanted them to look as close to the trainer form of the Emirates FA Cup as possible, from the silver swoosh and grass printed soles to mimic stepping onto the pitch, to the past champions printed on the side panel to mirror those engraved on the Cup.”

Judd’s pair stems more from the Cup’s iconic trophy, as well as her own family’s West Ham roots. “I am a huge Nike Air Force 1 fan, so to be able to design my own Emirates FA Cup inspired pair has been awesome. I went with the silver swoosh to mirror the silver of the iconic trophy, with the claret and blue to represent my family’s West Ham roots – I am really happy with the result and can’t wait to style them out at the Emirates FA Cup Final.”

Have a closer look at Rebecca Judd and Poet’s Bespoke Emirates FA Cup Nike Air Force 1s’ here, as well as the full FA CUP ICON SERIES collection above.

THE SHOE SURGEON TALKS ADIDAS SOCCER COLLAB

Always one to take existing sneaker silhouettes to new heights through artistic customization, Dominic Chambrone AKA The Shoe Surgeon adds to his coveted roster of sneakers with his latest Electricity Copa Rose 2.0 for adidas Football. The shoe also plays a part in a collection of soccer-meets-basketball sneakers that the skilled artist made exclusively for The Association, an ongoing soccer league held by yours truly that brings together teams assembled by brands and companies within our culture, including Beats by Dre, Complex, Dash Radio, FourTwoFour on Fairfax, Jason Markk, Niky’s Sport, Red Bull, and SpaceX.

The Electricity Copa Rose 2.0 is a clear stand out (well… they kind of all are), and is comprised of an adidas Copa soccer cleat in “Electricity” as the upper fixed on to the sole taken from the adidas Derek Rose 4 basketball shoe. What’s even better is that this work of art – along with the other pairs from the aforementioned collection – are all wearable, and will be made available this Saturday May 12 exclusively on The Shoe Surgeon’s online website. Check out The Shoe Surgeon x adidas Football Electricity Copa Rose 2.0 throughout, then read our interview with the man on the whole soccer-meets-basketball collection below. Head here to see the other pairs.

In your own words, how would you describe your approach to the collection of custom sneakers you made for The Association?
My approach to the collection was really to mash up soccer and basketball, and really do it in a way where you can actually play in them as well.

What was the most challenging pair to make?
I would say that the most challenging shoe out of this collection was the adidas COPA silhouette on the Crazy BYW sole.

And if you had to pick your personal favorite pair?
My personal favorite from this collection would definitely have to be the Samba on the Dame 4 sole. I just think it’s such a classic upper on top of a futuristic basketball sole.

After finishing the whole collection, was there a pair that you expected the audience to view as the craziest?
Probably the aforementioned Crazy BYW sole on the COPA. That one’s pretty loud.

PICKING NIKE’S WINNING DESIGN OF ITS MERCURIAL AIR MAX 270

For awhile it might have seemed like Nike was out of the soccer lifestyle sneaker game. This week, however, we came to find out the American sports giant was simply reloading as it has come back to make the biggest bang yet.

Nike’s Mercurial Heritage collection is something every soccer fan should want to add to their sneaker rotation. To me, the collection is the epitome of what I think of as off-pitch style as Nike is really not trying to reinvent the wheel. Rather than developing an entirely new soccer-inspired shoe as we have seen done over recent years, Nike is simply allowing great soccer designs of the past speak for themselves by transposing them to its successful Air Max 270. This decision proves to be vital as the end product brings with it an already established fan base. On one side you have the cult following around the Air Max line, while on the other you have the multitude of soccer fans and Mercurial lovers specifically that will no doubt rally around the shoe.

Admittedly, this is not the first time we have seen Nike do this. The brand’s most recent foray with iconic Mercurial designs that I can think of was the Air Max Mercurial R9. Unfortunately, the shoe must not have sold so well as it ended up in Nike’s clearance section before I saw posts of the shoes being sold at a heavy discount at stores like Ross or Marshall’s. Bearing all this in mind, it is then understandable to ask what exactly makes this release any different?

The difference of this drop is the entire business plan. Instead of making this a wide release, Nike has opted to use its Nike iD platform to breathe a little bit of exclusivity to this product. In addition to paying a premium price for this exclusivity, consumers also have the benefit of options as Nike has resuscitated some of the most iconic World Cup designs of its Mercurial line over the past 20 years. There a total of five options to choose from. While this selection does not exactly eliminate the likelihood of running into someone with the same Mercurial design, the iD options which are themselves also soccer-inspired do guarantee that you’ll be strutting your love for the beautiful game in a pair of kicks that are uniquely yours, and therefore unlike any other.

Decisions, however, are always difficult. Surely, all of us strive to be like Nelly and just say “I need two pairs so I can get to stomping” in my Air Max 270’s in this case. I don’t know about you, but I am not exactly about that life. For this reason, I’ve stepped in to rank the five designs and share some thoughts that might help you make a more informed decision with whatever pair you decide to go with. I’ll start with my pick for the number fifth spot.

#5: AIR MAX 270 2002 MERCURIAL

All of the Mercurial designs chosen for this collection work off of great colorways. The 2002 inspired Air Max 270 is no different, however, it lacks that blinding radiance I have always associated with its cleat counterpart. The shoe is therefore just too dull and does not do enough justice to its predecessor.

#4: 2006 AIRMAX 270 MERCURIAL

The 2006 inspired edition has one of the least interesting Mercurial designs working against it. That being said, it does benefit from its historical significance as this is the same design worn by Ronaldo at the time he became the World Cup’s all-time leading goal scorer. I’ve always remembered that great step over Ronaldo had in his goal against Ghana, however, this nostalgia is simply not enough to propel this design any further.

#3: 1998 AIR MAX 270 MERCURIAL

The 1998 inspired design is no doubt the most recognizable of all five offerings. Clearly, people connect with this design, otherwise, Nike would not bring it back so often. In this case, however, I just think a more faithful reproduction of the cleat might have benefitted the sneaker significantly. While the positioning of the Swoosh may not have been interchangeable, I do think a stitched on 3-D swoosh much like the one on the cleat itself would have really set this shoe apart from the rest.

#2: 2010 AIR MAX 270 MERCURIAL

Aside from the 1998 edition, the 2010 Mercurial design is one of the more unique. The colors just complement each other so well here and the only reason this shoe does not take the top spot is the simple fact that there is just another shoe to choose from.

#1: 2014 AIR MAX 270 MERCURIAL

The 2014 edition is the most recent of all and does not have all that history associated with all the other Mercurials. The shoe wins simply on aesthetic alone as its bright pink color and enlarged gold swoosh provide those pops that would make any shoe a real head turner. It doesn’t hurt also that these shoes are the one pair that look the most prime for summer.

I am curious to know your stance on my rankings. Make sure to comment below with the pair you’d like to pick up from Nike iD.

Images via Nike.