A Footpatrol, SSSU and Karhu three-way

These could quite possibly be the first pair of kicks produced by the FINNISH brand in our collection, Karhu is infamously known for trading their THREE STRIPES logo with a certain German powerhouse, for nothing more than a bottle of scotch. They have been on our radar for quite a while now, but we were yet to see a pair that really tickled our interest -- that all changed when our friends at FOOTPATROL London tried their hand at the Legacy 96 silhouette .

This collaboration consisted of three parties, a triple threat between Footpatrol, Karhu and Finnish designer @sasukauppi whose brand @sssu_official bears a long list of credentials throughout the industry. The shoe arrived dressed in top-draw materials with a premium leather outer caged, a BUTTERY suede mudguard-cross-heavy mesh combo and a toe-box heel counter duo splashed with a long-nap, extra fluffy suede.

We love them, but keen to hear your opinion in the comments below! What are YOUR thoughts on this product of trio?

Valentine's Day; 24 hours of sneaker infatuation

There’s no avoiding it; February is the month of love with a fateful day dropped right at its core. Since the year 496AD, every 12 months we tend to share emotions with those around us, those closest and dearest to our tender (sneaker-shaped…) hearts. February 14th marks the day we celebrate Valentine’s, or not-so Valentine’s Day for a multitude of reasons -- in fact, gifts play a key part of modern celebrations which is why SNEAKERS float to the body of water’s metaphorical surface.

Here, we give your OUR selection of VALENTINE’S DAY themed sneakers that made a splash in the pool of love. We delved into a bouquet of NIKE launches grown in the past AND present, ruby-red NEW BALANCE, split-tongue seduction from ASICS and an awfully curvaceous REEBOK. 

SWIPE across to find out if your favourite is shortlisted! If it isn’t, let us know below.

Celebrating Asics history with Ronnie Fieg: Selvedge Denim

Ronnie Fieg unofficially holds the elusive ‘Master of Collaboration’ title, as made crystal clear with his recent BMW campaign in mind; combining KITH’s nobel streetwear heritage and BMW’s infamous German engineering to produce a truly memorable crossover. But, before fame and fortune he was known throughout the sneakersphere for creating some of most sought-after ASICS you COULDN’T get your hands on -- utilising unique colours and materials (with a little inspiration from his early-years at David-Z) to cement the Gel Lyte III’s status as the Japanese brand’s flagship model. Without getting too ahead of ourselves, everything Ronnie would touch at ASICS turned into gold.

The pair above is his ‘Selvedge Denim’ GLIII from 2014, which features a full SELVEDGE upper as the name suggests thus tapping into both a very fruitful denim market at the time and of course quenching your devoted sneaker-enthusiast thirst for innovation.

We were fortunate enough to get our hands on a pair that December, swiftly taking a sandpaper and knife partnership to one of the two feet with an end-goal of creating a form of worn-in, pre-loved look. To our surprise, the single sneaker was REBLOGGED and REPOSTED repeatedly across internet forums globally -- in fact, to this day we still get asked about them. Sadly, the bad news is that we never finished both shoes in true mismatched fashion.

These days it is almost a regular practise to BLEACH and customise denim pieces -- in some cases becoming a crucial element of production for international brands. However, back in 2013 it was taboo to purposely TRASH your kicks.

Denim is famed for its strength and durability, which is unsurprisingly the reason that brands opt for it when planning for heavy, hard-wearing collections to age differently depending on the wearer’s habits. In fact, the material has been used in many areas of fashion and footwear but only recently have we really given the cotton-yarn blend a license to SHINE. 

Ronnie transitioned seamlessly from a successful yet limited run of suede-clad Gel Lyte III’s, to conquering Selvedge Denim with the correct level of EXPERIMENTATION. As humans we don’t enjoy change, and somehow Fieg managed to cushion our fall into premium material fetishism.

25 years of Pokémon, where does this leave us?

Earlier this month, Pokémon launched its FIRST live event of 2021 to coincide with a landmark 25 years bringing Japan’s coveted trading card-cum-video game and animation franchise to life.

At Morprime Industries™, we’ve dismantled the event into what some may call PRIME cuts; essentially, aspects we perceived to be the choicest announcements.

