WE ARE #NEVERNOTBALLIN.
Last weekend, we payed our capital a visit to experience Berlin’s fashion scene at first hand. KICKZ was welcomed to exhibit at the Bread & Butter by Zalando and thus, we cooked up something special. A basketball court that had been designed to celebrate the early 90s, a golden age for basketball, hip hop and sneakers. Moreover, it was not only a prospering decade for urban culture but for us as well – from 1993 till infinity! KICKZ started back in the days, when hip hop and graffiti became mainstream. Basketball wasn’t just an athlete’s thing back then, but a lifestyle, a pop culture. A belief that we still hang on to.
Our KICKZ booth was the 90s relived all over again. Bright, bold and eccentric – we mashed up past and present, basketball and fashion and created a playground, where you can play hard and look good at the same time. My heart beat faster when I saw this beauty of a basketball court that could easily be featured as a hype court on social media platforms. A history of kicks – starting from the 60s with the Converse Chuck Taylor All Star up to the Jordan Super.Fly from 2017 – adorned the backside of the court and illustrated that most of the sneaker that are worn nowadays have their roots in basketball. Our hero products – the Nike React Hyperdunk 2017 and the Jordan Super.Fly – were showcased opposite to the backboard and worn by the KICKZ crew. I can tell you, these shoes have bounce! Super comfy, very stylish and a perfect energy return – basketball performance shoes that can easily be worn on and off the court!
Since the 90s are celebrating a revival in the fashion scene anyway, it was no big surprise to us that our court was the go-to booth at the Bread & Butter. Entering the first hall of the event area, one couldn’t get around hearing the ballers and rookies dribbling on our unique parquet. The booth was like a magnet, drawing fashionistas, ballers and sneakerheads alike to the court.
We had three exciting and overwhelming days at the Bread & Butter. Being a rookie at the B&&B, I would say we did more than well – we had prominent help though. KICKZ and Stance joined forces and delivered a 3-Point Shoot Out Contest that made people queue right up to the next booth. Why not, since the main prize was a year-long supply of Stance socks – a dream come true for every sneakerhead! Adwoa Aboah, british fashion model and face of the Bread & Butter, did us the honor, payed this contest a visit and made some free throws herself. There is room for improvement, indeed, but it was a pleasure to have her at our booth.
NBA POWER AT THE KICKZ COURT
For the ballers, we had something very special up our sleeves. Former NBA player Vladimir Radmanović, who had been in the league for 12 years and played for prestigious teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers, the Golden State Warriors and the Chicago Bulls, was invited to be part of our agenda. On two days, Radmanović and his assistant coach Vanja held NBA Clinics that made all the participants sweat. The training session was so much fun – at least for the audience. Dribbling, Free Throws, Layups – Vanja got the best out of the attendees and motivated them for every task. The serbian national basketball team player Radmanović was one of the many participants and exercised with the diverse crowd. Especially the H.O.R.S.E. game at the end of the Clinics was very entertaining and lured even more bystanders to the bright basketball court. Thank you, NBA, for this amazing opportunity to train with a NBA professional!
A 3X3 TO REMEMBER
As if this wasn’t enough, we were overrun by people when Les Twins, the world famous french dancers and winners of the “World of Dance” competition, surprised us on our KICKZ court. None of us could have expected what followed next. Probably one of the most curious 3×3 game of basketball history took place on our booth. The twins Laurent and Larry Nicolas Bourgeois challenged Vladimir Radmanović and the guys from the Dunk Elite. They didn’t have to say that twice and soon, a fiery battle mixed with loads of entertainment emerged. A dance duo, world famous dunker and a NBA star – one hell of a constellation, live on our court.
To top it all, we had another ace up our sleeves. The legendary Dunk Elite – Jus Fly, Smoove, Miller & Joel Henry – took flight in our Dunk Contest and proved beyond doubt that they are truly the best dunkers in the world. Prominent influencer such as sneakerhead Willy Iffland and fashion journalist Aminata Belli, Gino from BLKVIS, Niels Giffey, captain from Alba Berlin, Dilim from the Berlin Braves, Les Twins and Sebastian Pichlmayer of the BIG magazin were chosen to sit in our jury. The Dunk Elite showed off their mad skills at the Active Arena and delivered an unforgettable show. Acrobatic dunks and moves that needed to be seen to be truly believed made the audience’s jaws drop and the crowd go wild.
This weekend was insane – be excited to see what we are coming up with next year.
Thank you, Bread & Butter. Thank you, Berlin. It was a blast!
