How Football and Grime Music Inspired the UK's Sneaker Culture I Sole Origins 

A lot of people forget or overlook how big Reebok was, especially around the Jungle/ DnB scene. Everyone was wearing classics and workouts.

I'm surprised not to see a single mention of Reebok Classics. Not my taste, but certainly a big part of sneaker culture in the UK.

Welty, the Spezial boy

You did the Terrace community justice, but you have indeed failed the Air Max community. The Godfather here in London is Stevey Ryder, 1 of the 9 'Masters Of Air', a chat about Air Max's without him is like talking about Adidas without Gary Aspden. The AM1 is a basic entry level Air Max that has newly been adopted by many after the recent retro's. 90's are a classic essential, almost as certified as the AF1 is in NYC, although they don't really get direct respect they deserve. The 95 colloquially known as 110's (for their initial £110 price point) in the 00's held their own as the UK's poster child for Air Max's, with genuine police statistics that support the fact that they were the fundamental crep of choice for what Americans would call "Black AF1 activity", so they have a pretty legendary status to identify the country. 97's were hot ones from the jump that sustained prestige although rare until they got retro'd and littered the streets in '17. TN's were have always been heavyweights like the 97's, except they never left, so they've been and still are a cemented staple in the community. Grime is the soundtrack to the streets, it started off with pirate radio stations and there's an AM1 designed for that called "Hold Tight", designed by the same Ben Drury who did Dizzee's AM90 Tongue 'N' Cheek. You did the Adidas' Terrace legacy justice with context almost as a timeline, but it didn't seem as chronologically coherent with the Air Max side of things. Dizzee and DJ Target did sick to add context and insights, but the whole section ought to have been constructed better. I've said plenty, so in closing, there's more 97's on the ground than Stan Smith's. P.S. I just clocked, all the missing plot holes is probably because you forced the episode to cover the whole country instead of a city like you've done before🤦🏾‍♂️ You shouldn't have caved in to Welty's peer pressure about Spezial's, that side could have done fine as its own episode. Too bad there won't be a next time now, just the 1 misrepresentation this time 😒

A key phrase "once everybody knows, it’s no longer cool". Hype is killing the privilege, nostalgia & allure of owning a piece of history. May many of the great unknowns remain as such, unknown.

I'm glad this season has been Adidas focused, not everyone loves or has had Jordan 1s. Great episodes so far!

Kudos to Complex for writing football and not soccer🙄

Damn this was awesome, This was the history of England from 1970s to 2000s in capsule of athletic shoes. Pop culture via sneakers. Great job guys. I couldn’t keep this to myself I had to send this to all my friends who love any of the following history, fashion, art, street wear, music and or sports.

Unbelievable that you talk about trainers in the UK and nobody has mentioned trainers that really shaped the culture in London and many other places such as the Reebok Classic in the mid to late 90’s, Air Max Plus late 90s into the 00’s, Air Max 90’s in the early 00’s (ok the pythons were shown in hand) I’m glad Target spoke on it, he always had on what was popular during those times.

FSARMY up In here !!!! Big ups to Matt welty a super knowledgable sneaker head

"The Stan Smith is the most common sneaker in the UK" Air force 1 low has entered the chat

Thanks so much Complex we are finally represented!! Hits close to home back in Essex playing street football and listening Stormzy and Dave making grime bangers!!! Oh don’t forget J Hus, Skepta and Cadet(RIP Mate)

I actually watched a 22 minute documentary about shoes. And I enjoyed it.

I actually learned a lot from this episode. I knew Adidas has a huge following in the UK but I had no idea of the history behind that stuff.

In the uk everyone calls airmax 95 110s because there where 110 when they where first released although now they cost about 140

This is so beautifully done, loving this series.

More of these UK docs please, there's so many untold stories that can be shared.

North: addidas South: airmax Midlands: Am I a joke to you?

Culture in the the North was created in the North, culture in the South was created in the States Liverpool and Manchester were wearing 110's and 97's way before London I mean Liverpool has three different 110 collabs. Nike knows.

Very very interested and cool documentary, keep up with these vids

Another great episode. Keep'em coming!

