This is an on going personal project.
What is Stampsolector? Made for Sneakerheads, Stampsolector creates collectable stamps that celebrate the product and brand stories we, as Sneakerheads love. Some stories are well known, others educate and personal stories entertain. All told through one of the oldest forms of collecting, stamps.
Each newly minted stamp follows a recognizable format, yet is unique each time. Just as the postal service used post-mark rubber stamps, this tradition is carried on. Each piece is signed off using the Stampsolector logo. This authenticates each artwork, making it easy to identify as Stampsolector and easy to compare with your friend’s collection.
https://www.instagram.com/stampsolector/Stampsolector has it's own site - https://stampsolector.co.uk/gallery
PUMA Suede
Although the PUMA Suede has a lot of cultural relevance in sport, fashion and music, this stamp commemorates a very specific moment in time. Back in 1968 at the summer Olympics in Mexico, Tommie Smith and Jon Carlos both won gold and bronze in the 200m race. This was already a big moment! Tommie Smith was the first athlete to run under 20 seconds! What happened next was what made it probably the most political moment in Olympic history. In the changing room before walking out for the medal ceremony, Tommie Smith and Jon Carlos split a pair of black gloves, Tommie taking the right and Jon Carlos, the left. Peter Norman, the Australian silver medalist stood in support with them, wearing the Olympic Project for Human Rights (protesting racism in sport) badges. When their flags were raised and the U.S national anthem was played, Tommie Smith and Jon Carlos raised their fists as a silent gesture in protest against the U.S, that claimed to stand for and uphold human rights for people, however, neglected the rights of black Americans at home.
Converse Chuck Taylor All Star 70 Hi
I illustrated the Chuck Taylor because of what I've seen them represent.
It's pretty extraordinary that the Chuck Taylor is adopted by all different types of people and yet when they style it, it is distinct to them.
For this stamp, I went classic with the colour way and imagined someone I described above styling a classic pair true to them.
It's pretty extraordinary that the Chuck Taylor is adopted by all different types of people and yet when they style it, it is distinct to them.
For this stamp, I went classic with the colour way and imagined someone I described above styling a classic pair true to them.
Adidas Superstar
When I started thinking about which sneakers to do as stamps, I thought about the stories behind them and how I could commemorate them. The story I remember for the Superstar came from Rev Run of RUN DMC. As the story goes, back in 1986 RUN DMC was performing at Madison Square Garden and at the time unsigned by a brand. As we've all seen, they sported Adidas heavily and had their own way of wearing the Superstar, without laces of course. So, just as RUN DMC went to perform "My Adidas," they told the crowd to hold their sneakers in the air and it was like a sea of Adidas sneakers bobbing up and down which showed their influence and resulted in getting them a deal! I didn't grow up in 86 but I've always loved hearing this story.
Nike Air Force 1
I loved working on this one and had to do two stamps.
The left stamp plays on one of the many names the Air Force 1 has. For this, I imagined a conductor screaming "UPTOWN" to the passengers of a would-be train in New York going nowhere else but uptown to Harlem where this name spawned.
The left stamp plays on one of the many names the Air Force 1 has. For this, I imagined a conductor screaming "UPTOWN" to the passengers of a would-be train in New York going nowhere else but uptown to Harlem where this name spawned.
The second stamp is a reference to Nelly's song "Air Force 1" where he says "Give me 2 pair, I need two pair, so I can get to stompin' in my Air Force 1s. (Big boy!)." He said it so many times that when this song came out, MTV were having none of it and banned it from their channels. Why? Because it was too close to an advert! Makes sense since Nelly basically talked about the sneaker in every conceivable colourway and even went as far as saying the price. I used type alone because the phrase is so recognisable. However, the stamp was not complete without the finishing touch with Nelly's signature plaster. Big boy!
Nike Space Hippie... or Dust Bunnies?
