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Sneaker Freaker has been around since 2002, and is seen as the premier sneaker-only print publication. With a strong presence on the 'net, too, SF has grown into a globally recognized brand and is now published in English, German, and Russian.
Based out of Australia, SF has a unique perspective on sneakers and has translated this point of view over to the collaborations and projects it's worked on. To get a better understanding of how these collabs have gone down, we reached out to SF founder and editor Simon "Woody" Wood and had him tell the story behind each collab. Get ready for a trip Down Under, here's A Complete History of Sneaker Freaker's Collaborations.
Sneaker Freaker x Lacoste Missouri 85 "Minty Fresh"
Year Released: 2006
Back in 2006, it seemed like anyone who was anyone was busy knocking out sneaker collab after collab. Quite frankly, we were desperate to join the club, but we hadn’t the faintest idea how. Enter Lacoste. At the time it was a bold move, Lacoste was nowhere and the Missouri hadn’t been seen since the mid-'80s. We quickly won eyeballs over with this classic combo of black, white and grey suede, leather, and mesh, with ultra-vivid mint pops. Just 24 pairs were given away at a launch party held at the Alife Rivington Club in New York. On a balmy August night, the courtyard was packed with local sneaker identities and a cabal of LES hustlers. We will never forget that night, even if we can’t remember half of it. A few hundred pairs were released globally shortly afterwards. The Alife pairs are easily distinguished by the "SNKR" and "FRKR" embroidery on the heels.
Sneaker Freaker x Nike x Medicom "Bearbrick"
Year Released: 2007
Back in 2007, Nike developed an apparel project called White Label. Sneaker Freaker contributed a tee shirt and a cute Bearbrick with a design inspired by "Air." Riffing off the Air Stab logo, 28 PSI signifies the pressure Nike pumps into its shoes. These sold out before they’d even hit the shops. Super rare.
Sneaker Freaker x Puma Blaze of Glory "Great White"
Year Released: 2008
With its neoprene bootie and pillowy smooth Trinomic sole, the Blaze of Glory model is a curious amalgam of retro styling and influences. Back in 2008, PUMA offered us the chance to design the first colorways to hit the market. With the sneaker world gripped by Dunk-mania, the Blaze was a somewhat radical choice, but we dug its unique steez. Rejecting a literal approach to our shark theme, we used color and texture to elaborate on the "Great White" idea. Oceanic neoprene mixed with silver performance mesh and blood-red overlocked stitching held it down up top, whilst the forefoot was splashed with a gummy shade of pink. The abstract logo on the tongue reconfigured the fearsome sight of our most notorious aquatic predator and the shiny black plastic panel mirrored a shark’s piercing eye. Flip the shoe over and a river of blood seemed to emanate from the Trinomic hexagon cells, exaggerated further by the judicious insertion of white rubber teeth. If all of that wasn’t enough shock-and-gore, an anodized shark tooth hung like a surfie’s holiday necklace from the top eyelet.
Sneaker Freaker x Puma Blaze of Glory "Sharkskin"
Year Released: 2008
After the Great White dropped to critical acclaim, flipping the silver to inky black and adding a slash of vivid turquoise was a no-brainer. Just 300 pairs in nubuck were in production when we discovered genuine shark leather was available commercially. Intrigued by the possibility, PUMA was open-minded and determined enough to source the material and give it a go. Assuming it would be a silky grey color – and not entirely sure of the texture – we were astounded when the samples arrived and the leather was blacker than the ace of spades. It also had the most remarkable wrinkly texture. Unfeasibly rugged and totally durable, the shoe looked like it had been carved from the skin of an elephant. Just 30 pairs were made from shark skin. They were all sent to Friends and Family and as anyone who has seen them knows, they are simply exquisite.
Sneaker Freaker x Quicksilver "Flip Flops"
Year Released: 2009
Boardies were a little out of our comfort zone but I think we created a really interesting product with a great story. Starting with a repeat graphic pattern, the design was applied to a pair of shorts and classy flip flops. The kicker was that the shorts were reversible – all-black on one side and mad colorful on the other. Like we said, "Business outside.... party on the inside!" The triangular box was also used in-store as a display unit.
