Vice President of Palladium’s marketing team, Barney Waters, invites HBTV inside his office for a rundown on what makes the iconic brand tick. The age-old saying, “power in numbers” would be perhaps better translated to Waters’ small five-person team as “power in the details.” What the team may lack in sheer manpower they more than make up in their rigid attention to the culture, presentation, and the identity of the Palladium brand. His humble workspace is a representation of the environment that he perpetuates amongst the team — characterized by less of a traditional “global” office as opposed to a creative studio of sorts. Fusing his own personal interests with his Palladium position, Waters’s desk is scattered with deadstock Mass Appeal Magazine covers, the art of D*Face, and archives highlighting the well-known Japanese affinity for all things American culture. In an era in which many “heritage” brands find themselves struggling to define their place in the ever-changing expanse known sweepingly as “footwear,” a glimpse behind the scenes of the taut Palladium marketing collective is a welcome refresh.

Director: David Gallardo

Fresh for Spring/Summer 2012, utilitarian footwear brand, Palladium, launches its inaugural Slim Collection. Comprised of low-profile, lightweight reinterpretations of classic models perfect for the impending warmer weather, each shoe maintains much of its signature design elements, including rubber outsoles and toecaps. Continuing with premium upgrades – including hemp, fine leathers, and a moisture controlling liner made from recycled yarn – the Slim Collection is currently retailing now at Palladium stores worldwide, as well as its webshop, with prices ranging from $60 USD to $90 USD.

Building on the success of its Pampa boot — one of the mainstay silhouettes within its storied product lineage, Palladium advances its latest “Palladium Sport” Spring/Summer 2012 collection lookbook. Retaining much of same form that made its Pampa predecessor so recognizable, the latest iterations are mocked up in chromatic canvas uppers that take on a wide range of bold colorways, a slimmer construction, and a lightweight rubber outsole. Reflecting the rich quality of the Palladium aviation roots, the new Sport assortment features a capped rubber toe that trails along the entirety of the shoe’s midsole perimeter, effectively augmenting a technically-driven, water-resistant component to each silhouette. Tonal stitching, laces, and a contrasting circle rubber Palladium patch embellishment round out a forward-thinking collection that seamlessly infuses a level of sport influence into traditionally heritage footwear silhouettes.

Photography: Hypebeast

Continuing with its Street in Focus series showcasing aspiring photographers as they take us on a guided tour through some of the world’s most iconic cities, storied footwear manufacturer, Palladium aligns with Irish photographer and fashion label owner, Joshua Gordon. Gordon travels through the city of London speaking on his inspirations, fixation for capturing his subject’s personality on camera, and why he enjoys working in the British capital. The son of an acclaimed press photographer, Gordon has been surrounded by cameras from an early age. The Ireland native possesses a strong passion for style working as a fashion photographer by day (working with the likes of Urban Outfitters and Lazy Oaf), and continuing with his own clothing label which can be purchased on his blog, FucknFilthy. Keep an eye out for this ingenious artisan, as his work will surely appear on these pages again.

Combining over 60 years of authenticity with modern manufacturing, premium materials and cutting edge styling, Palladium takes pride in the enterprising creatives that sport its timeless footwear while working in the field. With that said, the Californian label presents its Streets in Focus series showcasing aspiring photographers as they take us on a guided tour through some of the world’s most iconic cities, offering firsthand insight on their craft and inspirations. The first video in this three-part series follows aspiring Bronx artist, Awol Erizku. Offering a unique outlook on the streets of New York, the photographer/filmmaker/sculpture/awesome guy has developed his skills working for David LaChapelle, Lorna Simpson, Margret Morton and Christine Osinski, becoming one of New York’s most remarkable artists. When he’s not adding to the relentless stream of images on his personal Tumblr, Erizku puts his formidable training to work shooting for magazines like VICE, Maxim, Photographer’s Forum and Whitewall. In this latest installment of a three-part series, the Bronx native speaks on how he was able to earn respect in his neighborhood, the inspirational backdrops of New York, and his love for the uncharted areas of the city.

Palladium and Richard Chai have joined forces to present a capsule line of boots for Fall/Winter 2012. This joint partnership has allowed the American designer to reimagine and re-fabricate some of Palladium’s heritage silhouettes such as the Pampa Hi and Pampa Tactical boots in corduroy and felted wool interpretations. Aligning with Chai’s “urban nomad” theme for the next season, the exclusive range was debuted at the designer’s recent runway show in the midst of the New York Fashion Week festivities. On the short film shown above, Chai shares his thoughts about the significance of New York City to his designs as well as the inspiration about his latest collection and his partnership with the heritage shoe manufacturer.

