TORAH KICKS! LEARN 'EM!

I haven't posted in awhile because these kicks took forever and a day to design. The good news is that I'm getting much better at this Photoshop thing all thanks to my skillz master John Cornette. Thanks, bud.

You're looking at the much belabored-upon Torah kicks designed and inspired by the Torah scrolls as seen in synagogues. See pic below:



See the velvet covers draped over the scrolls as they sit in the ark? That's where I got that velvet material idea to adorn the whole shoe--looks pretty dope, eh? But here's where we get intricate. The wood-colored laces and sole are inspired by the wooden handles at both the top and the bottom of the Torah (these allow us to roll to the appropriate portion or segment of the Bible).

And considering I borrowed the concept for these shoes from the Nike Terminator Metal edition, I converted the hanging guitar pic that comes with the original shoe into a silver breastplate (see some of them hanging on the Torahs above). This particular one that I designed represents the 12 Tribes of Judah (count the twelve unique stones) which feels a little intricate and detailed, but, hey, better to roll deep than not at all.

And finally, remember that Tanach font I found the other day...? I used the Hebrew-looking font and placed a gold "Nike" on the heel, kind of like the velvet Torah dresses have sponsors embroidered on the Torah. Leave no detail behind.

SUKKOT, SUCKAS!

Those of your paying attention to your surroundings will notice some random wooden huts in my fellow Hebraic brothers' backyards. This, my friend, is called the Sukkah and it's built in observance of the eight day holiday known as Sukkot. School yourself some more at Wikipedia if you're so inclined.

In addition to eating meals in the Sukkah, the Jews carry a yellow fruit and a leafy bunch around with them to synagogue. The tree-like item is called the Lulav and together with that lemon-looking fruit, called Etrog, they represent and symbolize man's body.



The longer, thinner leaves, or the Eruvim, represent man's ability to speak, or the lips. The more oval and lighter green leaves called the Hadassim represents man's ability to see, or, the eyes. The long bamboo piece in the middle symbolizes the spine. [Stick with me here--almost to the kicks]. And finally, the Etrog is the heart--see how the shape is similar? By holding all of these things together during certain sections of prayer we're keenly aware of all of our essential functions.

Now let's get to the reason for this long megillah-- the Sukkot, Suckas shoes. I made the color palette exclusively in greens, yellow, and browns except for the black laces which has a good reason (to be explained.) First off, the back section is a textured leafy pattern and I also made it a lighter green to match the Hadassim. The front section of the shoe is a darker green for the Eruvim and also smoother than the back to differentiate the two different leaves. Dig?
The swoosh has a bumpy yellow leather to match the texture of the fruit and the midsole has a brown, bamboo-like pattern to match the crossweave of the Lulav holder. Tight, right? But here's where the plot thickens. See those leaves coming out of the midsole? I'm pretty confident in saying that I have never seen a shoe with a decoration coming out from the midsole--I put some fake astroturf to symbolize the leaves all around the circumference shoe. This makes this pair tres' unique, non?

Finally, about those black laces you all have been wondering about. See, it's tradition that the top of the Etrog stays on the whole eight days for it to qualify as "kosher." Not "kosher" as in eating, but "kosher as it can be used for prayer purposes. Those stark black laces represent that piece, or the Pitum, which, of course, is the final touch that makes these Suckas kicks absolutely kosher.











See the pitum at the top? You do? Good!