For those of you who are followers of WeAreHQ you should all be familiar to what maybe the trainer/sneaker release of the year? The Air Max 1 Parra X Patta. My passion for trainers is deeply rooted in my love for basketball, the fact that I grew up in the 90’s and the Air Max was THE shoe!
The mission was simple. In order to stand any chance of picking up the 5th and final installment of the Air Max 1 Patta release why not make a trip to the source and cop them from there. The plan was to arrive on Sat, leave early Sunday back in time for Mothers Day and in the process check out the best sights on offer in the Dam.
Well I enrolled 2 of my most trusted agents for the mission and away we went. Journey was early! 4am. My weapons of choice were the Air Max 90, My bros the Jordan 1 High Strap and my cuz some Nikes? Flight was from Gatwick.
Picked up a quick fix from EAT to hold us down. After a short flight we landed and cleared Schipol Airport in Amsterdam by 9am. A quick Train ride to Amsterdam Capitol and things were looking good.
It was each of our 1st time visiting Amsterdam and the world renowned Patta Store. We stopped a bus tour guide operator for directions and the store was just a short walk down Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal We were all feeling real confident despite rumors of folks camping out from Thursday! The weather in the Dam isn’t easy especially in spring. For those who don’t know just like the North of England but a Tad windier!
Upon approaching the store the magnitude of our task slowly started to materialise. Peeps sprawling all along the pavement, spilling onto the road, in vehicles, on bikes, chairs, stools, sofas, jumping out of Vans! There must have been at least 300 deep. Wow!
We started conversation and managed to determine that there were people from Poland, Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland and now London England! This was the biggest turn out of them all. A list had been complied and over 250 people were already on the list. Mission impossible! Tom Cruise wouldn’t even attempt to take on this one. My hopes however had not completely vanished as the majority looked like they were in the shoe size region of 8 or 9 nowhere near my size 11. Thank God for my big feet!
11.30am. Doors were to open from 12.00. Simple rules: 5 people at a time ½ size up or down that’s it! We had local TV station Check It! in the house (Amsterdams version of MTV) reporting and covering proceedings. Now this is what collecting is all about ½ of it, the thrill of the hunt!
Anyway as the line went down, name after name and their sizes called out, hours ticking by, palms sweaty with anxiety, shouts and whoops of excitement. Sharing in peoples joy and despair as some were successful and other failing in their quest we started to think about who had come furthest and whether or not the entire experience had been worth it. Whether or not the Mission Patta would end in success………..
Not only was I able to pick up the 5th installment but on top of that managed to get the Green Denims which I missed on their initial drop. Big shout out to Tim! Thanks to our very own Coach I was introduced to Tim and Edson who own, run and manage the Patta store. The coolest, most down to earth cats you will ever come across. Tim gave me a brief history of how Patta came about from the ground up. The vision, coupled with the passion, combined with the talent and the penchant for hard work has made Patta what it is today. Despite the numerous challenges, constant barriers and opposition faced along the way. I’m already counting down the 10 year anniversary drop knowing that these guys will be there and God willing also hoping to be part of the experience again.
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