When I saw the first images of the Space Hippie collection... I had to. In the launch video, Nike talked about using the material they already have in a bid to produce the most sustainable shoe ever. Taking inspiration from the idea that, if you were to fly to the moon, fly to Mars and stay there, you have to create things with what you find there.
I loved that the video was titled "The Nike sneakers are trash." I had to double-take and check if this was a sneaker review or coming from Nike themselves. It's provocative, it gets the people going! As these sneakers are trash (still cheeky) or "space junk" I imagined the material swept from the factory floor or lying around and self-proclaimed them the "dust bunnies." 🐰 Dust like waste and bunny like astronauts hopping around.
Air Jordan 7 Retro "Hare" & "Year of the Rabbit" mash-up
What's up jock? In the 90s, Jordan released an advert with Bugs Bunny being woken up from his slumber to the thud of a basketball above. After coming up to check it out, the players literally roll him into a ball and hit a long-range shot "from downtown," that's for all my NBA JAM players out there. Bugs is admittedly embarrassed and scorn as he lays inside the net looking helpless. So, he calls his buddy Michael Jordan (queue the Space Jam mouse with the deep voice intro "Micccccccchael Jooooooordan) to help him out. Jordan wears a pair of sneakers that even though growing up my brothers and I didn't wear Jordans, nor did I like dark colour sneakers, I loved the Air Jordan 7 "Bordeaux." My jaw drops like in the cartoons when someone is wearing them. One element of this stamp is Bugs and the brilliant tweak of "Hare Jordan." The other half is the mash-up of the "Year of the Rabbit." That's all folks.
Nike Air Mag
Don't you just love this shoe?
After Back to the Future, the Air Mag became a cult-classic but the reason why I think this shoe is so special is because of the support for The Michael J Fox foundation. This is what inspired this stamp.
I wanted PD reflected in this stamp. In researching, I found people with PD don't produce enough dopamine in their brains which plays an important role in sending messages that control our movement and coordination. To treat and help, some medication is used to block the chemicals that break down dopamine to slow the progression, which is what I've tried to illustrate here.
After Back to the Future, the Air Mag became a cult-classic but the reason why I think this shoe is so special is because of the support for The Michael J Fox foundation. This is what inspired this stamp.
I wanted PD reflected in this stamp. In researching, I found people with PD don't produce enough dopamine in their brains which plays an important role in sending messages that control our movement and coordination. To treat and help, some medication is used to block the chemicals that break down dopamine to slow the progression, which is what I've tried to illustrate here.
Nike Air Yeezy 1 "Blink"
In 2009 (Yes! over 10 years ago), Kanye West wore the Air Yeezy 1 "Blink" in Keri Hilson's music video "Knock you down." It was a short glimpse, maybe the kind you'd miss in the blink of an eye (bad joke) but definitely the kind that would make you pause and rewind. "Wait...what was that?!" Nike released the Kanye West's Air Yeezy 1 "Blink" and the colourway has become synonymous to Kanye's shoe. The kind of strong link that if you try this colourway, it is called the Yeezy colourway. So, you were warned. This is one shoe that I unfortunately have never seen in person, however that comes as no surprise as it is currently listing at €4704 on StockX. Happy Bidding.
Air Jordan 5
Back in 1990, Tinker Hatfield was busy creating classics and here we was, adding another. If you haven't already watched Abstract on Netflix, I'd recommend watching his episode! Working with Michael Jordan, Tinker likened MJ's dogfight-like flight and fighting spirit in the game to the fierceness and intensity of WWII fighter planes. It might not be instantly recognisable but the shark-tooth shapes on the mid-sole of the shoe are inspired by Aircraft nose art from this time.
The four stamps depict four of a long list of stand out pairs.
At the top left, the “Fire Reds,” and the top right, the “Grapes,” which became synonymous with Will Smith from the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. At the bottom, the sought after “Tokyo T23,” and the Jordan 5 Off White release.
The four stamps depict four of a long list of stand out pairs.
