Footpatrol x Saucony Shadow 6000 “Only in Soho”: A Product of Their Environment

In case you haven’t been paying attention, Saucony is on fire right now, quietly pumping out one successful retro runner collab after the next, not to mention their solid assortment of in-house offerings. Similar to Asics, the main focus at Saucony nowadays is performance running, but there’s so much demand for timeless models from their back catalog that it’s impossible for them to ignore the possibilities presented by the retro market as well. And when it comes to classic running silhouettes, Saucony’s reputation speaks for itself, a notion that’s firmly backed up by the co-sign of almost every respected sneaker shop you can think of on a wide global scale.

A who’s who list of the world’s top sneaker boutiques have all put their own spin on a Saucony classic or two over the years and there are no signs of that slowing down. Just in the last couple of months we’ve seen a slew of instant sell-outs from the likes of Solebox, Hanon, 24 Kilates, West NYC and ongoing partner, Bodega to name a few. Most recently though, it was last week’s drop of the “Only in Soho” Shadow 6000 created by UK sneaker

institution, Footpatrol – a design that boldly transforms the look of the shoe with some creative color-blocking and an even more colorful inspiration.

It’s nothing new for sneaker collaborations to represent and reflect their respective designers’ city, state, neighborhood, etc, but rarely is that place as interesting as Footpatrol’s home in the heart of London’s seedy Soho streets. Well-known for its ample supply of sex shops and wild nightlife, the Soho district ensures that it’s never a dull day at the office for the TeamFP crew, so they’ve decided to pay tribute to their colorful surroundings with their latest collaborative footwear endeavor.

As mentioned, these are long gone from the Footpatrol shelves after last Saturday’s successful launch, but the good news is that thanks to the lead/follow distribution system that most brands are using these days for special releases, they’ll be arriving at additional retailers all over the globe on Saturday, November 16th. You can find a full list of the spots that will have them in the coming pages, along with a full gallery of images and an interview with Asheeba Charles of Footpatrol.

Sneaker News:  As certified veterans of the collab circuit, how do you guys approach your projects? Do you try to go in with a set concept and gameplan or does the design just develop as you go?

Asheeba Charles:  We aim to create a theme on all our collaboration projects. Sometimes we aren’t always able to stick to this method, but try to where we can. As consumers, we all appreciate various colorways and make-ups by the brands, however we believe that creating a story around a collaboration makes the end product much more appealing and desirable.

SN:  For those who may have missed it, what’s the story behind the “Only in Soho” Shadow 6000?

Asheeba:  We wanted to pay homage to the area we reside in and Saucony pretty much gave us free reign on the project, so we proceeded. Soho has a reputation for sex shops, elaborate night life and a flamboyant film industry. Mix this with the eccentric characters and the hustle and bustle of the surrounding area, it’s a place of shear entertainment on many levels! The term ‘only in soho’ started off as an in-house expression amongst the staff at Footpatrol which was regularly used to describe the strange ‘goings on’ in the area. We thought it would be a perfect theme to base our shoe on!

SN:  How do the different colors relate to the theme?

Asheeba:  The black upper is a nod to the seedy undertones of the area whilst the blue and red accents represent the bright neon lights that dominates the side streets and alleyways. To add to this effect 3M reflective material features on the heel and the Saucony logo on the lateral and medial panels. The speckled midsole refers to the grimy pavement  in Soho.

SN:  Please give us a breakdown of the materials used on the shoe?

Asheeba:  A combination of premium suede, synthetic leather and 3M reflective material.

SN:  What was it that drew you to the Shadow 6000 model?

Asheeba:  This was the first Saucony silhouette we stocked in the store after re-opening in 2010. We immediately fell in love with the model. Special shout outs to Bodega and Alife Rivington Club who both did amazing work on their collabs of the Shadow 6000. At the time, many other stores were working on hybrid versions, but we wanted to bring it back to its original form and start from scratch.

SN:  Were there any design obstacles along the way or things you wanted to do on the shoes that weren’t possible?

Asheeba:  We feel it’s always best to ask for everything you want and let the brand decide whether it is possible to do so or not. Unfortunately most of the time it’s not possible to do many of the things we request due to not having the resources available. Also in order for us to keep the retail price achievable we have to let some of our wild ideas slide.

SN:  What are the benefits of participating in collaborative projects like this for your store and brand?

Asheeba:  The obvious benefits on collaboration projects is that we get to add our own interpretations on products that we’re fans of  – this is huge achievement for the store as it shows all our hard work doesn’t go unnoticed!

SN:  Obviously Foot Patrol has a loyal following in the UK and beyond. How important is to you guys to be able to reach the attention of a wider audience with projects like this that get distributed globally?

Asheeba:  To be honest, we feel blessed to be in that position. We have a lot of fun and put a lot of work into our various projects so to have them reach a greater audience is a real privilege.

SN:  Saucony has been coming strong lately with lots of well-received collaborations. What are your thoughts on Saucony as a brand and what they’re bringing to the table right now?

Asheeba:  It’s great to see consumers embracing brands like Saucony as it allows for more diversity in the market place.

SN:  Are there any other Foot Patrol collabs coming soon or in the works that we should be preparing ourselves for?

Asheeba:  Haha! Our favourite question! There’s always more coming up. We have one more project this year and a good few on the way for 2014. Watch this space. . . .

SN:  Anything else on the “Only in Soho”?

Asheeba:  Shout outs to TEAMFP, Mark and the Saucony team, and a special shout out to everyone who queued up for our shoe on launch day!

ADDITIONAL RETAILERS LIST

Releasing Saturday, November 16th.

US RETAILERS

Bodega
Extra Butter
West NYC
Packer Shoes
BAIT
Kith NYC
Feature
Rare Breed

INTERNATIONAL RETAILERS

Sneakersnstuff
Titolo
24 Kilates
Solebox
The Good Will Out
Overkill
AFEW
Suppa
Titelhelden
Amen
WOEI
Lock&Load
Seventyfive
Sneakers 76
RUNCOLOURS
Mint Store