Few retailers have mastered the art of collaboration quite like our friends at OVERKILL. For years, the bold Berliners have dished out hit after hit on models both old and new.
To celebrate the recent retro return of PUMA‘s CELL Venom, OVERKILL have once again worked their magic, delivering a searing take’s on the Big Cat’s lesser-known Air Max contender, plucked right from the wastelands of a Y2K-induced nuclear apocalypse. Nicknamed ‘Radiant Venom’, the sizzling collaboration hits Foot District this weekend, so we caught up with OVERKILL’s Marc Leuschner for the scoop on this poppin’ Poom!
We chatted with Marc Leuschner about the inspiration of his new collaboration
Matt Williams (M.W.) – Thanks for chatting with us, Marc. What drew you to the CELL Venom for your latest collab?
Marc Leuschner (M.L.) – Following the success of our 2017 collaboration ‘Pfeffiboys’, PUMA invited us to collaborate on a design once again. We were one of a handful of accounts given the chance to work on the CELL Venom to commemorate the recent return of the CELL series. We are aware that the silhouette is polarising – and strongly controlled by current trends – but anyone who knows us knows that we are happy to accept challenges and have always mastered them well in the past.
M.W. – The concept behind the design is wild! Can you tell us how you came up with it?
M.L. – As the silhouette is already quite wild itself, we wanted to push it a bit to the extreme. It’s no secret that we at OVERKILL are children of the 90s and, as the original CELL Venom is from 1998, it was quite obvious to choose some typical colours from this decade, like neon yellow and some nice shades of blue. We wanted to create something bold that combined 90s influence with futuristic vibes.
M.W. – It seems silly now, but Y2K fears were very real in the late 90s. Were you one of the many locked away in a bunker to ring in the year 2000?
M.L. – Hahaha no not at all! But, I can remember the hysteria that was pushed through the media in ’99. And when we did some research on that topic, we found out that there were some genuine ‘Y2K’ bugs indeed. There were machines that failed to operate, and the US Naval Observatory even gave the date ‘1 Jan 19100’ on its website.
Y2K effect and its consequences are part of the inspiration
M.W. – If you could have only one pair of sneakers as a survivor of the nuclear apocalypse, what would they be and why?
M.L. – Ok, now that’s a tough one! The sneaker should be robust and comfortable. Ideally, they should protect from radiation. But, to be honest, even if just a few people survived a nuclear big bang, I would love to be the one with the nicest kicks. So, for that reason alone, it would be a pair of adidas ZX 6000.
M.W. – Good choice! Last year was arguably the year of the ‘dad shoe’ and high fashion sneakers, but it feels like tastes are changing. What do you predict will be the big trend of 2019?
M.L. – True, the time has come that the ‘dad sneaker’ seems to now be over. Well, maybe not really over, but rather it has transitioned to another level. Nowadays, you see more and more ‘performance’ shoes on Berlins streets, like the ASCIS Gel Kayano 25 or Salomon S/LAB XT-6. And, of course, the early 2000s are back with the renaissance of Nike Shox. But, we will have to wait and see if those silhouettes will become a real trend.
M.W. – Finally, you’ve certainly come out swinging in 2019 with a stunning adidas collaboration and now this sizzling CELL Venom. What’s next in the pipeline for OVERKILL?
M.L. – Yes, we started the year with a bang! Right after the release of the OVERKILL x PUMA CELL Venom ‘Radiant Venom’ we are releasing another collab with adidas, here in Berlin. Once again, we have collaborated on the ZX10.000 C, but, in contrast to the ‘I CAN IF I WANT’ designs from earlier in the year, this is more subtle, with different tones of grey and a few colourful highlights. Though, once again the design is highly influenced by the 90s.
The OVERKILL x PUMA CELL Venom ‘Radiant Venom’ releases at Foot District’s Puma store this Saturday, April 6.