To design the next Saucony Originals Select release, we walked our home city of Boston for inspiration. Looking up at every turn, we saw rich history and classic New England palettes, but it was looking down that revealed the signature element we ultimately chose as our muse.Saucony Footwear Designer,
Source: Saucony Select – Shadow 5k Bricks
Ultimately the final copy of the “Bricks” Shadow 5K is an homage to Saucony’s Boston Homecoming theme for 2017.
In a year where Nike seems to be dropping everything they can imagine to regain their status as the it brand from adidas, and when adidas is releasing a shitload of NMDs which I think is going to begin to diminish the momentum of the brand, Saucony just reached back into the retro closet and introduced a themed shoe that literally drops stone on the competition.
I typically do a Should You Buy To Flip for shoes like limited adidas or Jordan retros, but I should be doing a feature because the fact that I don’t think this shoe will be collected is telling about the nature of the sneaker community and how crappy it’s becoming.
A few years back the New Balance SEAL dropped here in Memphis and I was able to walk into The Vault, a City Gear Premium Retail shop, and buy every pair. They wouldn’t let me buy them all on one day because of store policy, so I just walked in and picked up 3 pair each day and it didn’t surprise me that the market didn’t care. Hell, the New Balance x Nice Kicks release ended up being shipped out because no one bought the kicks there. This was 2013 and sneaker resale in Memphis was basically me. Those New Balance SEALS resold at 350 -400 a pair.
I bring this up because I should easily be writing a Should You Buy to Flip, but I’m not because people aren’t even paying attention to this shoe although they should be. It is everything right about sneaker design and style.
Read this description by designer Moira Cunningham, “I think my favorite element on the shoe is the tongue medallion, inspired by the Freedom Trail markers that denote the 17 historical sites located along the trail. It was fun, again, to try to duplicate the appearance and tactility of these marker plates using leather. I decided to play with the Saucony Originals logo to conform to the circular design, and found a burnished leather to create the illusion of tarnished metal. The debossing mimics the relief of the plaque. It’s a detail that I’m excited to point out, because while it visually polishes the overall design, it is also relevant to the theme and inspiration for the project.”
Her ability to capture this story so vividly in the design shows a masterful approach to sneaker creation. Nike hasn’t created a product this beautiful. adidas damn sure hasn’t created a product this amazing as all they are doing is creating one piece uppers with BOOST and people are flocking to old school Superstars.
When I say I’m honestly amazed at the quality here, I’m telling you, I’m blown away. I mean, when you create a shoe and the samples are actually equally as dope as the completed project, it shows a dedication that just isn’t seen in footwear creation right now. Check out the samples:
Whaaattttttttt?????? Samples?
Every pair should drop, but heads won’t check for them and that’s a damn shame. To me this series should be in the running for Shoe of the Year, it’s that damn dope.
The Shadow 5000 “Bricks” will be available this Friday, March 3rd for $120. Limited quantities will be available in Men’s sizes 5-12,13 & 14. Follow @SauconyOriginals on Instagram, @SauconyOrigs on Twitter or opt-in to saucony.com emails to be notified as soon as it launches. Check out #Shadow5kBricks on Social for more images of this silhouette.