crooked tongues magazine News Features

There's a lot of footwear patriotism out there at the moment. If it's not a hairy-faced influx of lookbooks showing men being manly in rugged American environments, and an insistence on apparel made in the USA (minus the troubled Dov Charney's pervy streak), it's footwear like fellow Los Angeles dweller (after HUF HQ shifted to the city from SF) Darren Romanelli and his Americana celebrating All-Star Cup. Now the new HUF line is in on the act too. We're feeling what the brand's done with its debut collection. Having proved they can rule the collaborative arena, on a solo mission Keith and co. have done a sterling job, from the virals and sneak peaks to the finished product. Our immediate concern when we hear about anyone going their own way on a vulc base is the other 'V'—the one that gets constantly copied.

Thankfully these aren't just rehashed Vans, and the 'H' logo surpasses the initial concerns here that it was a little bit "Hogan." As a brand, HUF was one of the first we saw authentically adapt with a climate less inclined towards a vast screenprint, and one of the few skate-centric lines to incur the "cut & sew" tag without making us groan. Their shirts, jackets and tees have been impeccable quality for the last few years, and you know they can bring it on the design side by bringing in those who understand the fundamentals and much, much more.

The use of gum rubber, suede and canvas materials and for this collection, the stars and stripes on the outsole and stars on the midsole isn't bad at all. The HUF branding on an eyelet indicates that this was a considered collection, and the heel and tongue embroideries put the emphasis on clean graphic design to good use in the same way Undefeated have a bank of superior graphics to fall back on as far as logos go. The hi-top Hupper and low-top Choice design are immediate, but the Genuine's ability to switch from a lace-up to a slip-on is a surprisingly nifty touch. A good tie to the considered clothing in the current season, when we heard of this project's genesis, we anticipated some of the same old same, but this is decent footwear and they're in the store now.