Sneaker Freaker x AIAIAI Earbuds
Year Released: 2009
These minty fresh Sneaker Freaker earbuds were the result of a collaboration with Danish electronics manufacturer AIAIAI. Designed with a touch of speckle and sweet acrylic tube packaging, they came out super nice and sold out instantly. We wish we still had a secret stash of these buds. We get asked about them all the time. Music and sneakers, all day long people.
Sneaker Freaker x New Balance 850 "Skippy"
Year Released: 2009
This is still arguably our most inventive and radical Sneaker Freaker collab. The oatmeal phylon midsole against a white rubber sole was the starting point, to which we added a dab of green and wattle gold for Aussie flavor. However, it’s simply impossible to ignore the tanbark toebar on these Skippys. Yeah, it’s crazier than Mel Gibson on a bender, but it did satisfy our original quest to mixmaster two things together that have no damn right to look good. The final piece of our parochial puzzle was the use of our national
emblem. Commonly used on high-end football boots, kangaroo leather is some of the most supple in the Animal Kingdom, so the logic is sounder than it first appears. Upon sober reflection, we justified our Skippy design as a signifier of two worlds colliding. In this case, the back half is a traditional retro-runner with fluoro pops, while the front half represents the new world order of urbane sophistication and grown-up materials.
Sneaker Freaker x Puma "Clyde Book"
Year Released: 2010
Not many shoes are worthy of an entire book but PUMA’s Clyde more than qualifies. With a handmade gold-embossed cover that was bound using vintage green suede, this book was bananas cool. There’s an hilarious interview with the man himself – Walt "Clyde" Frazier – as well as Bobbito Garcia, HikmetSugoer, Mark Bode, Rob L, Scott Bourne, Ollie Teeba, and Forever Fresh talking about the man, the myth, and the NYC legend.
Sneaker Freaker x Puma R698 "Geography Teacher"
Year Released: 2010
This project started as a 10th birthday gift to our friends over at size? in the UK. Utilizing the thoroughly under-appreciated and curiously named R698 model, we christened these Geography Teachers on account of their sheer beigeness and scholarly status. Flipping such a lo-fi theme onto a Trinomic ‘80s runner was a contradiction, but that’s just one of the reasons it looks the nuts. Ivory midsoles, "tectonic plate" tongue tags, gum soles, a black toebar for all-weather protection and mad mauve pops – this was a colourway like no other. Sneaker Freaker logos on the heel webbing and a super plump tongue added just enough pizzazz. A matching PUMA bicycle was dressed to the hilt in beige and taupe with vivid mauve pops. The one-off beauty came accessorized with a leather Brooks saddle, fat gum tires, Trinomic branding, and wooden rims.
Sneaker Freaker x ASICS Gel Lyte III "Alvin Purple"
Year Released: 2010
Our Alvin Purple Gel Lyte III arrived at a time when retro runners were on a serious downswing. As the trendoids switched to upmarket offerings and lumberjack accessories, we decided we’d had enough of low-fi, blando vulcanised sneakers for geriatric grown-ups. Injecting a little pep back into our step, we wound the clock back to what we know best. Conventionally furnished in premium suede and silky mesh, the recipe was a simple one, but that’s not to say we didn’t agonize over the ingredients. Asymmetrical color-blocking veered from the laterally racy to a toned-down view from the medial side. The classic ASICS stripes were offset by a mysterious color that was not quite purple, lilac, mauve or even blue for that matter. Throw in crispy white soles, two sets of polka laces, speckled 3M midsoles, reflective tape on the heel and an "R-rated" badge and you can see why Alvin Purple had a rep for snapping necks from 50 yards.
Sneaker Freaker x New Balance History Fanzine
Year Released: 2011
We put together this tidy package for New Balance back in 2011. A fast-paced snapshot of the brand’s quirky history, the book also featured a series of collector interviews, an overview of NB collabs and some really nice illustrations that were produced in-house. This was a great example of working to a modest budget but totally over delivering any way you look at it. The content was also translated and reprinted in other markets.
