Nike Dunk Be True Bangkok

On last Friday, Nike Dunk Be True Event was happening in Bangkok featuring some of the most rare collection of Dunks from Crooked Tongues, Limited Etd., Genesis and local collectors. Crooked Tongues did a feature on the event. The after-party continues at Club Culture with the Japanese biggest hiphop crew Nitro Microphone Underground and MC Topa & DJ Hobby:Tech of Kiks Tyo.

For the most part, accounts of other people’s exploits abroad, at industry-related events and suchlike, online or otherwise, are about as fun to read as a claw hammer to the incisors. Much like blogs riddled with weak camera shots of promo freebies the “writer” has been sent in the mail, with addresses tactically blurred to prevent retribution , they’re boring. But on getting a request from Nike Thailand to provide a little something-something for their Dunk ‘Be True’ celebrations, after September’s barbecue hi-jinks, we thought we’d give it a shot. While we hardly leapt, fist aloft, like John Bender when we spotted the vintage-effect releases, it’s a shoe that’s instrumental in Crooked’s evolution - remember the days when the CT Store couldn’t get ‘em in fast enough? Before global ubiquity beckoned from mid ‘02 onwards, it was perennially sold out on the site. We owe it some kind of nod.

With the first part of the proceedings taking in some live art from Sam Flores and JASE, with an exhibition of classic Dunks in a custom Nike space. Crooked’s contribution was, amongst the OGs, Goldenrod highs and lows, Dunk Airs, and amid the retro variations, personal favourites like the Celtics and Stussys. Set within the sweltering confines of Bangkok’s Siam Theatre. Inciting a mania amongst Nike-clad locals, we haven’t seen this many people converge on anything trainer-related in a long, long time. Extra promotional points are added for the Dunk USB flash drives, mini Swooshed pies and cakes. We can’t ascertain what meat was in the pies, but as edible novelties go, they did the job admirably.

On being asked to provide a tee for Nike to tie-in with this occasion, we rose to the challenge. Seeing as anything too subtle would get lost amid the logos, sound and sweat, we figured the shoe needed something directly shoe-related with a local twist. Collegiate imagery is a little too blatant - and who better to design than Mark Ward? With a CV riddled with sterling work for people even fussier and prone to sudden turnarounds close to deadlines than ourselves, Mark came correct. Shoes on tees generally isn’t to our taste - colourways, logo homages and sly references can be passable, but here, the the familiar hi-topped silhouette is present and correct on the shirt, and it works well.

For the after-party at Club Culture, free booze was flowing at a dangerously fluid rate, with our boy DJ hobby:tech, who manages to match brand CEO and journalistic roles with some serious skills on the SL1210s from both technical and party-rocking perspectives, playing. We provided the visuals - a short, stylish edit of court, skate and catalogue footage, representing for all the brands involved. The night, at least as far as this event went, culminated in a performance by fellow Tokyo residents Nitro Microphone Underground who went far beyond any paltry twenty minute PA remit with a full-length performance. For those that don’t know, this eight-man crew, who steadfastly refuse to go pop, affiliated with the mighty DJ Muro, are a key Nike hip-hop hookup, getting a brace of their own AF1s and an oft-overlooked Delta Force that got the Quick and Hyperstrike treatment, and they gave us an energetic showcase, capped by our man Gore-Tex tumbling from the stage at the very end. Rock ‘n roll.

Another nicely executed celebration - props to our crookedtongues.th family, Mark, Nitro crew, Sneaker Society, KIKS TYO and Nike.