Sneaker Freaker presents Skippy
It feels like forever since the last Sneaker Freaker footwear project. As is the case with these things, months come and go and before you know it, time has drifted by like red desert sand through the hourglass. When New Balance tapped Sneaker Freaker for a shoe, it’s fair to say they were rather chuffed. Sneaker Freaker was also feeling the classic sophomore pressure – what could they possibly do to top the Blaze of Glory project?
Click on the READ MORE button for the official Sneaker Freaker x New Balance 850 story, funny promo videos and photos. Keep an eye on your favourite sneakerstore because the release date will be 5 December 2009!
In the past year, the footwear world has shifted to an obsession with bland canvas and vulcanised hell. If there was one thing we knew, it was that we weren’t going down without a struggle! Yes, we want to create something that will stand the test of time, but by today’s standards, that means an avalanche of graydom. Why create a collaboration if you’re not pushing things forward? Why the neo-conservatism all of sudden? The world might have gone to the dogs, but it doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with your shoes anymore. We decided to be crazy-brave and dig in to create something totally awesome, that I might add was also totally wearable. Impossible is nothing!
The first priority was to select the model. Whilst the NB1500 is a universal classic, our eyes were immediately drawn to a NB newbie, the lightweight performance 850. This ‘90s runner has a lovely rake and enough panelling to line Andre the Giant’s den. Admittedly, we aren’t lifelong aficionados of the 850, but if anything, we saw that as a positive. There’s no emotional baggage and there’s only ever been a handful of colour-ups. To be honest, we felt that NB hadn’t ever done justice to this particular silhouette.
The second step was a structural one. NB stripped as much out of the shoe as possible to keep the 850’s weight down. In doing so, we felt it had been pancaked a little too heavily. Like Steve Austin, we knew we could rebuild it, so we added some extra memory-type foam around the collar, as well as beefing up the padding in the tongue. It’s a relatively minor addition, but one that we think makes the new 850 stand upright and proud, with a little extra bump for your stumps.
With the shoe now in shape, it was time to get out the magic markers. There’s nothing like a dab of green and wattle gold for aussie flavor, but in this case, that was beside the point. It’s simply impossible to ignore the tanbark coloured toebar on this shoe. Yeah, it’s crazier than a mad woman’s spit, but the inspiration was in our self-imposed brief. Fear no evil! Let’s smash down some barriers and mixmaster two things that have no damn right to look good. If I told you that caramel leather and neon yellow would look hot, you’d probably laugh, but the proof is in the macropus pudding. And check out that oatmeal midsole against the white rubber sole – super fresh!
Last but not least, materials were key. We might be brave, but we’re not mental, so the use of mesh in a runner is a gimme. The final piece of the parochial puzzle was the use of our national emblem, the Australian red kangaroo, which gave our project the natty name it needed – the Sneaker Freaker Skippys! The world knows and loves the kangaroo and what better way to show love than to wear them on your feet? Besides, kangaroo leather is soft and supple and commonly used on high-end football boots, so the logic is sound. Whilst we did offer to head outback in the SF Interceptor and round up some roadkill, all leather was sourced direct from NB’s regular suppliers.
Upon sober reflection, we justified our design as a signifier of two world’s colliding. In this case, the back half is traditional retro-runner with fluoro pops, while the front half represents the new world order. Earthy and natural, it’s hard to think of a less sporty colour than tan leather. Some shoes look great on the shelf but ridiculous on the feet, but in our experience, the Skippys are in their element when they’re being worn. What can we say other than it works a treat?
By now you’ve possibly got us figured as crackpots. But bear with us. We went through over 20 different tan leathers before we returned to this one right here. The sample took us six months to get used to it. How long will it take you to dig it?
Text: Sneaker Freaker Magazine