These Enforcer Mid samples are a perfect example of that. While the shape and cut is generally on-point the materials are a let down and the colorway, well, do I even have to say much there?

Learning a lot from sneaker collector Bobby Mac in his recent rant on the adidas Trimm Star revival, I don’t want this to be an article chock-full of sneaker slate. However, for me, the Enforcer is a silhouette that represents sturdiness almost like no other vintage adidas basketball model. And being that I purchase shoes primarily for the purpose of freestyle street dancing, I don’t say this type of thing lightly. The OG’s I have from 1993 sport a seriously tough toe box thanks to the thick and stiff leather used in their production. The whole upper benefits from this choice of material as well, making the side walls, heel, and ankle collar super tough. Sure, this throws a bit of comfort out the window but the ample inner lining helps to ease that back into play.

With the above-mentioned OG’s and these new samples side by side I can state that the sole unit is pretty damn identical, though the color choice I don’t understand. That OG gum and black non-marking outsole is supreme (especially the gum aspect of it, giving an onlooker the same feeling they might have when gazing upon an icy sole), so why not just keep it classic adidas? The toe box on the newer pairs is a seriously less sturdy leather that leaves them feeling not so enforcing after all. And while I appreciate the experimentation with this rough suede leather (in black) that dominates the majority of the upper, it’s simply not executed right, drawing all the attention to the toe box, which isn’t really what visually makes the shoe (despite my steady opinion that this part of its anatomy is its structural claim to fame). In fact there was a black Enforcer Mid from 1995 that had the smoothest upper material all across its body; if only they’d mimicked that this time around.

Now despite its lack of strength, the white leather around the toe box (as well as the red leather in the ankle collar and upper tongue) is actually quite supple and nice to the touch. The inner lining ain’t bad either, appearing to have a lot of breathing room. And overall the shoes are definitely comfortable, I’ll give them that. I do wish the ankle strap had been reworked – as unorthodox as that might seem – to be thick or more easily removable, one of the two, so that it wasn’t required to wear. Because lets be honest, this is the least-desirable aspect of the sneaker and I do believe the Forum already takes the cake when it comes to a love affair with straps and such.

I love adidas, to death even, and I truly don’t mean to bash them down. I’m entirely glad to see this shoe come back into play. But if I spoke the truth, when I first laid eyes on these samples I had hoped that they were just an early staging round and that no one was seriously considering a mixture of red, blue, black, and white in these quantities and placements, because if so, it seems the design team at adidas has completely misunderstood the point of bringing back the classics (though I know to be untrue, as their trio of returning Pro Conference kicks are damn lush).

With that said, there is a second pair dropping in July as well in a less-black, more-white, and very nice purple and yellow highlights colorway that I do look forward to reviewing too. I’ve more hope for how that pair looks on foot than these, and despite my disciplinary critique I’m happy to admit I can end on a great note by saying the Bread and Butter samples of the snakeskin Enforcers (one black, one golden tan) for the third and fourth quarter of 2013 look incredibly delicious. Let’s hope those aren’t cancelled or simply rumor mill fodder, as they’re a twist on an old silhouette I certainly stomach!

Over the following weeks, lads that I knew (and even lads that I didn’t) on web forums that I’m part of (and in-real life as well) were already slating them even before the inevitable sample pictures popped up on the web for all to see. The suede will be rubbish, the shape will be wrong, the tongue will be wrong, the laces will be the wrong width, the sole will be the wrong colour, the innersole, the Ghillie lacing, the box, the person in the shop selling them, the delivery van, the this, the that, and the other; they seemed doomed to fail before they even had a chance.

Jump forward a few months and everyone has had a chance to get their hands on them, some people love them, some people don’t. But what I can’t get my head around is the way some lads have ripped them apart by comparing them to the originals without ever owning a pair of West German-made Trimm Star or even ever having seen a pair anywhere else other than in a book or on the Internet.

Yes, there are obvious differences that anyone could point out instantly but these were made in Vietnam within the last twelve months not in the 1970s in West Germany. All the obvious differences that have already been mentioned are true, they aren’t an exact copy of the original shoe but which reissues are? And yes, there have been some much better reissues of other models but there have also been some forgettable ones too in an array of colourways.

