24 Kilates Pump20 Barcelona Recap
Continuing on with our roll-call of stores taking part in the Pump20 anniversary project, we dropped in for a quick chat with Pol from Barcelona boutique . Marrying a cosy midnight black suede upper with transparent panels that reveal the shoe's inner workings makes for an interesting marriage of wearability and technical fandanglery. We asked Pol about the inspiration for their design and how it fits in with the whole Spanish sneaker vibe.
Hey Pol. Tell us about 24 Kilates, what’s up with your store?
We’ve got many upcoming things lined up… next March will be our fifth anniversary and we’ve got many surprises on the way!
And what else do you do for fun in Barcelona? I know the food’s good and the weather is nice!
Like you said this is pretty much what we like to do - enjoy our beautiful weather, food, and lifestyle. Skating is always welcome and there’s many dope places for it.
Someone told me Madrid is very conservative as far as fashion is concerned. Is that true? How does it compare with your hometown?
Madrid is a really dope place for food, culture and parties, but due to its location it’s normal that people dress in a more classic style. Barcelona is located on the sea. For many years we’ve been better connected to the other Mediterranean cities. We have really dope stores and a strong sneaker background. An American air base was established twenty-five years ago in Spain and that’s when the first dope shoes arrived here.
Spain has a great basketball team. Does that mean kids wear basketball shoes all the time?
Not really… the hot summer makes them DIFFICULT to wear if you’re not training.
Do you remember the Pumps?
Yeah man for real… they were a really big hit in our country. A bit too expensive for my mom’s pockets but yes, I wish I could have got a pair back then!
Ok, so tell us about your shoe. I like it. I think it’s definitely the most wearable out of all the shoes... what are your thoughts behind it?
We always hear about the Pump technology but until our trip to Boston we had never seen how it all actually works. Back in the day you would never destroy your shoes to check out what was inside, but now twenty years later it was time to check it out.
The black suede really changes the shoe’s personality, without messing with the heritage of the shoe. Is that how you see it?
Yes that was the idea behind it… make it look like the original but with new materials so you don’t loose the heritage look.
It’s interesting to create a shoe for a project like this which is very simple. Were you conscious of what the other guys were doing when you handed in your assignment?
Not really. To be honest we had a clear idea from the beginning. We wanted to show the technology behind the shoe while keeping the essence of the original. Now that all of them are coming out it’s good to see the other ideas and concepts.
Would you have preferred they made more for your store?
No man, there’s not really limited stuff any more… thirty pairs is good. If you want them come and get it! First come first served!
And tell us your favorite Pump of all time?
Shaquille O’Neal!