For better or worse, collaborations are very much a part of the sneaker industry. The apparent degrees of input of one or other of the parties involved ranges from radical redesigns to just sticking a logo on the tongue. However, it's definitely a rare thing when two well-respected companies put their heads together to come up with not just a new sneaker, but a whole new brand. Well, that's what éS and Crooked Tongues have done with their Foothills collection. About three years in the making, the range introduces three colourways of the sneaker, a cap, backpack and technical jacket. If you want the full history of the project, it's definitely worth checking out the news story and editorial on CT. The release of the shoes was celebrated with a party in London's Slam City Skates, which is still hosting the Nike SB pop-up shop in its basement. Guests were treated to free beer, pork pies, t-shirts and, in keeping with the name of the range and ACGesque style of the shoes, tin camping mugs. The range will be available in the UK from Slam City and Crooked Tongues (which ships internationally) and a select few retailers worldwide. Keep your eyes on the thread in the forum for details of where you can pick them up from locally. Tim Weissberg