Stefan Glerum x adidas Decade Hi

  • MODEL: ADIDAS DECADE HI
  • SERIES: ADIDAS CONSORTIUM
  • PACK: ADIDAS CONSORTIUM YOUR STORY
  • TYPE: BASKETBALL
  • DESIGNED BY: Stefan Glerum
  • MADE IN: VIETNAM
  • MADE ON: 02/12
  • ART.NO: G63767

Stefan Glerum is one of those artists whose style is immediately recognizable once you’ve seen his work before. Many old school graffiti writers will tell you that their art, like various mediums, is about many things – such as form, line quality, color choice, technique, and cleanliness of execution to name a few – however the most important aspect of their work, which potentially sets it apart from our mediums, is the style. Once a writer (or an artist, for that matter) has begun to develop a vivid and memorable style then it’s a sign that they’re truly beginning to grow and evolve. Though he’s no graffiti artist (or at least not openly) per se, this same aspect can be directly applied to Stefan’s growing impact on the art, design, and fashion scenes around the world.

From his work with graf-writer-gone-clothing-designer Obey, Stefan is now stepping it up to join forces with an even bigger street wear brand name: adidas Originals. While they’ve typically and traditionally been considered a sportswear company (and mind you, they certainly are) it’s not a stretch of the truth to also give them credit for the impact their casual line has had on street culture, whether that be through hip hop, rock, skate, or hoops. With Originals, and especially with the Consortium series, adidas has taken the time and energy to reach out to artists around the globe and give them the opportunity to show the trefoil crew how it’s really done. In this sense, they couldn’t have picked a better choice for the Your Story collaboration than Stefan Glerum.

Similar to Aloe Blacc’s Decade Hi from the first wave release, Stefan brings a calm, cool, peacefulness to his design work by incorporating a super simple design built on the foundation of a dope colorway. It might be worth mentioning that neither of these Decade Hi’s are really suitable as summer shoes – based on their colors and materials – though over here at eatmoreshoes we hardly mind in what season a sneaker releases as long as it’s dope as hell.

After chasing Stefan through the streets of Amsterdam we finally locked him down for a one-on-one to briefly discuss his artwork and this recent colab with adidas.

Stefan, thanks for joining us. In one sentence, how would you describe yourself?

I’m an illustrator and graphic designer from Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

And how’d you get into illustration?

When I finished high school I knew I wanted to do something with drawing. I went to work as an assistant to the Dutch designer and comic artist Joost Swarte for a year, and from that point I decided to study illustration at an art school.

Can you tell us a bit about your work process?

My work always starts with drawing by hand. I use ink and a dipping pen. Most of the time I use a computer to color in my pieces, though I prefer to do it by hand. Whether I use the computer or not, it’s always important for me that my work has a handmade feel to it. Also, when working by hand I get different shapes and compositions than I would by starting out on the computer.

Your shoe certainly has a handmade feel to it, developed with care and attention paid to the details. We understand this was the first time you’ve worked with adidas… how’d the collaboration come to be?

I was asked to design a shoe representing a memory I have of the Olympics.

And what’s the imagery you’ve chosen to put on the insole and outsole?

It’s a depiction of an old native Dutch sport from the Northern part of the Netherlands called Fierljeppen. Basically jumping a ditch with a pole. It’s kind of similar to the Olympic sport of pole vaulting, only this specific variation has the extreme danger element of getting wet by mud and water combined with other agricultural aesthetics.

So ultimately what was your idea behind the finished product?

In this shoe I wanted to incorporate an image tied to the Olympics and my country that is fun to me. It should be a less serious shoe to wear for less serious occasions. And it’s a perfect shoe to jump ditches with.

We completely agree, in fact we’ll be jumpin’ ditches on our way to No74 to grab a pair on the 16th! Thanks for your time Stefan, we love the design and the energy you’ve put into it. If anyone is interested in getting in touch with Stefan for illustration work you can pole vault on over to his online portfolio or get in touch with his agency.

written by Dylan Cromwell

photography by errol