For diehard fans, the death of the classic adidas trefoil logo and birth of the edgier EQT three stripes left an unsettling effect. Embracing the new technology and jumping on the sports performance trend, Berlin’s Cool Modie is the personification of EQT coolness. Wishing for a return to days when brands were more concerned with producing ground-breaking product rather than dollar-dollar bills, Cool Modie takes us back to the future with an inside look a collection you’re sure to want to roll him for.
What attracts you to smelly old vintage shoes?
I think that the old-style shoes are the best and their optics are better than what is in the market now. Furthermore, it is always nice to present shoes on the street that are totally different to every second person.
Where do you find your shoes?
I find my shoes mainly on eBay, through people I have met at Solebox or through sneaker forums such as sneaker-tv.de. But eBay is the biggest market for vintage shoes.
How do you define what qualifies as vintage?
The term ‘vintage’ actually consists of the older stuff, such as things that are twenty years of age or more.
What are the rarest pieces in your collection?
That is really a difficult question! ‘Rare’ is always in the eye of the beholder. I would say that my adidas Equipment Support are rare, as are my Nike Air Alpha International.
The adidas Equipment is very, very nice... I think it’s my favorite adidas of all time. Looking at them is driving me crazy!
The pleasure is for me to hear that. Maybe yes, adidas brings a retro of the adidas Equipment soon!
What do you know about these sneakers? Is the model sometimes known as the 3000?
The adidas Equipment second series came for the first time in 1992 to the market. adidas had already had much success there with the first series. In the first series, there were the models – Cushion, Support and Guidance – and they were racing only in green. But by the second series, adidas had each model in three colors on the market, blue, green and red, which are the more rare models. The 3000 you refer to is actually the midsole. Infinity 3000 is a durable rubber mixture, the best protection against premature wear of sports shoe soles.
The only thing I remember is that they cost a small fortune. Even the adidas Equipment Support that came out a year or so ago retailed for $500 or some-thing like that. Why such a high price?
Well the adidas Equipment from 2006 retro did cost a bomb. Even the adidas Equipment Support from the first series of 1991 cost 250 euros. But the shoes that do it for me are the originals from 1992, and are still not seen again as a retro. When these shoes are on eBay, they can be quickly seen to cost 500 euros or something.
The Unorthodox Styles sneakers book says that the equipment models were only made in white with green and black. But you have a red version – maybe you have found an error in their research?
Yes, the red version is very rare and in high demand. Because as you say, it is so typical for the adidas Equipment color to be green.
Is the adidas Torsion technology a big part of the appeal for this shoe?
Yes, the Torsion technology is something special for me! Since it is from the beginning of the nineties, and the best since adidas shoes arrived on the market!
And finally, what do you think is missing from the current range of sneakers? Why do we see the same shoes over and over?
Unfortunately, it is revealed today that the people who sit in the company only think about sales figures. For me, the nineties are a stronghold of shoe design, and this is the time also for the best shoes. For all I care, it could be brought back today to be like the early nineties years. For us in Germany, when you turn into a shoe store, there is only black and white leather shoes. That I cannot begin to stand and therefore I remain in my old shoes!
