Mr. Sole Slam: April 2015

The word is out: high top basketball sneakers for casual wear is out, and now more people are into classic low top running shoes for casual wear in the country. People, not just sneakerheads like me look not just for cool factor in shoes or the brand, but also comfort, price, rarity and shape. Take for example the 80’s classic Shadow and mid 90’s Grid from Saucony Originals. These two are timeless classic designs with a shape that is fit for the present and the future of classic runners on feet. Plus, it doesn’t shout too commonly to most people that they are marketing for free most of these household name brands I don’t need to mention anymore.

Saucony Originals Philippines (@SauconyOriginalsPH on Instagram) gave us all a great visual on the story of running. It’s the story of a storied sneaker franchise that has brought together decades of history into one event last April 15, 2015 at one of my favourite bars in Makati, Black Market. I, as a brand ambassador for Saucony Originals, was very ecstatic to receive a special invite to this closed door event reserved for a few chosen guest ranging from celebrities, media, social media influencers and store owners. I told my assistant to make sure my schedule was all clear for that night alone.

I couldn’t get my eyes off the history wall that collected important pieces to detail the story of each shoe they made. One of them was the "Blaze", a mysterious style but one that clearly showcases Saucony's racing pedigree since the 80’s. I’ve never seen the shoe in my life and it was a perfectly designed pair back in the early 90’s, an OG pair to say the least. I do hope Saucony Originals retro the pair in nice colorways too someday. I’d be first in line when it drops for sure.

Another one was the classic 80’s advertisements of the brand. Simple yet straight to the target market of the brand back then. Something that is back in style again when it comes to promoting new products to the public.

Of course, I stayed longest on the Saucony collaborations with different brands like Rise, Premier, END, Playcloth, BAIT, Bodega & Packer Shoes to name what I can recall, including some ultra rare sample pairs of these collaborations which left me in awe. The Rise x Saucony Originals “Keys Open Doors” collab sample pair shouted to my head “Take me home!”. Holy Grail Status I must say. I died for about a few minutes only to be brought back to earth to find out they are all size 9. If only I could find a way to get my hands on all of them in a size 10.5-11, my Saucony Originals collection would be complete. The only thing I could do was take beauty shots of them, hold them in my hands, and for that moment, I was one happy kid.

Check out the photos from the event courtesy of Saucony Originals PH here. Here’s hoping that there are more Saucony Originals to come here in the country, including the limited collaborations of course. Cough… Collab please… Cough!

S/O to Denice Lao of Saucony Originals PH for a great sneaker gallery show.