Stepney Workers Club
East-London based Stepney Workers Club launch its debut footwear collection for the SS18 season. The brand take inspiration from the all-encompassing cultures found at traditional Workers Sports Clubs with its slogan ‘Freedom of Sport, Freedom of Thought’ and its handshake logo signifying unity, liberal thinking and inclusiveness.
Its first collection opens with two styles, the Dellow and Varden, a low-top and a high-top vulcanised pump. Both are available in canvas or suede in monochrome colours and pastel shades. This style of footwear has been adopted by varying sub-cultures over the years and the timeless aesthetic is still relevant in 2018.
Its founders have years and years of experience in the high-end footwear market and had a vision to create a product that wasn’t readily available. It is safe to say they have done a quality job; the premium fabrics, chunky soles, subtle branding and price points are spot on.
Stepney Workers Club is now available in our Leeds store and will be dropping online very soon.
Adidas by Undefeated SS18
Adidas and Undefeated re-ignite their partnership for the spring season with a contemporary collection of sportswear apparel and footwear. This latest collaboration includes an extensive range of training apparel and high-performance footwear with a street-sports feel. adidas by Undefeated SS18 is online now.
The functional clothing range is presented in a subtle desert camo theme with shades of black, grey, white, dune, khaki and desert camo patterns. Features include tonal dual-branding, big UNDFTD logos and fabrics such as Climalite, Climachill and Gore-Tex facilitate for high-performance endurance. The apparel features streamlined silhouettes offering a unique mix with elements of both brands identity shining through.
This limited collection is complete with three technical runners comprising of the Ultraboost UNDFTD and the Adizero Adios 3 UNDFTD. Features include Primeknit uppers, Undefeated branded prints, Boost technology and Continental rubber grips. The Adizero will be available in black and camo colourways and the Ultraboost will be available in black (white Ultraboost not available unfortunately).
Puma ‘Running System’ Series
For the spring season Puma pay homage to an historic moment in its history. This latest pack is a tribute to its archive RS Computer Shoe, its cutting edge ‘Running System’ technology from the ‘80s and subsequent models.
Puma first launched its ‘Running System’ technology back in 1980 with the RS-100 model. This runner combined classic performance running characteristics with innovative technology. This tech was way ahead of its time and sparked a new era in the athletic footwear market.
After the success of the R-100, Puma launched the Computer Shoe with a built-in computer chip at the heel. This was the first time an electronic device had been placed in a running shoe. This custom-built micro-chip recorded data such as running time, distance and calories burned. Data of this kind helped runners gain useful insight into their runs, offered motivation and provided incentives to help build up a personal database.
Once a user had been on a run, they had to plug their trainers into a computer to receive the data that allowed them to look through the stats, build a digital running diary and set goals.
These two styles were a huge hit at the time and paved the way for a third model to come through, the RS-350. These were pivotal years that represented an important stage of the evolution of athletic footwear that many people thought would never happen.
Over thirty years after this breakthrough technology, Puma celebrate this legacy with a three-shoe pack in the original ‘Archive Green’ colourway.
The RS-0 is the modern-day version of the original RS Computer Shoe with the heel module removed and replaced with a elastic green band. All three styles have been streamlined with premium uppers, perforated branding, modern fabrics and signature green accents throughout.
The Puma RS-0, RS-100 and RS-350 are online now.
Wood Wood SS18
Arriving at The Hip Store for the very first time, the Danish fashion and lifestyle brand Wood Wood drop an opening collection of graphic t-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies and shirts. Founded in Copenhagen back in 2002, Karl-Oskar Olsen and Brian SS Jensen direct the brand and have developed the brand into a highly-covetable label all around the world.
Wood Wood has grown from a small lifestyle boutique selling limited edition t-shirts, sneakers, skateboards and art into a world-famous brand collaborating with some huge names including Maharishi, Adidas, Champion, Nike and Barbour naming just a few.
This contemporary streetwear brand take inspiration from various worlds including street culture, music, film and art with seasonal collections that include playful and expressive graphics across classic silhouettes.
This ambitious, street-influenced brand sit somewhere between streetwear, sports-fashion and high-end menswear with an individual Scandi twist. Clean lines and quality fabrics are at the heart of each design. Somehow Wood Wood shift through the different gears of the fashion spectrum with a refined simplicity and its latest offering is true to form. Shop Wood Wood SS18 here.
The in-house Nepenthes label, Needles
It would be forgiving to discuss the Japanese label Needles without mentioning the Nepenthes umbrella company first. Nepenthes was established in 1988 by Keizo Shimizu as a Japanese distributor specialising in US-made goods. Shimizu later partnered up with Daiki Suzuki and the pair formed Engineered Garments in the garment district of Manhattan, New York City.
Nepenthes’ in-house brand Needles was born in 1997 and currently sits with sister labels such as Engineered Garments, Sonic Labs and South2 West8, all under the Nepenthes parent company. The founder and designer, Shimizu has a very particular, vintage-inspired taste and continues to source vintage dealers and manufacturers inside America.
Needles has a cult following around the globe due to its ‘Made in Japan’ craftsmanship, unique aesthetic and small-run collections. Needles is a new brand to The Hip Store for SS18 and our first delivery includes the cut-and-sew, truly unique ‘rebuild’ shirts. In addition to this stand-out item are butterfly-embroidered tracksuits from the Needles ‘sportswear’ collection as well as workwear jackets, shirts and t-shirts.
