Behind the Shoe
Behind every great shoe lies a story that sets in stone ideas for the silhouette, colourway, material, and small details, forming a piece that all sneakerheads want to get their hands on. As an individual part of the KershKick’s community, I would love to share some of my favourite stories behind the shoe, in the hopes that you will read up on upcoming drops and the ideas used to create the shoe.
When I first realised there were reasons behind each shoe, it all made sense to me how these silhouettes and colourways had been used. We can't just think of all these details in our heads. From music groups to collaborations to children designing, there are endless sneakers on the market with such different stories and appeal to everyone's interests or favourite colours. Here are six of my favourite meanings behind the shoe.
1. The Ekin dunk
To show appreciation towards Ekin employees (educate retailers and consumers about the product/brand) in 2020, an extremely rare, hand-crafted Dunk with a similar colourway to the 'lunar eclipse' which dropped in 2006 was gifted to them. The traditional leather was constructed using features of striking details and vibrant, statement colours, a black to grey gradient from the toe to heel, and the heel branding embroidered with "Ekin" (Nike spelled backward). My favourite part of the shoe is placed inside the tongue, where a message to employees, "you are no longer uninformed," fits their job description, alongside the insoles adorned with a collage of global city icons.
Inspired by the Jordan 1 Chicago, it was strongly influenced by the original, high-top Air Jordan 1 colourway, which debuted in 1985. The shoe is a tribute to a time when shoe boxes frequently got misplaced in stockrooms for inventory, only to be discovered years later. Products were traditionally tracked with paper and pen before the development of sophisticated inventory systems. Unavoidable human errors commonly led to shoe boxes with mismatched lids.
The Jordan design team claimed that the objective of this sneaker was to produce a "time-travel moment," particularly for a new generation of customers. Nowadays, purchasing shoes is considerably different from how it was in the 1980s. This shoe tries to mimic that sense of being lost and recovered by providing buyers a glimpse of what a brand-new, vintage AJ1 would have looked like in its prime.
Nike was in a difficult position just before the Jordan 3 was released. In the previous three years, Jordan had worn Converse, made it known that he adored Adidas, and Peter Moore, the man behind the Air Jordan 1 and 2, had recently teamed up with Bruce Kilgore, the man behind the Air Force 1, to launch their own company.
Jordan was invited to accompany them. Jordan's maintenance fell to a man you may know, Tinker Hatfield. With only a few weeks to work with, he travelled to California to try to persuade MJ to stay after meeting with Jordan to learn what he needed, developed the shoe, and built a prototype.
You can probably assume what Michael thought considering that the Jordan line has undergone more than 30 adjustments since then. This specific pair is intended to emulate the Jordan 1 Lost and Found and imitate the original as closely as possible. Changes were made to certain details, such as the fake-used box and artificially faded portions of the shoe, to reflect the 1988 release more closely. Many individuals have already declared that this is their "sneaker of the year."
4.kobe 6 grinch
For Christmas, the Black Mamba changed colour to green, dramatically altering the footwear industry. Nothing compares to the heat Kobe Bryant brought to Staples Centre on December 25, 2010, even though his Nike relationship generated some of the most recognizable signature shoes of all time. The Los Angeles Lakers icon entered the arena and unveiled the brilliant green shoes being worn today. Since the shoe had two-toned green scales, the original name, "Green Mamba," and design played on Bryant's nickname. The red tongue logo gave the shoes an air of Christmas. Due to the seasonal combination and the specific shade of green, people have given the sneaker the Grinch label. It was a disappointing afternoon for Bryant and the Lakers, even if the game is known for the introduction of the sneakers. He was held to 17 points as the Heat picked up a 96-80 win. Not just the Heat were satisfied when they left Staples Centre. The now-iconic sneakers were part of the gift bag given to spectators with courtside tickets for the game.
Twenty years have passed since Nike originally introduced the iconic Air Max 95, which at the time represented a significant shift in the performance running shoe market. The original model was a daring, provocative silhouette that had not been matched by any shoe before its time with its distinctive rippling design across its top, gradient grey colour scheme, and vivid neon yellow accents. Sergio Lozano, a qualified industrial designer with four years of expertise with tennis and training shoes, was hired by Nike to lead the Nike ACG design team and provide a fresh perspective to the Air Max family.
Basketball shoes gained popularity well before runners did in the early 1990s, when Nike Basketball dominated the sneaker industry. Lozano used the groundbreaking Air Max 95 project as a marketing ploy to draw people back to the world of competitive running. "I remembered something Tinker Hatfield used to always bring up while working on other projects," says Lozano. "He would say, 'Okay, so that's a great design, but what's your story?'" "I was looking across the lake out into the trees and I began picturing the process of rain eroding the earth and thought it would be interesting if the perfect product was unearthed by erosion," says Lozano of his inspiration for the 95.
This occurred on a rainy day in Beaverton, Oregon, the location of Nike headquarters. Even after being advised that the gradient grey colourway would not be a commercial success, Lozano prioritized its use because he intended to reduce the appearance of muck, grime, and wear-and-tear that the sneaker would develop with time and use. Additionally, the recognizable neon "Volt" colourway has developed into a Nike colour scheme that defines the brand's heritage and is frequently reprinted for different designs.
His design represents a significant change for the company because it is surrounded by lines rather than holes and flows in a wavy pattern. The fingerprint serves as his brand identity, according to Mr. Bembury. It speaks to the organic lines of a fingerprint and bears a strong resemblance to wood grain. He is the first fashion designer to completely alter the Crocs design. When Mr. Bembury posted the image on social media in July, sneakerhead news websites like Complex reposted it, and his post quickly accumulated more than 70,000 likes.
While several celebrities, including Justin Bieber, Bad Bunny, and Saweetie, created Jibbitz to fit into the holes of Crocs, Mr. Bembury developed a new mould that featured a heel capture secured with a strap for the first time. The Pollex, a new version, is available in three understated colours: spackle, resembling plaster; menemsha, resembling coffee; and cucumber, a deep olive shade. With a completely new silhouette, it emphasizes the value of pushing boundaries and experimenting with new concepts in the footwear industry.
Ruby Rainey, Cohort 39, Content Creator Apprentice at KershKicks