I pre-ordered the 2013 adidas Trimm Star reissue because I was really interested as to what standard the quality would be, not how close a comparison they would be to the original, because, lets face it, adidas were never going to try their best to make an identical copy. And why would they? They would have always made reissues this way if that were the case. When the shops got their stock and mine landed a few days later I didn’t like them, I’ll be honest, I’ll hold my hand up and admit that I’d gone with the majority and slated them. This, that, and the other was wrong with them. But as the months have gone on I’ve really grown to like them. The shape is nice, I like the suede, the Ghillie lacing looks good, I like the colours together, and they’re well made. The reissue Trimm Star, in my opinion, are a winner.

While other companies were producing shoes for endorsed by athletes specifically for the sport they played (and thereby represented), PUMA were unique in choosing to give their models a casual basis which had a larger appeal to the masses. First made during the mid-late 1970s from their West German factory, the Heynckes-Comet had a mock-up similar to other articles of their time while implementing new production methods with hand-finished details.

Their green suede upper and navy form stripe is a colour combination which has gone on to be replicated across various PUMA models over the years. Their silhouette was complimented by navy leather lining, laces, and a gum sole which made them an instant classic. The front toe piece section detailing set them apart from other similar articles and on a closer look you may notice details such as their ‘Made in West Germany’ stitched tongue tag, the lack of a leaping PUMA cat on the heel window, and hand-stamped gold logo details.

During the 1980s they were reproduced, but this time they lost their Heynckes link and were officially released as PUMA Comets. It’s unknown why the tie was cut but the retros were made in a keen likeness to their originals all the same. Then again during the 1990s more were to follow, but this time in different eye-catching colourways and using a white rubber rather than the gum as on their predecessors.

At a time when PUMA are revisiting many of their back catalogue models, the timing couldn’t be better for a Heynckes-Comet retro with the great man having just retired from his footballing career on the highest level possible. If anyone’s out there listening, we would love to see these again, whether they’re labeled as a Heynckes-Comet or simply Comets.

Well-known now thanks to his steady aim, determined focus, and that immediately recognizable animal texturing he loves to apply oh-so-much, Benji Blunt is climbing fast in the world of sneaker customization. Normally we’d let the pictures speak for themselves, but we’re lucky enough to have Benji Blunt, Michael Sterling (for whom the shoes have been created), and even Ed Toft (from Hanon) in the room to tell us a tale about these custom kicks.

Michael, lets begin with you – the man of honor in this art piece – we know it’s not your first Benji Blunt affair, but tell us how’d this collab begin?

Michael Sterling: Honestly, it was very simple. When these shoes dropped Ben had been playing around and used one of the Hanon press photos to Photoshop a variation of the shoe with red snakeskin on the mudguard and a black toebox. He posted the pic on his Facebook page and I was really digging what he had done with it. As it turns out, Ben ended up with an extra pair of the CNTRs in my size. I told him that if he was willing to sell them to me I’d have him do that exact colorway alteration. I already had the original Hanon-designed version which is fantastic, as well.

Right, those Hanon’s are simply sweet to begin with! I’m sure you know that already though, Ed, but about Benji, had you heard of him or seen his work before he made these?

Ed Toft: No, I hadn’t heard of Benji before, but I had seen some of his work. The guys at New Balance showed me the 30 Years of Flimby 1500 and I was familiar with the Pokey Superstar but until he contacted us with his re-imagined version of our adidas Centaur I hadn’t connected the work with him personally. I have subsequently checked out the back catalogue of models and it all looks fantastic. It takes a certain skill to alter a shoe by hand like that and then to have your audience assume they’re factory finished!

We’re completed agreed on that point Ed. And what did you think of the finished product… did you like what Benji did to your design?

Ed: Yes, pretty amazing really. He sent me some snaps of our Centaur, and at first I thought he had applied the detail via Photoshop, and this was what the shoe could look like if it were to be made slightly differently. It wasn’t until we spoke on the phone that it dawned on me it was the actual shoe that he had altered and photographed, which made it even more impressive! The attention to detail is fantastic and there is a real sense of consistency across each style that makes his work instantly recognisable.

Mike, did you influence Benji’s design choices at all in the process?

Mike: Ha! I wish I could say that I did. I’ve always thought that Ben’s instincts were spot on and these are no different. I just had him do a real life version of what he had already done with the original concept photo. There were points along the way where he had some questions but the overall result is almost identical to the original photo mock-up, except for the laces, maybe. We agreed in the end that black was the best choice for those.

And Benji, being your own hardest critic, how did you feel about the final outcome?

