Chad Muska’s store Factory 413 is taking the plunge and launching a capsule collection of apparel and accessories. What is planned to be the first installment of a bigger collection.
The “Fuck Street Wear” capsule is comprised of a custom-cut U.S. made tee, a classic trucker cap, premium knit beanie and a limited edition 413 deck (limited to 200 units).
And as if being one of the best shop in L.A, being backed by one of the most influential skater, and selling the most exclusive Supra products wasn’t enough, the lookbook features the most wanted models of the moment: Cara Delevingne, as well as ladies favorite since Lana Del Rey presented him to the world: Bradley Soileau. Add some OG skaters to it: Antwuan Dixon (he back!!), Jim Greco, The Mu$ka himself, jeweller Ben Baller, DJ Steve Aoki and you got a hell of a cast!

I loved the fact that Boo Johnson paid homage to NaS in the video intro (and of course for the soundtrack).
By the way, that kid may have the sickest hardflip in the game!

Sneakers October roundup:
Supra keeps on inventing cool colorways for their flagship models, not forgetting to name them after their inspiration:
- Midas for the chain of automotive service centers (probably the French logo)
- Kona for the Hawaiian word refering to the dry side of the island that neighbors one of the world’s best beaches
- Supernova for the stellar explosion
Nike SB has some great colorways too for Halloween’s month with those Nike SB Koston One Medium Mint and those amazing Nike SB Dunk Low Challenge red!

Models wear sneakers too.
In that case one more “celebrity” showing love to Supra: Georgia May Jagger.

Boots in the morning 👞 🌞brand new sneakers in the evening 👟🌛😎 (Pris avec Instagram à La ptite maison dans la grande ville)

So here it is, and it’s no Supra Owen as expected:

The offspring of Supra x BKRW ‘s collaboration is a magnificent ultra-limited edition and handmade Skytop III constructed from various costly materials like varnished full-grain leather, finest ostrich skin and ponyhair.
The original shoe has been totally rethinked to look like a luxury sneaker/shoe and that’s pretty obvious when you look at how the main elements that identify a Skytop III have been reworked: the lateral panel is made of leather instead of plastic, and so are the heel pull tab as well as the interior lining.
But the best description still comes from the men behind the shoes:

“SUPRA and BKRW were nearly born at the same time and we’ve worked together ever since,” said Jay Smith of BKRW. “Regarding the BKRW Skytop III, Greg [Hervieux, the other half of BKRW] knew since the very beginning what he wanted to do with SUPRA: make a high fashion, premium shoe. He wanted to create a clash between skateboarding and John Loeb, or J.M. Weston, by using premium fabrics, and he also wanted to give the famous Skytop III upper cage an entirely new interpretation. The luxury market has always cut and pasted our culture, so we thought it’s payback time and let’s show them how we can rape and twist their styles just as they’ve been doing to us.”
The BKRW Skytop III comes in a premium, matte black box with a microfiber shoe bag, and is packaged with a shoehorn and a pair of wooden shoe trees.
“A collab project creates not only an object,” Jay said, “but also a real human and creative bond where the partners involved are pushing and feeding off of each other to attain their highest levels of creativity.”

25 pairs of Skytop III x BKRW will be available at BLACKRAINBOW in Paris on Saturday, September 29.

And if you can’t get a pair of those amazing shoes, don’t worry and start sparing since, as I told in the past, a Steve Aoki x Muska x Dim Mak Supra shoe is coming soon…

UPDATE: From the mouth of the Mu$ka himself, it will be a Skytop II collabo! AMEN! (it’s my fav’ model from the brand)

Supra x Celebrities.
It seems like Supra Footwear Collection for Women is doing well!

Supra can’t stop won’t stop.
While I’m still waiting for the Skytop 2 to make a come back, it seems like Parisian shop Black Rainbow (BKRW) made a deal with the crowned brand to produce a pair of Supra Owens.
What I’d like to understand better is whether the word “girls” that has been associated to the customized package means it’s a women shoe. If not, should we expect something a bit kinky since one of the other word linked to those pictures was “skin”, “chair” (which in French mean skin) and “tespaspret” (which in French means “you’re so not ready”).
I guess we’ll have to wait till Friday, 28th September to get to know what’s hidden inside this box!