SO, what’re you waiting for? Swipe right to check out the latest from all things Pocket Monsters!

Biggie, Biggie, Biggie can't you see?

At MORPRIME IndustriesTM, we’re about more than just sneakers and collectibles; in honesty, we like to think of ourselves as a collective spreading knowledge across a multitude of genres whilst engaging with whichever platform we find ourselves involved in. 

Today is one of those landmark moments in hip-hop history that comes around once a year, an event that stopped one of the generation’s biggest and most influential artists in their tracks.

The Illest.

Nike Air Max 95 x MITA 'UENO' Prototype

So, what do we call these -- Unicorns? figments of our imagination? Desert apparitions? More realistically, do you know them as MITA, PROTOTYPE or quite simply UENO -- they’re something absolutely mindblowing.

Back in 2013, Nike and Japanese sneaker boutique MITA launched two Air Max iterations; one taking on an underappreciated, grey-tone Air Max Light with reptilian panels and a hot-pink outsole. Somewhat overshadowing an aesthetically poignant sneaker, MITA then brought their conceptually fantastic Air Max 95 out of the darkness -- a revamped Air Max 95 ‘Neon’ with multiple minor changes, most eye-catchingly an entirely blacked out tongue-sock liner-combo, branding and all.

Situated marginally outside of central Tokyo, MITA made a small market-area their home whilst bringing endless ASICS, New Balance, adidas Originals and Hummel partnerships to life; putting a signature twist on everything they touch.

But, why carry the PROTOTYPE and UENO duo of handles? Why is THIS the mock-up they pursued? Follow us on a (swiping) adventure to find out more!

MORPRIME ZX8000 patch update: WE made it!

GOOD EVENING ALL! Hopefully you’re managing to remain busy in these frantic times, and if that isn’t possible make sure you’re staying SAFE! 

This post serves as a token of gratitude -- MORPRIME Industries would like to say THANK YOU in cataclysmic proportion, to every single person who purchased one of our adidas ZX8000 ‘Aqua’ patches in collaboration with @kicksposters last year.

Together, we managed to raise a HEFTY amount for charity however felt there was a little more left in the tank -- so, ALL profit (plus a little bit extra to hit that magical £1000) was donsated to charity CALM in aid of suicide prevention.

If you missed out there's still a few left and we'll continue to donate with each sale!

Above all else, it has never been more important to check in on your loved ones, those not so close, and even another human you may not be anything more than acquainted with. Remember, if you’re not in a position to donate then kindness is always free; you never know, a simple message may make someone’s whole day!

New Balance 920 x Sneakers'n'stuff

Stockholm’s SNEAKERS’N’STUFF team is one held in VERY high regards amongst footwear-faithfuls around the globe -- their intrinsically particular take on our beloved sneakerverse means collaborations come from the heart, a place of LOVE and AFFECTION. What better brand to pair up with than Boston’s New Balance, manufactured in Flimby’s coveted factory?

@PETER_sns and @ERIKFAGERLIND worked their magic on a relatively untapped silhouette, freshly waltzing its way into our lives without so much as a ‘hello’ before taking a seat at the family table. 

Riding with its m920sns product code, the 920 is a nod to NB’s golden era gently clad in a warm pig suede upper, leaning heavily on delicate mesh and forest green accents. In true New Balance fashion, this article of sportswear newness sits on top of cushioning ENCAP sole technology, in tandem with embracing the store’s ‘SNS Sports World’ capsule theme.

What was your favourite New Balance model to be introduced amidst 2020’s chaos?

Stickers... STICKERS? Morprime STICKERS!

Some content you see on social media really cements itself in the back of your mind, we’d like to think this falls under that umbrella. 

Accessories come in many shapes and sizes, some are freebies with purchase whereas the most exclusive (or premium) are produced as sheets and packs to be retailed separately; there’s an awful lot to take on, which is why we’re pulling together our favourite graphics onto one bite-sized chunk of shoppable goodness. MORPRIME Industries... STICKERS!

Available in VERY limited supply, each pack contains a selection of goodies of varying rarity -- in fact, sprinkled amongst a handful of packs the lucky few may discover a SUPER RARE shiny instalment. Sealed for freshness, you know this isn’t one to miss.