The beat at the closing credits is 🔥

Love this series. Keep me coming.

The UK needs a whole documentary 2 hour special on Trainers. Deep culture with variety.

Awesome new series. Keep up the good work.

Absolutely loved this! Took me on a journey from school days wearing Adidas Samba, Mamba and Bamba! Sergio Tacchini and Fila tracksuit tennis tops, Pringle and Gabicci jumpers. Sneaker culture in London was great! Show love & drop knowledge was the code back then. Going into Footpatrol and talking sneakers with Wes in the early days and then queuing outside for drops and having banter with people from all around Europe. Cant forget Size? as they pushed love for Puma Suedes and Clydes. Crooked Tongues was more than a website...it was family! Crooked Tongues BBQ’s were fantastic events and their Puma Clyde collaborations were hype back then. Special mention to D Bailey “Debs” at Offspring, knowledge, jokes and banter! Those were the days.

Great episode in a great documentary, will Amsterdam see an episode too? Culture is big in the Netherlands with parra collabs, patta collabs, casual culture being big, etc.

Thank you for making this.

Really well done complex 🙌🏽

What could be leaned: North = Addidas, London = Nike Also AF1s are London's most worn shoe today

Man every time an episode of Sole Origins comes out it makes me want to buy some damn sneakers. Might have to cop me some Superstars and Stan Smith’s now

This episode was 🔥

Loved this 🇬🇧

my sneaker collection is growing like crazy. nice upload 👌🏼

More episodes like this please

I love this series please don’t stop 🙏

Absolute great watch.

This is freaking awesome!🙌🏾

Gotta be a real I reckon the most worn shoe in the UK is airmax easily

wheres the mention of reebok? from the mid 80's in london we was on the workout, classsic n various joggers from them.

This was amazing man

love this series

I went on a trip to London and could not go 4 minutes without seeing 3 people with air max’s

Love this i could listen to these men talk about trainers , creps or sneakers for hours it was Adidas and Nike or puma for me defo ! Gazelles , Samba's & Stan Smith's . I was a big bboy and fan of hip hop then a raver so then switched to Adidas torsion or Nike air max for comfort you even see Usher wearing a pair of Stan Smith's in the video for track "Burn" to Run DMC wit the Adidas superstars just loved trainers since I was 16 years of age believe me ! Big props goes out to Dizzee Rascal 👌. Stay blessed I'm out peace . ✌👟🇬🇧💯✔

Matt Welty being on Sole Origins made this episode the greatest episode ever

The SNS guy has the same voice as David Beckham lol

So dope. Thanks

"if you go to the UK the most common shoe will be the stan smith".... that Zen guy knows nothing about the UK sneaker culture, he just says generic things and this isntance it is not even true. Airmax 90 is what you see everywhere and if it is an adidas shoe it is the gazelle, not the stan smith... everyone else on the epsidoe though top work, really thought you captured that sneaker era really well, that being shoes simply complimented not that era and not the era was dominated around shoes (BECASUE IT WASN'T)

Everytime I watch Sole Origins, it makes me want to buy trainers/sneakers. I guess I am going to buy some Air Max or stan smith now

Some watch, dizzee really is a legend here

Manchester and Liverpool need their appreciation

I feel this is more 'England' rather than UK.

I was waiting for the Welty Hands

Welty!!! It's like a crossover episode

Great watch complex! Bout time U.K. gets some appreciation

"You'll see more stan smiths than any other shoe" So we're gonna pretend the Air Max 90 doesn't exist? Or more recently the 95?

Literally just here for Welty. Yall gave the bol a paragraph.

this video is so good

i'm in love with the SB kudos to the designer...

These are the types of sneakerheads I can relate to. Not those who are only there for the hype and the flex.

As a skater in the early 90s we wore Gazelles/Suedes/Baskets/Superstars etc because not only were they good to skate in, but they were also under a tenner a pair - cheapest I ever got some was three pounds for all petrol blue baskets. Two or three years later, prices shot up and reissues were everywhere...

Great video

take a drink every time you hear the words "culture" and "Adidas" lol

damn that danish store at the beginning really looks like the one in buenos aires from spezial's "sole searching in south america" documentary. really wanna visit them

Great video! but wheres Reebok Classic Leather?

