Month: April 2021

Vans is paying homage to the life and legacy of the late, great, Jeff Grosso with a new “Grosso Forever” collection. An influential skateboarder and longtime Vans family member, Grosso passed away in March 2020. Since then, Vans has honored him with a virtual memorial and now his very own posthumous collection — consisting of two special takes on the Sk8-Hi, meaningful apparel and even an episode of Vans’ Love Letters web series.The first Sk8-Hi in the collection is a red and white checkerboard style, with black detailing and a wavy print on the midsole. Grosso wore a similar pair in Powell-Peralta’s classic 1985 skate film Future Primitive, and an image of him in the shoes was used on the cover of Thrasher in June 2020. The second pair features an asymmetrical black, white and cream palm print with a clean lateral side and a smoky medial side. This pair is another nod to Grosso’s career: he wore it in several Santa Cruz and Hosoi Rockets ads in 1988. Both pairs are also upgraded with DURACAP rubber and PopCush insoles to meet the demands of modern-day skating.Apparel consists of tees both short and long sleeve, plus a trucker hat. The short sleeve tees feature one of Grosso’s favorite photos of himself, namely Bryce Knight’s “Sadder than a Funeral” shot from Thrasher’s November 1985 issue. Other tees feature designs from artist John Lucero, one of Grosso’s good frends, plus a quote from Grosso himself: “It’s you, your skateboard, and the world. So go out and make it your own.” The Vans Grosso Forever collection is available now via the Vans webstore, with each Sk8-Hi priced at $85 USD.For more from Vans, check out the Style 57 — a revitalized skate classic from the early ’90s.

Nike’s Air Max BW “Persian Violet” is a cult favorite early ’90s Air Max model, and now it’s set to return in all its original glory for the first time since March 2016. Originally released in 1991 and designed by the legendary Tinker Hatfield, the BW (short for “big window”) has lived many lives: it’s served as the canvas for a famous Stash collaboration, been called upon twice by Skepta — for a “Blacklisted” PE and to serve as the inspiration for the grime artist’s Air Max 97/BW — and become a favorite among in-the-know Air Max aficionados, despite not garnering the same level of mainstream popularity as other early Air Max silhouettes like the Air Max 1 and Air Max 90. The shoe’s “Persian Violet” title comes from the light purple tone present on its rubberized Swoosh, thick neoprene collar and padded tongue. Besides the Swoosh, more branding is placed on the tongue and the heel. On the forefoot and midfoot, a black mesh base is overlaid with black nubuck mudguards and eyestays, while a strip of white leather runs from toe to heel for extra contrast. Heels connect the aforementioned Swooshes with a rubberized black strip, which sits above perforated white leather. Down below, midsoles combine white and “Persian Violet” EVA foam with a clear heel Air Max unit and black rubber outsoles to complete the look.At the time of writing, Nike has yet to announce a date of arrival for the Nike Air Max BW “Persian Violet.” However, it’ll likely arrive sometime this summer and retail for $140 USD.Elsewhere in the world of Nike Inc., the Air Jordan 1 KO “Chicago” has received an official release date.