Friday Top Five:: November 18th, 2022
Each week in our ‘Friday Top Five’ segment, we feature five things we thought were interesting, notable, or culturally significant. This week we are showcasing stories on getting ready for the World Cup Ready with Umbro and their ‘Our Game’ campaign. Neal Papevies and his new Children’s book ‘The Little Newt Under the Root’. Pioneer DJ released a new controller the DDJ-FLX4 and we hope for a stand-alone/fully featured mobile app. The team from Homage releases some Grateful Dead X NBA tee shirts that will have your 20-year-old self saying you’re the man. Nike gets ready to drop the most anticipated sneaker of the year with the Air Jordan 1 ‘Lost and Found.
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Story-1:: GEAR UP FOR THE World Cup
Overview: Ahead of the upcoming World Cup in Qatar this November, Umbro has decided to open up its archives once again by creating 'The Nations' Collection'. A timeless remix of some of its kits that have gone down in history for their patterns, such as those made for England in 1990 and Brazil in 1994, are here proposed again in a contemporary key. Not only these two national teams, the American brand has also made the shirts of Mexico, France, Spain, USA, Poland and Germany.
“These jerseys were designed by us, but they were inspired by many players, many moments, and all the fans around the world,” said Helen Hope, Umbro’s Global Head of Brand Marketing. “A fitting tribute to the legends of past glories and the importance of this competition.” Helene Hope, Global Head of Brand Marketing at Umbro.
But the collection not only features game jerseys, but also footballs, sweatshirts and other jerseys, all of course complemented by the iconic rhombus-shaped logo and a customised crest for each national team, inspired by the sporting and design heritage of each nation.
Links: Website | Shop the collection
Story-2:: BOOK + ACTIVITIES
Overview: Neal Papevies was born in Atlanta, Ga. Fascinated with animals from an early age, Neal spent the majority of his childhood outside exploring all that nature had to offer. Neal, as an author, uses his children's books as an opportunity to introduce readers to new and unique animals in hopes that these characters and their adventures will help teach important fundamental life lessons to the younger generations. The Little Newt Under The Root is Neal’s first children’s book.
This is the first of a series of animal-based adventure books. The Little Newt Under The Root takes the readers on the adventure of a brave little newt who despite his best efforts has trouble making friends; however, he doesn't let this rejection negatively impact his unwavering positive attitude. One night an unexpected storm threatens to destroy all that this little newt knows, but thanks to his quick reactions and some selfless bravery he finds himself in a fortunate turn of events.
Links: Website | Booktopia | Book | Activitiy Book
Story-3:: Creation through Technology
Overview: Pioneer DJ released a new controller the DDJ-FLX4 and part of the PR Release was the fact that they highlighted the new two-deck mobile app that looks to work with the unit and one would assume would work with other equipment down the road. Anyone from Pioneer DJ is reading this or seeing my tweets if you can let me know on the release date of the mobile app. I wasn't able to find any details on your website on when the app is going to release but based on the images coupled with the press videos it looks like it's going to be in Beta or soon to be at least looking forward to checking this out I think this will be really cool for DJ on the go and I also for folks that don't necessarily have a computer and want to just use the streaming services like Tidal,Beatport, BeatSource, and SoundCloud.
“Whether you want to connect to a PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, or an Android phone or tablet, the DDJ-FLX4 is versatile in its design. Even better, if you use the controller with rekordbox for iOS/Android when the update becomes available in early 2023, you'll be able to connect to your device via Bluetooth® or USB cable. So, there’s nothing to hold you back from giving DJing a try.”
Links: Youtube | Website | Pioneer DJ
Story-4:: Gear You Need
Overview: If you know anything about me, you know I have lived in testing if you know anything about me you know that I've lived in a handful of cities Atlanta New York but I also have now is in Chicago and I'm close to Milwaukee and my folks live in Oklahoma City so I got a lot of basketball teams that I can root for and so when I saw the fact that homage was doing some collaborations with the Grateful Dead band that I love and listen to all the time I got really excited so I'm trying to figure out which shirts to buy the Chicago Bulls the Milwaukee bucks the Atlanta team Oklahoma thunder. You'll notice I don't have the nets they were more of a New Jersey team and I did live there in Brooklyn now but just don't feel as connected to them and the Knicks are just terrible so like let me know which one you like best.
