John Schofield x adidas Tobacco

• MODEL: ADIDAS TOBACCO
• MADE IN: UNITED KINGDOM
• MADE ON: --/12

In the Spring of 2012 adidas Originals dropped some re-issues that included an all (off) white Tobacco that custom trainer artist John Schofield picked up in heaps to redye in his own unique colorways. We caught up with John to talk about his creations and see what inspired him to push the boundaries on his work, as well as drop his views on the current Tobacco release, cluing us into just why he’d want to reformulate this particular silhouette.

Hey John, thanks for sitting down with us here at eatmoreshoes. So how do you think this shoe is different from the original Tobacco?

The original Tobacco is still the original and best, a French Tobacco is iconic, but adidas seem to have worked hard on these recent re-issues, as the suede and soles are very good though they still have a big problem across the whole adidas range (not just Tobacco) with excess glue! There’s a lot of it left around the edge of the sole and upper, which isn’t nice to look at and from a dyeing point of view it only makes my job harder!

No doubt, glue aside, it’s nice to seem them getting things right. How would you compare these to more recent Tobacco’s released over the past years?

Lets just say that if they reproduced the Hungarian version of the adidas Tobacco from a few years back I’d be a very, very happy man! Although a decent re-issue, these still don’t come close to a Hungarian, French, or even Harputts Tobacco!

What are your thoughts on the materials and available colorways?

As I’ve said, the materials are fine, but as for the colours, lets have something to get the heart racing please adidas! I’d kill for a pair in bright red with black soles! I saw them as a sample piece but never made production!. “Why?” is all i can say!

Well I guess that explains your motivation to revamp the colorway yourself. So why do you think adidas is dropping this silhouette again now?

No idea really… I suppose it’s because adidas knows the Tobacco sells; well at least the suede ones do, as the leather efforts both this time and last time were terrible! They need to go back and look at the leather issues from ’02, because they were superb. Top quality materials and some cracking colours. They’re the only leather trainers that I own.

Alright, hear you there, you’re a suede soldier unless heavily pursuaded otherwise. But specifically why the Tobacco as a silhouette for your artistry?

The Tobacco silhouette is in my opinion the best shaped adidas trainer going, and when I heard they were releasing it in an all suede white version it was like a dream to me. It’s a totally blank canvas, and with the neutral gum sole it’s a perfect candidate for the job.

Yes, it certainly is, John! Lastly, is there anything special about the Tobacco that makes it easier or harder to work with than another model?

The only easy part of working on these is the fact that because they’re a new release I’m guaranteed to be working on a brand new shoe, but that’s where the easy part ends. They’re all suede and therefore it’s very hard to work on as the colours can easily bleed into each other.

Steady-handed, Schofield is pushing past the risks and dropping his own line of colorways in the evenings when he has time off his carpentry work. Pictured here is a purple and lilac combo that he’s created to show what’s possible. If you like what you see and you’ve got some Tobacco’s laying around then catch up with Schofield for some crackin’ customs!

written by Dylan Cromwell

photography by errol

shoes contributed by John Schofield