Month: April 2023

Today, AIR hits the big screen — retelling the story of Nike’s pursuit of Michael Jordan as a signature athlete. Celebrating this, eBay is hosting a special ’85 Shop event and pop-up in Chicago. Various retro sneakers are featured, however, the crown jewel of the event is a complete set of original Air Jordan 1s from 1985.Listed by seller bigtacman, all 20 pairs — including the low-top and AJKO releases — from 1985 have been prepared for auction. Starting at a price of $150,000 USD (with a hefty $15 shipping fee), an undisclosed reserve price has been put in place for this historic listing. Sizes and condition vary greatly as all but one pair has not been restored. Many of the shoes come with tags and some even feature the original box as this assembly of some of Jordan Brand’s rarest artifacts is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a part of history.Additional information, including breakdowns of each pair, is available via the official eBay listing. The auction is set to conclude on April 15 with the possibility of reaching a record-level finish off the hype of the AIR film.For more OG footwear headlines, be sure to check out our closer look at SD Custom Footwear’s Air Jordan 1 Hi ’85 “Chicago” prop made for the AIR movie.

Dr. Martens is a cultural zeitgeist. In a single shoe, most famously the 1460 or 1461 silhouette, it captures the nostalgic, hedonistic spirit of the 1960s, as well as punks in the ’70s and ’80s, ravers in the ’90s, and preppy hipsters in the mid-to-late 2000s. Its ethos is one that speaks to every kind of rule-breaking vanguard, and in honor of this, it has aligned with Original Shift for the creation of a 100-plus page zine, humorously titled Broken In.Original Shift documents stories of culture, typically highlighting emerging talents and people that pave the way forward for a diverse, rich cultural exchange in the arts. Like Dr. Martens, it (and its community) values authenticity, and this story now comes to life in Broken In. Captured by Tayler Prince-Fraser, photographs of talent including London-born musician Jeshi, No Signal’s Ghadir Mustafa, British-Iranian documentary-maker and photographer Aria Shahrokhshahi, and the founder and designer of Unicus and Last Pick, Koen Prince-Fraser, come together alongside archival Dr. Martens-themed imagery derived from the Museum of Youth Culture’s catalogs.Parts of the zine are focused on music, creativity, and self-expression, culminating around subcultures such as punk, two-tone and ska in the Dr. Martens universe. Original Shift takes these themes and tells the current-day stories through the aforementioned talent, who are each breaking into their respective industries despite going against the grain — thus, perfectly encapsulating the Dr. Martens’ attitude.Bringing the project together, Original Shift’s work will be showcased as part of the wider archive within the Museum of Youth Culture, and it will all be honored by a bursary scheme that aims to uplift and support two young creatives, titled “The Dr. Martens Creative Fund,” funded by Dr. Martens and the Museum of Youth Culture.Take a look at snippets from the zine above, and stay tuned to all three partners’ Instagram accounts for more news.Broken In, an Exhibition by Original Shift and Dr. MartensMuseum of Youth Culture95 Berwick StreetSohoLondonW1F 0QBApril 6, 6-9 p.m.April 7-13. IYCMI, throw it back to the time when Hypebeast and the Museum of Youth Culture dived deep into British modified car culture.

APOC Store continues to bring emerging footwear designers to the fore, following on from its YAKU teaser with a drop from tareet, the French label helmed by Etienne Diop.As with most brands that APOC Store champions, the designers come with an initiative and ethos that goes beyond just creativity. Per the retailer, the designer “depicts the realities of police violence in France, discrimination of race, gender and religion, as well as a colonial past.”How does tareet achieve this? With a choice approach to fabric use and manipulation, creating shoes that speak to those who favor traditional techniques and touches over technical functionality. This is explored by deconstructing ASICS, a brand known for its technical elements, which are reimagined as inversed wearables. Think artisanal woven textile insoles riding on ASICS outsoles, repurposed leather components re-shaping the shoe, re-used ASICS elements adding a sporty edge, and custom wedding jewelry or babouches silhouettes all coming together to reflect on cultural traditions.tareet’s custom footwear can be seen in the gallery above, and purchased from APOC Store now. Prices range from £550 to £1,500 ($702 USD/$1,913 USD) and all pieces are made-to-order.In other news, Merrell 1TRL has dropped one of the craziest campaigns of SS23.