Sneaker Freaker #46

176 pages
21 x 15 cm
Language: English
Softcover
Publisher: Sneaker Freaker
2021

Here at Sneaker Freaker HQ we’re still riding high following the release of Soled Out: The Golden Age of Sneaker Advertising, but we’re about to ride even higher thanks to Issue 46, which is finally ready to rock and roll. The lead-up to the 192-page tome saw delay after delay, hit with everything from global shipping nightmares to paper shortages, all attempting to rain on our parade. But we’ve finally done it, were the sneaker gods watching over us? It looks like it!

We’ve got two cover stars for this edition, one being Patta's latest venture on the Air Max 1 dubbed ‘Rush Maroon’. We linked with the brand's creative director Vincent van de Waal and jack-of-all-trades Lee Stuart to find out how they started surfing the Air Max 1 wave. The legendary Nike TN AKA Air Max Plus also adorns the front of our boogazine in a ‘100 Dollar Bills’ colourway. You’ve probably never seen it before, and that's because it’s totally bogus! You can learn all about it in our expansive Fakes, Copycats, Dirty Rats and La La Lawsuits historical retrospective.

If collector features are what you’re after then you’re in luck! The highlight of Issue 46 is the trio of interesting individuals who have a serious love for the game. Simply B comes through from Miami with searing heat and Chris Rosario the Brooklyn native comes correct with a batch of 90s hardwood kicks. The ultimate unicorn is Patrick Pan, who is a BAPE collector with a sizeable stash of Nigo's fruity BAPE STAs.

We also dive in head first with a whopping 7000-word historical analysis into legal battles, trademark protection, customisers and bootleggers. Touching on everyone from Lil Nas X to Warren Lotas, we even hit up sneakersphere OG Jeff Staple for his opinion on the matters. Finally, explore SOLED OUT and go deeper on its creation, specific ads and fonts through an interview with its creator and Sneaker Freaker head honcho Simon ‘Woody’ Wood!