Kevin & Matt of theskateboardmag sat down with Mike right before the show started to discuss a bit about the project and the retrospective.
CHRIS KEEFFE – Former professional skateboarder, founder and owner of DQM New York and The Vans DQM General
Words via DQM:
“DQM will be releasing its Spring 13 footwear collection in collaboration with Vans on Friday, April 19th. Made exclusively for DQM, the collection of two shoes, a Vans Authentic and a Sk8-Hi, use the famous “I Love New York” graphic, the symbol of our city. Designed by Milton Glaser in 1977, the iconic pop-style graphic stands as a postmodern signature of New York; ubiquitous on plastic shopping bags and t-shirts in delis and souvenir stores throughout the city, with the trademarked logo used officially to promote tourism in the state.
The graphic is printed all over on classic off-white canvas on the Authentic, and all over the quarter of the Sk8-Hi, which is finished with a black leather side stripe. The shoes feature a classic white midsole and Vans’ gum waffle sole, flat white lace, and use ‘The Vans DQM General’ branding throughout the shoe: a printed logo at the insole and The General’s signature navy heel tab.”
Produced in a limited edition, both styles will be available exclusively at The Vans DQM General in SoHo, New York and in the DQM online store.
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Words via theskateboardmag
“On Saturday, April 13, Alien Workshop co-founder and art director, Mike Hill, held his first-ever solo art show at Chicago’s Peanut Gallery. The event was proudly presented by Vans Syndicate as a celebration of sorts for their collaboration with Hill on a couple of amazing, from-the-ground-up skate shoes. We went to see twenty-plus years’ worth of Alien Workshop art, including OG puppets and dioramas from the earliest days of AWS everslicks, and a very complete collection of Hill’s work up to this day.”
…also peep a very rare photographic occurence of OTWS’s very own Brant Van Boening with Nate Lott from Vans Syndicate!
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Words via Hypebeast:
“Adopted long ago as the post-modern signature of New York City, Milton Glaser’s iconic 1977 pop-art “I Love NY” logo is set to make its way to two of Vans‘ most beloved footwear silhouettes for a Spring/Summer 2013 collaboration with the Big Apple’s own DQM. The special edition release sees both the Authentic and Sk8-Hi Reissue with off-white canvas uppers, white rubber foxing, vulcanized gum rubber outsoles, and the trademarked tourism logo throughout. Finished with printed branding on the insoles, the DQM x Vans 2013 spring/summer “I Love NY” Collection is due to be available in-store and online from The Vans DQM General beginning April 19.”
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It’s not very often that I write sneaker reviews anymore. With the amount of sneakers that bombard us each month, it’s hard to pick and choose which shoes are worthy enough of a review. The Montebelluna Hi LX seen here, is undoubtedly worthy. When we first caught wind that Vans was doing a high end collab with Italian shoemaker Diemme, we were all ears. Months later, when we realized the MSRP on this collection, we were all up in arms! With the Montebelluna Lo LX (Slip-On) coming in at a pricey $300, and the Montebelluna Hi LX (Sk8-Hi) at a hefty $350, one can understand why the sudden commotion, but let’s break it down as to what we have here. We’ve got a hand-crafted, updated, Italian made, super limited, luxurious, classic silhouette, of one of our most favorite sneakers, from (well at least, one) of our favorite sneaker brands! This is an epic shoe, and if you’re a serious Vans collector, especially one from the earlier days, then you can appreciate these. The material choice is better than what you’d find on most douchey brand labels at your girlfriend’s favorite high end department store, and the instant you touch the supple inner lining, you’ll be sold. If you don’t got the money for these, then sell of 2 or 3 of your earlier Supreme or Syndicates. You can always find another one of those! These will probably sit around for a little bit, but once they’re gone, they’re gone. There’s no room for a reseller to make profit, so these will be bought up by people who will own and wear these. Right now’s the time to make a move, as you can get these for below MSRP on eBay. I got mine for $330 shipped, which I thought was a steal, until I got the shoes and saw that the seller left the price tag on the box, and saw that he paid $270 from Hot Rod! As others stay on the fence, hopefully you pull that trigger on a future classic.
