Nealheardtrainers

BEST XMAS PRESENT EVER FOR A FOOTBALL SHIRTS MAD LOVED ONE - YOU WILL BE TOP OF THE FATHER XMAS CHARTS WHEN YOU HAND THIS ONE OVER:
The Football Shirts Book, The Connoisseurs Guide - Get it from:
www.loversfc.com or Amazon etc

My good pal and ace Photogpraher and I have created a fashion meets football ⚽️ shirt photographic exhibition project - more news 🗞 coming 🔜
Be there or be Square

The Euros are getting hotting up and the next stage of the tour sees me and the team visit my old pal Jessee a man with both one of the best Adidas shoe collections AND best football shirt collections in the world - full video on IG reels and story - 🚀💥

It’s world book day so did I tell you how ahead of the curve these books have been 😀 Trainers 👟 came out in 2003 just before everyone found they came from NY and called them Sneakers 😜 and A Lover’s Guide to Football Shirts released in 2016 even before Football shirts were a thing - can’t beat a good book - go and enrich the mind ✌️ link in bio or on Amazon

Nothing like a good bit of narcissism 😆 but thanks to my old pals , the super for featuring me and the role in one of their ‘Proper People’ videos live right now - and if you need more of my ego then I’m talking Newport County and Meyba and more with and Mark Webster on tomorrow 10.30 a.m 🙏

🙏 to for publishing the amazing story “The Deadstock Hunters” in their latest amazing magazine - detailing the early days of Trainer searching across Europe and onto the USA lead by the Duffer of St George boys Marco - Eddie Pendergast and the Proffessor head lot and Idris who were literally some of the people who helped the whole ‘originals’ and back catalogue revival every one takes for granted today - I was lucky enough to join them on some trips and the tails are retold in the article - if you scroll through there are some f the original scrap book entries for which shops had which stock in London which the differs and Pro Heads raced to clear - also the early boon magazines where most of the stock ended up being sold to - Japan - also the cottoned on early and covered it in 89 - the last two pics are where I found an old sports shop recently and looking through the window and dreaming of what’s out the back came flooding back - anyways get the magazine as social and sports shoe history was being written by these boys. My old partner Danny Moss features in the Duffer Srock Room in front of some haul -

Second drop of the .c x collection is out now - go grab it from their webstore whilst you can - this drops even better than the first - 👏💪🏽🙏

Proud that after months of hard teamwork have paid off and is now live to shop the collection - go follow and check it out - plenty of cool plans in the pipeline and will be back in the game... watch out football - thanks for all the support and orders. Keep em peeled.
📸 🙏

Since it was the great man Pele’s 80th recently (best ever imho) it reminds me of the important part he also played in the world of branding, especially between the Dasslers. This pic shows a vital moment. Just before kick off of World Cup 1970 - when the eyes of the world were watching -also the first time the cup had been in colour - Pele specifically delayed the Ref in order to take a minute to tie his lace - coincidence that he brought focus to his Puma Pele Boots? Nope !! Puma had paid Pele (allegedly $120,000) for the privilege - there had been a heavy fight over Pele between the warring German brands and Puma had broken the 'Pele Pact' between the brands who had a gentleman’s agreement not to endorse the worlds greatest player so as to avoid a cost escalation. Adi and Horst Dassler were never to forget or forgive and branding history went up a notch -

The last pic shows Peter Moore - not a man who would jump out at you as being Uber important to the modern world in all sorts of massive ways - but he’s the man who was creative director (did I ever tell you I’m creative director at 🤪) at both Nike and then also at adidas!! To say he played an important part in the sportswear/trainers game is an understatement ! He also is the designer of both the original Jordan logo (based on pilots wings) as well as the adidas Equipment (performance) logo seen here - brought to life by Jacques Chaissaing (of zx500 fame). Although obviously a design genius Moore didn’t get everything right - even though I’ve come to love the Wquipment logo it was Moores and co ex Nike but then adidas grandee , Rob Strasser , who decided to replace the Trefoil logo , now, they shouldn’t be forgiven for that eh 🤔🤦🏼‍♂️