Each SINGLE pack contains:

• 10 individual stickers of varying rarity, spanning common, uncommon and rare… the twist being you may receive a super rare HOLOGRAPHIC treat within your pack!

Each BUMPER pack contains

• 15 individual stickers of varying rarity, spanning common, uncommon and rare… the twist being you may also receive a super rare HOLOGRAPHIC treat within your pack!

Each packet is fulfilled blindly, betting on good fortune for your deck to be lined with gold per-se. 

We have just one question for you… feeling lucky, punk?

Check the link in our bio to purchase! Though one word of advice; we’re not expecting these to stick around (HA! Geddit?).

PRIME CUTS: Pokémon

Straight facts: To round things off we’re diving back to the year 2000, and Pokemon’s cinematic blockbuster ‘The Power of One’. This promotional card was handed out to those attending within the initial week of viewings worldwide, thereafter the lucky fanatics were given either Zapdos, Moltres or Articuno.

Four OG versions of this card were produced: International, Misprinted Japanese (Nintedo…) and its corrected counterpart in incredibly limited numbers, followed by a third Japanese instalment.

Selling price: Without flaw, from £15 to £200 depending on PSA, version and selling kindness.

With everything going on right now, whether it be political decisions or scary viruses ushering us indoors -- wouldn’t it be great to just rewind the tape back to when life was easy? Well, at Morprime Industries we’ve been reminiscing on the simple pleasures life once presented; in particular, Pokemon cards.

You’ve undoubtedly seen our Prime Cuts posts on your feed before, but have you seen one about anything beyond sneakers? We think not. Pokemon cards are rising once again, this time with even more of a cult following!

SO, without any further delays here is Morprime Industries’ ‘Prime Cut’ Pokemon card selection -- the ones we’d grab before the family photo albums, or children, in case of emergency due to their badass nature or calamatus cost-price. 

Scenario time. Your room is flooding due to, well, 2020. You are only allowed to snatch three cards before leaving the property to infamously dangerous avoid flood-water sharks. What is coming with YOU?

Sneaker care with DFNS

One for the environmentally-conscious muddy-pups amongst us; how many pairs are sitting on your racks just waiting for that afternoon of tender love and care? A lot, is the answer.

Flick through our step-by-step guide to receive the right advice on cleaning your previously beloved, hopefully bringing them back to past glory.

COZY CULTURE: Reebok Beatnik

Amidst this reign of terror deriving from hyped launches, not so limited products and infinite retros, we find a handful of casual footwear options that capture the imagination of the few. Admittedly a retro, but this article will break down the Reebok Beatnik sandal -- a personal favourite of our footwear writer @tommycorlito.

The Beatnik launched back in 1993. This strap-ridden, ripple-soled sandal was released as part of a hiking and outdoor footwear range; in one sense, its introduction to street fashion as a whole is a happy coincidence directly comparable to that of any current Salomon XT-range sneaker. A soft and pliable upper means comfort is prioritised; thick leathers or rigid canvas aren’t seen to be as foot-friendly with constant wear when compared to a plush corduroy or even long-hair, padded suede. Reebok’s iconic ripple-sole has been seen on silhouettes before, we recall Classic Leather and Workout models sitting atop the aggressively angled, high-profile outsole.

In the 90’s, a following within Japan surrounding the article of footwear materialised, a cult if you will. So, when the sandal saw the light of day once more during SS2018 it made perfect sense for the six-piece collection to be exclusively available via Japanese retailers. Despite being produced in South America’s Brazilian factories once-upon-a-time, this was a minor factor to dodge replication from 2018-onwards.

Want to know more, or a keen literary historian? Get your geek on and wipe across!

Lord Humungus approved: Highs and Lows take on adidas' EQT range

As far as retailers go, Highs and Lows (HAL) can be considered as an industry newcomer with a mere 16 years under their belt -- 2005 was the birth year for Australia’s ‘countercultural’ answer to what was an untapped market at the time, dragging youthful and underground charizma from pocketed circles, exposing Perth to all its glory. 

