adidas Superskate Hi E2E
- MODEL: ADIDAS SUPERSKATE
- SERIES: ADIDAS END 2 END
- DESIGNED BY: Rime (MSK)
- MADE IN: CHINA
- MADE ON: --/07
- ART.NO: 359018
Los Angeles based graf writer Rime (aka Jersey Joe) slammed up with adidas Originals and Footlocker in 2007 for the End to End (E2E) series. The idea behind the colab was to showcase graffiti on apparel and, of course, in sneakers in an attempt to remind folks that the three stripes still stood for the four elements of hip hop. Whether or not they succeeded will have to be decided by each consumer for themselves.
While we personally dig almost all of the E2E series products – with these Rime Superskate’s included – we don’t find that the shoes do the infamous member of MSK any relative justice whatsoever. His pieces in the streets and on freights are sprawling, massive, and nearly always drenched in a high frequency palette of colors that pop like a sucker punch (or two) to your eye sockets. His use of characters lead to true storytelling and the incorporation of natural surroundings and nearby pieces never fails to amaze. Even on a more basic level Rime’s hand-styles (his ‘tags’ for those of you out there that have never held a can of Montana or an On The Run flow pen) are clean, succinct, and trippy as hell. Take it off the streets and Joe’s artistic vision within the very limiting pages of a black-book becomes absurd; dropping a style I’ve certainly never seen before, where he tends to use seemingly mistaken or otherwise arbitrarily placed marker strokes to divide the sketch’s subjects up into various parts, cutting through colors, and swiping away reality. To put it shortly, he’s far beyond dope.
Coming back to these Superskate’s is like waking up to reality after spending time on an acid trip. Where’s the hardcore colorway? Where are the tentacles and explosions and splashing waves of illegible madness? Here we see a partially visible throw-up with a Jersey Joe tag above it, leaving us gasping ‘that’s it’?
But alright, let’s be fair; expectations aside, we’ll let the shoes stand on their own and judge them for their own merits. The black on black of the tongue branding is a nice touch, and the yellow and black colorway is nicely met with the tan sockliner that pops like the pink flesh around a pit bull’s ears. Those parts we dig, however it’s the inclusion of the grey in the toe box and below the side stripes that kills us. Not to mention the transparent black plastic side stripes themselves. And don’t get us started on those supremely ugly laces. Luckily they come with a spare black pair as well (whew!).
Rime, we love you and your work and we sincerely hope this isn’t the last time you dip into sneaker or fashion design, but this mess of a shoe should be buffed and given a real burner. The only thing that makes sense here is the facial expression of anguish seen on the first characterized letter of his throw-up; as this is the exact way we feel when holding this pair.
written by Dylan Cromwell
photography by errol
shoes contributed by Neli Numb
