A Well Loved Skate Shop Returns With The Lost Art x New Balance Epic-TR

This Saturday, in concert with its relaunch under a new name, the legendary skate shop Lost Art is releasing the LOST ART X NEW BALANCE EPIC-TR, a new, vibrantly-coloured silhouette that pays tribute to the melting pot of football and skate culture in its home city of Liverpool.

Working with New Balance’s Epic-TR silhouette, the new release features a distinctive red, pig suede upper that contrasts with a white NB logo and a classic gum sole (the colour combination was chosen in honour of the red half of Liverpool…sorry, Everton fans). And, according to the Lost Art supremo, Dave Mackey, “skateboarding has always looked outside of itself and many brands borrowed from football silhouettes.” While it’s not technically a skate silhouette, the shoes come with two pairs of insoles for skating, with extra cushioning or for regular wear, so you can wear them for keepy-ups or kick flips.

This drop marks a very welcome return for Mackey and the Lost Art team’s new physical retail shop, The Useless Wooden Toys Society, which opens this weekend. As The Drop Date wrote in 2015, Mackey is a bit of a legend and his Lost Art shop served the north of England and beyond since he opened its doors in 1999. With chain stores proliferating in the High Streets, it’s more important than ever for skater-owned independents to survive, maintain their presence and act as a counterweight to the major retailers. We at The Drop Date are well chuffed that Mackey and Lost Art have a new home, new brand and new life. And we’d also like to take our hats off to the NB Numeric crew who worked with him on this standalone collaboration.

The LOST ART X NEW BALANCE EPIC-TR will be available from SATURDAY 3 DECEMBER: keep your eyes on the Useless Wooden Toys Society Instagram for more info… You can also read an exclusive interview over at Speedway Mag, where the guys break down the working process in detail.