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Believe it or not, we really like the Supra brand. The Supra Avenger isn't the definitive Supra shoe, but with that deliberate Jordan IV look, down to the lacestays, it's an interesting release regardless. Merrily polarising opinion, the whole Supra line is at least provocative, where the rest of the skate industry is playing it spectacularly safe when it comes to sneaker design. Skytops aren't another bland imitation, and they have a habit of pissing off folk who don't favour the towering nature of the shoe. The patronage of Justin Bieber probably doesn't help either. Angel Cabada seems to have tapped into something that the big guys can't achieve. All this in half a decade? Supra aren't playing. Their pick of endorsements is about as far from teenybopper as it gets. Terry Kennedy is a good man to have on board, as is the mighty Tom Penny (who didn't disappoint in that recent video from Amsterdam), with his Bandit pro model looking distinctly like the legendary Columbia hikers he skated in.

But recruiting the members of Baker's sister brand Deathwish is the master stroke. With a nihilistic aesthetic, we're drawn to the antics of the mighty Jim Greco and Antwuan Dixon—a man whose casual approach to face tattooing tops Supra fan Lil' Wayne's best efforts, like we are London's own PWBC, but Erik Ellington remains an elder statesman of sorts. Always gnarly, but a very gracious individual with his own style, Erik's previous footwear has been fairly clean and sober thus far.

So why ape one of Tinker's finest moments? Erik's aesthetic is tough to pin down, but we always saw a certain Whisky A Go Go rock 'n' roll look there in his attire. Maybe this links to the spirit of '89. Maybe if we thrash it out a little more, it's a throw back to Dave Mustaine in the Jordan V, a model that Supra riffed on with their grape coloured Cruiser a while back. Maybe it's just a commercial-looking release that resonates with Erik's strong business savvy. What's even odder here, is that the "airbag" is just a painted midsole foam detail. Strange, but we're not mad, as the break in Nike's patents back in the '90s led to a cheap-looking visible air bubble invasion on skate models. Black, cement and grey, a spot of 2000's white variation and 2004's cool grey, with hypetastic perforated patent just indicates that Jordan Brand may have missed a few tricks with their skate line. Not to all tastes, but more proof that Supra are working the angles as the brand expands.