At the top left, the “Fire Reds,” and the top right, the “Grapes,” which became synonymous with Will Smith from the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. At the bottom, the sought after “Tokyo T23,” and the Jordan 5 Off White release.
Air Jordan 12 aka "Flu Game 12s."
June 11th, 1997, Game 5 of the NBA finals is forever known as the "Flu Game," and the red and black sneakers Michael Jordan wore became known as the "Flu Game 12’s.”
I came to know about this shoe through Eric Thomas aka @etthehiphoppreacher and his motivational mixtape which I had on repeat from 2012 - 2015. While at Uni, I listened to ET every single morning without fail, on the bus, on the way home and on the way to the gym. On repeat. ET tells the story about Michael Jordan's Flu Game the best, so I'd encourage you to check out Eric Thomas - The Flu on Youtube. The story goes something like this..."Suffering from flu-like symptoms, it is bad news for the Bulls. How much, how long and how hard will Michael Jordan be able to go?" says the commentator before the Chicago Bulls play Utah Jazz in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. As it stood, both teams were tied 2-2. For Jordan, he had to play in whatever condition he was in. There is plenty of video footage on Youtube where you can see Jordan fueling himself with liquids, holding himself up, with his hands on his knees and covering his head in a towel. Regardless of how he looked, he mustered the energy to perform."Stuck the dagger in them with the 3," the commentator cheers at one point. It is one of those audios that you know the other person on the other end is smiling. The Bulls ended up winning the game 90-88 with Jordan putting 38 points up, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 1 block. ET's message is about giving all you've got, like when you can feel your heart beating out of your chest and the "Flu Game" was the perfect analogy.
I came to know about this shoe through Eric Thomas aka @etthehiphoppreacher and his motivational mixtape which I had on repeat from 2012 - 2015. While at Uni, I listened to ET every single morning without fail, on the bus, on the way home and on the way to the gym. On repeat. ET tells the story about Michael Jordan's Flu Game the best, so I'd encourage you to check out Eric Thomas - The Flu on Youtube. The story goes something like this..."Suffering from flu-like symptoms, it is bad news for the Bulls. How much, how long and how hard will Michael Jordan be able to go?" says the commentator before the Chicago Bulls play Utah Jazz in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. As it stood, both teams were tied 2-2. For Jordan, he had to play in whatever condition he was in. There is plenty of video footage on Youtube where you can see Jordan fueling himself with liquids, holding himself up, with his hands on his knees and covering his head in a towel. Regardless of how he looked, he mustered the energy to perform."Stuck the dagger in them with the 3," the commentator cheers at one point. It is one of those audios that you know the other person on the other end is smiling. The Bulls ended up winning the game 90-88 with Jordan putting 38 points up, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 1 block. ET's message is about giving all you've got, like when you can feel your heart beating out of your chest and the "Flu Game" was the perfect analogy.
Bape "Bapestas"
“You see these ice cubes?” “You see these Ice Creams?” This stamp depicts an era in hip-hop fashion that had an allure like no other. Picture this, Pharrell and Nigo both wearing their own distinctive brands, Bape and Billionaire Boys Club, from head to toe, topped off with the attention grabbing, extravagantly gauche chains. Of everything, the Bape Camo, the patent leather Bapestas, the character generator, this chain is unforgettable!
Asics Gel Lyte III x Ronnie Fieg "Salmon Toe."
Since 2007, Ronnie Fieg and Asics worked on over 50 projects together. Working together first from when Ronnie worked at David Z to today, having built Kith. He's done incredibly well and it is cool to see a timeline of sneakers over 13 years chronology mark his journey. I for one hope to see more! This stamp marks the release of The Gel Lyte III "Salmon Toe" from 2011. In general, even without collaboration, the shoe is ridiculously good looking. However, Ronnie's (Midas) touch definitely elevated them. We loved it in 2011 and in 2016, a 2.0 version was released. Mr. Foamer Simpson put it best, “this is the type of Salmon grizzly bears fight over."