Whether you knew him as Viktor Vaughn, King Geedorah or Metal Face, MF DOOM played a part in everyone's life -- he dabbled in collectibles, sneakers, comic books and of course music with a sense of effortless muse, discarding any potential doubt surrounding the man’s god-status with each and every breath. Daniel Dumile (DOOM-ee-lay) shall always be an undisputed genius in his own right; he was your favourite artist’s favourite artist, a mask-clad family man with enough word play to educate a nation whilst simultaneously making every head bounce concurrently.
Let’s take a step back from his career whilst pulling a single word in our wake; sneakers. There was more to DOOM than sneakers and the now glorifically sought after Dunk High, as matter of fact he upheld an incredible relationship with smarterwear aficionados Clarks -- suppose you could call it a key-in-lock situation. Match made in heaven, class combed through with artistic allure.
Metal Face DOOM’s stage title was imposed by his mother, a nickname from childhood that stuck like Super Villain in the sound systems of his fans -- but his love for Clarks stemmed from early career memories of ‘rich cats’ donning pairs due to the ‘classy but casual look to them’.
2014 Wallabee Low, part 1: Metal Face added reflective lace piping, contrast stitching and mask embossing across a premium feel box to what was otherwise a completely untouched Wallabee. He stuck to his ethos of originality whilst subtly standing out above the crowd from heel to toe, ensuring this design in line with Clarks’ 2014 ‘Pioneers’ campaign would survive the test of time alongside his unequivocal musical accolades in equal measure. DOOM made it look effortless, cladding one of hip hop’s most iconic models in antelope leather and custom sock liners sat almost too comfortably atop a standard-issue crepe sole.
2014 Wallabee Boot, part 2: As 2014 came to a close, Clarks were back again with DOOM in tow and a indigo-nubuck Wallabee boots strapped to his feet. These are every bit as impressive as their predecessor, however moving in a direction to break the necks of footwear obsessives opposed to abiding by modern culture’s unwritten rules on conformity. Fan of the KNICKS? Fan of Marvel Comics’ Viktor Vaughn? These are for you, (all) capped off with a glow in the dark sole for that night crawler slump.
We’re not ignoring Nike’s Dunk High here, but there was more to Daniel than a sole (pun intended) campaign -- DOOM was not a one hit wonder, with brutal honesty in mind he was one of the best to EVER do it. It, being everything he touched.
R.I.P. MF DOOM, R.I.P. Viktor Vaughn, R.I.P. Metal Face, R.I.P King Geedorah, R.I.P. Daniel Dumile. One of planet earth’s most diverse creatives.
