crooked tongues magazine News Features

Because of the occasional bizarre licensing deal, Japan offers some of the last surprises in the worlds of clothing, music, apparel and sports footwear. Now, the internet is ablaze at the first mention of a collaborative Sharpie, yet some cool stuff still slips through the internet and catches you offguard during a Tokyo trip. DJ Muro was a good friend of our late, lamented sister site, Spine back in the day and is a good bloke, champion crate digger and one of the best DJs on the planet. He's also been at the centre of some insane dual label stuff as himself, KING INC or SAVAGE! working with Avirex, The North Face, Stussy, Carhartt, Porter and even Sesame Street characters. Who the heck else could release a 5-tape pack of samba breaks? He's a very hip-hop addled individual indeed but he seems to have fun with it too. Where else in the world could someone this b-boy still be a big name? Only in Japan.

Muro's also part of the Olympic themed adidas 'Your Story' Consortium collection and his choice of Pro Shell makes a certain sense, after his Ultrastar and Metro Attitudes with Kinetics last year that also flipped a Gucci makeup. The 1985 fusion of Superstar and Forum is frequently overlooked, but it's a particularly hip-hop piece of footwear that captures two of the most rap-friendly sneakers ever. If you looked at the glut of archive imagery that flooded the internet after the sad passing of the legendary MCA a week ago, you’ll know how adidas owned the hip-hop industry in 1986 and 1987, with the Beastie Boys repping the Attitude in a major way — Muro’s picks are all from a certain period and they’re all carrying the luxury theme that’s also been applied to classic Nike runners and basketball shoes as well as being used to elevate a Vans Fremont too. It’s far from original, but the Gucci palette makes shoes that were expensive in their day look even more flossy.

The stripes on the heel, reptile textures, premium suede, predominantly black upper, the tape logo on the heel, branding behind the Consortium tongue tag, green and red Velcro blend and the “KEEP ON DIGGIN’ 365 DAYS” on the laces are serious. Compared to the Kinetics releases, this one’s far more subtle, but it proves that there was little coercion to suit a theme (the kiss of death on any collaboration) and plenty of freedom for a partner. Salutes to all involved for amassing such a disparate bunch of collaborators from a wide range of backgrounds — we wish crate digging was an Olympic event, because we suspect Muro would take home gold. These drop at the end of the month alongside the rest of the first ‘Your Story’ collection.