Aloha all,
Glad to feel like Iʻm on a vacation from Jordan Brand as there hasn’t been too many “gotta have” releases for me… Looking forward to the Doernbecher X’s as I’ve been unlucky with DB retail drops lately. <–JB, hook a brother up!!! Lol.
Runner’s seem to still be on the incline… Not sure if this is a good or bad thing because now I’m starting to notice that its been getting harder to find and buy the pairs I need. The last thing I need is to struggle on buying both Jordan’s, AND runners! On the other hand, I guess it’s a good thing that people are broadening their likings…
Anyhow, this week’s OSNT blog features a good friend of mine, whom I met through Mr. Bobby Filipino, P-Funk The King… Get keen!
Puma Disc Blaze Lite “Tech’d Out Pack”
Always kinda dug these weird looking things for reasons unknown… I own a few classic color ways, but NEVER wear them…
24 Kilates x Le Coq Sportif Flash
I rarely even take a first (real) look at sneakers that don’t bare familiar brand insignia, but as I write this, these have earned a second… As usual, good job Kilates…
Mita Sneakers x adidas Originals Torsion Allegra
Thumbs up on colors… Not too wild, not too safe. Also, Suede lookin good and this adidas model is pretty decent.
Reebok Pump Omni Lite “Pumpkin”
Apparently anything and everything is acceptable for meaningless inspiration these days… Reaching… Lol
adidas Y-3 Qasa High
I’ve always love Y-3 Qasa’s… These are especially dope. Maybe one day I’ll muster up enough to afford one…
Vans Era “Snorkel Blue”
Spicy.
Nice Kicks x New Balance 574 “My Oh My”
“My Oh My…” Really?! Good, but definitely not as impressive as other NB projects emerging as of late…
Vans California Authentic “Gumsole Pack”
Gum!!! “Nobody ever pays me in gum (*Insert sad face here)…” These are sick.
Nike SB Stefan Janoski AC RS “Medium Grey Wool”
I really dig the use of a synthetic, Melton-like wool here… Melton wool has always been on my favorite fabrics list as its look is usually clean and classy.
Nike Lunar Pegasus ’89 – Anthracite – Volt
No, no, no… Nike isn’t done slooshing out Mrs. Pegi yet…
Nike Air Diamond Turf – Black – Blue – Orange – Mint
I admire when unusual colors are put together, most of the time…
Nike Air Tech Challenge II
A+ for Suede, but let’s face it… The colors are yuck! Please give me the good stuff!!!
Nike SB Dunk Low “Black Rain”
The rain droplet effect is a very cool concept… Is it hitter though? …I don’t know.
Nike Air Flightposite Exposed
Wouldn’t wear em, but I like em… I appreciate the look of foams as long as they aren’t over-designed.
Air Jordan V 3Lab5 – Black – Red
Much better than the first color way… Still, no other all-over Elephant Print shoes beat the OG Flip III’s and Chavez Dunks for me. Beasts, rev your hype machines!
Stussy x Nike SB Trainerendor
These are good… Really good. (*Adds to “hunting for” list…)
Nike Air Veer “University Red”
Sexy. If these are on the shelf when I randomly make my shoe shopping rounds one day, bet they’re coming home with me…
OLD SOLE, NEW TRICKS INTERVIEW: P-Funk The King | San Francisco Rapper, Gold Chain Rocker, Fly Sneaker Coppin’ Original Cool Guy
Name:
Paul.
Nickname / AKA:
P-Funk The King, Xan Bar P, Lil P Tha Bape God
All for the love, never the hype.
here’s quote from my homie Daghe that holds true for me:
“I love shoes… but no body will dare call me a sneaker head! ….never be defined by material things!” -Daghe
Shoe size:
9.5
My hustle:
I write songs and record music. I work a regular job on the side.
(Below: Press play and carry on…)
How many years I’ve been in an affair with sneakers:
I’ve had a thing for sneakers ever since I was a little kid. I started collecting sneakers in 2001.
How many pairs I own:
I own 80-100 pairs of sneakers. I thought I had a problem, but I’ve definitely seen people with way more sneakers than me. I also strongly believe it’s not about the quantity of sneakers you have, but of course, the quality.