Today’s fake leather clothes day (not vegan but I like to avoid animal slaughter 🐮) #todayskicks #suprapilot @suprafootwear #sneakers (Pris avec Instagram à La ptite maison dans la grande ville)

As the two last major news/posts on my tumblr have been Fashion’s Night Out (FNO) and the Supra Falcon, let’s mix both subjects with this one: while the (high) fashion world will be celebrating in order to help their industry struggle against the economic crisis, skateboarding industry will be celebrated too with Supra organizing for the second time in a row a party at its NYC flagship store.
This year they will use the occasion to launch the new Royal Collection with rapper Q-Tip, FOOL’S GOLD records DJ Nick Catchdubs, singer CC Sheffield and socialite/model Cory Kennedy.
Can’t wait to see the official pictures!

Some more Supra Falcon pictures.
I’m dying to put my hands on them!

I’ve been on holidays for almost two weeks now, and even if I manage to catch up with daily news about fashion, skateboarding and streetwear, I don’t have time to post here as much and as quickly as I’d like to.
I mean, I started this post with the very same information (I’ve just added some more “official” pictures that popped up those past two days) 13 days ago!!

Actually, I started writing the day the first pictures of the Nike SB Challenge Court appeared on the internet.
A simple but innovative formula that will probably be a future hit within and outside the Nike Skateboarding family: a retooling of the original Nike Challenge Court tennis sneakers worn by John McEnroe in 1984, faithful to the original, with the addition of a few technical details to adapt it to nowadays skaters’ needs. Among these additions are a reinforced upper and LUNARLON insole.
What’s so innovative? Nike SB had gotten us accustomed to adapting its skate shoes from its basketball shoes history, legacy and lineage (what a better model to illustrate it than the Nike Dunk?), but this time it’s a tennis model that’s doing the cross-over.
Simple and innovative, just like Gino Iannucci’s skating, the pro rider linked to the shoe even if it’s not a pro model/signature shoe.
That’s what’s explained in a way by the quick promo spot below, showing Gino shredding around NYC in the Nike SB Challenge Court till he meet the tennis legend:

Below follows the official story spread by Nike, and I must confess it says it all since it’s pretty well written and put together:

Eschewing the conventional bounds of skateboarding with signature ease and nonchalance, Nike Skateboarding team rider Gino Iannucci retools the Nike Challenge Court sneaker, adapting the ’84 tennis original for riding the streets—or pretty much anything.

Aside from some technical tweaks and switching up the color—from the Challenge Court’s original red, white and blue to either white and tennis green or black on black—Gino kept the revamp minimal. He was originally drawn to the sneaker’s simplicity and, in his own words, “didn’t want to change anything except it slimming down and softening the outsole…little things like the tongue, the thickness of the interior and the colors… In my eyes the shoe was ready to go SB back in ’84.”

Back in ’84, Gino hadn’t even begun skating the streets of his native Long Island, New York. It wasn’t until about three years later that he began pushing—around the same time he began playing tennis, which he continues to do up to three or four times a week. Early on, his approach to both sports, and life in general, was influenced by the Challenge Court’s original ambassador: John McEnroe, the explosive, controversial and singular tennis legend who not only debuted the Nike shoe but also wore it while competing in and winning the Davis Cup, the Australian Indoor Championship, the Grand Prix Tournament in Tokyo and more.

“John McEnroe just didn’t care and he played with so much emotion,” Gino recalls. “He never held back and always spoke his mind. Tennis never saw that attitude until he came around. I admire how he did things his way and didn’t conform to anything. He stood for just being yourself, whether good or bad. There’s honor in that.” Just as McEnroe’s influential Nike advertisement proclaimed in the early ’80s, he was a “Rebel with a Cause.” Nike taps back into this iconic moment in the debut video for the Nike SB Challenge Court. Shot on the streets of New York City, it features Gino in the shoe, pushing from the renowned Corona Park tennis stadium (also a world-famous skate spot) in Flushing, Queens to Midtown Manhattan, passing and perturbing McEnroe along the way. Continuing to Times Square, Gino recreates the “Rebel with a Cause” poster imagery in its original spot, his determination and drive echoing that of the tennis great.

Just as McEnroe became a legend for paving his own path to greatness, Gino has emerged as a skateboarding legend due to his irreverent approach and inimitable style. He’s also more than a little humble, which makes him resistant to the label of “legend,” but the definition he provides of one attests to his own seminal status, because it describes him just as much as it does McEnroe: “Legends,” Gino says, “are ones who bring something special to whatever they do—something memorable, where they just stand out naturally for whatever reason.”

