More than Manolos

In a society where Manolos can be more coveted than Monets, modern artists have adeptly found a way to mesh our keenness for kicks and adoration of art. They have spawned a vast spectrum of enterprise, which includes graphic art, photography, interior design and most recently, tennis shoes. By partnering with major brands like Adidas and Nike, haute creatives like David Choe, Kevin Lyons and Warwick Kay have harmonized the ideals of art and product, meanwhile creating some lust-worthy limited edition sneakers.


David Choe for Adidas
Choe is illustrious as much for his artistic versatility as his understated vulgarity and rawness. From paintings to sculptures to graffiti to drawings, Choe has become a style savant and role model for hip-young-things dwelling amid urban street grit and grime around the globe.
Los Angeles native turned Bay Area resident, Choe, has a resume already flush with a number of design achievements, and his dynamic life inspired a recently released documentary, Dirty Hands. The film follows Choe’s plan to hitchhike around the world by way of illegal schemes—a plan that ended with his solitary confinement in a seedy Tokyo prison. From a man who seems capable of anything, it is no surprise that Choe recently spread his artistic wings to yet another creative endeavor—Adidas shoes.
Choe partnered with Adidas and San Francisco-based Upper Playground to design his own limited edition Stan Smiths. There are only 500 pairs of these sneakers available worldwide and in ubiquitous David Choe style, the kicks exude a hint of grittiness and street-smart edge.


Warwick Kay for Converse
Warwick Kay, a young designer for Orange Juice Design in Durban, South Africa, has joined Converse’s second 1HUND(RED) collection—a yearlong cooperation between international artists in further support of Converse’s partnership with RED. RED, the brainchild of Bono and Bobby Shriver, aims to distribute money to African AIDS programs and a percentage of all Converse RED proceeds will go towards the cause.

Kay and OJ Design’s aesthetic is a reflection of South Africa, post-apartheid. Intentionally crafted to portray hope and victory—icons of red ribbons, crowns and the African continent adorn the white sneaks. “I wanted the design to be positive, to show that AIDS in Africa can be helped and that there can be victory,” Kay says.
The Converse 1HUND(RED) project will unveil 100 designs in total, each with styling unique to its designer. All shoes have a signature top red eyelet, a red footbed and a woven label. No shoe in this collection will retail for over $75, so you don’t have to splurge for this notable cause.


Mitsuaki Iwago for PUMA
In an erratic world where the number of pandas is ebbing faster than Kanye’s beats flow, PUMA has paid a decided homage to these endangered creatures in collaboration with wildlife photographer, Mitsuaki Iwago. Japan native, Iwago, is internationally renowned for his breathtaking wildlife portraits, photography books and National Geographic covers. In this venture, his celebrated perspective helped create limited edition PUMA kicks with endangered animals adorning the soles.
The six pairs of shoes feature fauna from two regions: polar animals (harp seal, polar bear and macaroni penguin) and Asian animals (the golden monkey, crested ibis and giant panda). Each animal’s distinct colors and patterns were utilized and insoles sport a stunning hi-res Iwago print. Not only does this campaign draw attention to the ongoing danger of animal extinction, the shoes are guaranteed to be the envy of even the most cynical sneaker fanatic. Get ‘em fast, because they are sure to be endangered from an Atmos or Ubiq (where they are exclusively being sold) shoe-rack near you.


Kevin Lyons for Nike
Kevin Lyons, an artist and typographer who is based in Philadelphia but epitomizes worldwide appeal, has teamed up with Nike to design limited production Air Max 90s. Kevin’s design accomplishments span a number of big-time companies including Stussy, Arkitip, aNYthing, Stacks and Adidas. His ingenuity carries over into print with his acclaimed book, Pussy and Papers, Poetry, Power and Pistols, which includes more than 500 T-shirt designs from his expansive career.
Nike has collaborated with two other artists for their limited edition Air Max 90s—Ben Drury and Japanese-native, Hitomi Yokoyama. In 2006, Nike introduced the Air Max 360 and created the “Air U Breathe” collection from artists Lyons, Drury and Yokoyama. It’s two years later and they have joined forces again to produce some stellar sneaks. Lyon’s design—a combination of old-school meets quirky ’80s album cover is pure footwear genius. The shoes, bright orange with black and white cartoon-like drawings on the interior, make for an edgy yet playful design. The sporty style and idiosyncratic graphics perfect the union between sport and art.

THE SPRING ISSUE

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