I’ve given you a look at the Fall 2012 Allen collection that will hit the site around September, but I haven’t told you what is coming up this summer. I was waiting to talk about it because I didn’t want to jinx the project and then I realized that you can’t jinx a company by talking about your plans. You can only jinx a company by making a crappy product and then failing to promote and sell that product. Right?
Summer 2012 is important for a number of reasons, but in sports the obvious thing is the Summer Olympics in London. While I may not be a big D Wade fan I am in total agreement that Olympic athletes should be paid. I also remember watching the Olympics growing up and wanting to be fast like Carl Lewis (minus the really crappy singing) and I wanted to run hurdles like Edwin Moses. Later when I was older I wanted to run the 200 like Michael Johnson, but I was in the Navy and chubby so I knew that wasn’t happening. I later settled on admiring the Dream Team. I am saying all of this to say that my summer collection from ARCH is going to bring back my most popular shoe the CG097 in its second variation. If you want to see the first shoe go to the CCB blog on the side of this page.
Like the original CG this will be a lightweight running shoe based on my favorite running models. The upper has styling cues similar to the Puma FAAS 300 and like the original my connection to the Nike Free is directly obvious in the outsole. I initially thought against using an outsole that was so similar to one of Nikes most popular models, but after thinking about the things I did like about the Free, I thought using a less dense foam would remove some of the spongy feeling associated with natural running and provide a bit more support. So while the outsole looks very similar, the thickness of the foam is different and the width of the seperations between each section in the outsole is a bit closer. What happens with this is that while natural running is the focus of the Free, the CG097II is a bit more sturdy and not as flexible. While you can take the Free and bend it backwards and all around that won’t happen because I made the midsole that connects the upper and the outsole a bit more rigid which reminds me of the Puma FAAS which is also a natural running shoe but actually feels great on my foot although I’m heavier guy who runs 1-3 miles a day.
Right now the only thing you get to see are the mock colorway designs by Ian Matic Gale, who designed this CG model. I designed the original and thought I needed a more streamlined approach to this shoe. For those who aren’t going back to the blog to read what the name of the shoe means here is a breakdown of the name and the colorways. CG097II
CG: Courtney Graham (also the C is for Cornelius which is explained after CG) – Courtney was the point guard on my high school team at Crawford High in San Diego. In his senior year I cut him because he wouldn’t cut his hair. As much as I hated to do this to him, I wanted uniformity for this team because this team was special. I felt that this would be the year we could make some noise. I never thought he wouldn’t cut his hair though, and instead of talking him through it instead of confronting him, knowing kids don’t like to be confronted, I let him go. I thought about this all year. Courtney went on to become a computer tech and graphic design guy just like I was. We spoke on occasion even after I left San Diego. He became a mentor and although he had his share of problems he was a great young man. In 2010 Courtney was murdered. His case remains unsolved. This has led to a movement in San Diego against gang violence. For an innocent and good young man to lose his life is one of my motivating factors. Cornelius was my father in law. He was a Vietnam Vet who died of Agent Orange related cancer in 2010.
097: I joined the US Navy after getting into a world of trouble after high school. Those 4 years I traveled the world and I was an Aviation Electricians mate on F-14 Tomcats. I was a trouble shooter on the CVN-72 Abraham Lincoln in VF-114 and VF-213. This was the best decision I made in my life, joining the Navy. My boot camp company was 097.
The CG097II Colorways for the Inspiration Collection.
Black and Yellow: My favorite NFL team is the Pittsburgh Steelers. Is there anymore to say?
Navy/Grey/Red and White: This shoe represents my service to the United States in the Navy: hence the grey along with the red, white and blue
Sky Blue/Black and Yellow: This colorway represents Barbados. The designer, Ian Gale, lives in the West Indies and this colorway I think is the best looking in the group.
Blue/Red (no pic): This colorway represents my time as the head coach at Crawford High School. I have been honored to watch the young men I’ve coached become adults and fathers. The school is in one of the toughest areas of San Diego, but it is also the most diverse and unfortunately one of the most gang represented areas. The kids are great though and living in Southeast San Diego was difficult sometimes, but still I wouldn’t change that for the world. Crawford’s colors are Red, white and blue, and this shoe combines the colors of the crips and bloods to show that something beautiful and amazing can come from the differences. Something stronger than the ignorance and death created by these colors.
This is the Inspiration Collection. The shoes are being manufactured right now and will launch at the end of June. Real pictures coming soon.
Stay Motivated
Chris B.