Sneaker Freaker x Puma "Running Book"
Year Released: 2011
After researching PUMA’s running history, we compiled a book that told the brand’s sporting history from day one through the use of vintage ads, old shoe catalogs and an interview with PUMA’s archivist, Helmut Fischer. The book was a super premium production and was presented inside an awesome hard case with custom sticker inserts and space for each owner to write their name on the cover. Nice.
Sneaker Freaker x Puma Dallas "Bunyip"
Year Released: 2012
he legend of the Bunyip is deeply embedded within the Australian psyche. Clouded in layer upon layer of mystery and fog, this "evil spirit" lurks in muddy billabongs, creeping out under cover of darkness to go bump in the night. Survivors of Bunyip raids are rare but describe them as looking "like a walrus crossed with a dingo." Others are sure they are six-feet tall with beefy arms, bad breath and strange necklaces made from wombat bones. Whatever the truth, the original source of the legend is credited to ancient mythology – the antipodean equivalent to the Yeti and Bigfoot.
After some wild ideas and false starts, we totally dismantled PUMA’s Dallas model and radically reconstructed it to our own specs. Firstly, we added a leather midsole, much like a "proper" dress shoe. We also added a crepe rubber sole and topped it all off with premium goat suede. Lined with the softest natural leather in the animal kingdom, the Bunyip is an upmarket offering that can be worn year-round, with or without socks.
Sneaker Freaker x Supra Skytop III "Goldenballs"
Year Released: 2012
Back in July 2012 we hit up Berlin for the Bread & Butter trade show and our friends at Supra spoiled us rotten by holding a soirée to celebrate the 10th anniversary of our little boogazine. As the sun went down on our convivial riverside location, the beers and burgers flowed and tunes from Marc Hype, Ecke Prenz, and Rew Kreuzberg were the perfect condiment. The "friends and fam" party was made even more memorable by the unveiling of our "Goldenballs" Supra Skytop III, 40 pairs of which were given away to anyone lucky enough to have a golden ticket to the event.
Sneaker Freaker x Supra Owen "Blue Balls"
Year Released: 2012
When our Goldenballs dropped, we felt a teenie weiner bit guilty for making it one of those "friends and family" only releases. With pressure mounting for a rematch, we requested a little relief from the hand of Supra. The end result was our super bouncy Blue Balls. This time around we busted one out on Supra’s Owen, combining brains, brawn and beauty into one sweet nutcracker of a shoe. Suprafoam shock absorption and a diamond mesh upper ensured the ride was limo quality, while the rope-a-dope lacing and speckled midsole punched harder than Kojak’s cojones. Tug on the plush pink heel tab and admire the unorthodox asymmetrical colour blocking as you guide your foot deep inside this super snug package. Unlike our GoldenBalls, these were no wet dream. A few hundred pairs of this spherical Sneaker Freaker 10-year anniversary collab were released into the wild at the end of 2012.
Sneaker Freaker x Saucony Grid 9000 "Bushwacker"
Year Released: 2012
Battered with a heavy desert sand and minty green tint, offset by noir suede and satin black lining, our ‘Bushwhacker’ version of the Saucony Grid 9000 sold out in nanoseconds everywhere from London to L.A. With modern diamond mesh, elastic bungee cords for an easy-on-off closure system and a rubberized tip to protect your toes from the elements, these Bushwhackers were fit for any off-road abuse you could throw at them. The pics are from the overnight queue at Overkill in Berlin back in May 2012.
Sneaker Freaker x PONY Brand History Book
Year Released: 2012
This has to be one of the greatest sneaker stories never told. More than a year of research was required to totally rebuild the PONY archive from scratch, as we sought out vintage models and catalogs on the 'Bay and turned them into a cohesive history lesson. If you weren’t around when PONY were in their prime then you might be surprised by just how big the brand was back in the day. Greats like Pele, Ali, Reggie Jackson, and Franco Harris all repped the famous PONY Chevron. It was an amazing roller coaster ride in the 1970s, with the "Product of New York" mustering mad hometown swagger to beat the German giants adidas and Puma at their own game. Full of priceless archival material and interviews with Ricky Powell, Spud Webb, Dee and Ricky, Bobbito Garcia, and PONY’s maverick founder, Roberto Muller, we are very proud of our work on this project.