Favorites:
Chicago Bulls - Linked Here
Bucks - Linked Here
ATL - Linked Here
Thunder - Linked Here
Links: Website
Story-5:: SNKRS you need in your life
Overview: You already know what the Air Jordan 1 is all about. It’s a staple of sneaker culture. The Air Jordan 1, however, wasn’t destined to be an all-time classic.
When it first debuted in 1985, there weren’t grand expectations. Instead, there were critics loudly chirping about Nike’s decision to give Michael Jordan a large sneaker deal before he played a single game and the rookie’s choice to sign with a company that, up to that point, was best known for running shoes.
Jordan quickly flipped the narrative on the court by winning Rookie of the Year, averaging 28.2 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 5.9 APG in 1985 while donning Air Jordan 1s. MJ’s meteoric rise propelled the Air Jordan 1, resulting in nationwide demand and making the sneakers a must-have for hoop heads.
The Jordan Brand team responsible for developing the AJ1 Chicago obsessed every detail of the shoe’s design to bring this nostalgic story to life. Jordan designers studied multiple pairs of original AJ1s in varying states of distress to capture the nuances of the shoe’s look, described as having “light to no wear but with materials that sat for years in a box and didn’t withstand the test of time.”
The Inspiration
Ultimately, the team focused on several key design elements of the Chicago to drive forward the AJ1’s history. The image below shows the updated 2022 Chicago (top) next to an original 1985 Air Jordan 1 (bottom) to highlight the sneaker's inspiration.
A Closer Look
The 2022 Chicago colorway comes with a range of key design features influenced by the OG AJ1.
Bigger Swoosh
Just like the original, the AJ1 Chicago features a larger swoosh on the side panel, reminiscent of the style of the 80s.
Ankle Collars
One of the most common signs of age on an original pair of AJ1s was a cracked and faded ankle collar. The black leather material wrapped around the ankle collars had a tendency to dry out and crack over a period of time, and often would begin to flake off with wear and handling.
The ankle collars on the new Chicago mimic this weathered appearance and give a nod to collectors who understand the amount of care necessary when handling a pair of 1985 originals.
Midsole
Similar to the ankle collars, the rubber cupsole of an original AJ1 would age over time, turning into a light yellow hue. The Chicago pays homage to this look.
According to the Jordan Brand Design team, when shoes are left in a box for years and not properly maintained, they’re going to crack, yellow and pigment. The goal with the AJ1 Chicago was to hint at this subtle aging look, while adding tactility to the shoe’s sole.
Aged Leather
Leather is a natural material that requires ongoing maintenance. With years of neglect in a stockroom leather starts to dry out and leave visible signs of aging. The Chicago offers hints of dryness in the leather, most noticeably in the toe area and side panels.
The Jordan Brand designers who worked on the shoe took note of the condition in the leather from several older pairs of AJ1s. Observing how some of the oils in the leather came to the surface and created different visible effects, they recreated a rich look using premium materials that will last longer for today’s consumers.
OG Box & Lid
In a nod to the “lost and found” nature of the colorway, the updated Chicago comes with a mismatched box lid that speaks to the shoes being misplaced in back rooms and basements.
Designers added extra details both inside and outside the box that serve as a shout out to shoe promotions created once upon a time. According to the Jordan design team, every detail should be recognizable to those who grew up back in those days, while giving new sneakerheads a chance to experience what it was like.
One such example is the inclusion with every pair of a vintage receipt meant to replicate actual receipts that found their way into the hands of collectors from deadstock shoeboxes. The receipt calls up images of how sneakers used to be acquired in analog fashion before the internet age.
Links: Website
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