SNEAKER FREAKER ISSUE 27 AIR MAX COUNTRY CAMO COVER As you’re all probably aware recently we dropped Issue 27 of our infamous boogazine. It’s a bumper issue indeed, in fact at 156 pages, 27 is our biggest issue to date! Stacked and packed and stuffed into the pages are interviews with Eric Koston, Action Bronson, the design masterminds behind PUMA’s Mobium Elite and adidas’ BOOST, the unveiling of our upcoming Le Coq Sportif colab, coverage of a trip to Tokyo where we spoke Max with atmos, flipped kicks with Gusto Da Ninja and nerded out with the owner of Japan’s sneaker heaven K Skit… the list could go on and on. Adorning one of the four covers was this delectable Japan faction of the soon-to-drop Nike Air Max Country Camo collection. All five country’s colurways are featured within the mag, so grab your copy here to check ’em all out.Not everything made in 1993 was built to last ’til infinity. It’s a sad fact, one we have to face… or do we? About a month ago a mate of mine posted up a pair of Nike Air Huarache Light Ultramarine OGs on his Gram along with the simple caption ‘Gotta love new shoes’.
Bam, my eyeballs popped. The dude’s still in high school, where did he find these gems? I hit him on the PM to find out what the deal was. It turns out his mate’s father used to coach tennis and was given these to wear during the 1994 Australian Open, after which he turfed ’em in the cupboard where they’ve been chilling for the past 20 years, until now. It also turned out that, unfortunately for my mate, they were a size too small for him. Negotiations opened and a few days later we linked under the clocks at Melbourne’s iconic meeting spot, the Flinders Street Station steps. I sat there for a while just gawking at my prize, these things are pure sex and I’ve gotta say they had me feeling pretty aroused. The Flyknits flew off my feet and it was on with the Huarache Lights. Riding the silver stallion home to my palace I couldn’t stop clocking the Huas, I had to share my excitement. I hit up my mate Gusto Da Ninja (a Hua Light-head since forever) on Line with the above photos.
‘Dope,’ he said, ‘but good chance you’ll have to reglue those at some stage’. Thanks Gusto, ya bloody killjoy. Sure enough by the time I arrived back at my mansion the torment had already begun. While inspecting the separation, tears welled in my eyes and I broke down. Mid tantrum I hit the bottle, smashing a few fingers of ouzo and then blessed an art starter. Soon I had my shit back together and I jumped into the project feet first (wak pun, I know. #notsorry). I began peeling at the weak points and quicker than you can say shoegamef#$%edup, my Huas had done a Gremlin and straight multiplied. And then there were four – pieces. It’s gotta be said at this point that, although I’m nowhere near gluru status, I’ve glued a gang of sneaks to varied success in the past. I used to reside in Tokyo and was constantly attracted to DS vintage heat. With an ‘I got this’ attitude, I began experimenting with different glues and techniques. Some things worked, some things didn’t.
The most valuable lesson I learned was that if a sole is peeling a bit you’ve gotta take control and just rip the bloody thing off. If you try to maintain a separation situation bit by bit you are deemed to a life of sticky hands and endless frustration. So, next up I had to find the right product. Searching online I found a swag of glues that were perfect for the job, none of which were available in Australia. Trips to the hardware store and cries for help in forum restoration threads left me high and dry. Finally I found a wholesaler who provides materials to shoe makers, and after a couple of phone calls and courier issues, a week later I had what I needed to continue the resurrection. During the week-long wait for the glue to come at me, I became restless and my OCD urges set in. I just couldn’t stop messing with my separated sneaks. I spent pretty much an entire night taking the shot above using nothing but my bedside lamp for lighting, my iPhone to shoot with and a jazz trumpet for motivation.
Hope you like it. Contact adhesives don’t always require clamping, but I wanted to get these bad bois just right. When you glue a sneaker back together, unless you have the original last that they were built on, it’s guaranteed that you’re going to have trouble getting the sole to meet the upper all the way around. The rubber band idea above looked real cool, but definitely wasn’t gonna work. So, I got some tight clamps, a few chunks of wood and the secret ingredient… tape. Applying the glue was a toxic mess, without the T-shirt I had tied around my face I’m pretty sure I would have kicked the bucket from fume inhalation. I applied the glue with a paintbrush, actually I went through approximately six brushes to glue both. As I mentioned before getting the sole sitting on the upper flush all the way around is a mission, I know the tape mummification method isn’t pretty, but hey, it worked. I kept each shoe clamped for at least 24 hours. Yes, that is a skateboard.
If you use a clamp on a bench it can restrict your access, the skateboard method allowed me to gain 360 degree maneuverability as well as portability. After unwrapping each shoe from their hi-tech strapping, the only thing left to do was tidy up. Acetone worked perfectly for not only removing glue mess I had made, but also the original excess factory glue. Finally the job was done. I had bought these 93 gems back from the grave. Broken hearts are mendable, folks, all you’ve gotta do is dream, believe, create and hopefully you’ll succeed.I never wanna do this again!You feelin’ these Gusto?! Sell ’em to ya for $1993, #realtalk. – Sweet Kicks WillyThe onslaught of new colourways of the ‘T-Shirt for your feet’ continues with Nike’s latest rendition of the Air Presto, the ‘Greedy’. Following last years Air Max 95 release using the same nickname, the Greedy brings together elements of previous Presto colourways and rolls them all into one vibrant make-up.
First introduced in 13 colourways back in 2000 and design led by Tobie Hatfield, the Air Presto was a pre-cursor to the future Nike Free program which released in 2004. The overarching idea was to create a shoe which gave you the movement and flexibility as though you were walking barefoot, but still maintaining an adequate, comfortable fit to support your foot. The neoprene sockliner and plastic lace cage did just that, and a lightweight Phylon midsole ensured the sole of your foot was as stable as it could be without compromising on weight gain. Japanese retailer Beams have reportedly had a hand in the design of the colourway to celebrate their 40th Anniversary, and a recent conversation between footwear enthusiasts Prestology and Gustodaninja seems to have sourced the inspiration behind the release. As part of their 30th Anniversary in 2006 Beams collaborated with apparel brand Wild Things on a vibrant jacket that fit’s the colour palette used on the Presto perfectly. Last year we delved into the Presto’s past and put together a brief history of the obscure runner, looking at some of the stories behind the technology, and some of its interesting past collaborators.