Sneaker Freaker x New Balance 998 "Tassie Devil"
Year Released: 2013
As part of our marathon 10 year anniversary celebrations, we joined with NB to produce the Tassie Devil, a sabre-toothed version of their 998 model. If you don’t like purple, you’ll pass. We’ve got eggplant, violet, mauve, lilac, lavender, and another un-nameable shade that looks like three-day-old chewing gum but slots perfectly into the mix, delivering total synchronicity. For a little extra vim and vigor, we added some triangular fangs to the forefoot, and they ride proudly within a lovely bone midsole with just a hint of peppery speckle. The Wolverine suede is top-notch, theshape of the toe is oh-so right, and there's a little extra stuffing in the tongue for mad comfort.
Sneaker Freaker x Le Coq Sportif Flash "Summer Bay"
Year Released: 2013
Welcome to Summer Bay, where the sun shines golden all day long and life’s a flaming beach. It’s so perfect, it’s like walking on air! But first, let us introduce you to Le Coq Sportif’s Flash, an early '90s runner with zippy paneling and just the right amount of savoir faire. The colorway was intended as maverick-O.G., and by that, we mean it’s almost legit for the '90s, with a few subtle twists and turns to take it out of the predictable zone.
Cornflower blue, dusty pink strobes and banana yellow heels are a harmonious pastel mélange, but it’s the cunning deployment of both white and pale-blue silky mesh that is the off-kilter key here, at least to our deep-fried retinas. The materials were first class and the nubuck is shaded to perfection. Enchanté.
Sneaker Freaker x adidas Torsion Integral
Year Released: 2013
Our starting point with adidas’ Torsion Integral was a black midsole, which can be a brutal foundation, so we splattered it with a fine mist of wintery-white speckle so crisp, it’s criminal. From there it was a simple process of adding layer-upon-layer of luscious mint and cool grey, with a sly hit of Sneaker Freaker red in the Torsion bar. It’s a deceptively simple and supremely balanced combination. The materials are first class. The suede on the tongue and heel is so dark and mysterious it’s like staring into an infinite abyss. The mint nubuck is dynamite, the grey leather is the spark and the rugged mesh toebox provides the exclamation mark. Bang.
Sneaker Freaker x Puma Blaze of Glory "Sharkbait"
Year Released: 2014
During discussions over the anniversary re-release of the O.G. Sneaker Freaker x PUMA Blaze of Glory project, talk naturally turned to another Friends and Family release, similar to the Sharkskin edition. Whilst it was tempting to go back for a second bite of shark leather, we knew it was time for something new. The result is this turquoise terror we dubbed Sharkbait. Hits of treasure-chest gold, mako grey midsoles and infinite black accents were the perfect endgame for this predatory project. Packaged in an oversized custom box complete with wavy foam padding, the shoes also came with a limited edition cover of Sneaker Freaker #29 and a Sharkbait beanie. These shoes sold out in under 10 seconds. We definitely reset the bar with this one.
Sneaker Freaker x Montana Cans "Infrared"
Year Released: 2014
From fat-laced Clydes to Air Max and adidas ZX, the bond between graffiti writers and sneakers is undeniable. When Germany’s premium spray-can commandos Montana Cans contacted us with an idea to join forces, we didn’t think twice. Wrapping the can head-to-toe with Sneaker Freaker logos, the matte finish on Montana’s cans is certifiably slick, while the red nozzle literally caps off the project.
Sneaker Freaker x Nike "Geneaology of Innovation" Book
Year Released: 2014
Sneaker Freaker celebrated Nike’s recent "Genealogy of Innovation" exhibitions in London, Berlin and Paris by publishing this retrospective 240+ page guide book. An in-depth study of 200 game-changing Nike shoes and football boots, the book illustrates how Nike’s modern football innovations such as the Magista and Mercurial Superfly have been shaped by Nike sneaker technology. Produced in true Sneaker Freaker style, the book is laden with vintage advertising, rarely seen prototypes and original design sketches. It was eminently satisfying in this day-and-age of instant gratification, social media overload, and digital woohoo-ery, to make an epic book with Nike. We could have sold thousands of these books.