The Nike SB Challenge Court ramps up the original Challenge Court’s stability with a nylon mesh upper trimmed in full-grain leather, an integral arch sock liner and an extended ankle collar. The Variable Width Lacing System™ ensures a snug, comfortable fit. And the lightweight Lunarlon sockliner/midsole promises soft but still responsive full-foot cushioning that cuts down impact without giving up board feel. Plus, the two-color, bi-level hobnail cupsole helps skaters grip the deck for premium performance.

The Nike SB Challenge Court retails for $80 USD and is offered in multiple colorways. Available at select retailers and skate shops beginning August 23, 2012.

The sneakers have indeed been in stores for more than a week now, but all I have in mind when I think about the story behind those skate shoes is this commercial from the late 90s/early 2000s in which tennis players were treated as skateboarders, which meant pretty bad at the time:

And while Gino Iannucci and his Nike SB Challenge Court are diving into Nike’s tennis history, Eric Koston chose the running legacy, dipping into the Air Max with the now notorious but still mysterious hybrid called Nike SB Eric Koston Heritage (once known as EKAM).
Nothing new under the sun, but the following pictures are less blurry than the ones that had been leaked at first.

A couple weeks ago, rapper Lil Wayne was in Las Vegas for PROJECT trade show in order to promote his own Trukfit clothing line, so he killed two birds with one stone and unveiled his upcoming collection with Supra, named dubbed Spectre, by SUPRA, rumored to be released in May of 2013.
The footwear within the forthcoming range will (initially at least) be a lifestyle shoe collection for Supra, not skate shoes, Spectre, by SUPRA being considered a brand unto itself.
On the pictures that have been leaked of Lil Wayne with Matt Fontana, some silhouettes of sneakers can be guessed, and it might be the rapper’s Supra Chimera signature sneaker. They kind of remind me of a late ’90s skate shoe, with some inspiration taken from Stevie Williams’ first pro model at DCShoeCoUSA, which I actually don’t know if it’s a good thing.

Still speaking about collaboration, last week the Berlin-based sneaker shop Solebox sneaker spot unveiled some teaser images of a Skytop III depicting the rear half of the shoe, enough to have a pretty good feel for what to expect from the collaborative design: grey suede upper, translucent TPU elements and green accents.
Solebox being one of the shop that used to receive the Supra Factory 413 edition just like Colette (Paris), Sneakersnstuff (Stockholm), or ONE at Slam City skates (London), could it be the first of a series of collab with some shops? Let’s hope!

Aside from its alliance with rap superstar or shop, and after the running experience with its Owen shoes, Supra keeps on exploring unmapped territory and trying to conquere new markets outside their skateboarding growing empire.
Indeed, they seem to be inclined to enter the all condition gear competition with their new all-weather boot/athletic-shoe hybrid design, the Supra Backwood, built atop a two-part outsole that is rubber and SUPRAFOAM.

I’m following Supra from its debut, and I can remember the day I bought my first Skytops: the gold/silver ones. People used to make fun of me, mocking my super high sneakers, saying the colorway was stupid or that they looked like snow boots. The result? Once worn by Jay-z on a famous videoclip months later, the once criticized skate shoes ended up being the heavy hitter of the brand and a huge commercial success.
Such a success that later it yielded several offsprings within the brands, non-intended to be skated and reunited under the standard Supra NS (NS standing for non-skateboarding).
The NS line disappeared but it might be making a come back through what will be called the Royal Collection compound of at least two models: the Supra Falcon that I introduced in May and the Supra Donavyn.
Let’s start with the Falcon.
So, as I said, Supra’s flagship, that helped the company turning out what it is today and that has been so many times copied but never equaled, is the Skytop.

It broke the mold for what we expected from the typical skate shoe silhouette at the time, delving into new territory in terms of construction and shape. With such a bold attitude and an aesthetic statement, Supra was being unconventional but that what ended up seducing so many people.
Since the Skytop, Supra has grown into a rather big footwear brand, yet they had not really surprised us anymore with their design until the following sketch:

To me the Falcon’s design is the blending of contemporary fashion with the crowned brand’s stylistic daring and DNA.
While the first half of the sneaker is rather “normal” prima facie, the second part is very eye-catching: thick padding all around which reminds us of Louis Vuitton x Kanye West’s Don and Jasper shoes.
When you look closer, you see premium leather upper, no sign of brand embellishment, double wrapped foxing tape, microfiber sockliners and you realize it lacks any simblance of ollie reinforcement.
All those details to me sound like an emphasis on the direction Supra wants for its shoes: lifestyle, which comfort my former theory about the Royal Collection.
The Falcon should hit stores next month in 3 colorways: veggie tanned caramel leather, full grain leather white and full grain leather black.

