Quote x adidas ZX 500

• MODEL: ADIDAS ZX
• SERIES: ADIDAS CONSORTIUM
• PACK: ADIDAS CONSORTIUM YOUR STORY
• DESIGNED BY: Quote
• MADE IN: VIETNAM
• MADE ON: --/11
• ART.NO: G61749

In November 2011 adidas Originals dropped a whole new pack of Consortium releases, reseting the line with an all white suede makeup spread across five silhouettes. What we didn’t know at the time was that the Consortium slate was being cleaned in order to prepare a blank canvas for the personalized designs to come.

One of those designers was Berlin native Quote, a lengendary trainer collecter among the European scene. Instead of telling you what every other forum, blog, or magazine might – that Quote took inspiration from the Olympiastadion, or that the ZX 500 is one of his favorite models – eatmoreshoes decided to run that extra mile and catch the busy collector himself for a one on one interview about ‘his story’.

Wie gehts Quote? Let’s start with the basics: where are you from, what’s your background, and what do you do for a living?

I was born in Berlin and still live here in the city’s center. I have a job as signmaker and share my free time with my friends and family.

Everyone has a sneaker story… how’d you get started?

Unknowingly. As a child I needed sport shoes for the school, but before long I was wearing them on the streets and in my freetime, so step by step, I bought sneakers for my style.

What places has your ‘addiction’ taken you that you otherwise might not have gone?

Maybe second hand shops. If you’re collecting vintage shoes you have to search everywhere, also in shops. I’m only looking for shoes in such places.

What can you tell us about your visit to the adidas archive in the Herzo?

It was one of the greatest days in my life. These people at adi are so nice, and the keeper of all those historic products is such a nice dude. You can see so much stuff that you can’t imagine. Prototypes, old never seen shoes, signed stuff, crazy!

How would you describe your collection in it’s current form?

It grows over the years. In the beginning I wanted every vintage model that I could get, even if it wasn’t my size. That makes no sense, so now I let them go and look only for stuff that I like and that I can wear! My collection is mirroring myself.

And we know you show off some of your collection in a series of specially made shelves. How did you design and build your infamous ‘sneaker wall’?

I had a plan, so I made an sketch and a good carpeneter friend of mine cut the wood for me and I painted it and built it together. I like it very much, because it’s like a big picture on the wall.

Alright, but what is it about adidas that draws you to their three stripes?

I love vintage shoes and adidas has the biggest selection for wearable vintage shoes, so it was a process, that all the other brands have to go and I looked only for vintage adidas from the 70s and 80s.

With all that vintage on the brain, did you ever dream of designing your own sneaker?

I dreamt of it, but now my dream came true! adidas has given me the chance to work on a project with nine others. I made my own design and I’m realhappy about this chance.

Speaking of that chance, what’s the story behind the ‘My Story’ Consortium release?

adidas asked ten people who all lived in different Olympic cities for their special Olympic story. They gave us each a blank shoe and told us to fill in the colors, to tell our story.

So lets back up a bit: what first connected you to adidas on a professonal level, and how have you gone from collector to ‘designer’ / collaborator?

During the years, I met people from adidas and talked to them, and once they noticed that I’m really into their brand they liked it very much and so they asked me to do a collaboration. In the beginning it was really difficult to design a shoe, but after overcoming a few obstacles, I managed it and had a plan which color and which materials.

We’ll say! The shoe came out spectacular. Why did you pick the ZX 500?

The ZX 500 is a great shoe – actually all three digit ZX models are great – and I loved the original model from 1984 very much. I love running shoes, so that’s why I picked them.

And why have you chosen those materials and that colorway?

I wanted to take the same materials like the original one, because those are the materials that form a really good 80s running shoe: mesh, suede, and nylon, thats it! I only switched the materials from the toebox and the quarter because there was a lot nylon toebox shoes in the 80s. The colorway is inspired by Berlin’s Olympicstadium, its grey seats and blue running track. The 1936 Olympic games in Berlin were overshadowed by the Nazis, so I take the design from the stadium right now.

Your attention to detail and ability to stay true to the classics in a humble way is certainly successful. Now most importantly, what do you want your (first) shoe to communicate?

I just want that the people like the shoe, the materials, and the colors. I tried to find a colorway that was not retroed in the last year, which was really difficult, but finally I did it.

Lastly, what’s next for you in regards to design / sneaker work?

I’m not sure, I’m open minded, and maybe I get the chance to do another design, but if not, I continue my collecting as there are a lot gaps that have to be closed!

Kudos Quote, you deserve big props for dropping your knowledge and taste on such a fine silhouette. As Jay-Z says about hustlers becoming rappers, I’m sure all of us trainer collectors around the world can agree: we just love to see one of us ‘make it’!

For anyone interested to pick up a pair of Quote’s ZX 500 (or any of the other shoes dropping for the first wave of adidas Originals’ Consortium ‘Your Story’ pack) you can hit No6 in London or No74 in Berlin – as well as other Consortium retailers – on Saturday, the 19th of May, 2012.

written by Dylan Cromwell

photography by errol

portraits by Julia Schoierer (aka Sneakerqueen)

special thanks to Gary and Pam