@highs_and_lows roster ticks off all major names, but in this case we’ll be focussing on their 2016 EQT Support ‘93 collaboration with adidas, taking enormous influence from Mad Max automobile the ‘Interceptor’. An Aussie shopfront taking an Aussie produced series under its wing for sake of an incredibly dark and wearable sneaker -- it all makes sense when we phrase it in this manner. However, storyline aside the rich combination of premium cowhide, nubuck and neoprene made this one of the most wearable EQT in recent memory. Beneath the aforementioned concoction of luxury goodness, a tan-speckled black midsole resides capped in a light gum outsole for that realistic desert appeal; this sneaker’s aesthetic prowess is iconic of HAL’s retail spaces, both clean and concise with elements of glamour intertwined.

Through the years, HAL has paired up with adidas on multiple occasions thus producing some truly memorable capsules, but it’s their own-brand range that really took this team from strength to strength. 

Movie inspired sneakers never cease to grab our attention, exemplifying the reason for Highs and Lows to be in our sneaker spotlight this evening!

Nike's age-old Terra Kimbia based adventure

Between 1980 and 2000, a plethora of NIKE models were produced in mass only to be FORGOTTEN about and SCRAPPED before they had the opportunity to thrive -- this is one of those pairs. 

1998 gave birth to one Nike TERRA KIMBIA in a black-silver chile colourway rarely seen across all forums two decades later; this short-nosed trail runner was built to stand the test of time, or survive a downhill skirmish against the elements without so much as a scratch.

Would you like to see Nike bring back more of their ‘90’s Terra products? If so, WHICH ONES?

2004's Nike Zoom Vapor Plus, the future of the past!

Time for another installation of ‘sneakers you don’t see all that often’, catchy don’t you think? We present a silver-blue iteration of Nike’s 2004 Zoom Vapor Plus silhouette -- a sneaker compound combining top-loaded ZOOM in the forefoot with presence of a Spiridon Cage-esque heel bubble detailing; for those who don’t know, this is essentially visi-air encased in Pebax to uphold structural integrity alongside a general prologing of the sneaker’s lifespan.

Delving a little deeper, notable traits include a full-length Phylon midsole and breathable mesh running from toe to heel-counter. Slapped in the middle we see skeletal midfoot support, with veins running into a firm heel-counter.

What do you think of these, would they hold their own in modern sneaker culture?

NIKE... PLA!

After a mountain of messages and MORE anticipation than we can handle, we’re releasing a LIMITED number of slots so YOU too may become the owner of a PERSONALISED figurine from our INITIAL model run.

Each figure is assembled using 3D-printed parts and details, whilst being painted by hand thus surmounting around 15 HOURS of blood, sweat and tears -- PRIMED as a truly unique focus point in any footwear collector’s display case.

To put the icing on our plastic, somewhat chewy cake -- every last product is finished and delivered in numbered Morprime Industries™ own-brand packaging, along with an exclusive selection of PREMIUM stickers to celebrate your creation.

We have curated FOUR levels of expansive customisation, allowing a genuinely hands-on approach when bringing your model to life in any way you deem fit; an opinion is never wrong… remember that!

• BASE - The model will come built and painted; this is what we’d call a ‘CLEAN’ build. Colours are bright with the surface being smooth and protected.

• BASE + DECALS - Your figure shall feature the same smooth and unblemished paint job as our BASE offering, but this time we’ll include custom stickers and decals hand-placed for that extra dose of realistic zest. 

• BASE + BATTLE DAMAGE - This is where things get REALLY interesting; the figure will arrive with a battle damaged aesthetic following many extra hours of meticulous brushwork (or, you know… war) as well as panel lines, armour chips and grime stains for FURTHER realism.

• FULL WORKS! - How else can we put this? The COMPLETE package; this includes BASE + DECALS + BATTLE DAMAGE for a truly unique work of art. We’d suggest purchasing this beautiful miniature its own display case and we can even create a custom base upon request. 

We do enjoy being as open and honest with our customers as humanly (or robotically) possible, so working as a one person conveyor-belt we can only create a limited amount at a time to ensure models sit in line with industry standards. This is why we ask for a minimum of 1-3 months from date-of-order for us to complete your figure, but in exceptional circumstances this may take longer and we will keep all customers updated with their model’s progress. 