My Holy Grail and why:
Banned Jordan 1s because they are very similar to the Black and Red Jordan 1s, which is my favorite shoe. Banned 1s are kind of like a Unicorn, like I’ve seen pictures of them but did they even exist? When I first got news that they were coming out, I was pretty excited to say the least. Then I read that they had been scrapped and would not be releasing. Then I read that they were only going to release at Nike outlets. Then I heard they were all B Grades. At this point, I didn’t know what to believe. Pretty soon it was confirmed, that they were coming out at outlets only on like a random Wednesday. My schedule for that day had restricted me from even attempting to get to an outlet. Luckily my homie Bansky from Sacramento was able to get a pair and he sold them to me for a cool homie price. I couldn’t believe it. I had shoes that I had been thinking about for over a year. Months go by and the sneaker quadruples in value. The rarity of the shoe adds to why they are considered my grail. I don’t know when I will ever wear these. My bro C Plus has a pair that he always wears, it tempts me to put them on and rock ‘em everyday, but I can’t do it. Not yet.
Honorable mentions for Grail include:
Infrared Jordan VI, Black Air Flight Ones, Andre Agassi Air Tech Challenge 2s, Royal Jordan 1s from 2001, Black and Red Jordan 1s from 2001. Nike Air Black Cement IIIs from 2001.
My most despised footwear and why:
Air Jordan Fusion/ Air Force Jordans or whatever the hell they are called. They are hideous. Nike took the very classic Air Force 1 and mixed it with all the classic Jordans and made a horrific shoe every time. They look like fakes. I don’t understand why they came out with those, when they could’ve just came out with Jordans they were mocked up to look like. I mean they cost the same. I would never buy those.
Currently hunting for:
Black And Red Jordan 1s from 1994
Black and Red Jordan 1s from 1985
Air Zoom Flight 5 Black/Blue
They don’t have to be deadstock, I like my kicks a little dirty and worn in. It gives them character.
If I had to choose ONE pair to wear for the rest of my life, it would be:
Black And Red Jordan 1s from 2001. They have a lot of sentimental value. That’s the first shoe I camped out for. I went to go stand in line around 4 a.m. with my older cousin who put me on to Jordans and Nikes. Back then we thought the hype for these shoes were crazy. Six hours later when Niketown San Francisco opened, I had my first pair of Jordans in adult size. It’s my favorite sneaker of all time. These shoes are what sparked my collection. I still wear them even though they are totally shredded. I’m missing the key chain and original box. But I have the retro card. One day I will buy a brand new pair. Jared, hook me with your Japanese connects! Haha
Amazing sneaker-related story:
I use to post pictures of shoes I wanted on my old blog. Shoes I thought I would never own because when they first came out, I was still in high school with no job, no money. One of those shoes I posted were Jordan IIIs with “Nike Air” on the heel instead of the Jumpman.
One time, someone reached out to me on Tumblr and told me they had a pair of near deadstock black cement Jordan IIIs with the Nike Air on the back for sale. He said he couldn’t fit them anymore. They had just been chillin’ in his closet for all these years. I was skeptical to buy them because shoes that old tend to crumble. Luckily he wore them enough to break them in and they showed no signs of cracks or crumbling. I met him up in San Jose and he sold them to me for a really really great price. When I asked why he was selling them for so cheap, he said “it’s because I know you’ll appreciate them”. They’re definitely one of my favorite sneakers that I own, they still have original box, original retro card and original receipt from Footlocker New York. I still can’t believe I have these.
Changes or surprises I’m hoping for in the sneaker world:
I look forward to the day that Jordan sneakers are available in-store all day every day; similar to a Converse Chuck Taylor. Can you imagine walking into a sneaker store and nonchalantly picking up a pair of black cement IIIs with no problems? That would be awesome. It would kill off the reseller to a certain extent and we wouldn’t have to worry about stupid twitter RSVPs and store raffles.
Additional comments, shout-outs, big ups:
Wear your sneakers! Shout out everyone in the sneaker culture who genuinely likes the shoes they buy! Middle finger to the resellers and the hypebeast, go read a book. And Shout out to my Fitted Hawaii Fam, Ri$ky Bizness Crew, Wavy Dream Team, 10% Crew, Goonies, BloopSet!
Pick up my album Since ’86 over at pfunktheking.com and check for my new album Bonfire dropping soon!
P-Funk The King – Vice City
P-Funk The King – Farewell
Contact:
Instagram: pfunktheking
Twitter.com/pfunktheking
Soundcloud.com/pfunktheking
A question for Parkz: Can I have your Yeezy 2s? Haha playin’ bro! Thank you for interviewing me.
Parkz: Haha! Bless, brother!
Interview by: JJ Parkz
jared@fittedhawaii.com