Very proud and excited to announce that I am now the Creative Director (ohh get me) at 🙏 - A brand very closed to my heart - lots of pressure but really looking forward to bringing Meyba with all it’s rich heritage back into Football team wear once again - we have stacks of plans and masses of stuff bubbling away tba soon- aiming to mash up the dance in the kit world - so watch the spaces -

Yesterday saw the 30 year anniversary of Italia 90 so thought it was a good time to share the Beautiful South magazine photo shoot featuring Paul Heaton , band and crew all in their favourite early 90s Seria A Shirts (fi all got the actual mag tx to pal 👍🏽) also the feature from pals and excellent mag who allowed me to reminisce about my visit to the Tournament which saw me at Stadio Luigi Ferrari stadium (amongst others) watching Scotland lost to Costa Rica (the photo sees me wearing the shirt which is layed underneath which I kept to this day) - too much has been said about the tournament but it still sends a shiver down my spine when I hear Nesun Dorma -

By golly, ace 📸 & pal sure knows how to make Football Shirts (Hull City/ Bilbao/Porto/ et al) shirts look better than they ever have before 👀 obviously with more than a little help... ahem.

Day whatever of lockdown and these two seemed appropriate in the fight against any cabin fever - I have no idea why someone would put a European s*x shop logo on a brand new 1990 Wales shirt but would love to hear the story !

Been using my self isolation for fruition - not the best time to launch a brand but due to popular request we have brought forward the on line release of our t shirts - link in NN bio - 9 days in - keep going everybody - get a t shirt to wear in the spare bedroom just to spice up your day 😲✌️

All this time on the hands allows more digging for the new brand history book I’m working on as well as a forthcoming brand history interview with the Guardian - take a close look at the first pic - (and others) but it’s unique/odd for a few reasons - this is actually the Cruyff lead Ajax team lifting the 1972-73 European Cup - wouldn’t happen now but the near whole Ajax team lifted the cup in the Juve shirts of the opposition they had swapped with - Ajax had actually worn their all Red Away shirt to victory - which was Le Coq Sportif branded - as their kit had also been in the previous European Cup win the season before against Inter (Ajax were allowed to keep this cup as they had won it 3 seasons in a row and Le Coq were the first brand to get their brand on shirts back in 66) - also one of those historical oddities is the Ajax trainer is wearing opposing brand adidas wear (the Trefoil has only come into existence the year before) - so bit of brand history and brand mash up at the same time. Anyways I find it all interesting but imagine being stuck with me 🧐😆

I’ve developed a serious Coke habit 😆 World book day seems a good one to plug my two ground breaking tomes ✌️

Yesterday was the birthday of my absolute footballing hero - Dr Socrates - a genius on the pitch and off it - Football Activist ! A man who saw football as a tool for anti dictorial struggle - a man who’s maxim on the pitch I love : “ “Anyone who runs doesn’t think and anyone who thinks doesn’t run” I don’t buy any ‘fake retros’ but I did for that one as the shirt is so rare a copy had to do but I at least have a Fiorentina replica jersey - my now good pal was kind enough to let me use his matchworn shirt in my book - anyways just saying ✌️

Did something special with - here’s a few teasers - full details of exclusive drop later in the week x .c -

Got a few exciting projects coming up soon TBA, some of them football related so it seemed apt to dig out my Boca jerseys what with the recent back to the future release from the club - if any of my Argentinian pals know more about the brand Brini then let me know (the shirt was officially Adidas released in 1992 but this one is Pini) anyways keep an eye out for some exciting new announcements -

John Lennon with more appropriation of the 3 stripes - these all in 67 when recording Sgt Peppers - I have no idea what the models are so if anyone does then shout out ✌️

I have recently come across correspondence and exchanges between these two legendary trainer designers which started way back in 1955 and which if alternative paths had been taken how different history and indeed the present could of turned out.

