Sole Stories - A Sit Down With YOU2
In May 2022, Balenciaga released a highly controversial set of still-life portraits taken by Leopold Duchemin. The photos depicted a series of ripped-up, tattered old shoes, one even being sold at the retail price of $1850. Although some critics were outraged by the offering, the message was rather simple; sneakers are not just a clout-inducing fashion statement but rather a product with purpose. Aside from the baffling mark-up, it’s rather questionable why our initial reaction to a pair of distressed, worn-down sneakers, is shock. When in reality, aren’t shoes meant to look like that in the first place?
Balenciaga distressed sneaker’s shot by Leopold Duchemin
Maybe that’s because sneakers have become so premiumized, we have forgotten their actual purpose. Not only this, the modern sneakerhead has now become an crucial target consumer for any brand aiming to break through the market with Media outlets such as Complex and Hypebeast even centering their whole business strategy around them. To top it off, in 2022, 200 pairs of Nike Air Forces designed by Virgil Abloh during his tenure at Louis Vuitton were sold at a total price of $25.3M in a Sotheby’s bidding, breaking the public record as the highest price for a sneaker to ever be sold at an auction house. Unsurprisingly, sneakers can now also be flipped for ten times the amount of their retail price when it comes to the resale market.
But chasing the constant high in search of the next “exclusive”, limited edition offer is taxing, with the true purpose of the sneaker getting lost as when it’s buried alive in designer logos and limited edition labels. Besides, do we even remember the last time we wore a sneaker until they were completely and utterly damaged to the core? Don’t sneakers hold value, not because they were listed with a six-figure mark on the market but because they exude a whiff of nostalgia?
Sure, we buy shoes to impress our friends and add to our collection but it’s also impressive when we see someone in a pair of kicks so worn out, it feels like we have stared into their souls just by looking at their feet. So whilst some prefer to keep their sneaks white and pristine, others may find romance behind a beaten-down pair of creps.
Photo by Mayu Uchida-YOU2’s recycled collages
Photo by Mayu Uchida
Up-and-coming artist You2, aims to extend the lifespan of your average sneaker and add a fresh spin on value even if your shoes are scuffed, creating collages by deconstructing worn-out sneakers once owned by himself or collected from his friends. His first exhibition was held conveniently in front of the Daikanyama Supreme store, in a venue called “anecdote”, displaying his collages all communicating You2’s distinct artistic style and message. Amongst the collages displayed, the most eye-catching works were the three gas-mask-like wearables, one created from a broken down Nike Air Max 95 Wheat, a New Balance 990v4, and a Nike SB DUNK HIGH PRO BLACK SPACE JAM.These repurposed shoes look somewhat otherworldly yet can be used for practical purposes; hence the shoe is reincarnated, born again into something far from its original form yet always functioning in a similar manner. Before the viewer enters YOU2’s collection of collages and reworked shoes, you pass a plaque explaining the meaning behind his creations:
[ANECDOTE]
複雑に壊れていく。
淡々と時間は過ぎ、繋ぎ止めることはできない気がした。
爪先の擦り減りや、アッパーの色褪せは、個性を魅せる。
分解されバランスを保ちながら、流動的な直感から、作品として生まれ変わる。
それは複雑に壊れた先で、新たな逸話を刻み始めるだろう。Falling apart intricately,
Time passes vigorously, too fast to mend the broken piece.
Abrasion around the toes, the fading around the upper shows charisma.
Dispersing yet remaining balanced, moving fluidly with instinct, the work is reborn.
The beginning to an end, a new story is bound to unfold.
Yabiku Henrique Yudi’s work, an inspiration for YOU2
A piece by Tyrell Winston another key influence for YOU2
As an avid skateboarder from a young age, YOU2 started making collages from the battered skate shoes that were lying around his house in Osaka. The shoes that he uses for the collages are usually dirty because of over-usage from everyday wear and tear; however YOU2 states that’s what adds to the charm of the collage.
“I think skaters are the very few that prefer battered sneakers compared to something crisp and clean to show their resistance and skills. I thought that through collage, I could enhance the love towards something that is somewhat already broken down by creating something completely new out of it.”
Regarding his inspirations, the upcoming creative states he looks up to Tyrell Winston and Yabiku Henrique Yudi. “I saw a collage created by Yabiku for the first time in SLON, a select shop in Osaka and I was blown away. From then on, I have been obsessed with his work.”
To get a better look inside his creative process, we took a tour around his studio near Nakano where Nike, Vans, and New Balance shoes are scattered around the space, waiting to be remade. His creative process is meticulous yet his ideas are abstract, creating rough sketches of the final collage before production.
“I usually have a vague idea of what I want the collage to look like beforehand but I start brainstorming specifics only when I actually get the sneakers in my hand. In terms of how long it takes to make, I would say two to three weeks in general. Although I get inspiration from various sources, I guess you can say at the end of the day I follow my instinct a lot.”
Photography by Mayu Uchida- YOU2 in his studio
Photo by Mayu Uchida- a close up of YOU2’s studio
YOU2’s work is personal; one of the reasons why his work is turning heads. There is something poetic about owning a piece of artwork that once held an alternative purpose in a different life but with the memories still intact.
His latest project not only pays homage to the shoe's past life but enhances the performance of the actual product. Commissioned by a kickboxing athlete and friend Yugo Kato, YOU2 plans on using the same shoes worn by him during his practice as material.
“By taking an already used shoe that was worn by him during practice, I plan on creating a mask he will wear during his entry incorporating the functional needs that are required for him as a kick-boxer.”
Photo by Mayu Uchida YOU2’s multimedia work
Photo by Mayu Uchida-YOU2’s exhibition at anecdote in Daikanyama
So the next time you have the urge to splurge on some brand new kicks, don’t just invest in a pair that you know will only be worn once in a blue moon, get a pair that will last a lifetime. Remember that even when those shoes are battered to the core, a new life in another form is awaiting to be created by the hands of the artist, YOU2.
Photography by Mayu Uchida
About The Author:
OL [Office Lady] in the day, Sabukaru member by night, Ayana is a Japanese writer tackling controversial and oftentimes misunderstood social topics in the realms of modern-day Nippon.
Edited by: Ora Margolis
