More than just a festival for cool kicks, and housed in an ultra-cool, grungy space to boot (pun intended), Street Superior 2018 (which happened 27-28 Oct) was an intoxicating celebration of Singapore’s subcultures showcasing the best of streetwear, sneakers, music and art within the cavernous Pasir Panjang Station.
This year’s festival came ramped up with an indoor skate ramp by Vans and Pirate Life, an endless hive of activity with skilled skaters displaying stunning speed and impressive tricks (there were some heart-stopping moments!). There were opportunities for the public to indulge in a free skating session, along with mini skate clinics to pick up some skills.
With a sumptuous display of designer kicks, rare sneakers and limited-edition releases, the festival was every shoe lover’s dream. Souped-up jackets, featuring intricate embroidery and hand-painted artwork, were a visual treat and clearly the objects of desire for many festival-goers. The marketplace featured up to 70 vendors made up of private collectors, sneaker resellers, Instagram-only small businesses and streetwear brands.
The price tags of some sneakers on sale bordered on astronomical – this was where the HypeDrop machine comes in. At $2 a pop, visitors stood a chance to win the branded goodies inside if they were a master of precision and somehow had the magical ability to slam the button at the right moment.
There were plenty of Instagrammable moments, from posing with the slew of vibrant street art to snapping shots in a vintage car by Vintage Kombi Super Ice Cream Truck (who were also dishing out complimentary ice cream and sorbets). The company also offered retro auto furniture like Vespa chairs and Volkswagen Kombi Counters for the ultimate home décor.
There was an interactive installation by artist Jau Goh, titled “TAKE LAH TAKE LAH”, where 99 copies of a formerly stolen piece of artwork (#091) resurfaced in different variations, all for the taking as “street art is impermanent, transient and not precious. It is the artist’s self-expression and gift to the public”.
You could change your look with a spiffy haircut from The Golden Rule Barber or get a temporary tattoo at Out&ink, where the illustrations were done on the spot with Jagua ink for that realistic tattoo look.
Festival exclusives include a Calvin & Hobbes inspired tote bag emblazoned with the words “Sole Superior” and quirky collectibles from FLABSLAB featuring the Adventure Time characters.
by Foo Rong En
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Vendor Checklist
by Eshwaran
Street Superior (once known as Sole Superior) has grown massively since it was last held at Zouk in 2017. There were more vendors, more food and most of all, more street wear. To help you navigate through the long list of vendors, here is a list of vendors that really stood out to me.
Accessories
Luneworks
First on the list is Luneworks. They are local company that specialises in sneaker cases that help store and display your sneakers. Ideal for those of us who have rare or beautiful sneakers that we would love to put on display, almost like an art piece.
Instagram: @luneworks
okB
okB is a Polaroid store that sells more than just Polaroids. They had on shelf Polaroid merchandise, including the latest collab with Puma, and apparel from Uniqlo and forever 21. The jackets from forever21 looked really good, at $55 each. They also provided photography services for events and even sourcing out vintage cameras!
Instagram: @ okb_polaroidstore or on Carousell: carousell.co/okbrandon
Slickies
Slickies specialises in anything related to maintaining and customising your sneakers. They have laces, from flat to round and at differing lengths, and stickers to add some color to your Ultraboost. They even have cleaning kits that are entirely organic, all while helping you keep your shoes fresh.
I personally got the cleaning kit. At $22, it came with a cleaning solution, brush and deodoriser. More than worth its price.
Instagram: @slickieslaces or www.slickieslaces.com
Pewpewpatches
As the name suggests, they sell cute and locally inspired patches for anything you could wear! From shoes to jackets, and even t-shirts. They feature adorable really cute cartoons, from astronaut cats to corgi butts. Some patches are locally inspired, like one that was based on the local phrase “eye power”.
Instagram @pewpewpatches
Custom clothing
Play_hood
With their floral designs and hand painted jackets, Play_hood really caught my attention. With their artists stating that they can do almost any design if requested. With a wide a variety of jackets to choose from and cute floral stickers on hand, check them out to get your own one of a kind jacket. P.S they even made on for Jay Park!
Instagram: @play_hood
Fashion Labels
LoBorn
Loborn is a small startup label that has a range of graphic tshirts, that incorporates elements of Japanese culture and styles. From geishas to mask logos, Loborn should not be slept on. With a Street superior exclusive t-shirt, with detachable, Velcro labels, they are worth checking out.
Instagram: @bornlosg or Facebook: LoBornSG
Food
Three Buns
Three Buns, simply put, serves really good fusion burgers and hotdogs. With Asian flair on a very much western concept, they truly balance both flavours perfectly. The smell alone can draw you in. The burgers are messy, as they should be, and hefty. Worth every cent.
Check them out at their outlet at 60 Robertson Quay, The Quayside.
Park Bench Deli
A familiar name, Park Bench Deli provides an interesting take on the classic Grilled Cheese. They have two variants, chicken and crawfish grilled mac and cheese.
I managed to try the Chicken Grille cheese. It was really good, and the use of jalapeños really surprised me, with a nice spicy kick. A good infusion and very filling.
Apps
Sneakest
A local start up, they are an app that connects resells and buyers within Singapore. It’s a new app and they are still working on it to make it better.
Download the app to support their venture. So, give them a shot the next time you want to get a new pair!
Limited Edt Convenience Store
Limited Edt set up a convenience store for sneakers. Yeap, you read that right. It was filled with rare sneakers from Yeezys to Jordans.
The fridges and shelves were stacked with shoes and pieces of history; the shelves were lined with shoes like snacks in a minimart. And everything in there was for sale, with prices clearly marked similar to how they’re priced at neighborhood convenience stores.
To top it all off, there is a 4D/TOTO inspired station, where you apply for the ballot to buy upcoming, limited sneakers. Truly a perfect copy of a convenience store we see every day.
Tattoos
LoveSickTattoo
Like actual ink on skin, LoveSickTattoo is where you can pick from a set of templates and get inked. All within a reasonable price range. The staff were friendly and chill, and provided a unique way to commemorate Street Superior 2018.
Out&ink
For those of us (particularly me) who can’t commit to a proper tattoo, you can head to Out&ink. You can get realistic looking temporary tattoos, using ink derived from Jagua pulp. It was super tempting and the option of custom pieces made it harder to resist. Prices were based on the sizes of the designs.
Instagram: @outandink
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After venturing around the venue for more than 3 hours, exhaustion finally forced me to buy everything I wanted and head home. Street Superior is far superior (pun intended) to Sole Superior held at Zouk last year. With a bigger venue, increased variety and more vendors, everyone can truly find something that caters to them. Worth the visit and can’t wait for next year! Check them out here.
by Eshwaran