Benji: New shoes or new bases are always tricky, you never know what problems may develop. You can’t really experiment on another shoe, when the shoe is limited as it is. So I’m pleased there were no major disasters. The fellas are happy and that is the most important thing.

It is true Michael? Are you happy?

Mike: Of course! They’re stunning! You really have to see the shoe in person to appreciate the quality of the work that went into it. He took a great colorway by Hanon and made it even better while still preserving all of the elements that I loved about the Ed and Brian Toft’s original design.

Another perfect execution by Benji Blunt, your snakeskin sneaker stylist from the UK. Given enough time we wouldn’t be surprised to see him on the ‘official side’ of the fashion fence, getting his designs made for him instead of painstakingly by hand in the wee hours of the night by candlelight under a magnifying lens. At least, that’s how he’s told us he works.

Hats off to you Benji, keep it up!

Benji Blunt’s Year of the Snake meets Hanon’s adidas Originals CNTR. That’s what happens. And it really comes as no surprise, seeing as how the UK-based sneaker painter has been upping his craft, one pair after the other, churning out new ideas and solid commissions for fellow friends in the worldwide sneaker circle. This time around he’s done not one, but two pairs: the grey tinted CNTR’s pictured here for a Supestar fiend in Germany, and another, reddish pair for a classics fanatic in the United States. Despite the wide reach across the world, we were lucky enough to get not only Benji Blunt (Derbyshire) and Torsten Steinmetz (Leipzig) but also Ed Toft (Aberdeen) from Hanon to drop some words on us about this wild, venomous collab.

Tors, you first; tell it to us straight, what happened here?

Tors: Hmm, good question… I bought the Hanon’s because I liked the colorway, the materials, and the little specials (such as the reflecting speckles on the stripes and the laces). When I got them in my hands I thought, yeah they’re still nice, but not THAT special. So where can you go, if you want something really special? Yes sir, direct to Mr. Blunt!

[laughter]

Alright, so is that how it went down Benji?

Benji Blunt: Well, I posted a Photoshopped pic of the Hanon’s when the first publicity shots came out; I had changed the toe box to a snakeskin pattern. I may have suggested they were an exclusive staff pack, for a laugh. Anyway, I was challenged my Mike and Tors to make it happen. I took the colourway colours and came up with two variations.

Right, a brighter red one for Michael Sterling and then these subtler greys for you, Tors. Tell me, did you influence Benji’s design choices at all?

Tors: Ben designed the snake pattern first as black on grey (red wasn’t even a choice, and you know why, Mr. Sterling). But these where too black in my opinion. So he decided to go with a light grey and a bit darker pattern. But all in all, Ben’s the designer.

Speaking of design, Ed, did you ever think of (or practice) sneaker alterations yourself before being given the chance to actually design shoes professionally?

Ed Toft: No not really. The furthest I went with sneaker alterations would’ve been converting skate high tops to lows with a pair of scissors in the 90s. It was pretty messy stuff and only worked on some styles. The Vans Cab was a favourite for some reason but it was actually one of the worst as it fell apart really easily. I also dyed a pair of Sal 23 shoes from a baby blue – which I hated – to a navy. The outcome was actually quite good. They had a white tongue and white 23 detail on the heel that seemed to pop out much more with the darker colour. It also looked like more of a rich purple rather than navy. I wish I had kept them now but I wrecked them.

There’s always a lesson to be learned with time and sufficient sneaker wear and tear. What about you Benji, can you tell us what you learned this time ’round?

Benji: The nubuck on the shoe is a great base, it isn’t the flattest finish in the end, but it’s the strongest bond. The better the key the more wearable. I also used a different shoe product for the mesh, which turned out okay. I really like the UV flame on the back of these. This glows red under black light.

Yeah, that was a killer final detail that we love. But it’s not about us… Tors, how do you feel about the outcome?

Tors: Same as you… I love my Benji Blunt x Hanon x adidas CNTR’s!

That may seem like an entirely unfair way to begin an article on a sweet nubuck Superstar, but let’s be honest; everyone from your old Uncle Tony (who caught the Blockhead reference?) to your youngest nephew Norman – age twelve and a half – is saying that overused (and maybe abused) phrase by now. Back in the day. It’s synonymous with ‘retro’ or ‘throwback’, the only difference being that at least people know what it’s supposed to mean (as for retro, how many times have we heard that used to describe something that is actually vintage?).

