adidas Consortium Sneaker Exchange: Footpatrol x Juice - Lauching 4th November

Each month this year, the adidas Consortium Sneaker Exchange pushes the concept of cross-border collaboration, asking partners to overcome barriers in distance, language, and aesthetics in order to establish common ground and develop a shared narrative to apply to their chosen duo of adidas sneakers.

This month was the turn of London’s Footpatrol and Hong Kong’s Juice, working together to rework two cult classic models. The result is two ground-breaking executions upon which both parties leave inimitable calling cards to their own aesthetic language. True to the underlying purpose of the exchange, the output has a clear sense of authenticity to both parties individually, but the convergence of ideas creates something entirely unique to the project.

Early in the process, the status of London and Hong Kong as key international travel destinations became a recurrent theme in the developing narrative, with a particular focus on the souvenir industries which are prevalent in both of these thriving metropoles. From Hong Kong’s sprawling street-level market stalls to the sole-traders operating within eye-sight of Footpatrol's Soho store, a shared appreciation for this form of trade and commerce served as the reference point for this month's release.

Opting to reinvent a pair of cult classics from deep within the adidas archives, the Matchcourt Mid and the Handball Top are richly detailed with embroidered artwork – the first, bold and striking on the upper, the second, hidden and subtler on the lining. This execution highlights the partners' mutual respect for craftsmanship and meticulous detailing which is involved in the creation of classic souvenir jackets. Often, these feature elaborately stitched designs of mystical or heraldic animals – dragons, lions– alongside references of the country or city of their origin.

While more seasoned sneaker aficionados will recognise them as icons from the adidas archive, this Sneaker Exchange release serves as an exciting opportunity to reintroduce these lesser-known silhouettes to the psyche of the younger sneaker crowd across the world.

The Footpatrol x Juice Sneaker Exchange pack will launch at UrlfreezeShops on 30th September.

Be sure to check out UrlfreezeShops's contribution to the adidas Consortium's Sneaker Exchange project in partnership with Bodega.