Eddie Cruz and today’s Los Angeles streetwear/sneaker scene go hand in hand. Serving as co-owner of the Undefeated brand and store, and playing a part in Supreme LA, his influence is heavy. Eddie’s latest endeavor sees he and Undefeated heading up a two-year long program with PUMA aimed at bringing back the “sleeping giant” of a sneaker that is the Clyde. Read on for our full chat with Eddie on the project.

HS: Let’s start by talking about the Clyde in general. What are your earliest memories, or cultural associations with the shoe?

EC: Well you know, I’m an 80s kid. I don’t mean I was born in the 80s, but those were the days I was hanging out. I’m from the Bronx NY, so that was the shoe of choice with regards to b-boys – and what I mean by b-boys are like break dancers, graffiti artists and kids just starting to get into hip-hop. I just remember distinctly being in high-school, kids wearing Lees, like Lee jeans, not Levi’s – Lees – kind of that little bell-bottom and they would sew down seams down the center of the pant to keep a permanent crease, which was interesting. And Puma was the shoe of choice.

The full interview follows here.

The first Undefeated for Converse Poorman Weapon shoe launched exactly one year ago today, January 24, 2009, in black. It was then followed-up with an olive version in May 2009 as UNDFTD’s celebration of US Armed Forces Day. This is the third installment of the shoe in navy that features the same bomber jacket nylon upper, removable velcro logos and orange lining. Again, the midsole carries an UNDFTD logo and the overall look is perfect. This time around the sneaker is accompanied by both a matching MA-1 Flight Jacket and Flight Helmet Bag.

The navy UNDFTD for Converse Poorman Weapon shoes launch globally on January 29, 2010.

Take a leap to read all about the project direct from the creators – Undefeated’s Eddie Cruz and Converse’s Ian Ginoza.

Eddie Cruz did not only design the purple Air Force 1 Low, but he also worked on this Nike Air Force 1 High Supreme as part of the East vs. West Rivalry Collection.

“Unlike the low cut model, the Highs used a dark base to contrast each other. The shoe features a black base with navy scale-like material on the upper, black patent leather swoosh, obsidian patent leather straps and a black inside-out leather mid-sole. Same as the low cut model, the outsole is also made of 0.44 sticky rubber for better performance under bad condition.”

The Eddie Cruz x Nike Sportswear Air Force 1 High Supreme Blue Scale is now available from the Kix-Files online store.

More detailed images follow after the jump.

Two interesting Nike Air Force 1 collaborations are hitting stores in the coming weeks. They got together with DJ Clark Kent and with Eddie Cruz. Eddie Cruz chose to give the sneaker the Lakers colors on an exotic leather upper. DJ Clark Kent kept it more subtle in terms of colors and concentrated on the materials, using brown premium leathers and oestrich. Both sneakers are available for pre-order from End and will be released October 1st.

Detailed images of the Nike Air Force 1 x DJ Clark Kent and the AF1 x Eddie Cruz follow after the jump.

We present you the upcoming Nike Dunk Hi Supreme Spark, which was designed by Eddie Cruz of Undefeated, as part of the West Pack.

This colorway is inspired by L.A. Dodger’s uniforms. In 2009 Nike drops a series of Dunks designed by people in all different regions including East, West, North and South packs. The upper is made of a blue scale-like pattern making for a truly unique look and the outsole is sport red with a very subtle blue speckle.

The Nike Dunk Hi Supreme Spark by Eddie Cruz will be released in December 2009. More detailed images follow after the jump.

Eddie Cruz from Undefeated gives us a look at some new USC and Dodgers inspired Dunk Hi’s from Nike. At this point we are not sure if Undefeated is involved in the project, or if these are just some upcoming sneakers. They come in a bordeaux/gold and blue/red colorway, with the upper having a fish skin inspired material and a nylon tongue. Hopefully we can tell you soon more about these.

Check out the USC Nike Dunk Hi after the jump.

With Bread & Butter getting closer, the new Streetwear Today issue is about to release – Issue 23: Quality Over Quantity. The cover story, an interview with Eddie Cruz (Union LA, Stussy LA, Undefeated), is of course a perfect fit for the theme.
Other interesting personalities that appear in this issue are Haze, 7th Letter Crew, Steve Caballero. Also they present the latest stores, brands and a lot more. Make sure to pick it up!