On December 20th of last year, as the end of the year approached, Salomon's new shoe, the XT-WHISPER, was released the following day. The Geargin editorial team caught wind of the information that Salomon will be holding a special event just to commemorate the release!
An event held just for one pair of shoes... I was so intrigued that I decided to attend. But first, let me tell you a little about the original XT-WHISPER
This shoe inherits the design of Salomon's XT series shoes,
featuring a premium finish with unique texture and layered construction. The wavy SensiFit and Quicklace technology combine to
provide a secure, reliable hold.
Pursuing individuality and traditional running technology, the XT-WHISPER, originally released as a trail running shoe, is reissued in a limited colorway. Honoring the tradition of trail running, this special shoe faithfully reproduces the original's craftsmanship and commitment to self-expression, without compromising functionality or style.
Shortly before the doors opened on the day, we arrived at Bonus Track in Shimokitazawa, a commercial facility that had been chosen as the venue for this event
・What's BONUS TRACK? From the official bonus track website
Bonus Track was born in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo in April 2020. It is a new space, a new town, that can be used and developed by everyone. It is located in the Shimokita Railway Street area, exactly halfway between Shimokitazawa Station and Setagaya-Daita Station on the Odakyu Line
There are a variety of unique restaurants and shops. Among them, there are co-working spaces, shared kitchens, plazas, and galleries, providing plenty of space for visitors to become part of creating the culture of this place
Official website : https://bonus-track.net/
Official Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/bonustrack_skz/
To celebrate the release of XT-WHISPER, we take a look at THE HOLIDAYS, a community event hosted by fashion director UCHI!
The atmosphere is great and exciting from the moment you enter the event venue
At the reception, you will receive a drink and food ticket, which allows you to enjoy a variety of tempting items from participating stores within the facility for free. It's so generous that it's truly impressive
At the end of the inverted L-shaped corridor was a wonderful space
If you look to the right, you'll find a mysterious space that doesn't seem like it's outdoors!
The star of the event, the XT-WHISPER, was enshrined in a stately manner, and this area, which can be used freely as a photogenic spot, was designed by Super Zoo, a shop that displays and sells toys and miscellaneous goods, mainly craft items
SuperZoo
Official website : https://superzoo-mobu.square.site/
Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sprzstore
As the night in Shimokitazawa gradually gets darker, expectations grow even higher
Continuing on, you'll come across a pop-up store on the left rung by PORTRATION, a vintage store that mainly deals in rare vintage T-shirts with a background in the culture of the time, regardless of genre, including music, film, and art. The store features a vintage Salomon pop-up store, as well as a limited-edition shop featuring silkscreen prints using graphics created specifically for this occasion. You'll have a good hard time choosing the vintage items that are hard to come by these days
PORTRATION
official website : https://www.portration.com/
Official Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/portration/
This was a limited edition live silkscreen print that was only available this time, and the fact that people could have their own personalized print made on the spot drew a large crowd in excitement
I'm still racking my brains over the combination of colors and graphics (lol)
It was getting dark and I was getting hungry, so I decided to have some food
Participating stores have signs like this showing what drinks they have available. There are several stores and a wide variety of drinks available, so it can be hard to decide what to drink, but deciding is what makes this event fun!
Let's choose from the many stores, and at the same time, we'll talk about the limited edition novelty items, which are one of the highlights of this event. Attendees will be given a limited number of novelty gifts, made by SuperZoo from remade MD discs. There was a flood of inquiries about this even before the event started, so it may be quite a treasure!
The drink is hot fruit tea made with fermented apple syrup!
Eat at this restaurant
Lu rou fan with boiled dumplings! This is the first time I've tried it, so it's hard to describe the taste (wry smile)
Needless to say, it was delicious, and it's amazing that it's free
What's more, the event itself was free to enter and anyone could participate, isn't that amazing?!
What's even more amazing is that Salomon was actively encouraging people who happened to be passing by to take part in the event; I don't think you see that kind of thing very often
The fruit tea is also sweet and delicious, perfect for chilly nights. And the yellow silkscreen print I ordered is lovely. If you can get this for the event price of 3,000 yen, there's no reason not to do it
Furthermore, the sound produced by a professional DJ is very pleasant, providing a pleasant sound at just the right volume without being too flashy and livening up the atmosphere
And the XT-WHISPER floating in the dark night
With so much going on, it's impossible for an event like this not to be a blast! It's awesome!
Here is an official comment from fashion director UCHI, who was one of the initiators of this event and also handled the creative direction
<UCHI's comment>
Salomon has an overwhelming presence in various outdoor activities such as trail running, skiing, and snowboarding, but it also values building a community that transcends these boundaries.
For this event, I chose to hold it at "BONUS TRACK," a shopping mall in Shimokitazawa, where I live. Shimokitazawa is also a city with a deep-rooted, fascinating community where various cultures intersect across generations
We're excited to see what kind of chemical reaction will occur when SuperZoo's spatial design, PORTRATION's vintage items, and Salomon come together. This community event will feature a variety of content perfect for the holiday season and is open to everyone, regardless of age or gender!
“UCHI” Uchida Ryunosuke Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ryunosuke_uchida/?hl=ja
What did you think of Salomon THE HOLIDAYS? It was an event of unprecedented scale for a single shoe, and I felt that this was reflected in the special "S" that was displayed proudly at the entrance. I'm sure Salomon will continue to attack from various angles, so I'll be keeping an eye on their developments. It was a really fun night
yans
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