From Dylan Adair, the Montreal-based designer of the Joy Division NB customs:
“So…. I’ve watched these photos get posted on a few sites now and I think that it’s time to put some things to rest. I did these NB customs, and the Nike Blazer was my work as well. The blazer was done in late 2005 as my contribution to Sneakerpimps when the expo stopped in my hometown of Montreal, Canada. The main impetus for doing the project was that I felt that a lot of “themed” shoes were pretty weak in terms of the story that they were trying to tell. I set about trying to incorporate as much detail to the shoes as Peter Saville, 8VO, or Johnson Panas would have put into any of the Factory releases. The shoe was my way of commemorating 25 years since Ian Curtis had passed. I had a blast doing it and listening to JD, ACR, NO, Durutti, etc. while I was working on it. That’s it.
– I was asked by NB to customize a pair of 576’s after they saw the Blazers. I re-did the white Unknown Pleasures concept and the Black and Green look was inspired by the Substance ’87 album cover.
– From what I have been told, they (NB) are passing on the project. The shoes are a one-off prototype, and will stay that way…
– New Order are keen to do something concurrent with the release of the film Control, so who knows what will pop up this year. From what I gather, they liked the shoe.
– Is Ian rolling in his grave… likely.
– Did he roll in his grave when Supreme used JD/NO artwork in 2005 and Raf Simons did in 2003? – Likely.
– This was as much about reaffirming Saville’s influence on me as a designer as my love of the band.
– There was a Hacienda inspired treatment for a Nike Stab as well.
Thanks for the lively discussion.”
Via CT Forums
[…] Check the thread at the link above for the full story. Thanks to New Balance Blog for highlighting this clarification. Personally I love the shoes and admire the effort Dylan’s obviously made in making this personal tribute to a creative influece shared by many. […]
[…] These sneakers have been popping up on blogs for a few months and there’s been almost no information about them whatsoever. No release date, no artist, no reason, etc. Until recently, there were only pictures. These shoes were kind of a legend, and it looks like they’re going to stay that way. The creator behind the shoes, Dylan Adair, has shed some light on the project that will never see the light of day. Hopefully, somebody picks up this concept now that it’s gotten a lot of attention. […]
[…] UPDATE: According to a post on the New Balance Blog. The shoe’s creater, Dylan Adair has gone into the origin and future of the sneakers. They were made by Dylan Adair, and he has set the record straight about them on the Crooked Tongue Forums, which was picked up by The New Balance Blog. “So…I’ve watched these photos get posted on a few sites now and I think that it’s time to put some things to rest. I did these NB customs, and the Nike Blazer was my work as well. The blazer was done in late 2005 as my contribution to Sneakerpimps when the expo stopped in my hometown of Montreal, Canada. The main impetus for doing the project was that I felt that a lot of “themed” shoes were pretty weak in terms of the story that they were trying to tell. I set about trying to incorporate as much detail to the shoes as Peter Saville, 8VO, or Johnson Panas would have put into any of the Factory releases. The shoe was my way of commemorating 25 years since Ian Curtis had passed. I had a blast doing it and listening to JD, ACR, NO, Durutti, etc. while I was working on it. That’s it. […]
I was excited when hearing about this new shoe, that is, until I saw it. WHITE? I think most JD fans would rather spend their money on a black shoe. I think the design of the shoe is awesome. However, I would not wear white shoes, nor would a majority of the JD/Ian Curtis fans. I do hope to see something in the furture when Control is released and will cross my fingers that, whatever the design, the color will be black.
Cheers.
Wanted to compliment on your site, it looks really good .
Hank
[…] there it is, apparently according to me everything == minimalist + nerd factor. Sadly it seems that New Balance passed on the project after building the prototype. ↑ Predictions of Microsoft’s […]
Wazzup!
What do you think about Apple Iogo? >:)
[…] This has since been shown to be an artist’s homage to Peter Saville (link). […]
These shoes were kind of a legend, and it looks like they’re going to stay that way, They were made by Dylan Adair, and he has set the record straight about them on the Crooked Tongue Forums, which was picked up by The New Balance Blog