2006 - BEST OF THE BEST SNEAKERS

PART #2
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It doesn’t take an amateur marketer to see the endless possibilities of the DIY in materials as well. Soon people can send in anything ranging from a piece of grandma’s couch to the rare white Siberian tiger that they just shot and get a pair of exclusive kicks sent back two weeks later.

Collaborations
Not new to 2006, but still high on the agenda of sneaker brands worldwide have been collaborations. With the idea that two are better than one, brands have pushed forward with the perennial favorite; the artist. As collaboration is a French term first introduced in the early 1940s. It is not strange that “les arts” are used to help make footwear more interesting, however results can be mixed. While Josh Petherick created this years best graphics on a pair of shoes, the collaboration attempts with Chinese Explosion and Fireworks artist Cai Guo-Qiang proved less successful.

The best trend however, has been the original sneakers by both large and small companies. With the aid of new tech-nology and actual designers, footwear manufacturers are producing better performing and more comfortable sneakers than ever. While style very often still takes a back seat to the desire to make sneakers look like a Star Trek future, several companies are taking inspiration (rather than blatantly NIGOing) from the past to design timeless silhouettes. Both Hummel with their Jacobsen model as well as Pointer with their Debaser created something refreshingly classy. Even Reebok managed to bring something new to something old with their revised Ventilator model.

Also new and upcoming sports like Parkour are at the root of new footwear developments like the upcoming Traceur model from adidas. While I may not discover first hand whether this sneaker fits the purpose, both the idea and the look of the shoe are very appealing. So when I do decide to jump off a bridge, these are going to be my shoes of choice.