SKIN PILLIPS FOR ADIDAS (RESPECT YOUR ROOTS QUICKSTRIKE)

Brace yourselves, dear customers, for Adidas Skateboarding continues to walk down memory lane with a fresh Respect Your Roots release. As a tribute to renowned skateboarding photographer Skin Phillips, Adidas combed through its archives and dug up the Skate model which was first conceived in the 1990s. Somewhat similar to the legendary Gazelle, the Skate is one of the cleanest shoes Adidas has ever come up with. As you might have guessed by now, RYR releases celebrate key figures in skateboarding’s short but colorful history. Last year’s RYR pack honored 90’s skateboarding icons Kareem Campbell, Richard Angelides, Drake Jones and Joey Bast with three special versions of the Superstar – which was a favorite among skaters way before Adidas knew how to spell skateboarding. Sticking to the formula, this year’s RYR pays homage to one of skateboarding’s most influential photographers. Starting with capturing skateboarding, Skin Phillips made a name for himself outside the subculture. Today, he’s one of the most acclaimed photographers on the planet. However, Skin’s roots are in skateboarding. One of the most famous skateboarders to be mummified by Skin’s camera is Mark Gonzales. In 1998, he was shredding an exhibition at Mönchengladbach’s Museum Abteiberg, where German artist Johannes Wohnseifer installed quarters and kickers for the Gonz to rip apart. Skin Phillips captured the very peculiar dynamic between skateboarding and professional art. Today, the photos remain important documents depicting an early intersection of art and skateboarding. For a guy who’s life has so profoundly shaped skateboarding and the way it is perceived, we really think there’s no better way than issuing the Skate model with his name on it. In golden letters. It’s so classy, we hope Adidas is making this one a regular. Although that would kinda water down the whole purpose of the tribute, wouldn’t it?

The Adidas Skate RYR (Skin Phillips) is coming on 9th of February.