Athletics coach Bill Bowerman (co-founder of Nike) had since 1952 been importing adidas shoes for his track teams which ended with Adi Dassler directly asking Bowerman to become a sales man for the German brand (he declined) !!
Dassler also pointed out that the American had also neglected to enclose the $12.50 cheque for the Olympia shoes he had ordered :)
Later after Bowerman had written to Adi advising him on how to improve javelin shoes relationships between the two thawed and broke down to the point that the last letter from Bowerman ended with “My boys will run barefooted “ ...

Bowerman then approached Brooks Shoe Company which also lead nowhere except to him later hooking up with Knight on BRS and all that and then onto Nike.The rest is History eh -

I will be talking Casuals, The book and 90s deadstock Trainer hunting with and when I am on my favourite radio show this coming Sunday around 11.30 on -

Turn on, tune in and drop out.

Brilliant day launching the new shirt at the Art of The Wales Shirt Exhibition curated by myself and at museum of the year Sant Ffagans - open to the public for the next two weeks with matchworn shirts from Giggs, Speed, Rush, Hughes, Bale etc - thanks to all involved for a brilliant launch - @ St Fagans National Museum of History

Myself and great pal Shakey will be curating in association with the The Football Association of Wales :

The Art of the Wales Shirt – Celf Crys Cymru,

In collaboration with official partners and supported by

The exhibition will cover 60 years of Welsh football shirt history.

Super honoured that the exhibition will take place at St Fagans National Museum of History, which was recently named as Art Fund Museum of the Year 2019.

Admission is free to all and open daily between 10:00 – 17:00.
The exhibition runs from 11 November to 24 November 2019 with various events so plenty of scope for you to come and see some amazing match worn shirts under one roof.

Superb Welsh Dream team artwork supplied by fellow Welshman

Earliest magazine article (1997) I have seen detailing the Dassler battles as well as some 1980 French Magazine adverts which illustrate how much the landscape has altered since then, even a pair of Levi’s Trainers on offer - thanks to my good pal for the scans 🤝🖖🏼

Today is the 51st anniversary of an event I have previously detailed both in the Trainers book in 2003 and on here a few years back but it’s one which is always relevant, especially with more info and pics like here.

Whilst receiving their medals at the 68 Mexico Olympics American Sprinters Tommie Smith, John Carlos and Aussie Peter Norman made a stand for the OPHR (Olympic Project for Human Rights) movement.

Something very unique and brave back then. The Americans raised their fists in what is seen as a Black Power salute but was as Smith explains in his autobiography (go read: Silent Salute) was more of a Human Rights salute.

Also in what became an all time iconic Trainer/Sneaker moment they took off their Puma Suedes (released the year previously) to protest against poverty and to highlight and represent the hypocrisy in the fact that Athletes weren’t allowed to earn money from sponsorship whilst the bodies involved made masses from the said same sponsorships.
They also wore beads to protest against lynchings.

In a gesture never forgotten by the Yank runners, Aussie Norman also wore the same OPHR badges to show his support for his fellow sprinters and their beliefs too.

They were booed by the stadium and Norman was later dropped by his countries athletics body. The 3 remained friends forever with the Americans being bearers at his Norman’s funeral

Very pleased to be involved with and for the launch of the Puma archive MCFC pack of Trainers in association with - in order to celebrate the clubs 125 year anniversary and the grand old brands link up with it I will be taking some of my archive of Vintage Puma shirts as well as speaking on a panel discussing Trainers and Terrace style along side a City legend and other ace panelist’s. If you’re in Manchester tomorrow (2nd) from 7pm on Oldham Street come and take a look at the Pack and all other stuff at the event. Come say hello. ? @ Manchester, United Kingdom

Last week saw the 50th anniversary of the release of Abbey Road on which cover Paul is seen famously barefooted but John wears his Spring Court which he also wore to his own wedding he also was an early adopter of Stan Smiths and other all Leather Adidas trainers - scroll through pics inc these rare pre crossing shots of the album sleeve

Tx to for the hospitality at the in Cardiff today - managed to catch a pic with my Rossonerri hero Paolo Maldini