Just reprinting up from the press release:
Mike Shinoda, co-frontman for two-time Grammy winning, multiplatinum rock band LINKIN PARK, has re-teamed with DC Shoes for the release of the Xander, his third project for DC’s Remix Series™, and fourth overall for the popular footwear brand.Cool.
"We got an incredible response to the Xander Remix, a shoe I designed last year,” says Shinoda. “I felt that a 'summer version' would be exciting; it’s new, with lighter colors and patterns, but retains the comfort and durability of the last shoe. I wanted them to be worn every day yet still look and feel great, so I tested them personally. I wore them while on tour, in countries all around the world and they performed great.”
The limited-edition shoe was inspired in part by Shinoda’s Japanese heritage. He chose traditional Japanese patterns and koi scale textures for the shoe and packaging. The sole features custom fish scale tooling created just for this project and artwork sublimated underneath. His art is found on the shoe’s upper, insole and the outsole; his signature is on the heel and the words “limited edition” are embroidered in Japanese on the shoe’s tongue.”
“As a kid, I used to fold paper samurai helmets as part of the tradition for Japanese Boys' Day, a national Japanese holiday that falls in early May and celebrates children,” he says. “It's kinda funny that the holiday coincides with the release of the shoe, which has origami-inspired patterns."
Proceeds from the Xander will go to the Michael K. Shinoda Endowed Scholarship, helping students at the Art Center College of Design in California. The school is regarded by most as one of the top art colleges in the world. The excellence in education comes at a sometimes-challenging price: on average, roughly 76% of the students are on financial aid. Shinoda’s DC Remix Series™ shoe benefits those students so they can follow their passions and meet their educational needs.
Shinoda was the youngest of his graduating class from Art Center College of Design in 1998, with a B.A. in Illustration. He’s had a hand in most artistic facets of Linkin Park’s imagery, including album artwork, band merchandise, web design and on-stage production art. In 2004, he broke through with his first show, Gallery 1988, in Los Angeles. The show, entitled “Diamonds, Spades, Hearts, and Clubs,” featured collaborative artwork with Gary Baseman, graffiti artist SEEN, DALEK, Greg “Craola” Simkins, and Linkin Park’s Joe Hahn. Last July, he debuted a new art show titled “Glorious Excess Born,” to a sold-out crowd at the Japanese American National Museum. Fans lined up around the block to see Shinoda’s art, and the venue saw its highest one-day store sales in history. This August see Shinoda continuing that theme with a new show, Glorious Excess (Dies), at the Japanese American National Museum.
One of the most successful rock bands to emerge this decade, Linkin Park has amassed more than 45 million worldwide sales, a remarkable string of chart-topping hit singles, a pair of Grammy wins, and an international fanbase whose members number in the millions. The band (vocalists Shinoda and Chester Bennington, drummer Rob Bourdon, guitarist Brad Delson, DJ Joe Hahn and bassist Dave "Phoenix" Farrell) is currently working on the follow-up to blockbuster hit MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT (Machine Shop Recordings/Warner Bros. Records), which sold more than 6 million copies.
Linkin Park will embark on an international tour this summer that will see them headlining stadiums and festivals in 8 countries, including their 2nd stint in China, where they are widely regarding as the biggest western rock band.