The problem with the phrase is that it’s entirely contextual to who’s saying it. Which makes it timeless. And there lies the irony, as it’s genuinely supposed to mean ‘back in the adidas Superstar 80s heyday, day’. Or at least that’s my personal understanding of the context in which adidas is attempting to use it. So of course, as Consortium always does, it will reach out to audiences both young and old, appealing to their individual perceptions of what ‘back in the day’ is supposed to mean. And I guarantee this will not be the same thing.

But all that aside, I’m merely wondering if these are actually supposed to reflect on Superstars of the past. Because as far as I know there was no nubuck Superstar in the 1980s. adidas was known, however, for being (one of if not) the first brand to apply animal skin textures to their footwear, so the Consortium team has thrown this on for some reptilian nostalgia. I also understand that the spray paint patterning on the sockliner (and matching tissue paper) is supposed to reference the early days of graffiti in the streets of New York City, but honestly, so far both of these points are weak connections to the OG Supe in my opinion.

What I do feel is a solid linkage is the laceless look they arrive in, totally bare, full-on Run DMC style. And what’s more, they come built-in with inner elastic straps to hold the tongue down and in place when you rock ‘em with no laces. While Run and crew certainly didn’t ‘cheat’ like this, it’s grand to see adidas equipping the modern-day man with a little extra leverage to look the look. For most, this may seem like a new feature, but it’s actually been present on Superstars before (take the Run DMC pair from the 35th Anniversary Series, or even Ultrastars of the past) as well as non-shell-toe’d models such as the adidas Fleetwood.

Don’t like that bummin’, floppy, laceless look? Fair enough, in that case adidas has provided a pair of ‘extra’ laces, fat and color-coordinated to the side stripes for your use slash amusement. Together, those aspects – the laces and the elastic bands – mixed with the nubuck upper and the iconic Consortium tongue tag rivet are what really mixes up the bag for me and makes this shoe a success. Ditch the snakeskin and I’d be after a pair myself, and I don’t even typically rock a rubber toe.

At least that’s what we can assume from the Elvis-inspired tongue tag on his latest release with adidas. It features an esoteric shout out to the King of Rock by playing with his beloved TCB lightning bolt found on many pieces of his jewelry. McNairy added his own punch to the logo by inserting the subtle yet exclamatory “MF” to the acronym. I think you can figure out what that stands for. But Elvis and McNairy aren’t the only ones who can be considered contributors to the McNasty Lo. There is also the man who brought Mark to the three stripes, as well as the man who is to thank for the model.

If you’ve ever seen the widespread KZK on one of your pairs of kicks, you know you’ve got a product of Kazuki Kuraishi. But he doesn’t just go around stamping his name on everything. There are dozens of products which he has contributed to which he gets little to no recognition for, with the McNasty collection included. Kazuki is the one to bow down to and praise for introducing Mark McNairy to the adidas family. It has unleashed quite more creative freedom onto the more classic models. He also worked extensively to help create the entire collection. I’m sure Kazuki would’ve loved his name to be incorporated but unfortunately the rest of adidas wasn’t down for calling it the “MkzkNasty” collection.

All the sneakers from the McNasty collection are said to be based on classic models. The “RoMcNasty” is easily identified as the Rom model. The “Rod Laver” – they could’ve at least tried to make a more creative name – well it’s a Rod Laver in case you were wondering. And then there’s the “McNasty Lo”. It leaves no hints of what model it could possibly be derived from. At first I jumped to the conclusion that it’s a modified Campus. But I knew that wasn’t right so we, here at eatmoreshoes, decided to dig a little deeper. After searching through the large archive of classic adidas models, we landed on the adidas Hook Shot. Although it has been seen recently, it hasn’t been revived in the low version until now. And this time it has a new, less appealing name applied to it. But if we set aside their differences and focus on the raw model behind it, it can be traced back to the days of the famous Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Although he went through many brands in his career, Jabbar always seemed to favor the stripes during his basketball games. He was the man who set this model in motion by displaying its performance with his trademark Skyhook Shot. This lead to the model’s name, Hook Shot, and got Jabbar’s name behind the endorsement.

With the mix of Mark McNairy, Kazuki Kuraishi, Elvis Presley, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, there’s only one thing to say about the McNasty Lo. I’m lovin’ it.

