24KR Design JV Shoutout Varsity

I met up with Smitty from 24KR Design today near the home of the now fishing Knicks.  I haven't seen him in a while but I'll see him twice this week. Today's meeting was so I could pick up my JV Shoutout Varsity jacket.  24KR Design is a full service graphic design house based in Brooklyn, NY.  Partners Trevin "Smitty" Smith and Chris "Strick" Strickland have quickly established themselves as a go to source for quality graphic work at reasonable prices. 

This very limited production piece is the comapny's first major foray into brand imaging.  I was lucky enough to snag one thanks to Smitty giving me the early heads up.  The jacket gets it's name from a missed opportunity. The shoutout is for a relative that requested the back graphic as a tattoo.  After concept, creation and delivery, the recipient decided she didn't want it anymore. Smitty, not being one to waste a great graphic, stripped the graphic down to it's main element and put this limited article together. The result is super slick and sure to garner more than few, "Where'd you get that from?"

www.24KRDesign.com

The Hunt Continues - Week 4

4th week in and I've turned up nothing.  Not even a rumor. 

This is the 2009 release.  Another Air Force 1.  This shoe's design cues are in celebration of America's first Black President.  44 stars circle the centennial logo as Barack Obama is our nation's 44th President.  The "marbelized" soles represent the floor of the Supreme Court.  This model is very much understated but still very interesting. 

The Hunt Continues - Week 3

Still no word on the 2010 Nike Black History month shoe.  I've been poking around and asking questions and I've heard nothing.  Not even so much as word that Nike will be making them at all.  I highly doubt that they'll be skipping a model this year.  So, I must continue to snoop anxiously until some sort of news breaks.

To tide you over for another week, here is the 3rd installment.  For 2007, they broke away from the AF1 and went to an Air Max 90 instead.  It was a great change of pace and they added a lot more symbolism to this shoe as it is based on the the theme "The Underground Railroad".  There's a map of the routes on the insoles and a few quilt patterns used to add detail.  Great use of color on this shoe and they truly are a conversation piece.

 

 

The Hunt Continues - Week 2

I've not yet heard anything about the 2010 release.  That bothers me and it really shouldn't.  It has been this way every year.  I usually don't find anything out until a week or so before they release.  Then it's just a mad dash to see how I can get them.

This is the 2006 release.  They stuck with the Air Force 1 as the base shoe and threw some weaving in the mix.  This is the first pair I was able to get my hands on.  I actually traded for them which was a beautiful thing.  I had to actively keep myself from wearing these because I wanted to wear them all the time.  What really sucks is that this pair is back in Japan.  I need to get them shipped here so I can wear them next month. 

 

The Hunt Begins - Week 1

Every year, I go ape crazy trying to get my hands on Nike's Black History Month shoe.  The reason I have to do that is because they have always been models not released to the general public.  Aside from appealing to the collector in me, it's always a very personal endeavor to seek out and claim these releases.  I'm big on my culture and history and these shoes are always nice to have.

Each week leading up to February I will post the previous 4 releases in sequential order.  If I'm lucky, I'll get to post the 5th installment in February.  Below is the first shoe that released in 2006.  By far the most simple of all of the shoes and that's one of the reasons why this one is so special to me.  I learned about this shoe while visiting Flight Club one day.  Chris Vidal and I were discussing shoes and somewhow got on the topic of Black History Month.  He mentioned that he had an Air Force 1 in the building celebrating the month and I almost lost my lid.  I spent the next year and a half or so looking for the shoe and finally managed to grab a pair.  I actually grabbed them after I got the second release.

So, for week 1, here is the first Nike Black History Month shoe.