2006 - BEST OF THE BEST SNEAKERS

Iori_SF Forum Legend_Hong Kong
Nike Footscape Hideouts

The first time I saw the Air Footscape Wovens, it brought back memories of when I walked half of HK trying to find my size. Another memory was the retail: sky high for a student who didn't have a job and only $20 a week in allowance. Ridiculous!

So the Footscape holds a lot of sentimentalism which was half the reason why I have picked it as my favorite for 2006. The other half of a reason is that the Footscape sole and upper was originally designed for the Asian market, and thus it fits well with my feet. The construction is lightweight and well ventilated even without socks on. While the Japanese-only HTM release colors remain a holy grail, some of the World Cup editions are a bit too fruity for me, so it’s the Hideouts that top the cake as the most creative and funny shoe for 2006. Based around the colour and interior of the Hideout Store in London, the fur and the colour of the woven matched up pretty nicely. Another surprise was the insole – premium leather with the Hideout logo etched on top. It’s these subtle little details which demonstrate how much effort has been put into the design of the shoe. Nike has got a gem on their hands, but please, don't play it out!

Nike Clot Air Max
In the sneaker world today, collaboration often means slapping two brands together on the Nike ID machine and turning out a shoe behind the doors. Any kindergarten kid can put bright fluro colors on them, produce 500 and slap on a ‘Limited’ tag to produce hype (which I think they are already doing as we speak). The CLOT AM1 is another story: the shoe is based around Chinese medicine and acupuncture, promoting to the world one of our ancestral arts. How long has it been since you’ve last seen a shoe which actually provides you with a history lesson? The surprise is obviously the materials chosen. At last count there was six: snake, ostrich, suede, leather, nubuck and of course, the clear plastic toe! After wearing them, I’m amazed that it hasn’t creased a single bit, but the fogging does get really bad after a walk under the sun. This is not a shoe for anyone too lazy to trim their toe nails. By the way, orange socks are even harder to track down than the shoes themselves, so potential buyers beware. Personally I appreciate the shoe as someone who comes from Chinese heritage. Big ups to the CLOT crew for creating shoes which firmly imprints HK on the street culture map!