2006 - BEST OF THE BEST SNEAKERS

Nikolai_Rifttrooper_Bath UK
New Balance 576 Northern Soul Hanon Shop

Who came up with the concept of basing the sneakers around the theme of northern soul? Sneaker culture is so entrenched in hip hop culture i found the concept a breath of fresh air.
Brian Toft up here at Hanon came up with the initial idea. The concept was inspired by the Northern Soul scene in England during the ‘60s and ‘70s and the rare 45rpm vinyl records. Though the Soul Boys back then did not necessarily sport NB, we felt the energy and excitement they invested in their culture mirrored that of the trainer collector today. The project was also a nod to the influence the North West of England has had in general to trainer culture over the years.

Talk me through the colours on the soul city 576, and its inspiration?
The colourway on the Soul City was taken from an original 45rpm record released in the ‘60s. Each model in the series makes a direct colour reference to Northern Soul. The Soul city is a particular favourite of ours and we pretty much knew the colourway was right and would need minimal tweaking from the first sample. We were also trying to combat the sea of cammo and patent released styles out there.

Brian Sweeney’s photographs were tied in with the sole city series. how did you get him involved with the project?
I met Brian Sweeney through a journalist friend Greg Gordon who felt he would be perfect for the project. Brian is a much sought after snapper and his work regularly features within the music industry. His earlier work centred on the working class areas of Northern England. Touring with bands in the early ‘90s he captured the ‘70s architecture, run-down football terraces and grounds of the towns they visited. These images were of the very areas where Northern Soul was born, and it captured the true feeling of the scene. We worked closely together going through this period in his archives and selected the four images that would go on to be part of the limited edition canvases and postcards.

What is it that attracts the hanon crew to NB?
Having worn NB 576s since my youth I have always had respect for their shoes. To me, the hand built manufacture makes them to running shoes what Saville Row is to suits. They fact they are made in England is also a bonus and the opportunity to work closely with the factory makes a massive difference to what can be achieved. My next project with them, a M990 reflects this as we are now working directly with Schoeller Technologies to develop a brand new upper.
www.hanon-shop.com