WHO’S AFRAID OF THE CROSS BREED NIKE HYBRID
With at times complicated but beautiful prose, Sneaker Freaker’s Colin Wood lays out a wonderful commentary on an evolutionary aspect of sneaker culture - the hybrid. Detailing what it has meant to the subculture and its inhabitants, “Who’s Afraid of ‘The Cross Breed’ Nike Hybrids” takes into account the innate negativity of “cyber-space-cadets” and the rest of those who sit behind computer screens criticizing this new aspect of sneakerdom. Many interesting points are made on the concept of originality and its place within mashups, a conversation prevalent in sneaker communities since it was birthed by recon artists in customizing circles years ago. Colin writes:
ONE OF THE MOST DIVISIVE DEVELOPMENTS IN SNEAKERDOM OVER THE PAST YEAR OR SO HAS BEEN THE RISE OF THE NIKE HYBRID CONCEPTS. PERHAPS BETTER KNOWN BY THEIR COLLOQUIAL MUSICAL COUNTERPART, “MASHUPS”, THESE SHOES TAKE A MIX AND MATCH APPROACH TO NIKE HISTORY – THE SOLE FROM ONE SHOE FUSED WITH THE UPPER OF ANOTHER AND BINGO – A NEW STAR IS BORN! THESE CROSS-BREEDS HAVE ALSO BECOME A TOUCHSTONE FOR DISGRUNTLED HEADS AND SOURCE OF MORE THAN A LITTLE NOGGIN SCRATCHIN’ AMONGST NEWBIES, UNCERTAIN OF THEIR PROVENANCE AMIDST THE MYRIAD OF DESIGN REFERENCES.
If you love sneakers you owe it to yourself to check out this well-done piece of journalism.
