Sneakers In the Form Of Wind: The Story Behind SIROCCO 1 By Kacimi Latamène

by Sophie She

Sneakers In the Form Of Wind: The Story Behind SIROCCO 1 By Kacimi Latamène

1 Oct 2024

Imagine if those amazing 3D digital clothes we all love so much came to life. Crazy, isn’t it? Well, it happened! On September 26th, our editorial team witnessed the presentation of the very first physical sneaker powered by SOL3MATES — SIROCCO 1 by Kacimi Latamène. Kacimi Latamène is recognised for thinking outside the box when it comes to sneakers and experimenting with bold designs in digital mediums. And now, for the first time, the digital silhouette turned into a real shoe!

SOL3MATES is pushing the boundaries of sneaker culture by empowering sneaker designers, incorporating blockchain technology into traditional fashion retail and creating immersive AR experiences. As the collection progresses, expect to see the SIROCCO brand powered by SOL3MATES expand globally, reflecting the vision of merging high fashion, community engagement, and tech-forward experiences.

— Kacimi, your portfolio is filled with sneaker designs. How did you decide to start with this?

— Sneakers, to me, are a universe. I have loved sneakers for many years, ever since I was young. I have always placed a lot of importance on them. My friends often tell me, "You're crazy, it’s just a shoe." But for me, they are a piece of art. One day, I thought I wanted to create an iconic shoe for people looking to express their unique style, to reflect their own universe and what they stood for. When I first created the concept and shared it on Instagram, I received so many messages from people—they all wanted to have it! And these people have incredible style, but they are searching for the right shoes to leverage it.

— And SIROCCO 1 is named after the Mediterranean wind, right?

— Yes, Sirocco is a wind born in the desert, composed of countless grains of sand — just tiny particles. I like to reference the Sirocco because it mirrors the way ideas work. Each idea is like a single particle. On its own, it may seem insignificant, but if we choose to nurture it, we can turn it into something extraordinary — a powerful project. The SIROCCO isn’t just a brand; it is about teaching people to adopt this mindset. When you have a project, an idea, or a passion, don’t just dismiss it or think it is impossible. You have to take the initiative and bring it to life. It is so important to pursue what we love. If we keep telling ourselves, “I can’t do this,” we’ll never learn, grow, or achieve anything.

Kacimi Latamène

— As I understand it, you used to work only on digital concepts before. What made you decide to create something physical?

— Many things are born in the virtual world first. When we create something, we often start with a 3D digital model, and then, one day, it becomes real in the physical world. For me, that time has come to bring my ideas to life! I will continue creating many concepts in the digital space because I am convinced that one day, I will be able to translate my vision and help people see these concepts as something real and tangible.

We had a chance to chat with the co-founder of SOL3MATES, Nick Vinckier, who brought this idea to life.

— Nick, you once said about the start of your collaboration: "I accidentally stumbled upon his Instagram page and fell in love with his designs." Could you tell us more about it?

— It was a mix of all the emotions I could have. I love sneakers myself, and I had never seen anything like this before. The designs were so crazy on one hand, and the engagement they created was incredibly positive. Thousands of people commented on it, and the comments weren’t just simple fire emojis. People were writing paragraphs about how badly they wanted these sneakers. So, it was my own excitement combined with seeing the sheer number of people and the intensity of their reactions that made me think, "Okay, we need to pursue this." I had to do some digging to get him on board because he is a very popular and busy guy. But once we had that first meeting, we clicked instantly over our shared mission with SOL3MATES. So, here we are!

— Would you say that SOL3MATES is a Web3 sneaker label?

— We actually started SOL3MATES with a Web3 angle. We launched an OG NFT for sneakerheads who wanted to be part of our mission, giving them the chance to be the first— the OGs. We sold around 2,213 NFTs and built a strong community of people who truly believe in our mission. This community is our core group. We share behind-the-scenes content with them, discuss upcoming projects, and even host meetups. They got to see the shoes first, before anyone else and had exclusive access to pre-order the sneakers.

But Web3 isn’t our only focus. The mission of SOL3MATES is to empower designers, and focusing solely on Web3 or just virtual fashion would be too limiting. It would actually be counterproductive to our mission to stay small and niche. We want to become a leading global brand because the bigger the spotlight, the more attention we can bring to designers.

by Sophie She