Check out my pics, that will hopefully help you in your decision, and no need to thank me Vans! I just hope that you guys keep putting out dope stuff like this. Stuff that the other brands don’t even bother to venture into. Next up, hopefully you guys bring back a program to make one-off customs here in the USA, like the good ‘ol days! If we’re willing to pay $350 for these shoes right here, then perhaps a premium price point will be worth paying to get a pair made!
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Words via Carhartt WIP:
“Building on a relationship that spans over six years including a successful collaboration with Vans Syndicate in 2012, Carhartt WIP and Vans continue their long-standing friendship with the release of the Era Tab “S”.
A timeless classic, the Era has been a staple in the Vans collection since 1976 when it became the world’s first skateboarding shoe. Working closely with Tony Alva’s original design, Carhartt WIP and Vans Syndicate have produced an interesting special edition for 2013.
The Era Tab “S” utilises reflective materials to compliment the simple Syndicate design with the addition of subtle zigzag reinforcement, signature waffle soles, canvas heel piece and an embossed Carhartt logo leather tab on the vamp.
This exclusive collaboration will be available in basic black, vibrant blue, orange and yellow”
individual colorways after the jump Read More
Words via Highsnobiety:
“Shanghai’s KIROIC got together with Vans for a collection of Spring/Summer 2013 footwear consisting of classic Authentic sneakers outfitted with a range of premium materials. The mostly upper leather contrasts beautifully with a colorful embroidered toe and sits atop a black sole.”
more colorways after the jump Read More
Vans Syndicate has teamed up with Carhartt WIP again, this time on an Era. Available in four bright ass tonal colorways: Orange, Yellow, Blue, and Black, constructed primarily in a 3M material, with canvas toe boxes and heel panels. A suede heel strip adds a nice contrast to the overall design. The footbed features a custom Syndicate x Carhartt logo as well. These will be available through a very limited network, so do some research and hunt down a pair if these are your cup of tea!
info via Highsnobiety
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So there you have it folks. The highly anticipated Concepts collaboration with the almighty “S” has been formally introduced. What are your thoughts? Did they knock this one out the park, or did they create a division between those who love it, and those who hate it? Personally, I like that it’s unlike any other Syndicate we’ve seen. Right away, I went towards that pink satin lining. Linings matter on a Sk8-Hi, as the shape of the shoe allows just enough of it to protrude at the top, so any contrast in material will look good there. Nice one. Although I personally believe laser engraving should be reserved for custom labeling, used in small doses, the side panel with the laser-engraved “tribal paisley” is also pretty dope. Never seen that on a Syndicate before. So far, they’ve got two original features! Let’s keep going. Next, you notice the black suede toebox and lace row. Conservative, but with the tonal black stitching, the safe decision allows you to focus on the back half of the shoe, where all the magic seems to be happening. The tongue label has Concepts “Double C” logo, which is dope, because any official collab should have the brand’s logo present, unless of course the idea is to be minimalistic. These are nothing near that. Which leads me to the heel panel of the shoe. Remember that neon brothel sign logo we’ve been teased the fuck out of with, all past week? That ended up on the back of the shoe, inviting you to come on in, and enjoy yourself in a pair of these. This is the main symbol for what these shoes represent… “the debauchery and rebelliousness of a locale once known for violence, crime and prostitution”, as best described by Hypebeast. The custom work doesn’t end there, though! Concepts went as far as using the crystal-clear waffle soles, with the iconic checkerboard pattern visible through it. Nice finishing touch there. Don’t forget, they also were able to utilize a fully customized drawer box that we are all familiar with! So let’s add it up. They’ve hit all the marks to make this a great shoe. Brand division (Syndicate), choice of materials (pink satin & suede), first-time design ideas (laser-engraving), brand label (tongue tag, heel logo, and drawer box), and unique touches (clear soles, and a custom sturdy drawer box). Nice work, Concepts. Nice work!
pics via Hypebeast
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