crooked tongues magazine News Features

The era of vast skate shoes is over, but the first casualty of back-to-basics was comfort. Emerica's Laced model, as sported by Andrew Reynolds and company walks the line with a stripped-down look that's evocative of a certain re-appropriated deck shoe design, but with the bonus of being wearable with or without laces, thanks to some elasticated applications behind-the-scenes. This model's footbed is effective too, and there's no real break-in period either, but it's the hookup with our extended family at Slam City Skates that really piqued our attention here. Slam have made a few powermoves lately, reinforcing their local institution status and proving that you can, against all odds, stay independent in the current climate—something that Emerica and their sibling brands prove time and time again too. Factor in the fact that the Emerica 'Stay Gold' film gets a London premiere this evening, and it all comes together—simple lines interwining (to quote Nigel Tufnel).

A core element of the Slam City story, bar that legendary surly service from the days of old, has been the involvement of local art as well as skate talent. Illustrator Arran Gregory is that dude, and he's done a fine job with his gorilla and bear footbeds and box imagery. The Slam City logo is embroidered in a loud orange, just in case the shoe was veering a little too close to nondescript for your tastes, the rat logo is on the tongue, and the whole package does a decent job encapsulating the store's aesthetic for 2010.

We're left cold by a lot of dual-label drops, but we make an exception for projects like this. Both partners have a longstanding working relationship that affords them extra authenticity. Plus Emerica's got a ridiculous team that includes the UK's own Chris Ault and Tom Knox. As if by magic, this tie-in edit of Mr. Knox in action from Dan Magee, with some commentary from Arran on the shoe, has appeared on YouTube. We even saw fit to shoot these on the street instead of a studio because we're "urban" like that. The Emerica x Slam City Skates Laced is available from Slam City as of today...