I’ll admit it for McNairy myself: this was a daring move. Sure, it’s no Jeremy Scott-type antics (and thank the trainer gods he’s not been allowed near the City Series silhouettes, at least not yet) but still, I believe I wouldn’t be alone to exclaim that it’s a particularly tricky move to make adjustments to adidas classics such as those trainers released as a part of the infamous City Series. Especially if it’s one of the oldest, well-known, and sought-after pairs from the three stripes archive: the adidas Rom, newly branded – hilariously – as the ‘RoMcNasty’ (gosh, I can’t tell what’s a worse feat, writing or reading that model name).

Now I could certainly be wrong but I’ve not personally laid eyes on a pair of adidas Rom in this particular colorway before, however in writing up another City Series shoe recently I did discover that the hues in this placement supposedly belonged to the OG Milano. I wonder if this is coincidence or rather that McNairy knows the games of which he plays. I think taking one colorway from a City Series shoe and bashing it onto another could be both loved and hated by the purists out there, depending on how strict your ‘worship’ is. And for those that can’t tell the difference, not only are the Rom and Milano’s sole units unique to each other (with the Milano’s looking more like that of an adidas Vienna), but the Milano’s toe box is void of the T-bar seen on the Rom (and many other City Series silhouettes for that matter), and the tongue on the Rom is shorter too.

Regardless of outcome relevant to the context of the past, the final shoe is definitely sweet. A quality suede upper, some solid bling for you flashy types in the gold pop against the luxury blue, and the killer dual-density midsole heel counter adhered to the highly-respected and beloved, so-called ‘melongit’ out sole. I’d be very curious which connoisseurs are bashing these and why.

And the timing of the collab is relevant too, as McNairy’s most recent project is entitled Mark McNairy New Amsterdam: a two-fold collection of footwear that blurs the lines between American and British culture and style with a humorous approach to design.

Before this new collection of his own and the adidas interaction featured here, McNairy’s main body of work has been J. Press, a clothing line to which he contributed his care and genius since 2005. The products produced by J. Press cater almost entirely to the Ivy League demographic and their stores and items are placed and priced respectively to this community.

Another brand to which McNairy has touched with his sense of fine tailoring is Southwick, helping them continue to create American clothing for the ‘gentleman’ in 2009. And while his work is obviously spreading across the globe and we find it no surprise that a big brand would approach him, it’s a bit curious that the brand happened to be adidas.

Quite definitely the polar opposite of a high class or gentlemen’s brand (although I can here the likes of underground and online groups such as ATM fast to argue me down there), the good old three stripes certainly do have roots in honor, whether that be in the early days of German athleticism as it went global, or the later years of the 20th century when the casual scene in the UK (and beyond) took hold of the brand and never quite let it go. But from those days until now, many other personalities and pockets of life have rebranded adidas in ways that tear it vividly away from thoughts and images of a gentlemen’s brand. Take Run DMC for instance. Certainly not the type of spokespersons you’d imagine hanging around in tennis sweaters and sipping cognac in some drawing room at a cliff-side chateau.

Despite this fact of brand identity, adidas Originals has joined forces and pushed out a new silhouette entitled the McNasty Lo (apparently a take on the Hookshot), in both white and eggplant, and yellow and navy colorways. Why the name? We’ve honestly no idea, but maybe it’s a tongue-in-cheek reference to doing sports work after the fine upscale crowd he’s used to. Whatever the reason, we’re even more curious what the trefoil purists will think of this pack, and especially the new McNasty Lo.

Released in 2008, this upgrade of the ZX 600 is built with a navy blue, suede upper. The toe box, tongue, side panels, and upper heel patch are done in “collegiate” purple. Bright yellow stripes, trefoil tongue logo, and midsole splash against the otherwise dark silhouette in an almost Batman-esque colorway.

One thing about the design of the ZX 600 Sport model which sets it apart from many releases in the modern day is the shape of the shoe. From the top of the tongue to the tip of the toe box, there isn’t a curve or bump to the outline, and it’s precisely this “rocket-like” shape that’s very reminiscent of vintage shoes from ’70s, ’80s, and early ’90s.

Another feature of the these shoes is the double row of eyelets, allowing the wearer to choose where they want the shoe to grip their foot the most when tied up tightly. As well, there is a removable insole that provides the wearer with extra cushioning if they should need it.

The legacy behind this upgrade is the ZX 600′s original debut in 1985 when it brought on ample competition for the other major sneaker brands by providing a dual-density out sole, still present in the retros and re-releases of today, and especially in these ‘Sport’ upgrades.