Palladium link up with close friends and media partners VICE Media on an exclusive version of the Pampa Tactical Boot. VBS.tv has followed Palladium’s urban explorations on several occasions, reaching into the unknown depths of Detroit, London and Tokyo. The resulting limited edition boot was made for the VBS correspondents, field producers and camera operators, with a small quantity set to release via Palladiumboots.com and Palladium retail stores. With ballistic nylon and waterproof nubuck complemented by a wicking Dri-Lex lining, the boot has proved itself to be the perfect accompaniment in the field.

Hypebeast and Palladium Boots‘ Tokyo Rising campaign team up to offer you the chance to win a trip to Tokyo and a $500 USD gift pack. Two runner-ups will also receive a $500 USD gift pack. Enter via Facebook or Twitter through the steps outlined below to ensure you’re eligible for the prize. A winning entry does not need the successful completion of both, however there is an increased chance of winning if you submit through both channels. The contest begins December 12, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. EST and concludes on December 16, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. EST.

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Congratulations to Coby Brown, Damiano Rafferty and Ervin Mears Hall who are the lucky winners! See below for details.

Grand Prize Winner – Trip to Tokyo & a $500 USD gift pack from Palladium Boots: Coby Brown
1st Runner Up – A $500 USD gift pack from Palladium Boots: Damiano Rafferty
2nd Runner Up – A $500 USD gift pack from Palladium Boots: Ervin Mears Hall

Open to Global readers. All prizes won by minors will be awarded to their parents or legal guardians on their behalf.

The maximum number of entries allowed during the Giveaway Period is one (1) per person. Any attempt by a person to submit more than the stated maximum number of entries will be disqualified from participation in this Giveaway. We are not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, invalid, unintelligible, illegible, misdirected or postage-due entries, which will be disqualified. By participating, all entrants agree to abide by these Official Giveaway Rules.

At the end of the Entry Period, there will be three (3) drawings in which three (3) Prize winners shall be selected from all eligible entries received during the Entry Period by Hypebeast. Please allow 6-8 weeks for prize delivery.

The grand prize is a holiday for 2 adults to Tokyo with 4 nights’ accommodation, breakfast daily and return economy flights (the “PRIZE”). The second and third prize is a $500 USD gift pack from Palladium.

Return economy flights for 2 to Tokyo valid for travel up until 30th of June 2012 and subject to availability at time of booking and certain blackout periods. Blackout periods: Dec. 20th–Jan. 3rd, April 29th–May 5th.

Confirmation of rooms is subject to availability. Taxes & all extras are to be borne by the guest and payable directly at the hotel.

The PRIZE does not include medical insurance, departure taxes and all other taxes in relation to airfares, expenses of personal nature, all travel related expenses and such other expenses that are not specifically included in the terms and conditions of the prizes.

101 Media Lab Ltd. (the “COMPANY”) which operates Hypebeast.com, will not be responsible for the inability of the winner to utilize the Contest prize, for any reason whatsoever, including non-issuance of visa.

The COMPANY shall not be responsible for arranging travel insurance. It is strongly recommended that travelers take out adequate travel insurance.

Winners will be responsible for supplying valid passports and visas and, where necessary, for obtaining appropriate health documentation. The winners are responsible for obtaining their visa and at their cost. The winners must be in possession of a valid passport, valid for at least 6 months from date of departure.

This offer is subject to availability and does not represent an entitlement to book to travel on a specific route on a specific date. Seat shall be booked in economy class. All flights and fare types applicable to this offer are capacity controlled and subject to availability at the time of booking. Availability is more restrictive during peak periods.

The COMPANY shall provide only three itineraries for the said trip of Tokyo out of which Winner shall have an option to choose one and Winner and his/her companion shall go together on the trip. Bookings must at least 30 days in advance of the outbound travel date. A booking once confirmed cannot be cancelled or substituted for another date.

The prize is non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash.

The COMPANY reserves the right to offer alternative prize if any prize is not available or under special situation

General contest rules/disclaimer can be found here.

Continuing his time in Tokyo, as well as with Palladium, Pharrell Williams linked with fellow artist VERBAL to take a tour around the illustrious Nakano Broadway. The two icons checked out some of the local novelty items, which you would be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. Watch and listen as they speak about the Nakano presence, as well as their own respective fields of interest.

I.T’s in-house label izzue teams up with Palladium to showcase a new style of the tactical boots this season. Based on Palladium’s Tactical model, the boot garners both collaborators’ essences and styles to provide a sturdy and well-designed boot that’s crafted from the best leather and nylon materials around. Actualized with a rugged construction and modest appeal, this military boot is an ideal piece of footwear for this season. Available in black and olive colorways now through izzue.

izzue
Shop UG109-112
The ONE100, Nathan Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Hong Kong

Photography: Hypebeast