The details change but you know the scenario. We awoke at 6am to find a crisp, beautiful morning waiting behind the curtains: a perfect day to go shooting. No need for alarm; there’s no killing involved. By 8am we were in the heart of London’s west end heading for the target. We found the place strangely tranquil, and criss-crossed deserted streets quickly, blown along by a pleasant breeze. We spied our quarry as we turned the final corner and saw the queue. We’d come for photos; the crew were here for shoes. You’ve got to respect the hardcore.
The atmosphere was warm and relaxed. The truly faithful had beaten us to it, but there was still enough to go around. We were all here for the release of the Slam Dunk, a truly appropriate collaboration between Slam City Skates and Nike SB. We discreetly slid in ahead of the line (you don’t want to start a riot) to find the lads busy getting ready to open. Everyone was in good spirits and pink boxes were in abundance. We tried to lay low and grab pictures. The first hundred pairs were going out with a strictly limited tee, a badge and stickers, all wrapped up in a cloth bag. All were served and left smiling for the victory breakfast. Then, after it all calmed down, we gleaned a little info on the project.
Things began around 18 months ago when the shop staff suggested a collaboration to Seb Palmer at Nike SB. The idea was born and the name came naturally. Slam’s approach to the project saw Pulman and Tim Fowler gather Paul’s and the crew’s opinions and, with Seb’s input at Nike, they set out to design a truly functional skate shoe that improved on the basic SB model. With the usual irreverent approach they then added the aesthetics. What dropped on launch day was a well-considered, pre-scratched shoe to mess with heads’ need for ‘perfection’.
Features include: reinforced padding in the footbed and upper, scratch-off colour on the Swoosh, rubber panels on the toe for durability, and maps on the insole to legendary London skate spots. This was all topped off with a Simon True portrait of JC on the tongue.
What more could you need?
Thanks to all there who made for a pleasant start to Saturday morning. Special thanks to Henry, Tim, Chris, Guy and Hitomi for extra assistance on this piece. Love ‘em and thrash ‘em.
:: ANDY HOLMES
This article appeared in Issue 7 of Sneaker Freaker. Buy it here
