Ewing Athletics has teamed up with several hip-hop icons for sneakers before, and its collaborations is no different.
The namesake label of NBA great Patrick Ewing has aligned with Tony Touch for a new-look 33 Hi silhouette that’s inspired by the legendary DJ’s debut album from 2000, “The Piece Maker.”
The sneaker is predominantly black, with the hue taking up the upper, outsole and most of the midsole, with hits of white and blue throughout. The artist’s name is stitched into the heels, with “Tony” on the left shoe and “Touch” on the right. The tongue also includes a nod to the DJ and his debut album, with the image of the turntables from “The Piece Maker” cover consuming each one entirely.
The Ewing Athletics x Tony Touch 33 Hi is available now exclusively via EwingAthletics.com. The shoe retails for $150.
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“‘The Piece Maker’ was one of the highlights of my career. First major release, working with my favorite artists, I went from mixtapes to an album — it felt like I graduated,” Tony Touch said in a statement.
The album, which was released on Tommy Boy Records more than 20 years ago, featured guest appearances and production from rap legends such as Wu-Tang Clan, Cypress Hill, Gang Starr and others.
“These producers and groups were my comrades, my friends,” the artist said. “I don’t think any of us realized the impact we would have on the world and that it would last this long. We were just doing what felt right and it was all organic.”
He continued, “There was no internet and hardly any radio play for this music. The mixtape broke down barriers and set the blueprint for the way we listen to music today: the playlist.”
The Ewing Athletics shoe arrives as Tony Touch is working on an upcoming film about the mixtape era aptly tiled “Mixtape,” which is being created to show its impact, relevance, success and demise. The film will have a Tony Touch-produced album to accompany it, which will be released by Def Jam.