You will receive:

• 1 X CUSTOM FIGURE

• 1 X PREMIUM PACKAGING 

• 1 X EXCLUSIVE STICKER PACK

Eco-friendly goodness from STORY. mfg, executing their primary collaboration within footwear's volatile industry

For some months now, Reebok’s BEATNIK sandal has been at the forefront of leisure footwear, competing on an industrial scale with Clark’s ‘BOSTON’ model and now even CROCS -- a comfortable foam composite initially designed to be donned atop boat decking. But, all we care about today is Reebok’s freshly announced collaboration with wife-and-husband duo STORY mfg. 

Who are @storymfg? Well, we’ll start by highlighting their strict working ethos when it comes to manufactings an array of premium products; fashion is a form of social activism, in ensuring their own brand’s practices are as fair and clean as possible perhaps other names will follow suit.

There’s no trace of single-use plastic, all off-cuts are repurposed as either stuffing, lining or even reduced to their preliminary form thus turned into branded labels-cross-hang tags residing within each item regardless of fibre-size. To further sing notes of praise, all collections are not only vegan AND cruelty-free (MUCH like this double-installation of sneakers), but labour is always sourced in-line with sustainable salaries whilst environmentally friendly dying processes (particularly indigo, may we add!) take place in areas whereby waste is utilised by surrounding farmland.

What we’re trying to say is, STORY mfg. acts as a rejuvenating breath of fresh air in an otherwise claustrophobic industry… positivity aside, we must now delve into their REEBOK capsule without further hesitation. Whilst this is a release of equal halves, we felt it best to speak on a silhouette lesser known than street culture’s classic CLUB C.

How’re you feeling about these? Are Beatniks a staple in your wardrobe yet?

A 2020 round-up with the SNEAKONOMIST

To conclude our five-part 2020 POTY SNEAKER round-up, we’ve worked with regular contributor and our good friend @thesneakonomist to produce a (relatively) bite-sized financial sneakerverse round-up - right at your finger tips!

For those of you who remember, we curated a detailed breakdown of OUR top five pairs launched across five major brands spanning the duration of last year - now, it’s time to delve into COVID 19’s QUARTERLY steps of industry impact, from the smallest detail to mammoth whirlwinds.

We may not be in the clear just yet, but these easy-read slides may help us all understand the strain retailers and production lines are under right now.

What have your COVID-influenced financial experiences been during this time? Independents, we’d like to hear from you!

Infrared's fine crop of Air Max

Do us a quick favour if you may -- open a web browser (we won’t tell you which one is best) and search ‘Nike’ followed by ‘FF2247’, what appears? 

This is the hex-code for Nike’s most notable AIR MAX 90 colourway, whilst different launches have represented the reddy/orange hue in slightly contrasting shades over the last three decades, the colour at play here was eventually coined as ‘Infrared’.

Swipe to see out detailed imagery and a quick injection of knowledge into this iconic silhouette’s 2020 return to form.

When fiction becomes reality, the 'Horween Beast'

If you could design a sneaker, what would it look like?

In the constantly evolving and expanding global sneaker market we find ourselves consumed by, investing in UNTAPPED, ORIGINAL ideas is significantly more difficult than we may all imagine. But, there is in fact an entire CULTURE  surrounding one-off and custom pieces, with a ‘school’ dedicated to just that.

Earlier this year, we visited @LondonSneakerSchool in Stoke Newington for the final night of its four week long AIR MAX workshop.

We caught up with the talented trio @afrokickz, @lab.customs, and @youraverage_sneakerhead who spent their last week crafting a Nike Air Max 1 COMPLETELY from scratch. Although the workshop was intended to cater with any skill level in mind, these students certainly weren’t novices in the CRAFT of shoemaking, sharpening their blades within the studio on materials specifically selected to produce nothing less than a magnificent array of bespoke sneakers.

With all this talk of custom kicks, we thought it was a good time to repost our own creation from the very first workshop at @LondonSneakerSchool. Our appropriately named ‘Horween Beast’, is constructed with a beautiful leather upper produced by the infamous Horween.Co --  a Chicago based tannery that has sold HIGH QUALITY leather since 1905 and is predominantly known throughout the sneakerverse for its use on a high-number, premium New Balance releases. 

Our shoe features a predominately tan upper, with black detailing inspired by certain Air Max colourways from the early noughties.