Iron Man (2008) is Ronnie Fieg's favourite Marvel Cinematic Universe film. But if we open things up to the entire multiverse – that's Disney's 'sacred timeline' and beyond—it's got to be Logan (2017).
“I've seen almost every [Marvel] film,” the founder of lifestyle brand Kith tells us over email. “Given the recent news revealed at San Diego Comic Con [ICYMI, Robert Downey Jr is returning to the fold as Doctor Doom], I’m excited to see how they will tie everything together in the upcoming Avengers films.”
It's unlikely that anything will usurp 2017's pseudo-farewell to Hugh Jackman's Wolverine for him, though. “I remember leaving the theatre [after watching Logan] and being in awe of its new perspective on characters we had so much history with.”
New perspective is exactly what the NYC-based designer/entrepreneur has to offer through Kith's latest collaboration with Marvel, one that marks the House of Super's 85th anniversary by saluting “the characters we love to hate”: the baddies.
“Marvel Villians have such complicated and deep character stories; it's hard not to have an emotional connection with them,” he says. “I felt they deserved a moment of their own.”
'Super Villains' marks the third collaboration between Kith and Marvel. Followers of Fieg will remember that the first was an ode to Spider-Man, a celebration of 60 years of the web slinger, and the second marked the 60th anniversary of the X-Men.
The latter collection, which launched last summer, revolved around a pack of seven ASICS Remastered Gel-Lyte IIIs—each inspired by a different mutant (except, Wolverine played muse to two). It proved remarkably popular, which came as no surprise to Fieg, a man who exists in the realms of both comic books and sneakers.
“Ultimately, it comes down to being a collector,” says Fieg, referring to the crossover between the two communities. “It leads you to finding like-minded individuals, and once you’ve become part of that community and immersed yourself in the culture of it, it becomes a part of you.”
Accordingly, sneakers are at the forefront and centre of the annual Kith x Marvel drop for a second consecutive year. ASICS, again.
“I’ve been working with ASICS’ vintage tech catalogue for three or four years now – we’ve [constantly] integrated exclusive colourways into our seasonal collections and capsules.”
Kith's support of the Japanese footwear label has surely played a part in its recent rise. ASICS has seen a 600 per cent growth on StockX this year, driven by the Gel-NYC, the GT-2160, the Gel-Kayano 14 and the Gel-1130.
Three of these silhouettes—all but the Gel-NYC—are implemented in this drop. Given the Marvel x Kith treatment. Injected with Oscorp super serum, if you will. “The panelling on the uppers of these silhouettes lent themselves to menacing and dynamic colour blocking,” Fieg tells us.
Each comes packaged in a very special box with an original, villain-focused comic book. There are several covers of varying degrees of rarity. Like the X-Men trading cards included in last year's shoe boxes, some are officially authenticated by US-based authenticator company, PSA.
Below, Fieg walks us through all five colourways, including the one he wears the most, the 'Green Goblin', and his favourite – the soul stone in his infinity gauntlet – the 'Silver Surfer'.
“Silver Surfer is an incredibly complex character. His path would eventually lead him to righteousness, but when we’re first introduced to him, he’s herald of Galactus [the Fantastic Four's biggest threat]. He’s responsible for identifying planets for Galactus to devour, causing the deaths of entire worlds and their populations.
“I love this model. The materials we used really brought the character’s design to life. The vamp and quarter panels use a special translucent mesh, while the overlays feature this silver iridescent finish which looks incredible in the light.”
“I talked about this in a podcast last year, but for those who don’t know, I actually designed a Remastered Gel Lyte III 'Magneto' colourway to be part of our X-Men collection, but, ultimately didn’t make sense for the story. I loved the colourway though and when thinking about this year’s collection, I knew for sure I wanted to bring that idea to life. I started from scratch using the GEL-1130 which I think came out even stronger.”
“This is a nod back to our first collaboration with Marvel, which celebrated Spider-Man’s 60th anniversary. When identifying the different villains we’d feature, Venom was a no-brainer. Which led me to the idea of creating a special double-box set of Spider-Man vs. Venom.
“This colourway references Spidey’s classic red-and-blue suit. He’s one of my favourite characters of all time, especially considering he, like myself, is a Queens native.”
“Venom is one of my favourite villains. Out of all the characters, I think I enjoyed going through his artwork archive the most. The different artists throughout his history have created such incredible illustrations and images of him. The storylines that pit Spider-Man against him were always my favourite, along with [Spider-Man vs. Green Goblin].”
“Green Goblin is one of those villains imprinted in the minds of everyone who's even remotely familiar with the comics. He’s iconic. He’s as vicious as they come. I love his colour palette, and being able to integrate various shades of green against the purple accents.”
The Marvel x Kith x ASICS collaboration launches in Kith stores, the Kith webstore and the Kith app on Friday 9 August alongside the rest of the Marvel x Kith 85th Anniversary Collection.
Originally published on Esquire UK
Many things happen in a decade. Alex Ferguson retired from Man U; China ended their One Child Policy; the Notre Dame Cathedral caught on fire; uh, remember Covid anyone? A lot can happen in 10 years but we're glad to see Jon Fong and Dexter Tan still organising their sneaker cons.
Called Sole Superior, this was the original sneaker con that met the needs of local sneakerheads. The passion project between Fong and Tan started appropriately enough when they were in the queue for a sneaker release and, this year, for its 10th anniversary, the duo celebrates their milestone with a sneaker con worthy of the occasion.
For one, Sole Superior breaks tradition by holding its con in Singapore's lore-ridden neighbourhood, Yishun. Specifically at the grounds of HomeTeamNS Khatib. The clubhouse's Grand Ballroom is a sprawling 1,014 square metre space that will house a menagerie of vendors and exclusives that fans can look forward to.
Exclusive SUPER10R 2023 Merchandise: Illustrator, Alex Lim will put his mark (design) on limited-edition Hydro Flask bottles and exclusive event tees (only 50 pieces up for grabs).
Sole Superior x Saint Barkley Collab: Do you like your suede kicks with scented tongues and possessing that peachy bravado? We got you covered. We posted about these Singapore-Indonesia sneakers but it bears repeating that will be available to 100 pairs out of the 500 made and will retail at SGD66.
Superior Kids’ Area and T-shirt Design Competition: Are you the sort to utter that your kid can do better than the abstract work by artists? Why not, have them design a t-shirt. Do it, you mouthy coward, I'll wait. Or if you're the nice parent, who believe that art is subjective and just want to let kids be, have your little ones embrace their inner artist with a t-shirt design competition. The top three designs will see production and sales in 2024.
Community Marketplace/ Indie Vendors: A plethora of fineries will be available. Punish those naughty peddlers with your money!
Celebrating one's 10th year isn't just a recognition of survival; it's an event. One that is supported by a thriving community of streetwear enthusiasts. Step once more into the breach. Return to a world where style, culture and community collide in the most superior fashion imaginable.
Sole Superior will be held this Saturday, 25 November at HomeTeamNS Khatib (2 Yishun Walk, Singapore 767944). The event will run from noon to 8pm. Tickets are now available.