Great story to hear 👍🏼

Sometimes I wonder why I really love sneakers and love this stuff. But love cant be explained it’s expressed.

20:38 That's wild. Y3 would have been with Nike if they hadn't declined yohjis approach

Dope series!

We want more

My dude lowkey flexed with the freddie kruger dunks tho 🔥

Class documentary any date on the lg spezial

welty in the house!

UK recognition 🙌🙌🙌

When i was growing up in the 70, s 80,s my favorites in Manchester were Adidas Hawaii very nice brown suede trainers,Stan Smith and Gazelles

In Texas, all the lil soccer kids wore sambas growing up. I copped a pair last year for old time sake

Amazing video showcasing the UK sneaker culture. Too bad the air max Skepta didn't get a mention

song when Gary was talking about acid house?

Cool program

Nice but I think the impact of grime on UK sneaker culture is somewhat fabricated. Kids into rave music, UK garage, drum and bass, US and UK hiphop and even skateboarding were all wearing and importing air max 1/BW/97/Plus, Huraches, reebok classics/workouts, dunks etc etc before grime even existed and if anything did more to foster uk sneaker culture. Grime is not necessarily affiliated with sneaker culture, the early grime MC's were just road men or kids from rough areas of london who wore sneakers by default, but this had been happening in these areas since like 1995. They generally weren't collectors or enthusiasts they just wanted a crisp pair of shoes on their feet as did most of the youth from those areas no matter what music they liked as it was a status symbol to be wearing expensive kicks. Nikes collaboration with dizzee rascal was in 2009 after many high profile american artist collabs, nike merely decided to jump on the first UK rapper to really get mass mainstream acclaim, it wasn't because grime had fostered sneaker culture. Nowdays nike and adidas are just throwing money and collabs at uk rappers right left and centre because they are charting and popular, again not really because grime in some way fostered sneaker culture.

man quality video shout UK boys

Quality

bro i play soccer/football and i wear adidas gazelles.they are absolutely amazing to wear as they are very durable and go with any style, as well as being very comfy and great for play on the street.

Welty !!!

I appreciate this look into other communities stories behind their shoes. Now I get why Welty's in love. (they aren't for me - but I get it.)

I think the series is so cool cuz sneaker culture is so different in so many different areas of the world but it's all a common Bond. I grew up in the US Midwest so my culture if you want to put it that way was Chuck's and Reebok.... And 1985 Jordans those were King back then. In my crowd Converse All Star OG chucks in white where where was that cuz all you had to do was take a sharpie and that was customizing.

I rocked reebok basketball shoes on the street as a kid going in and out of children’s homes, you get there they take them off you, you get them Back they are too small......you swap lol, even had a set of Adidas samba 2, had a nice set of gumsole ZX100 or whatever they were called, I was too of my nut to remember lol, OG airmax too, white black purple, even had blue suede Gazelles in 96, if you went to a new school first thing you were checked on was “what trainers are they rocking”, this was in Scotland so don’t kid yourself londoncentrics.

i didnt know this is a complex video when i click on it, and when i saw that adidas jacket with the goggles at 4:22, i thought of welty, and there it goes welty in the next segment lmfao

Yup!!!what happened to Reebok? I have a red classic pair.

hope they do a Sole Origins in mi home land 🇯🇲 one day

Sentence after 6:05 was a burn.... 🤣🤣🤣🤣

🔥 💪 episode

I think it's true that in the states tastes shift. I remember buying superstars for about 50 dollars earlier this decade and now they cost 80 because of the market growing back for them.

Londons on thumbnail #NIKESB 2003 🔥

I see Welty I hit like

respect!

The Busenitz Pro Model...

Regarding the uk/NWest you spoke to the right people. 👍🏻

Reebok classics and workouts where every Liverpool kids school shoe in the late 90s to late 2000s and Liverpool is known for the airmax 95s or as every one in Liverpool known them as 110’s because that was the price you paid for a new pair of air max 95s

There's definitely some irony behind the meaning of "oi polloi" and the prices of a lot of their clothing.