Sad It’s Over ///
For almost the entire time U.P.S. — my skate shop back in Australia — was open, we were considered a top-tier influencer account for adidas Skateboarding. Eventually, that shifted into what was known as a Global Tier 1 account. We were the only shop in Australia with that status and one of twelve globally. For a small, independent skate shop, that was pretty huge.
Being Tier 1 meant we had access to all limited-edition shoe releases, invites to special events, I even got flown to Shanghai for a few days to skate and check out adidas events. I was the adidas guy at the shop so I ended up receiving the seeding boxes — the shoes, the accessories, the weird little trinkets — while my business partner was the Nike guy.
One of the best gifts adidas ever sent was the pair of Busenitz pictured below. Only 300 pairs existed worldwide. I couldn’t believe they actually sent me a pair. They’re still one of the rarest pairs shoes I’ve ever owned… my old dog, Griffo, annihilated one of them, so that was the end of the set. Regrettably, I skated in them, but I mean, I skated in most of my shoes at the time so it was on brand.
These days, my relationship with adidas Skateboarding mostly lives in memories and a few good mates who still work with the brand. I’m sad that era is over, but I’m also genuinely stoked to have landed on the New Balance Numeric seeding list here in San Diego. New chapter, new shoes, same excitement.