I got the feeling that a leopard print might be on its way too.
Have a look at that picture taken on a recent trade show where we can see Matt Fontana talking on the left, and look on the right! Bingo!

As for the Donavyn, they’ve got a much more simple silhouette and you can see some branding on the upper part of the tongue and on the heel panel.
They should come in the very same colorways as the Falcon.

I can’t wait for the official release! I need me a pair of Supra Falcon!

L.A (lakers) colors obsessed.

I told you: the (Supra) Hammer is coming and it’s gonna hit loudly!

Earlier this month I talked about the birth of a line for women’s footwear at Supra as well as the launch of pro skater Stevie Williams’ first signature shoe for the crowned brand, the S1W.
Pretty massive news for July, a summer month with August in Northern hemisphere when everything usually slow down. But contrary to what one might think, things haven’t stopped since and Supra unveiled both Erik Ellington’s new pro model and a whole kids’ collection, this while celebrating its Parisian and Yankee shops’ one year anniversary.
Sounds enough to your ears? Well, believe it or not, they can’t stop won’t stop! Add two new models soon to be announced: the Hammer, Jim Greco’s newest pro model, part of the Spring 2013 collection, and a mysterious mass-murder secret weapon called the Falcon.

On July 16, Supra celebrated the first anniversary of the opening of the SUPRA NYC and SUPRA Paris retail stores with an event at the SoHo location. Jim Greco was there and conceded an interview to network_A in which he unveiled his new Supra pro model The Hammer and how he worked on its design with Josh Brubaker thinking it as a wino shoe that takes a lot of impact:

The ingredients?
Vulcanized and cupsole mixed together so that the shoe is very light.
Same amount of SUPRAFOAM to absorve the same amount of impact as the Skytop 3.
A more simple design than the Chad Muska’s shoes because Jim Greco was always desconstructing it, cutting it down and cutting the cages off.

Are we witnessing the birth of the new generation/successor of Nike SB Stefan Janoski? I say maybe.

And as far as new pro models are concerned, let’s speak about the Ellington, Erik Ellington’s sixth signature shoe from Supra awaited since late April.

With this new shoe Erik, one of Supra’s founding riders, takes a different path from the slip-on, 60s inspired shoes that seem to be the go to for most (skate?) shoe designers these days. Erik clearly uses classics as a foundation for his sneaker designs to and he doesn’t mind if that borrowing is obvious to sneakerheads, like it was the case with his former model, the Avenger, whose silhouette borrowed a lot to the Air Jordan IV.
The Ellington is a tech shoe, some kind of an Avenger 1.5 with more simple lines and no visible cushioning system, opting for a concealed full-length SUPRAFOAM midsole, which is thick on the heel to absorve the impact and thinner on the toe for better board feel. If you’re in doubt, just look at Erik dropping a sick switch frontside flip down a hefty set in NYC, with ripped pants and a Chicago-style colorway of the Ellington, once again no ashamed of paying tribute to one of the center piece of sneaker culture: Mr Jordan.

And if you’re neither a fan of red nor yellow, don’t worry, according to the following picture, we can expect a black/gum sole colorway dropping soon:

I don’t know if it’s Erik Ellington’s son, but what he’s wearing is definitely Supra, since the brand confirmed what I had foreseen: a new collection designed specifically for kids, launching just weeks after the women’s capsule.

SUPRA PRESENTS FOOTWEAR FOR KIDS from SUPRA Footwear on Vimeo.

Unlike to the baby line that launched 2 years ago and is only composed of Skytops, the kids’ collection (for ages 3+, sizes 11-6) launches with four models that have been engineered for fun: kiddie-sized Skytops, Vaiders and Cubans, and a brand new shoe designed especially for kids, the Supra Weston (somewhere between the adult models Amigo and Stacks).

Each shoe has been rebuilt to fit young skaters with the same quality and DNA they see on the “big kids” since 2006.
You may not be a parent yet, but you probably have a kid in your family: either brother, nephew or cousin, and with back to school season coming within a little bit more than one month, Supra has provided a sufficient footwear option for the little guy once that time hits.
Victor, you hear me? :)

Oh, and for those waiting for the Falcon news: I’m so sorry. I was about to post a picture from Josh Brubaker wearing some red (vinyl?) Falcons, but the picture “mysteriously” disappeared from its source. I swear I’ll post that kind of picture quicker next time. So be sure to visit often and let me tell you: the sneakers are fire!