adidas Collector’s Project No6 Release Party Recap

They’ve been out for a while though you wouldn’t know it if you hadn’t been following adidas’ release schedules or promotional blasts as the super limited shoes have yet to hit online auction sites in any large numbers.

And that’s a relief, considering that typically, in today’s trainer scene, it seems the reselling and hype is more important than the stories (and the people) behind the products themselves. In adidas’ case, this has been forcefully pushed out of the equation, providing the passionate masses with a huge ‘thank you’ treat: a pack made just for the collector in us all.

That’s right, the adidas Collector’s Project is one for us to own. Whether you’re a materialistic maniac with a million pairs, or a simple-minded purists with a small stash of utmost quality, you’ll be pleased to see the message embedded in their attempts to revive five fantastic silhouettes with five equally amazing collective characters. Representing a worldwide love of footwear – and of course the Trefoil tribe in particular – each collector came from a separate country to bring not only their own personality but their geography and culture into the project as well.

Without a doubt that meant five release events at five different shops around the globe, with No6 being the highlight in UK’s star city of London, where eatmoreshoes was lucky enough to pop by for a round of photos taken in-between congratulatory blessings bestowed to one very happy Robert Brooks. Even before the festivities on Friday night, October the 26th, 2013, at the quaint yet semi-newly redesigned adidas concept shop on Newburgh Street there was already some eager folks outside on the pavement, with one incredibly active member of the sneaker scene sitting pretty in his folding chair and sleeping bag since about 10 AM. Diehard adi-nut, Ross Macwaters recounted his adventure of the morning and day to us through excited eyes, saying that no one else really joined him until after the party.

Robert Brooks, the man of the hour, unique designer and the creator of the ZX 550 from this wonderful pack, popped by around 4 PM for a meet and greet, checking out the shop and preparing for the fun. He had planned nearly every detail of the release party and the following release the next day (Saturday), especially requesting that the original till location be replaced with some turn tables so that the attendees could groove to his favorite dancehall and reggae tunes. And groove they did, admiring the sculpturally photographic, sneaker-related window and wall art devised and constructed by Brooksy and his fellow creative collaborator, Chris Turner. These unique bits of beauty built from photographed piles of shoe boxes covered in fragmented photos filled the tiny space of the store along with at least two dozen dancing sets of feet that were eager for the next morning’s release to bring them the shoe we whole-heartedly like to call “the Brooksy’s”.

Planned to end around 10 PM, the party didn’t truly shut down until about midnight, when the street clingers grew slightly in numbers and awaited dawn for an exciting store opening. By the time the doors were unlocked around 11 AM there was over a dozen folks outside, lined up to get their pairs, and allowed to pick out two from the bunch per person, considering that such an intimate group had gathered, all with obvious intend to buy to wear or purchasing for a friend who wasn’t able to make the journey themselves.

Despite the success of the shoes, not even Brooksy’s completely sold out immediately (though of course they went shortly after opening, over the course of the weekend) which to us is a good sign: it means the reseller community did not catch on to this one, and if you take a look around online, there are not many (only one, actually, the last time we checked, which seemed to have been purchased at SNS, not No6, for the record) that popped up for sale. Not that we’re out to get resellers or here to make an opinionated claim, but we’re certainly glad that those collectors out there who can appreciate the Collector’s Project were able to bag their pairs at the retail price. After all, that’s what this whole project is about, isn’t it?

written by Dylan Cromwell

photography by errol